IESE MBA News

Get the latest MBA news from IESE.

Published: October 1, 2023

The Week Ahead: MBA Deadlines & Interview Invites, October 2-6, 2023

Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! First Round deadlines continue. The new application season is now underway. Monday, October 2, Georgetown / McDonough and CMU / Tepper have their Round 1 application deadlines. Tuesday, October 3, Washington / Foster has its Round 1 application deadline. Cambridge / Judge has its Round 2 application deadline. IESE is scheduled to release its Round 1 interview invites. Wednesday, October 4, UVA / Darden and Emory / Goizueta have their Round 1 application deadlines. HBS will Read more

Published: September 18, 2023

Stanford GSB Tops Bloomberg Businessweek’s U.S. Business School Rankings 2023-2024

Bloomberg Businessweek’s 2023-2024 Best B-Schools ranks the top business schools globally by region, charting assessments of programs in the U.S., Europe, Asia-Pacific region, and Canada through a rigorous analysis of data and survey responses. This year, the ranking covers 110 full-time MBA programs. To qualify, programs had to be taught primarily in English. Bloomberg Businessweek surveyed 6,574 students, 10,347 alumni, and 713 employers, and also weighed compensation and employment data to determine schools’ scores. The top five of the U.S. business schools ranking sees the same schools as last year’s, with some slight shuffling. The Stanford Graduate Read more

Published: September 17, 2023

The Week Ahead: MBA Deadlines & Interview Invites, September 18-22, 2023

Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! First Round deadlines are upon us. The new application season is now underway. Monday, September 18, NYU / Stern has its Round 1 application deadline. Tuesday, September 19, IESE has its Round 1 application deadline. Wednesday, September 20, Cornell / Johnson has its Round 1 application deadline. Thursday, September 21, Chicago / Booth has its Round 1 application deadline. Duke / Fuqua is scheduled to release its Early Action round interview invites. How “The Wires” Can Read more

Published: July 24, 2023

Admissions Director Q&A: Paula Amorim of IESE

In the latest installment of our Admissions Director Q&A, we take a deep dive into MBA admissions with Paula Amorim, the Director of Admissions of the Full-Time MBA at IESE Business School. Paula joined the Admissions team after completing her MBA at IESE in 2016 and was previously responsible for the Latin American market, based in the Sao Paulo campus. She is an Industrial engineer from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, in her hometown, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Prior to the MBA, she dedicated her career to management consulting in local firms Read more

Published: June 18, 2023

The Week Ahead: MBA Decisions, June 19-23, 2023

Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! Final rounds continue. Final rounds continue as we get closer to the end of the cycle. Monday, June 19, IESE is scheduled to release its Round 4 decisions. Thursday, June 22, Berkeley / Haas is scheduled to release decisions for its Accelerated Access program for deferred admissions. How “The Wires” Can Help Visit MBA LiveWire for the latest “buzz” about MBA admissions, including interview invitations and decision notifications. There are 5 Ways MBA LiveWire Helps You Navigate Read more

Published: May 14, 2023

The Week Ahead: MBA Decisions, May 15-19, 2023

Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! Late Round Decisions Roll Out Round 3 continues as we get closer to the end of the 2022-2023 admissions cycle. Monday, May 15, USC / Marshall and IESE are scheduled to release their Round 3 decisions. Wednesday, May 17, UCLA / Anderson is scheduled to release its Round 3 decisions. Oxford / Saïd is scheduled to release its Stage 4 decisions. Thursday, May 18, MIT / Sloan and Yale SOM are scheduled to release their Round Read more

Published: May 7, 2023

The Week Ahead: MBA Deadlines & Decisions, May 8-12, 2023

Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! Late Rounds Continue Late admissions rounds continue with additional deadlines and decision releases. Wednesday, May 10, UPenn / Wharton, Northwestern / Kellogg and Emory / Goizueta are scheduled to release their Round 3 decisions. Thursday, May 11, Texas / McCombs has its Round 4 deadline. Berkeley / Haas is scheduled to release its Round 3 decisions. Friday, May 12, Cornell / Johnson has its initial notification deadline for its April round. IESE is scheduled to release Read more

Published: April 30, 2023

The Week Ahead: MBA Deadlines & Decisions, May 1-5, 2023

Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! Late Round News Continues to Roll out Late admissions rounds continue with additional deadlines and decision releases. Tuesday, May 2, Georgetown / McDonough and IESE have their Round 4 application deadlines. Duke / Fuqua is scheduled to release its Round 4 decisions. Wednesday, May 3, Carnegie Mellon / Tepper is scheduled to release its Round 3 decisions. Thursday, May 4, Dartmouth / Tuck, Georgetown / McDonough and Texas / McCombs are scheduled to release their Round Read more

