Hi there,
I am a current student at ESADE - started a few months ago and it's great! Barcelona is a fabulous city -it has everything (nightlife, culture, fashion, arts, beach, you name it)...plus it's also 19 degrees next week!
My classmates are super nice and cooperative. It is true we are not graded on a curve so you're not at a disadvantage if your classmates also perform well. The club development is also very true - this year alone, we started a photography club, a design and innovation club, and we're ramping up the other clubs as well. Even our student association has 10+ members on the board so that shows a lot of students want to give back to the school. The great thing about this school is the ability to 'leave your mark', input new ideas, etc. The downside to that is it takes time to tweak things to perfection and not everything will run smoothly the first time around. The administration needs some work, but overall, can't really complain.
So the school is not perfect, but for me, I wanted a school where I can have a direct impact vs. other more 'mature' schools who are unwilling to change or listen to new ideas.
If you have any questions, I'm more than happy to help.
warumnicht wrote:
BigRedEnvEng wrote:
Hi warumnicht,
I would say there are 2 general things that I would love to know.
One is to get a general feel for Barcelona. And I do plan to visit all the schools to which I'm applying, but I wouldn't mind a preview from your perspective
The other would be to get a feel for the student population. What are they like? Are they pretty active in the program and the school? ESADE is also the most expensive school to which I'm applying - does this translate in any significant fashion to the student body? Any insight you could gain would be fabulous
And, of course, we'll drink up any other tidbits you bring back from your trip!!
Thanks and enjoy!!!
Barcelona is fabulous! I visited once a few years ago and loved it. Also true about this latest visit. It's very easy to get around and lively. Food is amazing and less expensive than many European cities. The culture is really one of going out and socializing at really all hours of the night/early morning.
I think ESADE students are some of the most involved in the school, in fact that is something admissions seems to look for. They want students who want to help continually improve the school by contributing ideas and time through club development, etc. Many students appreciate that they can have a direct impact and their suggestions are always considered (as opposed to some other schools that are more established and don't want to change anything).
ESADE is really about teamwork (about 40% of your grade is based on group marks) and they don't grade on the curve. So helping others get better grades doesn't hinder you at all. The environment is really cooperative/collaborative and less competative.
Okay, downsides. ESADE is still evolving in my opinion and while it's great to be a part of change, it would also be nice to be a part of a smooth running machine. A lot of the professors are Spanish and while they are incredible individuals with great education/experience/ideas etc...it came across that they aren't always that great at communicating/getting concepts across to those in the English track.
If there is something else you are curious about, let me know.
I'll write about the interview experience later.