MBA - Admissions - Apply - Consortium

Meet Morgan Atkins (She/Her/Hers)

Hometown: Stillwater, OK

Undergrad Institution: Ithaca College

Undergrad Major: Music Performance

Pre-MBA Industry/Functional Area: Advertising

Areas of Career Interest: Consulting @ BCG Dallas 

Darden Clubs and/or Leadership Roles: Consortium Liaison; VP of Community Development of Graduate Women in Business; Darden Foundation Student Ambassador; Active member of Consulting Club, Outdoors Club, and Wine and Cuisine Club 

Why Darden? Initially, I was drawn to Darden’s strong reputation for placing students at top consulting firms. Ultimately, it was the people who made my decision clear.  

What does the Consortium mean to you? I met my best friends through the Consortium! It’s an incredible opportunity to connect with people who share similar values and experiences. Dropping everything to pursue an MBA in Charlottesville was a big transition for me, and having a strong network made all the difference.

What is a Consortium Liaison and what are you looking forward to most in this role? As a Consortium Liaison, I will help first-year students build connections — both with each other and within the broader Darden community. With so many opportunities at Darden and beyond, our goal is to ensure you have the resources and support to navigate them, making the most of your two years here. 

Connect with Morgan: LinkedIn | Email

Meet Shresta Chemarla (She/hers)

Hometown: Naperville, IL

Undergrad Institution: Arizona State University

Undergrad Major: Finance

Pre-MBA Industry/Functional Area: Technology

Areas of Career Interest: VC/PE/Startups

Darden Clubs and/or Leadership Roles: Consortium Liaison, Section A Social Chair

Why Darden? The tightknit community and its emphasis on learning. I knew Darden was the place I wanted to be if I wanted to challenge myself. 

What does the Consortium mean to you? Consortium has had my back throughout the many ups and downs of my first year. I couldn’t ask for a better group of people to support me on this crazy journey that is Darden.

What is a Consortium Liaison and what are you looking forward to most in this role? Consortium Liaisons help bring together the fellows by providing a community, resources for recruiting and moral support. We’ll be your biggest cheerleaders! I’m looking forward to bringing together the community through various events and programming. Plus, I’m excited to meet all the amazing incoming first-years! 

Connect with Shresta: LinkedIn | Email

Meet Selome Gizaw (She/Her/Hers)

Hometown: Washington, D.C. / Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Undergrad Institution: McGill University

Undergrad Major: Economics

Pre-MBA Industry/Functional Area: FinTech / Product Management

Areas of Career Interest: Technology / Product Management

Darden Clubs and/or Leadership Roles: Consortium Social Chair, Community Consultants of Darden, Darden African Business Organization, Black Business Student Association, Student Dialogue Fellowship, Technology Club

Why Darden? Two things that make Darden unique are its academics and its community. For me, the case method has been second to none in terms of classroom engagement, developing critical thinking and confidence, and building a deep and comprehensive understanding of course content. From a community standpoint, Darden is the true definition of close-knit: if you’re looking for a place where you’re able to truly get to know and spend quality time with your classmates, Darden is it. 

What does the Consortium mean to you? Consortium has meant the world to me since starting at Darden, even since before stepping foot on grounds. Being part of Consortium meant joining a community of people who I could rely on throughout all the highs and lows of my business school journey so far. Whether I’m hanging out in the hallway in Saunders, looking to make an impromptu happy hour visit to the Good Sport or just need to vent about my day, friends from my Consortium cohort are always my first call. 

What is a Consortium Liaison and what are you looking forward to most in this role? As Consortium Liaisons, we are responsible for upholding and building upon the strength of our community, while providing academic, social and professional support to all our first- and second-year members. As an incoming Liaison for the 2025–26 academic year, I especially look forward to creating spaces for our first-year members to develop close and meaningful bonds, and hopefully organizing events that serve as the foundation for some of their core Darden memories. 

