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Dear Fall 2017 Intake Candidates (the IESE Class of 2019),

I am happy to announce our application for the Full Time MBA Fall 2017 intake is now available online! You can register, view, and apply HERE. Please note the deadlines for the Fall 2017 intake are as follows:

Before you get started, I would like to give you some insights into the essays to get your creative juices following in the right direction.

Essay Question I

This year we have introduced one mandatory essay question and have given you the freedom to choose between two options with a 400 word limit:

1. Please describe a time when you had an idea that had a positive impact.
2. How do you develop yourself? What do you see as your development areas now?

Question 1.1 Explanation 

When answering question 1, we are looking to understand how you are making a positive impact in your community. At the core of our mission is transforming leaders who will make a positive impact on society. So we are looking for examples of our mission in your professional or personal life. It is also a great time to show you are an action oriented leader. You had an idea and then you implemented it, thus impacting positive change.

Question 1.2 Explanation

As leaders, we need to always be self-reflective and have the emotional maturity to be able to identify our developmental areas, seeking continuous improvement. We would like to know what you understand to be your developmental areas and how you are tackling them. Business school might be one of the ways you are seeking to develop yourself professionally, which is great and expected. So please provide other examples.

Essay Question II (optional)

I wish that the application had asked me…

This essay can be submitted either written (200 words) or as a video (max 2:00 minutes total in length). We are aware that you are not a media professional.

Question 2.1 Explanation

First, this essay is truly optional. I recommend you complete it if you feel you have something else to say but didn’t have any other place in the application to express it. When writing or recording it, please keep in mind that we do enjoy reading about any additional accomplishments, leadership positions / opportunities, passions, and hobbies. Feel free to also use this essay to explain any resume gaps, low undergraduate GPAs….any area of your application you feel is weak but has a reasonable explanation.

We know not all of you are media professionals. Thus, we do not expect your video to be professional quality. However, we do expect it to be professional. So please pay close attention to details when filming including lighting, professional attire, sound quality (be sure to film in a quiet place), ability to see you clearly, and anything that could distract us from paying attention to the message you are delivering. The only guidance we give you for the video is that it be max 2 minutes. Get creative or not! It is up to you! Again, the video along with this essay in general is totally OPTIONAL. But anything you submit will reflect upon you as a candidate.

Other General Essay Advice.

We want to get to know YOU. Be yourself. Use your natural voice in the essay. Make sure you answer the actual prompt or question. Ask someone else to read the essay without telling them the prompt/question to see if you are actually answering the question. Applying to business school isn’t just a time to pump out essays, GMAT/GRE test scores, etc. It is also a time of self-reflection. Use these essays to stop and really think about why you are going to business school and how the IESE MBA will help you achieve your goals.

We look forward to reading your applications!

Good luck!

Itziar, Director, MBA Admissions