How to Crack the IMD Business School?

International Institute for Management Development (IMD) is a private business school located in Lausanne, Switzerland. IMD business school solely provides management education and is not a part of any university. It consistently features in the list of best B-schools in Europe and the world. The B-school has another campus in Singapore.

IMD Business School Ranking

List	Source	Rank
Best B-Schools in Europe	Bloomberg	#1
Best B-Schools in the World	Financial Times	#28
EMBA	Financial Times	#30

IMD Business School MBA Programs

The IMD Business School conducts numerous general management and leadership programs and workshops. It also conducts customized executive programs for different organizations. However, IMD Switzerland is globally renowned for its MBA programs. The business school conducts the following two MBA programs.

One-Year Full-Time MBA

The one-year full-time MBA program consistently features among the best MBA program in Europe. The program offers you incredible networking opportunities to help you in your career. IMD MBA program has proved to be a milestone for many IMD alumni in their journey of career development. The small class has significant diversity, with students of different nationalities coming together to learn and share their perspectives.

EMBA

The Executive MBA is of 15-19 months duration. The course is suitable for working professionals who can't afford to leave their job to pursue MBA. The EMBA program requires participants to stay only 7-9 weeks out of the office. Typical IMD EMBA students

• Are aged 35 years or above.
• Have a minimum of 10 years of work experience.
• Have remarkable leadership potential with an ambition to excel in their career.

IMD MBA program helps you to learn and excel in management skills and become a self-aware leader. It provides personalized business assignments to students. This helps them gain invaluable experience by practically applying their learning.

Unlike the MBA program, which has only one intake in a year, the EMBA program has 7 intakes per year.

IMD MBA Class Profile

IMD Switzerland class profile provides some basic statistics about a particular MBA batch, mostly the current batch, of that B-School. A detailed study of the class profile can help you have a broad understanding of what an average student's profile looks like and whether you fit the bill. It also helps you self-assess your chances of getting into the desired B-School. Following is the latest IMD MBA class profile uploaded on their website.

Particulars	MBA Class of 2022
Class enrollment	104
Average years of work experience	7
Percentage of women	35
Age Range	25-32
Average GMAT	680

IMD Business School MBA Fees

We will discuss in detail about getting into IMD Switzerland MBA programs later in the post. But first, let's have a look at the fee structure of IMD Switzerland to have an estimate of how much would you require to study here.

The IMD Business School MBA fees vary according to the type of MBA program.

IMD Switzerland MBA Fees

The MBA tuition fees for the year are about CHF 97,500. The cost includes the following expenses.

• Relocation & Visa Assistance
  The B-School provides visa assistance to overseas students and helps them relocate to one of their agency’s apartments.


• Travel and Accommodation
  IMD Switzerland routinely organizes discovery expeditions and learning projects that require students to travel. The travel and accommodation expenses of all such trips are covered.


• Personal Development
  You'll be involved in many team-building activities on and off campus. You'll also spend a total of twenty hours with a personal analyst to work on your strengths and improvement areas.


• On-campus Support
  The students will receive learning materials, business cards, and a weekday lunch at the campus restaurant.


• Facilities
  The student will have free access to IMD's cafeteria, workshops, activities, and the information center.

EMBA Fees

The tuition fee for the EMBA program is CHF 1,15,000. An additional amount of CHF 25,000 is for living and travel expenses.

The tuition fee includes learning materials, tuition, and lunch on weekdays. The living and travel expenses cover the following-

• Travel to the IMD foundation stage and ticket costs for the core module
• Accommodation while attending the residential module
• Discovery expeditions, including airfares and accommodation

Note:- Actual costs may vary with every academic session. Keep checking the official website for the current cost of the programs. Remember that an IMD MBA program is one year, and the EMBA program is of 1.5-year duration. Therefore, your overall living cost in a foreign land can be lower than what it could be in the case of a typical two-year MBA.

Besides, you can avail of various financial aid and funding options to better manage your finances. We will discuss them in detail later.

IMD Switzerland Admission Requirements

Following are the key requirements to apply for an IMD Switzerland MBA program.

1. Undergraduate Degree

The applicant should have a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university in any country.

2. Work Experience

You should be able to show your career progression through your work experience. The minimum requirement is two years of work experience after graduation. However, the average work experience of students in a class is usually between three to eight years.

3. Recommenders

You’ll need two recommendations from people who know you well and have worked with you. They should be able to highlight your leadership, interpersonal skills, and professional achievements through the admission form.

In the case of EMBA, you’ll also require an additional letter of recommendation from your sponsor. The signing person of the sponsor’s letter should personally know you and the company’s future plans for you.

4. GMAT

A good GMAT score always provides an edge to your application. The average IMD Switzerland GMAT score is around 680. However, exceptional professional achievements and unique experiences can help balance out a weaker score.

The EMBA program does not require the GMAT or other aptitude test scores.

5. TOEFL/ IELTS

The entire program is taught in English. Therefore, international students whose native language is not English or those who didn't study English previously, need to submit a TOEFL or IELTS score. While there is no minimum requirement, IMD Switzerland recommends a TOEFL score of 105 and above or an IELTS score of 7.5.

IMD Switzerland Application Checklist

One small error or a missing document can result in the cancellation of your application or moving your application to the next IMD MBA deadline. Therefore, ensuring that all your documents are in order is crucial.

1. Transcripts

The transcripts should contain detailed information about all your degrees and diplomas. You must also attach copies of the original degree certificates and mark sheets. Every document requires to have official translations in English or French.

