University of St.Gallen (HSG) MBF 2012 intake

@ivan. Yea if you don't speak a working level of german by the time you graduate, i'd say things won't be that easy. But u have 18 months to learn. Surely you can learn german to decent extent by then? I have the same issue. I'd say if u get into a university on par with gallen in a place where that u speak the native tongue, go for it. Else don't worry too much. I find it highly unlikely that one won't pick up sufficient german to operate effectively. Also, the more u pick up, the easier it gets to pick up more

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Thank you very much for the quick reply ? What do you understand by "working level" ? I am planning on taking an intensive German language course which will cover A1 + A2 and if admitted to St.Gallen, I will take another curse which covers B1. Do you think this would be sufficient, at least in the beginning ?

@Ivan91 what I mean by "working level" is the ability to communicate effectively in any given situation. For example you go to a bank to start an account. The pretty girl behind the coutner then asks for your details and then starts rambling on about new account procedures. On your part, you understand everything. So much so that when she's done, you manage to ask a few intelligent questions yourself. This though is done through a thick accent giving the lady a reason to be on guard, cause hey, foreigners right? Any ways basically if you can communicate in a way that people can udnerstand what you mean and you can undertsand them, that's all that really matters. Gramatical errors may ensue, but a language is truly about understanding and not enunsiation. I lived in France for a year. I suppose my level of understanding must have been around B1 when I went there. It took me a while and yes, I made a total ass of myself for the first few months but by the end of it all, I knew enough french to understand subtle inuendos and idiems. I suppose I must have been boderline B2 - C1 when I left. Point is, give yourself credit. A language is hard to learn no matter what. But if you are willing to try, you can always learn it. 18 months is more than enough to master any language sufficiently regardless of your mental prowess. Besides, you seem like a curious intelligent dude yourself. I'm going to stick my neck out and say that German will pose a problem for you and I, but it is nothing that we cannot master.

-Got my formal offer in the mail today. Looking forward to seeing you there if you so chose to enroll Ivan.

Thank you for the throughout response. I really appreciate it. May I ask what are your stats , I mean GPA, GMAT, that got you into the program I will apply next year and would like to see if I am on track.

Stats -
GMAT - 730
GPA - not sure. Probably not that great. 4 - 5 (MAX)
Work Exp - 10 months (still working right now)
I have around 6 years of international experience. I dare say I wrote the letter of motivation pretty well. On in all, I definately cleared the requirements out of 80 and not the 70 (GPA + GMAT).
Hope that helps

Great GMAT score. I assume schools in Europe, in contrast with the ones in the USA, are not that interested in leadership, extra curricular activities and so forth.
Just out of curiosity, did you apply to any other schools

I applied to a few other schools. I wasn't too happy with the ones in the US or they just were not what I was looking for. Of all the places that I applied to, Gallen was the best that I got into. I tried LBS MIM, but apparently they needed people with less than 1 year's experience. By the time I joined, my expereince would have been well over 1 year. That plus internships. I also tried Warwick. That didn't click, I suppose it was due to my **** academic performance. All in all, I have what I like to call a master plan in motion. Gallen is definately a stepping stone to my ultimate goal.

I received the official letter, too!

I'll probably be joining you guys in September, I'm still deciding between St Gallen and Bocconi..Tell me something that would convince me to come to St Gallen

Does anyone know when classes are starting?I mean the German class, too..

The classes start the 5th of September.

St.Gallen means you are studying in another country, which is always exciting.

I know, I feel like moving somewhere else, I can't spend more than a few years in one place
5th of September is pretty soon though, I was hoping to take an internship this summer..

Because I have no work experience at all, and I'm afraid that might be a disadvantage for me once graduated, compared to other Swiss/German graduates with work experience and a far better knowledge of German language

hey guys,

for most of you guys either not currently in switzerland or neighboring countries, how are ya'll looking for housing? the hsg site has some links, but wanted to get a feel for what other forums/avenues other people were using....

I haven't started yet, and I guess that if I'll be working this summer, it's gonna be quite hard to find some time to look for it..
Are you using some websites or something?

Congrats to every1 who got his admission yet....

Since I unfortunately don't hold a CEMS bachelor degree, I am required to do 20 credits of supplementary work as some of you guys are as well. I actually tried to "negotiate" with the admission office about the supplementary work, because most of the courses are just revision for me, however they didnt let themselves in for it.
I am now wondering, whether I have to expect to study 4 semester instead of 3? Or do you guys reckon, that the supplementary work can be easily done additionally to the regular courses? Any thoughts?

Looking forward to meet you in September!

It's going to be an extremely difficult task to finish the entire degree in 3 semesters with your 20 credits of supplementary work. Usually, people who are required to complete 20 credits of supplementary work take 4 semesters to complete the masters. But it is totally up to you, if you think you'll be able to do it in 3, go for it!

Guys, have you seen the structure of the course?

I honestly can't understand how many exams are we supposed to take..If we have to get 90 credits, subtracting the 15 credits of the core subjects and 18 for the thesis, that would leave 57 credits..and since every elective is 4 or 2 credits, that would mean a huge number of exams for two semesters..Where am I going wrong?!

And what about the bidding process?Have you heard about it?

Ideally, you should aim to complete 30 credits per semester. Therefore, in the first semester you study 15 credits of optional courses alongwith 15 credits of compulsory courses. In the last semester, you write your thesis along with 12 credits for courses. Usually, students graduate in 2years as they are also required to complete a few supplementary courses.
HSG requires intensive study and one should not compare it with the workload of masters degrees in UK.

Yeah, but with electives being worth a maximum of 4 credits (some are worth only 2) you'd have to take 8 exams in a semester
I'm not comparing it with UK university, I come from Bocconi and here we're used to study quite a lot, but 8 exams in a semester..Unless they're easy to take, because 8 of the exams I've been used to would kill you