IESE MBA Essay Questions and Analysis

Malvika Patil
Jun 20
4 min read

IESE has released its MBA Essay Questions for the 2024 - 2025 application cycle.

Essay 1

Career Goals Essay: What are your immediate career goals after graduation and your mid-term career goal 5–10 years after graduation? How will the IESE MBA program help you achieve them? (word limit 300 max)

IESE has three core management axes that drive what it looks for in an applicant:

A global mindset
A general management approach
A people-centered vision, with the ethics and social responsibility that entails

Each year, IESE brings together a truly global group of students, with around 85% of the class coming from outside Spain. This explains the school’s first key value: a diverse and multicultural outlook. The school also believes in instilling a holistic management approach in its students, and emphasizes a people-centered vision where students are driven to make a difference: not just in business, but in society as a whole.

That’s why, in this essay, AdCom looks for signs of leadership, purpose, and a genuine desire to create positive change through your work.

Sure, having a purpose is important, but they also want to see clarity and direction in what you’ll pursue right after graduation and where you see your career heading five to ten years down the road. This is a classic career goals and “Why this school” essay. Be as specific as you can, and show that you’ve done your research and that your goals are realistic and thoughtful.

A strong essay might follow this structure:

A story that demonstrates your career progression thus far
Your career goals and why you need an MBA
Why IESE in particular

Start by telling a brief story that demonstrates what you are passionate about. Connect it to your goals. Now, you’ll want to explain what you have already done so far to achieve these goals. Here, include the skills, strengths, and advantages that have prepared you for your goals.

For your short-term goal, mention the role, industry, and the companies you’re planning to join. Even if your plans shift later on, showing a clear, well-considered direction now demonstrates that you’ve put serious thought into what the MBA will help you achieve. Your long term goal can be more ambitious, but it should be a logical next step from your short term goal.

At the same time, make sure your goals connect logically to your past experience. Admissions officers are trying to understand whether your next step makes sense based on where you’ve been.

Once you’ve explained what you want to do, the next step is to show why IESE is the right place to help you do it. This part is just as important. IESE wants to see that you’ve taken the time to understand their program and how it fits with your goals. Talk about specific things—maybe it’s a course that fills a knowledge gap, a club that will connect you with like-minded people, or the global learning environment that matches your long-term plans. Don't just repeat what’s on their website; instead, draw on conversations you’ve had with students or alumni or events you’ve attended. The goal is to show that IESE is not just a good MBA, but it’s what fit your profile best.

Optional Essay

What would you like to highlight about yourself or your journey which may have not been captured in your application? (word limit 300 max)

This section is truly optional, and that’s worth keeping in mind. You don’t need to write anything here unless there’s something meaningful that hasn’t been covered elsewhere in your application. That could be something that needs clarification, like a low test score, an employment gap, or a nontraditional recommender. Or, it could be a personal story, value, or achievement that you feel rounds out your application and helps the admissions team see a fuller picture of who you are.

If you choose to use this space, be honest, clear, and to the point. Don’t try to dress up a weakness or force-fit something that doesn’t really belong. The AdCom will appreciate transparency more than spin. If you’re explaining something like a low GPA or a disciplinary issue, take responsibility where needed, avoid excuses, and focus on what you learned from the experience. If you're highlighting a strength, such as a meaningful project or personal challenge, make sure it actually adds something new, not just a repeat of what you've already said in other parts of the application.

Video Essay

You will need to complete video essays as part of the application. The purpose of the personal essay has always been for the AdCom to get a deeper understanding of who you are and what drives you. By changing it to a video format, IESE hopes to get more authentic and direct answers from applicants that will give them more insights into your thought process and communication style.

Once you submit the written application and pay the application fees, you will receive a Kira Video Essay link (within 24-hours) to be completed by the round deadline. The link will expire in 48-hours after receipt. All instructions will be provided to you together with the link. You will be given a chance to practice before submitting your video essay. There will be 3 video essay questions that you will be required to complete, with time to prepare before your answer is recorded.

Be concise, you only have 1.5 minutes to provide an answer and be genuine in your answers. Again, the AdCom wants to know who you are so don’t worry so much about what you think they would like to hear.

Before you record, take time to practice. Think about common questions you might be asked—things like “Why IESE?”, “What motivates you?”, or “Tell us about a time you faced a challenge.” Practicing will help you feel more confident.

We visited IESE to visit a former client and reflect on their MBA experience. Here's the full rundown.