IE Business School, ranked 12 as per FT Global MBA rankings, boasts of an extremely diverse class profile with students from more than 70+ nationalities.
Udit Bhatnagar, a GyanOne client, looks forward to start his MBA journey at IE Business School and explains his reasons to select this European MBA program, despite the ‘economic conditions’ in Europe.
What were you doing before the MBA and how did b-school come into the picture?
Before embarking on my MBA journey, I was working as a Senior Business Analyst at one of the largest banks in the Nordic region. Prior to this, I had a 7-year long career in application development at one of India’s software services giants.
From being an application developer to a technology lead, from managing projects as a team leader to client management as an onsite coordinator, I have played diverse roles during my professional journey.
I also gained international work experience of about 4 years and have worked with teams from several nationalities while living in Spain and Japan.
Due to the shift that I made in my profile, the decision to do an MBA felt natural to me. MBA at this stage will not only give a boost to my growth as a business analyst but will also allow me to have a holistic view of businesses.
Why did you choose IE Business School?
IE was my first choice from the time when I wasn’t even preparing for MBA. When I was living in Spain, I was fortunate to have worked under a senior manager who is an alumni of Executive MBA program at IE Business School.
His management style had a lot of influence on me and this was when I started reading more about the school. During my research, I found that the culture at IE Business School can be primarily defined by it’s focus on entrepreneurship and diversity which complimented my future goals and professional background. Right then I had decided that I will be applying to IE.
Later, when I formally started my preparations as an MBA applicant, I reviewed the class profile of the recent intakes at IE Business School to find more about the future possibilities as an Indian applicant.
I was impressed by the transformation that most candidates could make after completing the program. By now, I was fully convinced that International MBA at IE was best for me and I had already chosen it before it could choose me.
What attracted you towards Europe?
Like most other MBA aspirants I too was contemplating between US and Europe as an MBA destination. But my confusion didn’t last long as I was very clear to take up the 1-year program.
If we look at some of the rankings, then European schools dominate the list when it comes to the shorter duration MBA programs.
Also, top European schools offer the opportunity to learn a new culture, language and provide a diverse experience of 80+ nationalities in a single intake.
In light of the Euro zone economic crisis and high unemployment in Spain, many people challenged my decision of choosing IE Business School. To them, I have always explained that the choice was personal.
I am counting on my prior work experience in Spain, knowledge of the local language and work culture to catalyze my post-MBA growth. To add to this, the challenges in Spain offer unique circumstances in terms of opportunities.
As a fact, there is very little exposure of local businesses outside Spain and Latin America and with the prolonged crisis many industries are now looking to expand in Asia, Africa and other regions.
This is where the demand for top MBA graduates is on the rise. The sun cannot be down forever and if you stay long enough to see the sunrise then there is a lot to explore.
How has been your journey from preparing your application to now being a IE Business School student?
IE Business School offers great flexibility to its applicants as they have rolling admissions for all its intakes and programs. This allowed me to focus on putting my best application forward without having the pressure of an application deadline.
The application itself is quite detailed and it gives you sufficient opportunities to present various aspects of your personality to the admission committee.
For the essays, you must choose 3 out of the 11 topics listed in the application. If you are already overwhelmed by the flexibility offered by IE, then wait, there is more! You have complete freedom to showcase your creativity as you can choose any medium to answer your essays.
You can express your thoughts by making a video or a presentation, writing a poem or even singing a song. Although one of the essays must be the traditional write up with a word limit.
Once I submitted my application, IE Business School was quick in evaluating it and I got an interview invite within 2 weeks from the date of submission.
The interview was over Skype with an alumni and it was quite well structured. The interviewer paced the conversation well so that I felt comfortable in answering his questions and was extremely patient to answers the queries that I had about the program.
The final decision came within a week after the interview. It sure was overwhelming to be accepted in a prestigious school like IE but I was over the top as IE was my first choice too.
Now, as an accepted student and after completing the rigorous application and visa procedure to Spain, I am excited to live the IE experience over next 1 year.
What advice do you have for other IE applicants?
Although IE does not have an application deadline but it is best to apply a year in advance from your target intake. This will give you sufficient time to prepare for your scholarship application, arrange means to fund your program and also get a visa approval in time.
For your IE application, make use of the flexibility offered by IE and choose more than one medium to answer your essays.
It is also helpful to get in touch with IE India office and attend one of their information events which they conduct in several cities across India.
They will not only address your queries but will also advice on the most suitable program based on your profile. All the best!
Want to check out more on Europe MBA?
The MBA in Europe – FT Rankings 2013
MBA Scholarships for UAE Students in Europe, US and Asia
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