IESE Business School, headquartered in Spain, provides a world-class MBA program that began as a partnership with Harvard Business School. The IESE MBA program welcomes students from over 64 countries and provides a globally focused education in 15 or 19 months.
The IESE MBA program's reputation and rating continue to increase. In fact, The Economist ranked IESE as the world's best full-time MBA program in 2021. The Case Method and other experience-based learning methodologies are used to teach the school's core general management curriculum. The classes are taught in both English and Spanish.
MBA candidates with academic competence, personal motivation, and confidence are sought by IESE. Leadership, job experience, and an international perspective should all be included in your IESE MBA application.
Make sure you demonstrate strong values, outstanding communication skills, and a team player approach. Remember to use these qualities into your MBA application while you write your IESE MBA essays.
IESE APPLICATION ESSAY #1
Who do you admire the most and why? Help us to understand who has played a pivotal role in shaping you to be the person you are or the person you aspire to be. Please provide specific examples of how they have shaped or inspired you. (word limit 300 max)
We've seen the value of powerful, attention-getting personal tales in our years of working with successful MBA applicants. You don't have to be flawless, but you should be honest and sincere. The prompt for this collection of IESE MBA essays is quite personal.
You are explaining your values as you describe the person you admire the most. Admiring a successful leader, for example, indicates that you value leadership. Perhaps you admire someone who has started a company or foundation from the ground up. Make sure to be explicit about the aspects of their story that resonate with you.
As you describe the person you admire most, your actual character will emerge. Describe the person you are or aim to be to assist the reader. Then, describe what about your respected individual has influenced you.
Consider the ideals you wish to portray during this period of vital change. Does your hero contribute to making the world a better place? Alternatively, they might be a powerful motivator. Do you think you'll be as influential in the future?
IESE APPLICATION ESSAY #2
What are your post-MBA career goals right after graduation and five years after? What kind of resources or opportunities offered by IESE will help you achieve them? (word limit 300 max)
The second essay focuses on your short and long-term professional goals, as well as why you chose IESE. Because the admissions committee may view your résumé in the application, this essay should provide context for who you are and why you have made the decisions you have. Consider one or two important professional situations you'd want to investigate.
Your experiences should have led to a professional objective that you can clearly explain in the short and long term. To put it another way, be specific. If you want want to work in venture capital after graduation, for example, explain what aspect about the industry you want to work in. Then, talk about your plans for the next five years in venture capital. Also, outline how you envisage yourself starting a fund or becoming an industry leader.
Then you'll need to explain why an MBA is the next step for you. What will you study to supplement your job experience in the IESE MBA program? Will your knowledge aid your students and the environment? Adding specific classes and teachers is usually a good idea.
OPTIONAL IESE ESSAY
What would you like to highlight about yourself or your journey which may have not been captured in your application? (word limit 300 max)
This optional essay is completely open-ended, so you may say whatever you want. Consider the stories you could tell about your origins and the questions you might ask to characterize your journey.
This is an excellent essay to express a personal narrative if you concentrated on your career in the previous questions. You may, for example, outline your background and motives that lead to your successes. You might also talk about a life difficulty that has shaped your character and influenced your path. Finally, give precise details to help your narrative stand out.
You might also use this section to exhibit personal motivation, an international view, and strong principles in order to align this essay with the IESE MBA requirements.
Click here for additional information on how to apply to IESE. And, read our expert advice: What Makes a European MBA so Appealing to understand more about the attractiveness of foreign MBA program possibilities.