2. GMAT/GRE Score

Your GMAT score should be less than five years old. You have to order an official score report for IMD after uploading a test taker copy. The IMD code is as follows-

• For GMAT: SKR-MM-13
• For GRE: 8490

3. TOEFL/IELTS Score

The TOEFL or IELTS score should be less than two years old.

4. Recommenders’ Contact Details

Try to submit the recommenders' contact details at least two weeks before the IMD MBA deadline. This will ensure they get enough time to complete and submit the online form. Further, only provide professional email ids. The business school doesn't accept informal email ids like Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, etc.

5. Resume

The one-page resume should be in the format of the IMD CV template. You can download the template from here.

6. Photo

Your photograph should be formal without any background scenery. Ensure the following

• High resolution
• Minimum 150 DPI
• Size- 150 KB
• JPEG format

7. Passport

Submit a copy of your passport (the page with your picture). Ensure that your passport is valid throughout your stay in Switzerland.

8. Application Fee

The application fee of CHF 150 is non-refundable.

IMD MBA Admission Process

IMD Switzerland acceptance rate usually remains in the range of 25-30 percent. This shows the highly selective nature of admission followed by the business school. The IMD Business School assessment is designed to get you to know better. The business school also wants you to assess its culture, teaching style, and vision so that you have a prior understanding of how can you make your year-long stay fruitful.

Moreover, IMD Switzerland is interested in the unique aspects that a student can bring to the program. Therefore, take ample time to fill out the form keeping the application deadline in mind.

The 2023 IMD MBA deadlines for admission are as follows:

Application Deadline	Interview Decision by	Final Decision by
1 February	14 February	25 March
1 May	16  May	24 June
1 July	15 July	26 August
1 September	16 September	24 October

Disclaimer: The dates have been retrieved from the official B-school website. Applicants are advised to check with the B-school via their website for the latest dates as they are subject to change. After reviewing the application, IMD business school invites successful candidates for an online interview and further assessment. The assessment will include team experience, class observation, if possible, and networking with the MBA team members. You will also need to deliver an elevator pitch, a short speech about your achievements and motivation to join the program. It shouldn't last longer than 30-40 seconds.

Scholarships and Financial Aids

Earlier, we discussed the cost of pursuing an MBA from IMD, which can be unaffordable to many. However, IMD Business School encourages deserving candidates worldwide to join the B-school to follow their passion and advance their careers. Therefore, the business school provides various scholarships to help deserving students fund their IMD Switzerland MBA fees.

IMD Scholarship Statistics in 2022

Scholarship Types and recipients	Percentage
Participants receiving scholarships	59
Women Participants receiving scholarships	75
Merit-based Scholarships	61

Need-Based Scholarships

Any IMD student with proven financial needs, a good academic record, and impactful recommendations can apply for the B-school's need-based scholarships and receive grants up to CHF 30,000. Make sure to apply for the scholarship at the time of admission application.

IMD MBA deadline to submit your scholarship application is usually two weeks after your admission application.

Gender-Based Scholarships

The following scholarships are available for female students

• The Hilti Scholarship for Women
  Female engineers living in emerging markets are preferred.


• The Nestle Scholarship for Women
  The scholarship prefers women from developing countries.


• The BackPack- Excellence Scholarship for Women- full scholarship
  Priority will be given to women who faced adversities like facing conflicts, religious persecution, natural disasters, or being forced to leave their homeland.

Merit-Based Scholarships

These scholarships don’t require separate applications. They are awarded to candidates on merits, such as a high GMAT score. Additionally, the best all-around applicants who demonstrate qualities like good career progression, international outlook, and strong interpersonal skills are also considered for merit-based scholarships. The B-school will confirm the recipients at the time of the admission offer.

Some well-known merit-based scholarships are listed below-

Scholarship	Amount (in CHF)
Young Leaders Scholarships	Up to 50,000
Leaderships Scholarships	30,000
Entrepreneur Scholarship	Up to 30,000
Sustainability Scholarship	Up to 30,000
Asia Scholarship	Up to 30,000

It may be noted that no scholarship is available for the Executive MBA program. However, such students can consider taking student loans from partner lenders.

Career After IMD MBA

An IMD MBA can add significant value to your resume and help you negotiate a better salary. As per the 2020 IMD career statistics, the average annual salary offered to IMD MBA grads was $1,26,565. Besides, 73 percent of the IMD graduates changed their industry, and 84 percent have changed their function.

The global reach of IMD MBAs can be realized by the fact that they are employed all over the world. For decades, IMD Switzerland MBA Placement Cell has supported the students of IMD Business School, connecting them to some top global multi-national companies, like Amazon, Mckinsey & Company, Novartis, etc.

So, what are you waiting for? Get into IMD Switzerland MBA and give wings to your career goals.

FAQs related to IMD Switzerland MBA

1. How many MBA courses do the IMD offer?

IMD Business School offers only two MBA courses- MBA and Executive MBA. Additionally, it conducts various certification programs and workshops related to management and businesses.

2. Which course is best suited for me?

Your age, professional standing, and career goals should define your choice of MBA. You can try the MBA program if you're a young professional with 2-3 years of management experience. However, if you're an experienced professional with decades of management experience, you can consider the Executive MBA program.

3. Can Indians apply to the IMD MBA programs?

Yes. You'll see many Indians in the current class profile of the MBA program.

4. How to get into an IMB MBA program from India?

Start by appearing for the GMAT. With a good GMAT score, you can now focus on other aspects of your application, such as resume, essays, etc. Start preparing for the admission interview as well. At this point, you can consider working with a professional MBA consultant like us. We can help you work out those areas of your application that have scope for further improvement.