Published: March 19, 2023

The Week Ahead: MBA Deadlines & Decisions, March 20-24, 2023

Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! Round 2 final decisions are coming. Round 2 decisions are starting to roll out, Round 3 application deadlines are also beginning. Monday, March 20, IESE is scheduled to release its Round 2 decisions. Tuesday, March 21, Georgetown / McDonough is scheduled to release its Round 2 decisions. Wednesday, March 22, UCLA / Anderson is scheduled to release its Round 2 decisions. Emory / Goizueta has its Round 3 application deadline. Oxford / Saïd has its Stage Read more

Published: March 12, 2023

The Week Ahead: MBA Deadlines & Decisions, March 13-17, 2023

Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! Round 2 final decisions are coming. Round 2 decisions are starting to roll out, Round 3 & 4 application deadlines are also beginning. Monday, March 13, UNC / Kenan-Flagler is scheduled to release its Round 2 decisions. Tuesday, March 14, Washington / Foster and IESE have their Round 3 application deadlines. Wednesday, March 15, UVA / Darden and Emory / Goizueta are scheduled to release their Round 2 decisions. NYU / Stern has its Round 4 Read more

Published: February 23, 2023

Interview Report Round-Up: Georgia Tech Scheller, IESE, NYU Stern

We’re rounding up some of the latest interview reports and shining the spotlight on recent accounts from MBA applicants to Georgia Tech / Scheller, IESE and NYU Stern as shared in our Interview Archive. The first report comes from a Round 2 applicant to Georgia Tech / Scheller. Their virtual interview with a Career Center rep included the following questions: Another Round 2 applicant shared their interview with an IESE alum: Out of the NYU Stern applicant pool, a Round Read more

Published: February 19, 2023

IESE MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Alumnus / Meet

Overall very conversational and chilled atmosphere. No tricky questions. – Why IESE? – Tell me a time you dealt with a conflict within your team. – Tell me a time you received negative feedback and what you learned from it. – How do you deal with stressful moments/periods? – Do you have any Plan B should your career goal not work out? – Where else have you applied and is IESE your first choice? – Questions for me? Read more

Published: February 13, 2023

The Financial Times 2023 Global MBA Ranking: CBS Takes Top Spot for the First Time

The Financial Times (FT) released its rankings of the 100 best Global MBA programs for 2023. Changes to the ranking’s methodology and the glaring absence of a familiar name have really shaken things up. “The weighting for salary-related metrics has been cut from 40% of the ranking to less than 33% this time around, and that has clearly made a difference. The ‘extra’ 7% has been shifted into new categories such as carbon footprint (4%) and ESG coursework offerings (3%)” says Graham Richmond, co-founder of Clear Admit. Top Ten Overall Here are the top 10 MBA programs of Read more

Published: January 23, 2023

Real Numbers of MBA Admissions: Cost of MBA Programs in Europe

How much does an MBA in Europe cost? The cost of an MBA does not just include tuition. MBA candidates should also plan for living expenses, including room and board, transportation, meals, health insurance and other personal costs. Some programs also have mandatory fees and require funds for activities and supplies. Whether in pounds, Euros or Swiss francs, it helps to know what your budget should be to cover the price of an MBA program. About a third of European business schools offer need-based scholarships to help offset the cost of an MBA. Many programs also offer Read more

Published: January 8, 2023

The Week Ahead: MBA Deadlines, January 9-13, 2023

Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! Round 2 is underway. It’s the New Year, which means Round 2 deadlines are upon us. Monday, January 9, Michigan / Ross, Emory / Goizueta, and UNC / Kenan-Flagler have their Round 2 application deadlines. Cambridge / Judge has its Round 3 application deadline. Tuesday, January 10, Northwestern / Kellogg, Cornell / Johnson, and IESE have their Round 2 application deadlines. INSEAD has its Round 3 application deadline. How Clear Admit+ and “The Wires” Can Help Read more

Published: November 23, 2022

Real Humans of the IESE MBA Class of 2024

In this edition of Real Humans: MBA Students, we head to the IESE Business School of the University of Navarra in Barcelona. IESE’s class is comprised of about 350 students and 38 percent are women. Eighty-five percent are international, representing over 50 nationalities. The students’ average age is 29 at the time of matriculation, with an average of 5.4 years of work experience. Sixty-one percent bring professional experience from industry while a fifth had worked in finance pre-MBA. Another 13 percent joined from the consulting field, five percent from entrepreneurship and three percent from public services/NGO. When it came time to Read more

