I've been very interested in applying to IESE since I started my bschool search, but since it's not a US school, I've had a hard time finding tips on what they look for in an applicant, and anything to compare myself against to see if I have a shot at getting in. I went to a top 15 liberal arts school (3.4 gpa) and graduated in 2007. Since then I worked briefly in broadcast journalism, worked at a top international law firm as a trial manager for over 2 yrs, led one of the largest cases in US history in a 3.4 month trial (then realized I definitely did not want to go to law school!), and have been working for one of the biggest asset management firms as legal support to the sales and product teams (my attempt at working out of the legal realm). I'm studying to take my GMAT, which is obviously a huge factor. But I spent my childhood in Europe, I speak German fluently, and have traveled extensively my entire life.
Any thoughts what my chances are? What are they looking for in an applicant?

Second- I've started brainstorming essay question answers, but am having difficulty explaining my career path and my childhood in Europe (and why it's so important to me) b/c most of the questions ask about the last two years. Do you have any suggestions how I can answer the question, but still incorporate other aspects of my life outside of the past 2 years?

Unfortunately I don't consider myself an expert on IESE (exactly the problem you've described!), but going from a legal support role to an MBA program will require that you show some real instances of the impact that you've had in your organization over the past few years. You need to come across as not just a valuable team contributor, but someone whom your organization absolutely couldn't live without. You will also need to clearly articulate why/how you see yourself transitioning from that kind of role into a more MBA-type job, assuming that's what you want to do after you get your MBA.

The fact that the school mainly asks about the last two years is a clear sign that it really cares about what I described above -- What impact have you had on those around you? The childhood in Europe surely gives you a somewhat unique perspective, but don't expect that to carry the day. They are much, much more interested in what you have accomplished in your young career.

Good luck!
Scott

Thanks Scott!

Do you have any advice on answering "failure" questions? Or ways to brainstorm a failure that's not going to throw up a big red flag? I'm assuming a really big "failure" is not the best approach to answering this...

The specific question states "Describe two substantial accomplishments and one failure in a professional or personal endeavor". 600 words.

Do they all have to come from the same endeavor? And since it's 600 words, should I plan on spending even amounts of words on each part? Does that matter?

Thanks so much for your advice!

No problem!

In short, the key with "failure" questions is to show what you learned and (perhaps even more importantly) then go on to describe a time when you put that lesson to use in another situation. Admissions officers want to hear about thing that you really did and really experienced, not hypothetical situations.

So, it's not enough to say "I learned that I should always get buy-in from the whole team, and from now on I'll do that." Rather, admissions officers want to read, "I learned that I should always get buy-in from the whole team, and I put this lesson to use several months later when another project came along..."

That's the key -- not what the failure was, but what you learned, and how you applied that lesson later on!

We write about failure essays and provide examples in my book, Your MBA Game Plan. Pick up a copy if you think you need more help!

Scott