Calling all IMD Applicants (Entry January 2020) Class of Dec 2020

Hello helas92 thank you for starting this thread! How far along are you with the application? I am glad they simplified it a lot and brought down the number of recommendations from 3 to 2. When I get a moment I will provide some insight on the new essay questions.

For those just getting started, what I would recommend is reviewing the recommendation questions and considering anecdotes that would demonstrate what they are seeking: leadership, teamwork problem solving, innovative thinking etc. Consider your brand, what you are best known for, and make that your key communication objective. Less is more; you want to go more deep than wide with this so it is memorable.

Then set up a lunch or coffee date with each recommender and go over these stories. It can also serve as a kind of brainstorming session. After the meeting summarize the key parts of the story (use STAR format : situation, task, action, result.) and send them to your recommender to make things easier for him/her.

The admissions committee takes what your recommender says about you more seriously than what you say about you - so it is well worth the time and effort to make sure there are no surprises. Many people think, "oh, what they say will be good/favorable." But that is not the game we are playing here; adjectives or rehashed work reviews without real stories containing VISUAL-IZABLE examples lack impact. And that makes your application less competitive.

No one has yet posted the recommendation questions for 2019 and so I am wondering if you or someone could send a link to a recommender and report back. I would have a client do it but they are knee deep in IESE and INSEAD applications right now.

These are the ones from last year - their objective is to understand your leadership qualities which is the highlight/focus of the program.
Seeing that they cut back the essays even further from last year, I wonder if they are leaning on recs to tell the story or if they are streamlining those too.

Recommendations - all responses are 1000 characters maximum

1. How long have you known the applicant and in what capacity?


2. What do you consider to be the applicant’s top three strengths (feel free to use the “skills” on the grid below as guidance)?


3. Describe the applicant’s role in your organization. What has his/her single most important contribution been to the organization?


4. In terms of future leadership potential for a senior management position in your company, what role would you consider the applicant to play in 10 years’ time if he or she were still employed with your company?


5. What do you consider to be the applicant’s weaknesses or opportunities for improvement?


6. Please give us your appraisal of the applicant in terms of the qualities listed below. Rate the applicant in comparison with other persons of his/her age whom you consider to have a clear potential for leadership in management.

7. Teamwork is very important in the IMD MBA. Can you give an example that shows the team skills of the applicant?


8. Based on your interaction with the applicant, how would you describe his/her ability to deal with ambiguity? Please give a concrete example if possible.