Published: October 30, 2022

Round 2 MBA Application Deadlines 2022-2023

To help you stay organized, we’ve compiled all of the Round 2 MBA application deadlines (and some Round 3 ones) all in one place. You’ll find links to our corresponding Essay Topic Analysis in the “Essay Analysis” column. School Deadline Decision Essay Analysis Application Live? INSEAD (R2 August Intake) 11/15/2022 1/20/2023 Yes Yes Indian School of Business 11/27/2022 2/2023 Yes Yes Dartmouth / Tuck 1/4/2023 3/16/2023 Yes Yes Harvard Business School 1/4/2023 3/29/2023 Read more

Published: September 27, 2022

Admissions Director Q&A: Paula Amorim of IESE

We continue to deliver behind-the-scenes insights into MBA admissions in our Admissions Director Q&A with Paula Amorim, the Director of Admissions of the Full Time MBA at IESE Business School. She joined the Admissions team after completing her MBA at IESE in 2016 and was previously responsible for the Latin American market, based in the Sao Paulo campus. She is an Industrial engineer from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, in her hometown, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Prior to the MBA, she dedicated her career to management consulting in local firms in Brazil. Find out Read more

Published: July 28, 2022

Real Numbers of MBA Admissions: Percentage of Female MBA Students

Over the past decade, the percentage of female MBA students has been on the rise across leading business schools. USC Marshall was the first leading business school to achieve gender parity while others have achieved or continue to strive for that benchmark. The Forté Foundation has also consistently reported that women are either gaining or holding their ground on b-school campuses. Look at the chart below to see the percentage of female MBA students at leading business schools around the globe. Business School % Women Arizona State University Read more

Published: July 19, 2022

Real Numbers of MBA Admissions: MBA Class Size at Top Programs in Europe

MBA class size in Europe varies as much as it does in the U.S. London Business School and INSEAD lead the pack with around 500 students each. At the other end of the spectrum, some European schools have fewer than 60 candidates. ESMT Berlin and Imperial College of Business fall at the smaller end with class sizes of 40 and 53, respectively. Cambridge Judge, Esade and Rotterdam Business School all hover around 150-220 in class size. HEC Paris approaches 300 members of their class, while Oxford Saïd exceeds 300. IESE Business School lands around 350 members while IE Business School Read more

Published: July 19, 2022

Early & Round 1 MBA Deadlines 2022-2023

To help you stay organized, we’ve compiled a chart of the earliest deadlines, including Early Action and Round 1, of the top business schools in one place. For schools that have announced their essay topic(s), you’ll find links to our corresponding Essay Topic Analysis in the “Essay(s) Released” column. We will continue to update this table as more Round 1 MBA deadlines and essay topics are announced. Deadlines are for Round 1 (unless otherwise noted). Last updated: August 16, 2022 School Deadline Decision Essay(s) Released? Application Live? Oxford / Saïd 8/31/2022 10/26/2022 Read more

Published: June 28, 2022

Real Numbers of MBA Admissions: Average GMAT Scores for Top European Business Schools

We’ve compiled the average GMAT scores for the top European business schools in the chart below. See where your GMAT score lands or, if you have yet to take the GMAT, get a sense of what score you need to target to be competitive. Business school admissions use the GMAT score as a sign of applicants’ academic abilities and a high score can help you stand out in admissions. Also, average GMAT scores play a role in schools’ rankings. Review the average GMAT scores for the top European business schools below. European School Avg. GMAT Bocconi School Read more

Published: February 15, 2022

The Financial Times 2022 Global MBA Ranking: Wharton Returns on Top

The Financial Times (FT) released its rankings of the 100 best MBA programs for 2022. While COVID kept several schools on the bench last year, a total of 151 schools participated in the 2022 edition. “It’s important to remember that COVID took a toll on the rankings last year, but several programs seem to be making a comeback,” says Graham Richmond, Co-founder of Clear Admit. “For instance, six schools in this year’s top 20 were not a part of last year’s ranking due to COVID abstentions. Wharton even storms back to grab Read more

Published: October 7, 2021

Real Humans of the IESE MBA Class of 2023

In this edition of Real Humans: MBA Students, we head to the IESE Business School of the University of Navarra in Barcelona. IESE’s class is comprised of about 350 students and 30 percent are women. The students’ average age is 29 at the time of matriculation, with an average of five years of work experience. Sixty-one percent bring professional experience from industry while a fifth had worked in finance pre-MBA. Another 13 percent joined from the consulting field, five percent from entrepreneurship and three percent from public services/NGO. When it came time to take the GMAT, the IESE Read more

