HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management

Master in Management | Part 1


Tom · 2022 - 2023

Published: 12 December 2022 | by Tom

About me

My name is Tom, and I am 26 years old. Before coming to HHL, I studied Business Engineering with Controlling & Automotive Engineering as my deep dive courses at the University of Applied Science Dresden, where I graduated in 2021. After graduation, I gained more work experience at Porsche Leipzig GmbH’s Finance and Controlling Department. In August 2022, my Master's studies at HHL finally started.

The first contact & admission process

During my second internship at Porsche, I wasn’t sure whether I should start working immediately or start a Master’s program. Two colleagues and I had a vivid discussion about my plans during a lunch break, and one of the two suggested I take a closer look at HHL, as he is an alumnus. In addition, he told me a lot about his time at HHL and the HHL community. After my research and two more conversations with my colleague, I was sure that the HHL, with its variety of modules, entrepreneurial spirit, and international student body, is the right fit for me.

Especially the new Finance Track caught my attention. So, I decided to hand in my CV for a fit check. A couple of days after submitting my CV, Jana Vogel – Director of Program Marketing – reached out to me. We had a great conversation, and she connected me with two recently enrolled students. Jana and the two students were more than helpful in answering my remaining questions regarding the admission process.

Also, I attended two online events with professors and alumni to collect more insights about the Finance Track and get a feeling of the HHL community. The events were helpful to me because Dr. Max Schreiter and the alumni answered my questions openly and offered to contact them at any time if I had further questions.

The application process started as soon as I submitted my documents – CV, bachelor's transcript, high school diploma (Abitur), and my letter of motivation - via the webpage. My letter of motivation also included my recent experiences with the staff, professors, and alumni. Additionally, a letter of recommendation was required, but a professor from my bachelor’s university, for whom I worked as an undergrad, was more than happy to write a recommendation letter. After a short time, I got an invitation to take part in the admission day in March.

The admission day can be divided into three parts: Personal fit interview, case interview, and presentation. I arrived in Leipzig early in the morning and was the first of the candidates to arrive. I had a friendly conversation with Miriam Wilke before the other candidates arrived. When every candidate arrived, Prof. Dr. Stefan Stubner kicked the admission day off with a short but crisp speech. My first interview partner was nice, and I perceived the conversation to be at eye level. The questions were mostly about my academic background, personal experience, and possible future career goals. We had a pleasant conversation, and I enjoyed that my interview partner also shared his personal experiences.

A HHL alumni conducted the second interview with me. We discussed an interesting case, where he wanted to see how I tackle and structure the problem and communicate my solution at the end. I perceived the case to be neither too hard nor too easy. After the case, I also had the chance to ask about his experiences at HHL and his work at BCG. For the presentation, every candidate had to choose one out of two topics, which were all business related. Each student then has 60 minutes to prepare a 10-minute presentation with a small Q&A at the end.

Around 3 pm, the admission day ended, and we got to know our possible future classmates. Overall, I perceived the admission day as a great event.

At 6 pm, I received an e-mail from Miriam Wilke – I made it! Reading the e-mail made me really happy, and my girlfriend and I celebrated the successful admission day with a nice dinner. The program director of the Finance Track called me the day after to congratulate me and to give me feedback.

The program

End of August 2022 – the journey begins. After three months of studying at the HHL, I want to point out two personal highlights: the welcome week and the overnight assignment.

The welcome week was a great experience to get to know your classmates and the exchange students, staff, and professors. We had different activities on campus and off campus. For example, the team organized a boot camp together with multiple personal trainers, which was harder than I anticipated, to be honest. Also, the scavenger hunt through Leipzig was a great chance to explore the city, bond with classmates, and enjoy the weather. A big BBQ with all students, staff, and professors was a great way to end the Welcome Week.

Problem-solving and Communication is one of the first courses every student at HHL experiences. Part of this module is the overnight assignment, where we received a complex problem in the evening and had to present a solution the following day. It is essential to mention that overnight does not mean all night.
Even though it may not sound like much fun, we definitely had much fun solving the problem. Our group consisted of 4 members from different backgrounds and countries, which led to interesting discussions and great ideas. Despite the time pressure, we ordered pizzas with all the other groups, met in the Academic House and had dinner as a community.

Overall, I perceived the overnight assignment as a challenging but exciting task. Additionally, you get to know your classmates the later it gets.

Outlook

To this point, my choice to go to HHL was definitely right for me. The relationship among the students is excellent, and everyone gets along nicely. Even after such a short period, great friendships evolved, and we do many things together besides studying. For example, we regularly visit football games from RB Leipzig, go to bars, and do sports together. I am looking forward to tell you more about the lectures, student initiatives, and my life in Leipzig.

Your Contact at HHL Leipzig

Jana Vogel is Director Program Marketing at the HHL. Feel free to send her a message if you have question on the HHL Masters.

=> Please use the REQUEST INFO Button to contact her.

Request Info

Latest Blogs

Imperial College Business School

MSc in Management | Part 3

Imperial College Business School

MSc in Management | Part 2