IMD 2013 - Calling All Applicants

Hi
Am coming to Lausanne on 22 for assessment day. See you at the campus.

Dheeraj

Yatta!
Admitted!!!

Congratulations, noinpac! Is IMD your top-choice and you're going to accept the offer?

Congrats noinpac!!!

Hi guys,

Have been away from this forum, because I had my assessment day in on the 15th May, and was travelling in france after that. Although I must say, I didn't enjoy the beautiful weather of the south, because my thoughts were mostly elsewhere, worrying about whether IMD will accept me or not.

I got a call from them today at 0830 (swiss time) and they have offered me a place. Now next challenge: funding.

Anyway, this forum has been really helpful and let me add to all those great posts that people have posted describing their assessment days in 2012 and 2013.

1. Impromptu case: No need for preparation. You can just practice a bit on transparency and try making 3 slides for short cases. The case would be a really one-page case and anyone will be able to give recommendations. Really very simple, just monitor time and be organized on paper and on slides. tips:
a) Don't make more than 3/4 slides, for you'll run out of time (5 min. and yes they'll stop you.)
b) Tell them what you are going to tell them, Tell them, and Tell them what you told them (always have a summary slide which synthesizes all you say).
c) Every one will have the same problem, so unless you are going first, don't repeat the problem, will save you some time.
d) There is a men's room near the interview rooms. In your break (after the preparation and before the presentations) go there and practice in front of the huge mirror; time yourself. Practice gives confidence, and confidence improves performance.
e) The group will have to come back and will be given additional info. Please work well together. No need to assert your point strongly to the group. If you guys come up with a brilliant plan because of you, but you were obnoxious to one or two people, you won't get through. Team-work is the name of the game.

2. Big Case - you'll be given a case which will be discussed by an IMD teacher to see how you interact with the group and simulate a real class. This I think is the easiest part of the day. Tips:
a) Pre-prepare - I don't think we shouldn't pre-prepare, as some people advised. Google google and then google. You'd find some thing or the other. If you know a bit about the history of the case or what happened next, it will only improve your understanding and you'd definitely be able to contribute.
b) Just relax. You will be with many people and focus will only be on you when you are speaking
c) When speaking be polite, find a good chance to speak, don't cut-off any body; basics really.
d) Add your perspective on the matter, your personal spin. e.g. In my city/country this happens and so this company won't perform well. It will add variety to the discussion.
e) You will be asked to do a few tasks in groups. Here is where you need to watch out. Be a team player! Courteous, kind and allowing. Draw in somebody who is not speaking (brownie points there)
f) Finally, speak little, but speak sense and add something new or build on somebody else's comments

3. Interview - Standard is the word here. Although I had one at the end of the day and it was anything but standard; quick, and a pressure kind: Everybody wants to do this these days, you are over-confident etc. But don't worry, rest of the gang had a standard interview. why MBA/IMD sort.
a) Again, prepare.
b) Use the loo if you want to, to practice
c) I listed the stories that I wanted to share and matched them with questions i could anticipate.
d) I used a SARR template (Situation, Actions I took, Result and Reflection); It just makes your stories concise and to the point. Add the learning bit to it, just tells the other person that you are somebody who reflects on his actions/successes/failures.
e) Be yourself, and be confident. They are just testing you. Try to warm up your speaking, by narrating your stories or your history, or your CV with the participants on that day, so that you are warmed up and will fire away from the start in your interview.

Good luck to all.

Oh yes, we had 8 people; in true IMD style: a Pakistani (me), a brazillian, an israeli, a swiss, a polish, a russian, a greek, an american. (Latest news: 4 selected, 1 waitlisted, others - don't know)

Great feedback Dakooldude and congrats!

The second wave of admits has come, the class is slowly slowly filling up.

