IE Business School

Master in Management | Part 1


Edwina · 2014 - 2015

Published: 15 February 2017 | by Edwina

Hi Everybody!

My name is Edwina, I am 24 years old and from Australia. During 2014 I was working as a Business Development Manager for a young startup in Sydney, when I decided I needed further education to help me open the right doors in my career. Additionally, I was very keen to live abroad and experience a completely new lifestyle to what I was used to at home. This brought me to the decision to apply for a Masters, and my discovery of IE! Today, I am a student in the Masters in Management (MIM) program, based in Madrid, and believe it tobe easily the best decision I have made.

About Me

I have a business background, having completed my undergraduate degree in Economics & Social Sciences at the University of Sydney. Once finishing my degree I spent time working in the social sector with a private philanthropic foundation, as well as internships in marketing and fundraising, and finally working as part of a team developingan online start up in the hospitality industry.

Why did I choose the Master in Management?

After completing my degree, and having spent time working for two years, it became clear to me that I did not have a good idea of what I really wanted to do for my career. I felt under-equipped in my skillset and experience, and honestly a little bit lost. Further study seemed the best thing to do, so I began researching postgraduate study options outside of Australia. The MIM appealed to me because it provided a rounded and holistic perspective over the business world, and allowed me to study a broad range of subjects. I wanted a program which would give me a taste of everything, so that I could narrow down my career interests.

Why IE Business School?

IE Business School was my first preference when I went about applying for Masters programs for several reasons. The most obvious being its reputation as a top business school in Europe, with quality, well regarded programs, but also I was interested in the types of classes offered and the opportunity to specialise in ‘Digital Business’. Lastly, after having worked in a start-up, IE’s strong focus on entrepreneurship really appealed to me and I was eager to understand further how they supported and incubated young businesses. IE’s location in a vibrant European city like Madrid made the decision even easier, as I knew that the experience at IE would be something that could not be recreated at home in Sydney.

Admissions process

The admissions process itself was quite lengthy, but the admissions staff very supportive, and eager to answer all questions I had. Further, Isabelle - the Australian & New Zealand IE representative, was extremely helpful and gave me great advice and insights for my application. I would definitely urge prospective students to speak with ex-students when applying! Once I had completed my online application, I was invited to take the ieGAT as I had not previously sat for the GMAT. The ieGAT was somewhat of an unusual admissions test, as no preparation is required, and it does not favour any particular education system - this was great for me as working full time left no opportunity for me to prepare and sit the GMAT. The exam was fairly straightforward; questions were more practical rather than ‘academic’, and mostly spatial awareness and patterns along with maths.After a successful exam, I then underwent a 1 hour Skype interview with admission staff, who asked me about my personal, academic and work experiences, as well as my careerambitions and reasoning for applying to IE. Within 2 weeks I was contacted and told that my application was successful.
For me the great thing about the whole process was that even though I live on the complete other side of the world I was still able to access plenty of information about IE and get a genuine sense of the school and life in Madrid.

Finally here!

I arrived in Madrid 1 month before the official start of the program, as I had enrolled in the pre-course intensive Spanish language classes offered to students. This was the best way to slowly get to know Madrid and Spanish life, and picking up Spanish along the way.On reflection I am very glad that I took this class, as firstly it gave me a great intro for learning Spanish, and secondly its where I met many of the people who are my closest friends today. It also meant I felt that little bit less nervous on the first day of classes, as I already knew a couple of faces! So far I have been absolutely loving Madrid, and am certain that it was the right choice for me to come so far from home to IE. I am looking forward to getting stuck into the course, and seeing how my MIM experience unfolds!

- Edwina

Your Contact at IE Business School

Cristina Bejarano Ricaurte is your person of contact for Masters in Management at IE Business School in Madrid. She would be happy to answer any of your questions regarding IE’s Master in Management program and why IE can help you go beyond your own limits.

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