The top European schools are beginning to open their 2019-2020 admissions for the class of 2020. Here is our run-down of the top 10 European MBA schools, according to Poets&Quants’ rankings, and the dates we know so far. You can also consult our master calendar of deadlines for the world’s top business schools.

Some schools have not yet confirmed their deadlines, so we will update the information as soon as we get it.

 

INSEAD

The admissions process begins with the candidate uploading application documents, then recording video answers to four questions – they have 45 seconds to think, and 60 seconds to give an answer.

Selected candidates will take one or two interviews in their home country with INSEAD alumni. The Admissions Committee makes the final decision. The process takes 10 weeks from start to finish.

Applications deadlines:

Round 1: September 18, 2019

Round 2: November 6, 2019

Round 3: January 15, 2020

Round 4: February 26, 2020

More information

IESE Business School

The Early Decision Round was introduced for the class beginning in 2019 and proved popular, with many early applicants winning large scholarships. (Candidates in this round have to pay their deposit by Christmas.) IESE evaluates all candidates during an assessment day.

The school has reduced the number of recommendations from two to one.

Application deadlines:

Early Decision Round: 03/09/201

Round 1: 10/10/2019

Round 2: 08/01/2019

Round 3: 03/03/2020

Round 4: 05/05/2020

More information

 

HEC PARIS

HEC has two MBA start-dates: January and September.

The application process has five steps. 1) Filling in an online contact form. 2) A full application. 3)  Apre-selection jury assesses applications. 3) Two interviews conducted by HEC MBA alumni, consisting of a presentation followed by a discussion. 5) An admissions jury makes the final decision.

There are monthly deadlines, and the admissions process takes five weeks to decision. Successful applicants have about a month to confirm that they will take up their place.

Admissions deadlines for January 2020 intake:

May 2, 2019

June 3, 2019

July 1, 2019

August 16, 2019

October 15, 2019*

November 15, 2019*

*non-EU applicants are recommended to apply earlier than this, for visa reasons

More information

IMD

At IMD, the application process has two stages: an online application, then a face-to-face interview and assessment which includes an interview, team experience, and networking.

For the MBA program starting in January 2020, IMD has reduced its number of rounds from five to four.

Application deadlines:

Round 1: 1 February

Round 2: 1 May

Round 3: 1 August

Round 4: 1 October

Note that the October deadline is open only to applicants exempt from long term Swiss visa requirements)

More information

 

ESADE

The application process involves uploading documents to the ESADE website, and an interview by an associate director of admissions either in Barcelona or at an off-campus admissions event, or by via Skype.

Application deadlines:

Round 1: October 1, 2019

Round 2: November 26, 2019

Round 3: January 14, 2020

Round 4: February 11, 2020

Round 5: March 10, 2020

Round 6: April 21, 2020

Round 7: 19 May 2020

Round 8: June 20, 2020 (For EU residents only. This round will only run if places remain on the program.)

More information

 

 

London Business School

LBS has not yet finalized the admissions process for the class starting in August 2020, and say: “We are very happy with our rigorous and highly personalized admissions process, so don’t anticipate any changes next admissions season.”

Assuming the timetable doesn’t change, we can expect there to be four rounds to be as follows:

Applications deadlines:

Round 1: September 2019

Round 2: January 2020

Round 3: March 2020

Round 4: April 2020

We’ll add more detail when we get it.

More information

 

 

University of Oxford Said Business School

The University of Oxford’s Said Business School has not yet finalized their applications process for the class commencing in September 2020, but assuming there are no radical changes from previous years the application will consist of an online application, including two 500-word essays, followed by a face-to-face interview.

Judging by past years, we assume that the deadlines will be:

September 2019

November 2019

January 2020

April 2020

We’ll add more details when we get them.

More information

University of Cambridge Judge Business School

The applications for the MBA class commencing in 2020 open in July. Judge say they expect to make no significant changes to the process, which consists of an online application, followed by a face-to-face interview, usually in Cambridge or in rare cases by webcam.

Judging by past years, we assume that the deadlines will be:

Round 1: September

Round 2: October

Round 3: January

Round 4: March

Round 5: May

(We’ll add more details when we get them.)

More Information

SDA Bocconi

Applicants apply online, sending in their GMAT/GRE scores, references and other documents. Selected applicants are called for an interview, either in Milan or a city close to them, or in rare cases by webcam.

The admissions process for the class commencing in September 2020 begins in July 2019, and continues on a rolling basis until 10 April 2020.

More information.

 

Mannheim

The application process at Germany’s Mannheim Business School has four stages. 1) submitting the recommendation letter, certificates, English language certification, and a GMAT score report. 2) The first interview, followed by a case study which candidates do at home. 3) Second interview. 4) The admissions committee make their decision.

Mannheim runs a rolling admission process, but early applicants are more likely to be successful. Apply before November 30, 2019, for €3,000 tuition fee reduction in, and March 31, 2020, for a €2,000 reduction.

More information