FAQs

YTP

What is the IESE Young Talent Path (YTP)?

IESE’s YTP is our pre-admissions program to the IESE MBA. Our MBA has been ranked #1 in the World by the Economist in 2021. We are based in sunny Barcelona and all our programs are conducted in English. The YTP is designed for final year university students and young professionals with up to 2 years of full-time work experience, who aspire to join IESE’s full-time MBA in the future.

What are the benefits of admitted YTP candidate?

As an admitted YTP candidate, your seat in our top-ranked full time MBA program will be reserved for up to 4 years. You will be eligible for a €22,000* scholarship for IESE’s MBA program and have the opportunity to participate in IESE events all over the world, including the Continuous Education Program, gaining a first-hand perspective of business across different continents. Also, you gain access to the YTP Community hub where you can connect with your peers, participate in networking events and access valuable career related content.

Once you are ready to start your IESE MBA journey and you wish to apply for more scholarship or request financial aid, that will be possible at the time of your application to the MBA. We evaluate these requests on a case-by-case basis.

*Subject to fulfilling GMAT / GRE requirement

What do we look for in our YTP candidates?

We look for candidates who have a strong potential to join our full-time MBA program in the future. Our YTP candidates typically demonstrate academic and professional excellence, have a clear motivation to pursue their MBA in the future, and show a deep understanding of IESE Business School. Our YTPs have diverse backgrounds and nationalities, and can thrive in IESE’s mission-driven culture.

Eligibility

Am I eligible for the YTP?

The YTP is designed for final year university students (preferably with a secured job offer) or recent university graduates with 0-2 years of full-time working experience (excluding the internships).

What if I have more than 2 years of work experience? Can I apply?

Only those with 2 years of work experience or less prior to the Assessment Bootcamp in July are eligible to apply. If you have more than 2 years of work experience, we strongly advise you to apply directly to our full-time MBA.

What if I’m a 3rd year student in university? Can I apply?

If you are still completing your undergraduate studies, we encourage you to apply to the YTP after you have graduated. Priority will be given to fresh graduates, those with job offers or are currently working.

I come from a non-business background. Is a business background required to be selected?

No, we welcome applicants from all academic and professional backgrounds. You do not have to study a business-related subject in order to be selected to join the YTP.

Application Process

What is the application process for the YTP?

The admissions process consists of:
1) Embark Application online (US$40 fee)
2) Online Assessment (mandatory)
3) Selected applicants are invited to the 3-day Assessment Boot Camp in Barcelona (organized in early July)

If your application progresses and you are invited to the Assessment Boot Camp in Barcelona, you will be able to experience the life of an IESE MBA student and gain insights into different aspects of business management such as Analysis of Business Programs, Managing People in Organization or Marketing. You will be working in cross-cultural teams on an assigned project and based on your performance, you can get a chance to be an IESE YTP candidate!

Can I submit my unofficial transcript?

If you graduate in the summer of the year when the YTP bootcamp is organized, you can attach your unofficial transcripts to your application. Once you have the official ones, please send them to ytpinfo@iese.edu in order to update your application file.

Is the GMAT or GRE mandatory for the YTP?

For the YTP program, the GMAT or GRE are not required for the application. However, when you are ready to start your IESE MBA, you have to submit a GMAT or GRE score as a mandatory part of your application.

What does the Kira Online Assessment consist of?

Once you submit your application on Embark with all your personal and professional information, you will receive the invitation to the Kira Talent video assessment (in 2-4 business days), which consists of an online video interview with 3 questions and a short career essay.

When do I get the Kira Talent Online Assessment invitation?

Shortly after you submit your application in Embark, you will receive the access to realize the video assessment (within 2-4 business days). The email might be in your spam or social inbox, make sure to double check all your folders. You need to prepare three video interviews and one short essay. The deadline to complete the Kira Talent Assessment is 17th of March, 2023.

Can the YTP application fee be waived?

Please note that the application fee of US$40 is non-refundable. We only offer re-applicants the application fee waiver. If you are a reapplicant, please open your application through Embark and inform the YTP team (YTPinfo@iese.edu) about your request for an application fee waiver.

What can I put in my application if I have no full-time work experience?

If you don’t have full-time work experience, you can add “none”, “zero” or “0,000” in the ‘Full Time Jobs – Employers’ section of your application. This way, you can proceed with your application.

Who can I ask for recommendations?

You can submit one recommendation letter from a recent employer or university professor. The recommendation letter must be submitted latest by 14th of March. If you are a reapplicant, you do not need to re-submit your recommendation letter. You can send your recommendation request to YTPinfo@iese.edu.

If I’m not invited to the bootcamp, can I re-apply to the YTP?

Yes, if you still meet the eligibility criteria. We welcome re-applicants and would be glad to waive your application fee. If you no longer meet the eligibility criteria, we encourage you to apply directly to our full-time MBA program.

If I’m a re-applicant, what do I need to do?

Please contact YTPinfo@iese.edu to confirm your application fee waiver. Please complete the online application with an updated copy of your CV and re-submit your Kira video online assessment. You do not need to re-submit your recommendation letter, you may do so if you wish to but it is not required.

Assessment Boot Camp

Is it possible to connect to the YTP bootcamp virtually?

The YTP Bootcamp will be held in-person on IESE’s Barcelona Campus. The hybrid format is not available. You can read more about IESE’s safety protocol via https://www.iese.edu/ready-safe-go/.

When are the decisions and bootcamp invitations sent out?

You will hear from us around mid-April 2023, this is when the carefully selected candidates receive the Assessment Boot Camp invitations. Due to the high volume of applications, we cannot commit to sending out the final decision before April 2023. The YTP Bootcamp 2023 will be held on 5-7th of July, 2023. So, you can estimate your possible travels around that time.

What does the bootcamp consist of?

During the 3-day bootcamp, participants will get a taste of life as an IESE student. You will prepare for 3 case class discussions, work with international peers on a group project and have a final project presentation. You will interact with members of MBA Admissions & Career Development Teams, who will share more about the transformative experience of IESE MBA. Finally, you will also hear from former YTP candidates and current MBA students about their career paths at a panel discussion and networking cocktail.

If I’m invited for the bootcamp and I’m not able to join, can I defer my seat to the next year?

No, the bootcamp is a mandatory part of the YTP admissions process and your bootcamp performance is taken into consideration to be selected as a YTP candidate. Unfortunately we do not allow for deferrals. If you are not able to participate in the Bootcamp, we encourage you to re-apply for YTP in the following year if you still meet the eligibility criteria and would be glad to waive your application fee.

We advise all applicants to apply to the YTP only if you are confident of attending the bootcamp.