Published: February 8, 2021

The Financial Times 2021 MBA Ranking Reveals a Year in Disruption

You can find the Financial Times 2022 MBA Ranking here. The COVID-19 pandemic uniquely impacted The Financial Times 2021 Global MBA Ranking, released this week. Many of the top 10 U.S. schools opted out of the ranking this year to focus on the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, more than half the rankings are U.S. programs. Data from MBA programs worldwide show that demand for MBAs and salary numbers remained strong through the end of 2020. In fact, many schools reported double-digit percentage increases in applications for the 2020–2021 academic year. Top Read more

IESE

CLASS SIZE: 350+

Women: 40%

GMAT (10th Edition) Range: 580-750

MEAN GPA: n/a

Livewire Decisionwire Interview Reports Essay Topic Analysis MBA Admissions Deadlines View Full Profile

MBA Applywire

December 21, 2024 12:13pm ET

Applying: Dartmouth / Tuck, Northwestern / Kellogg, UPenn / Wharton, UT Austin / McCombs, UVA / Darden

Intake Year: 2025

Pre-MBA Career: Military/Corporate Logistics

Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting Companies: Bain , BCG , McKinsey

GRE: 302

GPA: 3.63

Years of Work Experience: 9

Notes:

Submitting for R2, but retaking GRE after application deadline. Military Vet with Corporate experience.

December 20, 2024 5:17pm ET

Applying: Columbia, Duke / Fuqua, Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, Northwestern / Kellogg, Stanford GSB, U. Chicago Booth, UPenn / Wharton

Intake Year: 2025

Pre-MBA Career: Healthcare

Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting Companies: Bain , BCG

GRE: 332

GPA: 3.5

Years of Work Experience: 3

Location: Florida

Post MBA Location: Consulting

Notes:

25F, lgbtq, 3 years as a registered nurse. also have started working for an early stage VC in the past several months.

December 19, 2024 4:44pm ET

Applying: Berkeley / Haas, Stanford GSB

Intake Year: 2025

Pre-MBA Career: Insurance

Post-MBA Target Industry: Entrepreneurship

GRE: 318

GPA: 3.59

Years of Work Experience: 3.5

Location: Georgia

Post MBA Location: Southeast

Notes:

Looking to launch a tech startup post MBA, without any background in tech. Come from a quant heavy background and undergraduate coursework. I regularly attended admissions events, in person and online at my schools. I hope that focusing energy on my few top schools and spending a lot of time on essays will help me overcome the less than average test score (164 quant 154 verbal) and GPA.

Serial entrepreneur with a history of profitable small businesses. Was promoted twice in 3.5 years. Involved in many extracurricular activities in and outside of work. My background is very centered around financial services/insurance, is this a red flag for a pivot to Tech Entrepreneurship?

Transferred between two state schools in the southeast. School I graduated from is a top 25 undergrad business program. Obtained a few professionals designations post grad.

December 18, 2024 11:38am ET

Applying: Michigan / Ross, UNC Kenan-Flagler, Vanderbilt / Owen

Intake Year: 2025

Pre-MBA Career: Held various positions in Finance and Accounting in a healthcare institution

Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting, Other Companies: BCG , Deloitte , Other

GPA: 3.0

Years of Work Experience: 11

Location: International

Notes:

I am passionate about healthcare enhancing patient quality care. So exploring in that field is what I would love. Got a 72k scholarship from Vandy and named Forte Fellow. UNC 50k. I'm having a hard time deciding though my heart is leaning towards Owen

December 18, 2024 10:23am ET

Applying: Arizona State / W.P. Carey, Indiana / Kelley, Ohio State / Fisher

Intake Year: 2025

Pre-MBA Career: Facility management

Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting

GRE: 309

GPA: 2.8

Years of Work Experience: 3

Notes:

Graduate GPA -3.869

View or Submit Entries

MBA LiveWire

December 21, 2024 8:37am ET

Accepted to Duke / Fuqua

Round: Round 1

Received via phone on December 11, 2024

GMAT: 675

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: Consulting

December 21, 2024 2:38am ET

Waitlisted at Duke / Fuqua

Round: Round 1

Received via phone on December 10, 2024

GPA: 3.27

GMAT: 760

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: Finance

Application Location: CA

December 20, 2024 11:16pm ET

Accepted to Babson / Olin

Round: Round 1

Received via email on December 17, 2024

GPA: 3.9

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: Consulting

Application Location: South Asia

December 20, 2024 7:50pm ET

Accepted to Columbia

Round: Round 1

Received via portal on December 10, 2024

GMAT: 750

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Application Location: India

Note:

$100k scholarship

December 20, 2024 3:21pm ET

Accepted to Yale SOM

Round: Round 1

Received via email December 20, 2024

GPA: 4.0

GMAT: 750

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Note:

100% scholarship

View or Submit Entries

Live
Wire