Ask IMD Admissions

Dear Mark,

Thanks a lot for your reply. After assessing my chances, your colleague sent me an email today.

Regards,
DutchGerman

Hi Mark,

I am considering applying for IMD MBA 2013 intake. The reason I've chosen IMD is because of its focus on industry and international diversity.

I am Chinese and have been living in Singapore for 8 years. By 2013, I will be working in semiconductor manufacturing industry for 6 years (plus 4 years PhD research from 2003-2007). The job focus now is product and yield engineering. I plan to go back to technology industry (GM or consulting) after MBA.

I have read through the 2011 IMD class profile and found that almost all of them already hold a "prestigious" title before MBA as "senior manager" or "director", or "founder". However, all I have now is technical background and experiences in production front line but not much direct exposure to "management". That is why I am applying for MBA now.

Thus, I would like to know how much would IMD consider a candidate's current title as advantage for admission? Does my profile look too "weak" in terms of current job title and responsibility from IMD adcom's point of view?

Thanks very much for your feedback.

Dear robertlau,

This is Simone here, Mark's colleague. Thanks for your question.
Prestigious titles at your workplace are not of a big importance for the IMD MBA admissions process, no. When we look at the work experience in your application the most important aspect is in fact the quality of your experience: we look at how your responsibility has increased, the breadth and depth of the knowledge you have acquired in the workplace, and the impact you have made on your organization.

I hope this helps.
Best,
Simone

Hi Simone,

Thanks for the feedback.
I submitted IMD online access a week ago and was expecting the results.

Thanks.

I have Two questions......

1.I want to know How is IMD different from other business schools?

2.I have 2.5 Years Exp in a software industry and i have 86.5% in my 10th standard,88% in my high school and 81.1 in my under-graduation where do i stand in getting into IMD, and with my academics what is the required Gmat score to get into this business school?

Thanks in advance.........

Dear IMD Admissions members,

I posted my profile for assessment on 8 October, but haven't yet got a reply. Can you please estimate when I can expect an answer?

My second question concerns the admissions process. If I submit my application much earlier than the first round deadline, is there any chance that I my candidacy will be considered before the R1 deadline? Does IMD gather the "early birds" in Lausanne for an assessment days if there are enough candidates who applied early?
My question is due to the fact that IMD's deadlines do not correspond to the US schools deadlines and it gets difficult to manage the application process..

Thaks in advance!
Olga

Dear Kotela,

IMD is a different from a number of business schools because we focus on executive education (middle to top management). Our full-time MBA program has one of the highest average age (31 years old) and work experience (7 years) in the world. It is an intense, one year, general management program which focuses on leadership development and we only accept 90 participants a year in the program.

To apply, you need to have a minimum of three years work experience (average is 7), a Bachelor Degree (or equivalent), a GMAT score (no minimum, but our average is 670) and a strong command of written/spoken English. To get a good overview about the participants who study here, please download our 2011 Class Profile.

Thanks,

Mark

Dear Olga,

Regarding your profile assessment, could you send an email to mbainfo(at)imd.ch, we will then follow-up with you personally.

Unfortunately, we do not read any applications before the deadlines (February 1, April 1, June 1, August 1 and September 1). The first assessment days take place mid-March.
Our deadlines are different from most other schools because our program starts in January and finishes in December. Thanks.

Best regards

Mark

Dear IMD Ad Coms,
I am an Aspirant for the class of 2013. First of all let me thank you for your active presense on this forum. Much appreciated.

I submitted my "Assess your chances" and got a positive reply.. Thank you!

I wanted to know - Do you have any information sessions planned for North America Region (East coast/Mid West) in the US? The site does not give any information.

Also, if i wanted to schedule a school visit, Will the School provide some sort of document for me to secure a schengen visa?

My another issue is my recommendations.

Since I have just joined this new consulting firm, I would not want them to know of my long term plans just as yet. So for the same reason, i cannot ask my current manager for a recommendation letter. However my previous managers are more than willing to provide the same.
My question: Does it hurt me if I do not have a recommendation from my current manager?

I have close to 10 Years of work experience and planning to take the GMAT in March. I shall be shooting for the June 1 deadline next year.

Thanks!

Dear iamgame

Thanks for your interest.

We regularly go to the East Coast in spring and in fall for the QS World MBA Fairs. We do not have the 2012 dates available at the time but we will post them as soon as they are confirmed. Keep an eye on our http://www.imd.org/MBA-Visits page.

You do not need a document from IMD to obtain a Shengen visa. You can find details here on how to get one: Schengen Visa information

About your recommendations, we are aware and understand that it is not always possible to get one from a current manager. Just simply explain why. As you are a consultant, ask one of your clients to write one for your or ask one of your colleagues you've worked with on a project.

Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks.

