Admissions Success Stories

Hari where are you from in NJ?

@deepak, thanks. sure feel free to contact me for any help.

@money9111 - Edison.

@hk... ah 20 minutes from my hometown of Old Bridge.. i graduated HS in 04.. if you're around that age im sure we know some of the same people... but thats for another time lol... Congrats again

money9111 wrote:@hk... ah 20 minutes from my hometown of Old Bridge.. i graduated HS in 04.. if you're around that age im sure we know some of the same people... but thats for another time lol... Congrats again

I used to live close to old bridge - lawrence harbor. Just moved to Edison last year. Nah I wouldn't know anybody from those times!

Thanks again.

Hi hari,

Congratulations on your admit! I've heard good things about this school in general.

I was just lurking through the IESE site today. I found that they help you assess your application whether you stand a good chance in IESE before you actually apply, which is pretty good. Normally, people unknowingly submit their applications and wait for a response or people take that extra effort to foresee their chances. Did you ever do this when you applied? How effective is this process?

What is the process in Assessment day? I've never heard of this in any school. How serious is this process?

@papgust, No I did not get my profile assessed before applying. Just applied.

An Assessment day is an integral part of the admission process at IESE and I too have never seen any other school with a more thorough selection process. The process is pretty serious in a way but really a great experience. I totally enjoyed it.
For more information on the event, visit this post that i wrote a few days back https://hariformba.blocked/2010/02/ ... f-mba.html

Guys, here is a PM that i received from Giorgio, who is a prospective applicant to the IESE Business school. I thought i would put my responses in this thread for the benefit of all.

Hello mate!

Congratulations with IESE acceptance!

I'd like to ask few questions regarding admission process, since IESE is one of my dream schools!

My profile :
Age: 23 at entrance
Nationality : Georgian
GMAT: 690
GPA: 2.63
Working experience :4 Year, My current position is Money Market and Liquidity Manager at largest Georgian bank.

As you can see my undergraduate GPA is very low , but the explanation for this is that I was employed full time during my 3rd and 4th year of studies. and an employment was full time and relevant ( Financial Specialist at HSBC Bank Georgia)

Since you were attending IESE events and saw many prospective students , what do you think how well may i fit to IESE MBA program?

In addition to that , I have raised a claim with GMAC regarding my 690 Score ( that was affected due to disturbances during my test) and I am sure that they will offer a free retake , so I hope to score around 720+ .

@Giorgio, Thank you for the message and for the wishes.

I think your GPA situation can be well understood by the adcom members as you have a very valid reason. Actually, they would appreciate your eagerness to work - being independent and your quest for practical knowledge to supplement your studies.

I think you GMAT score is pretty good compared to the applicant pool and i don't see a need why you should retake it - unless your scores are not balanced in both the Quant and verbal sections. Also due to the quantitative nature of your work in finance you can utilize your optional essay to offset your low GPA scores.

Your fit with the IESE school and the program is one thing i cannot judge upon, its for you to know. There are many ways to know the fit - talk to alumni, students and staff members. My experience with them has been extremely pleasant and i found that everyone was happy and readily willing to talk. As far as your professional experience goes its inline with the typical applicant. From the events i observed several bankers and financial analysts in the applicant pool. So it would be important for you to stand apart from them with your experiences. Talk about your personal life too in the essays, discuss your passions or hobbies. Let them know what kind of a person you are outside work. These will definitely be unique and will help you stand apart from the crowd of bankers.

Please feel free to ask any further questions and I'll be more than happy to give my views.

ATB

Hi HK, thanks for sharing your experience.
I'm hoping to get accepted in IESE myself. Right now I'm revising my essays for the nth time.
I'm aiming for the Apr19 deadline. Do you think it's too late already? I was rushing the application,
I decided to get the MBA November last year. I had less than 2 months to prepare for the GMAT.
got 640 as well, lower than I aimed for but I'm not planning to get another one since I don't have time already.
What do you think I should focus on my essays? I'm having a hard time honesty. too few words in the limit.

I am not the best person to tell you if its too late to apply. You might want to email the admissions office with this query. But since IESE has 2 more (if i'm not wrong) rounds of application, i still think you can make it.

Coming to your essays, yes i agree that they are short. But its a good way where you can eliminate all the unnecessary data/information and include only the aspects that are relevant to your application. I don't think 640 is a bad score. Heck, i got in with that score Just make sure you present yourself in the best possible way in your essays, and in your interview.

Best,
Hari

thanks Hari, I love your blog btw. Hope to meet you this september.

Hey thanks! So are you going to be joining IESE too or ESADE?

i just submitted my IESE application. IESE is my ONLY choice so fingers crossed. Hopefully I'll be lucky enough to meet you in Barcelona!

Hello,

Congrats to you! I like IESE as well. I spoke to a recruiter via phone. Like the overall mission of the school.

I do have some queries:

1. DO you feel IESE has a good career center? Are you planning on working in Europe after school?

2. How did you work out the living situation? That always concerned me, since I am an American.

Thanks for any info you can provide.

Cheers,
Angie

congrats Hari. BTW thanks for sharing THE kit on your BLOG. Your admit shows way for those who got low gmat score.

IWillSurvive wrote:Hello,

Congrats to you! I like IESE as well. I spoke to a recruiter via phone. Like the overall mission of the school.

I do have some queries:

1. DO you feel IESE has a good career center? Are you planning on working in Europe after school?

2. How did you work out the living situation? That always concerned me, since I am an American.

Thanks for any info you can provide.

Cheers,
Angie

Hi there, Please see my responses below:

1. DO you feel IESE has a good career center? Are you planning on working in Europe after school?

I think its career service center is pretty good. They host a lot of events and host a career forum which is one of the boggest of its kind in Europe. Many many recruiters participate in this forum which forms the major source of employement for Internships and full time jobs for the students. Yes I'm planning on working on Europe for some time post MBA.

2. How did you work out the living situation? That always concerned me, since I am an American.

Well if you are asking about the finances, then I'll be using my savings and will borrow some money from my father to cover the expenses. If your query is regarding the housing, then like almost all other students i'm planning to share a house or apartment with fellow students. There are many places and Barca seems to have many apartments for rent..

Hope this answers your questions.