#232 IESE MBA Admissions Insights with Patrik Wallen

What does IESE look for in MBA applicants? How do they evaluate your academic aptitude, post-MBA career goals, leadership potential and fit? In this episode, IESE MBA Admissions Director Patrik Wallen shares candid insights into what makes candidates stand out — and what makes IESE’s two-year MBA unique. Program Highlights - What Makes the IESE MBA Unique? Introduction (0:00) What Makes the IESE MBA Unique? (3:30) IESE's Reputation with Employers (11:30) IESE MBA's Two-Year Course Structure (14:27) Living, Studying & Working in Barcelona, Spain (18:37) The Importance of Speaking the Local Language: Spanish (25:10) IESE MBA Admissions & Scholarships - How to Improve Your Chances? What IESE MBA Looks for When Building a Class (28:00) Patrik's Thoughts on Post-MBA Goals (37:00) GMAT/GRE Scores & GPA (41:45) Resumes (48:00) Written Essays & Video Essays (52:45) Letters of Recommendation (55:35) Interviews & IESE MBA's Assessment Day (57:45) How IESE MBA Admissions Views Scholarships & How Applicants Can Win Funding (1:03:35) Career Opportunities at IESE - What to Know & How to Prepare Has AI Affected Recruiting for Consulting? (1:10:55) IESE MBA's Grading System (1:17:30) What Applicants Need to Know about Landing Jobs in Spain & Europe (1:20:05) Structured Recruiting & Unstructured Recruiting: What Applicants Can Expect from IESE's Career Services (1:27:45) About Our Guest Patrik Wallen is the MBA Admissions Director at IESE Business School. Previously, he was Director of IESE's Career Development Center. Before joining IESE, Patrik worked as a general manager in hospitality, founded a fish importing business and worked as a software consultant. Patrik got his Masters in Science in Computer Science from KTH Royal Institute of Technology and his MBA from IESE in 2007. Show Notes IESE MBA Get feedback on your profile from IESE MBA's Admissions Team before you apply IESE MBA Scholarships and Post-Graduation Payment Aid (PPA) for MBAs IESE Full-time MBA Highlights by Touch MBA MBA Application Resources ⁠⁠Get free school selection help at Touch MBA⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Get pre-assessed by top international MBA programs⁠⁠ Our favorite MBA application tools (after advising 4,000 applicants)

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#232 IESE MBA Admissions Insights with Patrik Wallen is an episode from The Touch MBA Admissions Podcast by Darren Joe: Former MBA Admissions Director Helping You Get Admitted.

This episode is 01:33:36 long.

This episode was published on Oct 30, 2025.

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