Connect with Selome: LinkedIn | Email

Meet Tomi Ogunmoyin (she/her)

Hometown: Lagos, Nigeria

Undergrad Institution: Penn State University

Undergrad Major: Accounting

Pre-MBA Industry/Functional Area: Management Consulting

Areas of Career Interest: Tech/Consulting

Darden Clubs and/or Leadership Roles: Consortium Liaison, Student GenAI Advisory Board, BBSA, DABO

Why Darden? I chose Darden because of its commitment to its community, the warmth of the people I encountered and Darden’s commitment to providing top-notch training for future business leaders via the case-study method and many other avenues.

What does the Consortium mean to you? It is an opportunity to uphold values that are dear to me which includes providing a space for underrepresented minorities to feel seen and heard, as well as a community to lean on in times of need.

What is a Consortium Liaison and what are you looking forward to most in this role? A liaison essentially helps to build the Consortium community by providing avenues to develop camaraderie amongst Consortium members and creating a supportive environment that empowers members to succeed in their respective programs. I really look forward to helping to shape the experience of the incoming class positively and helping to make the Darden transition as smooth as possible. 

Connect with Tomi: LinkedIn | Email

Deadlines

The Consortium's Early Application Deadline is 15 October, 2024, and the Traditional Application Deadline is 5 January, 2025.

Where can I find details on eligibility and application criteria?

Please visit the Consortium website. Darden welcomes all Consortium applicants who meet the mission and application requirements for the Consortium.

If I plan to apply through the Consortium, will my Darden test waiver apply - therefore exempting me from the Consortium's test requirement?

You are able to apply directly to the Consortium if you received a test waiver from Darden. Once you receive that test waiver confirmation, please share that with the Consortium prior to the deadline so that they can process your application as ‘complete’ so that your application will be sent to Darden in a timely manner.

The Consortium Interview

Interviews will be conducted according to each school’s specific policy. Darden has an invitation-only admissions interview process. Upon review of applications, Darden will invite Consortium applicants to interview at Darden. Please follow the application deadlines section for timeline estimations for interviews.

Consortium Events

We host a variety of on-grounds events throughout the fall, including an annual Diversity Conference. During these sessions, attendees have the opportunity to connect with current students, faculty and staff and explore life in Charlottesville. You also have the opportunity to meet students in our Affinity Clubs over dinner and attend a social gathering hosted by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

In addition, Darden will have admissions and/or alumni representation at all of the Consortium MAPS events, as well as some of the other Consortium events held throughout the country during the summer and fall.

Consortium Application Deadlines

Darden accepts and reviews all Consortium applications that meet the Consortium application deadlines. The Darden Office of Admissions will determine each year the review timeline and decision deadlines that the Consortium applications will follow once received. This information will be posted in our application deadlines section. Membership notification will come directly from the Consortium. Fellowship notification will come directly from the Darden School Foundation and will occur after the Membership and Selection Committee meeting in early March.

Access the Consortium application.

Consortium Application FAQs

The Consortium put together an FAQ on their website to help answer questions about the Consortium application process.

The Orientation Program

Once a Consortium admitted applicant’s deposit has been received by the Office of Admissions, notification of and preparation for the Consortium’s Orientation Program (scheduled in late spring or early summer) will begin immediately. Admitted students are invited and expected to fully participate in the Orientation Program as well as all the preparation activities offered through Darden.

Community Engagement and Leadership

Darden’s Consortium students are very active and engaged within the Darden, UVA and Charlottesville communities. They participate in a variety of clubs, organize events and volunteer their time to give back to the School as well as the Consortium. Whether leading from where they are or in an official capacity, Consortium students are expected to be leaders in the community.

Darden students represent national organizations as well. Darden has student members and scholars representing the Forté Foundation, the National Black MBA Association, the National Society of Hispanic MBAs and the Toigo Foundation to name a few.

Alumni

Darden Consortium alumni remain connected with Darden in a variety of ways. Alumni support the School and the students by serving as support resources for students, attending events at Darden throughout the year, supporting the alumni chapters in their home cities and representing Darden at partner and recruiting events.