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Scholarships are a key ingredient that can make top MBA programs more accessible, and the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business has just announced some new offerings. 

The new programs include both merit- and need-based scholarships, building on previous Darden scholarships like the Batten Scholars Program and the school’s scholarships for global study.

With its latest announcement, Darden is creating the Darden Distinguished Scholars Program, which includes a range of merit-based scholarships. 

One of these is the new Oculus Fellowship, a full-tuition fellowship that will go to outstanding students in Darden’s full-time MBA program. The fellowship can be awarded on the basis of academic achievement or leadership potential.

Beyond the new merit-based scholarship program, Darden unveiled AccessDarden, a scholarship program that will take into account need. 

According to Darden, AccessDarden grants can go to full-time MBA or EMBA students and will cover up to $20,000 in costs. Students who are admitted to Darden can subsequently apply for the need-based aid.

Since Darden has highlighted need-based scholarships as a priority in its ongoing capital campaign, the school says it expects that “the grant amounts will increase with philanthropy.”

The changes represent a restructuring of Darden’s existing scholarships as well as some new scholarships, like the Oculus Fellowship.

Darden dean Scott Beardsley explained that the move was intended “to simplify and raise awareness of the support Darden offers and to advance our commitment to ensuring that students have multiple opportunities available to them to help meet the cost of a graduate business education at Darden.”

Darden’s ultimate goal, Beardsley added, is to “attract the most talented students from all parts of the globe and walks of life to create an inclusive and diverse community.”

While students can apply for need-based scholarships after admission, the merit-based scholarships require some additional consideration from applicants during the application process. For example, the Oculus Fellowships will only go to students applying in Early Action, Round 1 or Round 2.

Darden says that the fellowships will be awarded to “exceptional candidates identified through the admissions process.”

When potential scholarships are involved, then, it becomes that much more important for applicants to stand out by emphasizing the unique qualities, experiences and strengths that they bring – which ultimately comes down to putting together an application that communicates a memorable personal brand.

We’re here to provide personalized feedback on how you can accomplish that. Feel free to contact us and request a free MBA application assessment!

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