Archive for the ‘Admission’ Category

Anton Khabursky (Master in Management class of 2011 alumnus) met for coffee with the young and active participants of Changellenge business case competition in Russia. Anton sets a great example of how his participation in Changellenge gave him a great opportunity to get a scholarship for IE’s Master in Management program that later lead to the well deserved position in consulting in McKinsey. He shared his studying experience and together with Irina Polovneva (IE Country Representative for Russia and Ukraine) advised on how to advance careers in the modern world and when to attend a business school.

IE Business School is collaborating with the organizers of the Changellenge Moscow Cup, which began on November 20th and will culminate with the final competition on December 12th.  The project brings together some of the brightest future leaders, and is great chance for IE to meet potential students for the Master in International Management program.

IE will be participating in the Changellenge Competition in several ways. In addition to Dr. David Bach’s Master Class on Strategy Beyond the Market scheduled to take place on December 1st at 18:00 in Moscow High School of Economics, IE representatives will also be meeting with semi-finalists and top contestants at invite-only events to learn more about their professional objectives and their potential to come to IE Business School for master-level study.  As part of IE’s commitment to the Changellenge Competition, two candidates who’ve managed to show top results throughout the competition and who’ve obtained admissions to IE Business School, will be awarded a sizeable scholarship.  There is one scholarship of 30% of tuition fees, and a second of 50% of tuition fees.

Competition contestants who will be participating in the Changellenge Competition and who wish to be considered for one of the scholarships, must have submitted to their admissions application to IE Business School no later than 10 March, 2011.  For support on applying to IE, contact IE’s Moscow Office via email at Russia@ie.edu.

We wish all Changellenge Competition contestants the best of luck.

Julian Trigo, director of admissions at IE, was recently interviewed by Spanish business magazine America Economía for an article titled “Tips for getting good MBA recommendation letters.”

Trigo says that recommendations play a more important role in the admission process than you might think. While the letters are just one component of the admission process, hearing someone who has worked with you closely rave about your strengths can put your application over-the-top.  While the article is in Spanish,  here is a recap of the answers to some key questions answered in the article.

Who should you select as a recommender?

Trigo said it should be someone who knows you really well, who can describe your strengths and weaknesses, how you work in a team, and what entrepreneurial skills you may have.  A strong letter from a direct supervisor is much more valuable than a letter from the CEO that lacks depth.

What if my recommender asks you to write the letter?

You should be careful of this situation. Trigo says it can “often lead to the opposite of what you might expect.”  These letters often lack the personality and authenticity of a true letter of recommendation.  

Plus, “a recommendation letter that only points out the positives, without highlighting any points of improvement could cause suspicion,” he said.  At IE, it´s also customary for the admissions department to contact recommenders, and if they cannot confirm and expand on the information in the letter, the candidate would be out of the process.

Instead, have a face-to-face meeting with the recommender to remind them of your strengths, and be clear about what should be included in the final letter, per the requirements of IE. Also be sure to  give the recommender plenty of advance notice so they can write a fabulous letter on their own.

What  should the letter include?

 Here are some recommendations from  Stephen Buchanan of Educonsul, an MBA consulting firm, who was also interviewed in the article:

*The letter should clearly establish how your recommender knows you and in what context you worked together

*The recommender should use descriptive anecdotes as evidence to point out three or four of your skills or qualities.

*If you are applying to an English language program and English is not your native language, your recommender should point out any knowledge he has of your professional experience using English

*For the most descriptive letter, it could be beneficial for the recommender to write in his native language.  Then, have the letter professionally translated and submit both versions of the letter to the school.

For more information for what IE looks for in candidates, watch the above video from Julián Trigo (in Spanish), or the below podcast(in English):

Swedish nationals coming to study at IE and looking for financing options may want to consider a new interest-free loan product from JAK Members Bank. Swedish students can borrow between 5.000 and 100.000 Crowns to be paid back over 7 years.

Sweden´s JAK Members Bank has reinvented the business of banking and lending money. Its most unique feature is that it does not charge interest on loans ande does not pay interest on savings. The point-based system is based on an ideology whereby JAK´s clients are members of the bank and “share” their savings, making interest-free loans available to other members and their families. JAK´s cooperative style of management is a marked differentiating factor. According to the JAK philosophy, economic instability is a result of charging interest.

Miguel Ganzo, director of international relations at JAK, came to IE in November in order to talk with students from the Master in Finance and MBA programs. The event aimed to raise awareness among IE students about alternative methods of banking and finance.

For more information on loans from JAK Membersbank, visit www.jak.se. For a list of all loan programs available to IE students visit www.ie.edu/loans.