18 Feb, 2026
Working on an UVA MSBA application? Curious about how to stand out in the application process?
Here are five key tips that will help you craft your best application.
1. It’s about your story
The application process is not just a collection of data points. It’s a storytelling exercise. We encourage candidates to think of the application as an initial introduction. You won’t be able to share everything about yourself, so it’s worth thinking about what you want to make sure our Admissions Committee knows about you after reviewing your materials.
Thinking about the application in this way will help you identify your application priorities, those key pieces of information you want to ensure are reflected in your application materials. Once you’ve identified your priorities, read through your application and think about how the various sections can help you to advance these priorities. Being intentional with the application components – and, by extension, your narrative – will allow you to feel confident you are putting your best foot forward.
Pro Tip: Candidates often ask where they should start with the application process? We recommend the resume. This approach gets you immediately engaged with your story, and it also ensures you have an updated copy of your resume when approaching your recommender (see below!).
2. Build your academic readiness case
There is no one right academic background for the MSBA program. And there are many ways a candidate can demonstrate their readiness for the MSBA academic experience. In fact, candidates are often surprised by the breadth of this potential data set. It includes undergraduate GPA and coursework, graduate coursework, non-degree-related coursework, professional certifications, work experience, roles and responsibilities and more.
Of course, a standardized test score is not required to apply to UVA’s MSBA program, but candidates can provide a test score as a way of strengthening their application. For candidates looking for a potential test option, we recommend checking out the Executive Assessment. This 40-question, 90-minute test was originally designed with busy working professional students in mind, and candidates report typically spending around 20-30 hours preparing for the test (which is much less than similar figures for the GMAT and GRE).
3. Be Authentic
We often describe the application as a three-legged stool, with the legs representing the personal, academic and professional dimensions of your story. Candidates tend to undervalue their personal narrative, but for our Admissions Committee, who you are as a person is just as important as your academic experiences and your professional achievements.
One of the most personal aspects of the application are our essay questions. We ask two questions to give you an opportunity to share more about yourself, and candidates often ask what makes a compelling essay response?
Too often candidates get overly focused on what they think our Admissions Committee wants to hear, and it’s worth mentioning, there is no “right” answer to our essay questions. In the best responses, the candidate’s voice and personality come right through.
When responding to the prompts, focus on what you want to share, what you think is most important for our Admissions Committee to learn about you. As noted above, you should be thinking about how these responses fit into your overall narrative and the story you are crafting for our Admissions Committee.
And when you have your draft in a finalized state, share it with someone who knows you well. See if they can guess the prompt and ask them if what you’ve written sounds like you? If the answer to that second question is “yes,” you’re on the right track.
One final note – We often get asked about using AI tools when crafting essay responses. In our experience, these tools tend to make writing read more generically, sacrificing personality. In other words, not what you want when crafting your essay responses.
4. Choose someone who knows you well
We require one recommendation in our application process, and our number one piece of advice is to choose someone who knows you well. Since the MSBA program is a working professionals program, we generally recommend your current supervisor, but if that person doesn’t know you well (for example, if you’re in a new role, or you have a new boss), choosing someone else makes sense.
Make sure to give your recommender plenty of time to write their letter, and when approaching your recommender be sure to ask if they feel they can write you a good recommendation. We also recommend (see what we did there?) taking some time to remind them about the projects you’ve worked on together and sharing with them why you’re interested in the MSBA program. Lastly, give them a copy of your resume – It will allow them to be more specific about your accomplishments when writing their letter.
The recommendation is the one part of the application where we hear from someone other than you. In other words, you should not be involved in the drafting of your recommendation in any way.
5. Enjoy the ride
As we often say, the hardest parts of the application process – your academic experiences, your professional career – are already behind you. The application is really just an opportunity for you to reflect upon and highlight your achievements and imagine what’s to come.
We know any application process can be a nerve-wracking experience, but you should be proud of yourself for taking this step. Embrace the joy in this process, and focus on those things you can control – how you research programs, how you craft your application narrative, your attention to detail when finalizing your materials and more.
We can’t wait to meet you!