Best regards,

Mark

Dear Mark,
Although I am unable to visit the campus in person, I have signed up for a virtual event to be held in January. I have been checking the website mentioned by you regularly for any planned events in the east coast however, none are planned as of now.
I am highly interested in interacting with the IMD community to gain further insight into the life at IMD which will help me connect even more with the vibrant culture.

I wanted to know, how does the virtual tour work? Will we be interacting with someone from IMD during the tour or will it be a "movie" sort of thing that will be shown giving a campus tour?

Thanks!

Dear iamgame,

We will be attending the MBA Tour in Washington DC on Feb. 2 and in New York on Feb. 4. We would be happy to meet you!

The Virtual Visit is a live session where Suzy will be giving a presentation about IMD, the MBA program, the admissions process and how to finance your MBA. There is also a chat available where you can type in your questions.

If you are interested in talking with IMD MBA Alumni who are located in the East Cost, please fill in our contact alumni form.

Thanks,

Mark

Thanks for the information Mark. I look forward to attending the virtual event later in January. If work permits, I shall see your representatives in person in DC. I have been following the IMD website for quite sometime now and have been smitten by the culture and overall package that IMD is. I look forward to submitting a strong candidature for your 2013 program. Thanks again.

Mark,

I know you have already stated this several times, but is 3 years the minimum for work experience? I will have 2 full years at matriculation. The reason I only have 2 years is because I went to law school (3 year program). I worked for a global corporate company during law school. Not sure if you could count this? I would prefer not having to wait another full year before applying.

thanks,

Hello Fcvald01,

We require a minimum of three years, full-time, work experience after you graduate. In your case you would need to wait at least another year. Now, if you think you might qualify, you can do our Assess Your Chances where we will evaluate your resume and get back to you with a feedback. This is free of charge and has no influence on your application.

Best regards

Mark

If 3 years is a must then I will just have to determine whether waiting another year fits my goals or not. I will still do the asses your chances to see other factors.

Thanks,

We would not consider your application with less than three years so please wait another year before applying to IMD. Our program is designed for people with around 7 years work experience, this makes our MBA program different from a number of other programs. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks,

Mark

Hi Everyone,

If you are ever in Switzerland or near Switzerland, please come and visit us! We have official campus visit days where you will get a tour of the campus, a presentation with Q&A, lunch with our participants and then possibility to attend class in the afternoon.

Aman, 2012 class, wrote a blog entry about the them: http://blogs.imd.ch/mba/archive/2012/02/07/reminiscing-.aspx
Check out our next dates: http://www.imd.org/programs/mba/Come-and-See-Us/Campus-Visits.cfm

Best regards,

Mark

Dear IMD Adcom

I am an aspiring candidate for the January 2013 intake at IMD. I filled in the personal assessment at the IMD and i received a positive response from the Adcom. But i still do not feel confident in applying for reason quoted below.

A Brief about my profile

GMAT score - 650
Target - Jan 2013
Citizenship - Indian
Education - From one of the best schools in India
Workex - 6.5 years by the time of intake
Location - Currently based in United States. Lived and worked globally.
Extra - Doing community service for last couple of years. Passionate dancer - represented at national and international level.

The reason i still don't feel confident is that i have been advised that the pool of candidates in which i will lie is highly competitive and my GMAT score is very low compared to average score of students in that pool. So i should reattempt GMAT and the apply by the June Deadline(3rd round) instead of the April Deadline(2nd round). I do not want to loose the opportunity just because of a low GMAT score. I know that finally it will be my decision whether i wish to retake GMAT or not but please give me some advice.

Regards

Dear Professionalguy,

We would encourage you to apply for the April Deadline. Our GMAT range is 620-750, so you are fine. The GMAT score is only one element in your profile. A higher GMAT score would not increase your chances of being accepted.

What will be important in your application is that you differentiate yourself from other applicants with the same background. When writing the essays and choosing your recommenders, make sure you show us the following:

Solid intellectual ability: Your ability to grasp complex concepts and synthesize new knowledge rapidly.
Strong career progression: How your responsibility has increased, the breadth and depth of the knowledge you have acquired, and the impact you have made on your organization.
Demonstrated leadership potential: Your knowledge, vision and courage; high ethics; empathy with, and understanding of others; ability to motivate and orchestrate teams and individuals.
Far-reaching international outlook: Time spent living outside your country of origin, the international scope of your career and your knowledge of foreign languages.
Excellent interpersonal skills: Your ability to work well in diverse teams.
Intellectual curiosity: Your desire to learn and contribute to the learning of others.
Strong values and unwavering integrity: Your courage to make difficult decisions and ability to lead responsibly.

If you would like to talk with current participants with the same background, I can send you a private message with their email addresses.

Best regards

Mark