Meet The IESE MBA Class of 2017

Olga Climova 

IESE Business School

Hometown: Etulia, Moldova

Undergraduate School and Major: Carleton University – Finance, International Investments and Banking 

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: Mxi Technologies Ltd., Global Commercial Bid Manager 

Recalling your own experience, what advice do you have for applicants who are preparing for either the GMAT or the GRE? Discovering that standardized tests not only assess your knowledge and strategy but also test your endurance, I decided to pay more attention to my body. Yoga and running became part of my study routine. They not only improved my concentration, but also gave me another sense of accomplishment. Most importantly during this process, don’t forget to be kind to yourself. Your score is only one of the many components that make up your MBA application. Do your best and put as much effort into the remaining elements of your application.

Based on your own selection process, what advice do you have for applicants who are trying to draw up a list of target schools to which to apply? There are a lot of good schools – and it might be difficult to narrow down to top 3-5 – but really try to keep your list manageable. Once you know which schools attract you the most, get to know them more personally. Reach out to your network, ask to be introduced, and meet people who are part of the program now or were in the past. There is nothing more valuable than getting the insider view and perhaps another confirmation of your top pick. Meeting and getting to know the IESE people was one of the main factors why it became my top choice.

Also, as part of your selection criteria, I would highly recommend visiting the campus. IESE offers a unique opportunity to get to know the program and its people during the Assessment and Open Days weekends. Take advantage of all the opportunities you get to place yourself in the MBA shoes as early as possible.

What advice do you have for applicants in actually applying to a school, writing essays, doing admission interviews, and getting recommenders to write letters on your behalf? It might become overwhelming to juggle so many moving pieces while having a full-time job, friends and family duties, but try to enjoy this process and have fun as much as you can. Change your mindset to appreciate every bit of it, even writing your GMAT or GRE.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? There were a lot of factors that I carefully considered when choosing where to invest my time and money. Most importantly, I looked at the fit that would allow me to learn holistically through structured case method, hands-on internship opportunity and also still leave room for flexibility and offer numerous elective courses. Visiting the campus and getting to know the program and people more closely confirmed my decision to pursue my MBA at the IESE Business School.

What would you ultimately like to achieve before you graduate? Recently I was gifted a fancy pen to sign the contract for my dream job, so I would like to put it to use. But beside the most obvious, before I graduate I really want to be sure that I truly tested my potential and know my boundaries.

Throughout my investigation and application stage, I received a lot of support from the IESE community. As part of my gratitude towards the school I would like to provide as much help as I can to the incoming students.