Today’s guest entry was written by Sathappan Sathappan who will be joining the program in 2017 and sharing his journey as one of the official bloggers.
When I started GMAT preparation, I had shortlisted a few reputable business schools based on my research. IMD instantly featured in the shortlist because my immediate manager was an IMD alumni and he had great things to say about the school. I initially dismissed some of that as choice bias. To me, it first seemed like a reputable, but exclusive school. I wasn’t sure if I should apply when they only take in 90 participants in a year. I felt the odds were against me, given the time and effort each MBA application takes. I have heard stories of the demanding application form and needling day-long interviews. I was very close to dropping IMD from the shortlist.
One day while browsing through the program details, I saw a link for “profile review” on IMD webpage. I diligently followed the link and filled in my profile details and sent in the cv. A few days later, I got a detailed review of my profile, clearly highlighting the plus and minus points. The admissions committee member encouraged me to apply since I fit the profile. I decided that was a positive sign and kept IMD on the shortlist and continued to study for my GMAT.
A couple of weeks later, I got another email from IMD that the admissions committee would be in London for MBA fair and meeting with prospective students who had expressed interest earlier. I was thrilled to speak to them before officially beginning the application process. This instantly showed me how much IMD cares about the participants they get in the program. I met with the ad-com member in London and briefly discussed my profile and my aspirations. I shared why I was considering IMD and what I hope to gain from the program. I got valuable feedback and I was asked to apply early, just in case. I came back elated from the meeting knowing my strengths and weaknesses better. I had a much better sense of the school and the quality of professionals who go through the program each year.
I encourage all prospective participants to use this great opportunity to get a good glimpse of the program. This will allay your fear about the small class size. I encourage prospective participants to speak to the friendly ad-com and be open about your challenges and ambitions. Their feedback was invaluable in my MBA application process.
Sathappan
