Departamentos: A year in IESE's Admissions Department

A year in IESE's Admissions Department

300,000 kilometres in search of the best MBA candidates

The Admissions Department has only 84,000 kilometres to go to cover the distance between the Earth and the Moon. In total, Admissions has visited more than 36 countries and informed more than 4,500 candidates about IESE's MBA

The international diversity of IESE's MBA students demands a bit of travelling. Last year, the members of the Admissions Department organized more than 95 events in 58 cities in 36 countries and, on most occasions, benefited from the assistance of IESE Alumni.
"The Alumni are a differential value in our school. I have seen for myself that the enthusiasm, the experience that an Alumnus conveys is the best way to give material form to IESE's intangibles. We reckon that more than 70% of the candidates who apply have been encouraged, at one time or another, by an Alumnus", assures Pablo Aguilar, head of the Admissions Department.
A lot has happened in these 300,000 kilometres. María de la Puerta, manager of the Central and East European Project at IESE, has had some "amazing adventures".
The Central and East European countries keep concentrating IESE's attention. The School, in cooperation with two other top European business schools and the financial support of ABN AMRO Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is offering a loan program to attract outstanding candidates from those countries.
In her travels through the East European countries, María de la Puerta can count on the assistance of Alumni. For example, in Russia, she was accompanied by the first Russian MBA, Alexei Koulakov (MBA 94). In Poland, Anna Hejka (MBA 84) postponed her business trip to New York to attend an informative session in Poland.
The Spanish Alumni also adjust their schedule for IESE. Alberto Arribas, Assistant Director of MBA Admissions, relates how Pedro Honduvilla (MBA 96), Catalina Parra (MBA 96), and Albert Alonso (MBA 91), three of the Alumni invited to the Madrid Career Day, arrived at IESE's campus with their luggage directly from Tenerife, Lisbon and New York, respectively. In total, 19 Alumni took part in the Career Day. "It is really tremendous to see all that they do to help IESE", he recalls. Just the day before, Alberto Arribas had interviewed an American MBA candidate.
He mentioned his wish to meet American IESE Alumni who were working in the financial sector in Spain because he wanted to aim his career in that direction. Within 24 hours, I introduced him to Eric Rovick (MBA 92) and William McDonald (MBA 92). That candidate is now a student.

Value added presentation

Last year, the Admissions Department initiated a new activity, the Value Added Presentations (VAP). These sessions bring together professors, Alumni, and Admissions personnel with the candidates. The session starts with a discussion of a case and, after a coffee break, continues with a panel of representatives from Admissions, Alumni and Professors.
Thanks to the VAPs, the candidates can experience the case method, settle their doubts about the teaching methodology with the professor, confirm their motivation with the Alumni and have their questions about the admissions process answered. "The best thing about these meetings is that they break the ice and create a warm atmosphere that facilitates interrelations. For example, a meeting held in London that was scheduled to end at 6 pm did not finally break up until 11 pm", says Mary Clark, assistant director of MBA Admissions.
This year, IESE will formalize cooperation between the Alumni and the Admissions Department by creating a network of Alumni whom the candidates may approach for career guidance.

The Admisions Department organized more than 95 events in 58 cities