For some lucky dude it wil be the difficult time to choose btw schools and for others already decided your first painful payment is waiting for you

Cheers

congrats to everyone who got in! remember to join the fb class page...kinda sparse right now, but hopefully it'll fill up soon..search for "IMD MBA class of 2013"

apparently I can't post urls unless i've been a member for 5 days and have posted 5 postings. the rationale behind some of these forums is one i just don't get

Publishing the link to the IMD Class of 2013 Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/259711304119611/

Congratulations to those of you already accepted, it is a great feeling! Look forward to meeting all of you!

On another note, I see many people trying to find others interviewing on the same date. When I interviewed, I sent an e-mail to the admissions officer and asked if she could put me in touch with the others so we could organize dinner/drinks the night before. She put me in touch with everyone and we all had dinner and drinks the previous night - which certainly makes the interview day more relaxing as we already know each other. So here's my suggestion, just send an e-mail to the admissions officer and go meet the others the previous night.

As per the interview day, can't add much from what others already listed. Be prepared, know your application well, and answer the questions truthfully, there's no right answer. I heard from many people that you need to tell during your interview that you have a plan and that you know exactly what you want to do. BS (pardon my French). If you don't know, if IMD is part of your plan to find out, just be honest about it. When asked during the interview what was my plan, I answered "I have no idea, and I hope IMD helps me figuring out what it is that I want to do".

Again, welcome to those accepted (look forward to meeting you), good luck for those waiting, and for those preparing for the interview and application. It is hard work, but receiving the acceptance call was certainly one of the happiest moments of my life.

Cheers,
Henrique

Hi everyone,

Just recently learned about this board at the May 1 IMD campus visit, thought I'd pop in and say "hi".

I'm hammering away at the (looooongg) application, planning to make the June deadline.

My profile:
Female/American/29
6 yrs work experience mainly in Private Equity in marketing and legal functions

Good luck to everyone!

Hey anyone know whether there is any benefit to submitting the application before the deadline (i.e. perhaps you get quick response?)

I didn't notice on the previous rounds any answer that suggested that quicker responses for early responders.

Makstory, Iceman, Pineapple: How did your assessment day go?

Well...the interview day was very much in line with what we have been reading so far through the forum, both 2012 and 2013.... there were 9 of us - 5 Indians (ya thats right), 1 Korean, 1 Pakistani, 1 Chinese and 1 Japanese.... the good part was that majority of us had met the night before for alumni drinks and hence it was quite a relaxed atmosphere.... everyone was confident and cooperative through the day (a big plus)...

1) Interview - Two interviewers, simultaneously interviewing candidates. mine was with Claire and it was a reasonably straight forward interview.... typically around the application and validating the thought proces behind the contents of the application.. no stress interviews...

2) Impromptu ppt - straight forward one page case study, 30 odd mins to prepare 2-3 slides on transparency sheets.... sheets are taken back after 30 mins... the ppt happens later in the day after the interviews... presentation time of flat 5mins... i think the idea is more about time management and structure of the presentation rather than the actual solution itself... this is followed by the first group activity - a new variable is put into the case study and the group has to work towards the solution.... as before, flat 5 mins to present and about 20mins to prepare.... group dynamics hold the key....

3) Case Study - simulation of an actual class... led by one of the evaluators... quite a few details discussed about the case.... class participation is important and unique perspectives into the case (based on the info in the case itself) is good... the discussion is followed by another Group task ( by now group tasks tend to be much easier and cohersive).... two teams work on the case and then get a chance to present it to the other group and have some cross questioning time...

Overall and exhausting but interesting day... it entirely depends on the fellow candidates and thankfully my group was full of extremely exciting individuals who kept each other busy through the day.... there are occasions of long breaks but then good company helps...

i guess all are now waiting with their fingers crossed for the results (within 2 weeks to be precise)....

All the Best guys !!

Thanks Iceman for the detailed account.

The silence on this board must mean that R3'ers like me are bustling away to meet the Friday deadline =)

Good luck to all! I'm hoping to hit the "Submit" button tonight...

Signed my paperwork. Looking forward to seeing you next year in Lausanne.

All the best for all the Round three applicants. Is all the results of Round 2 interview out ?

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