UPDATE: This article was originally posted on January 17, 2020. It has been updated with 2024/25 information and tips below.
With its focus on innovative leadership, strong connections with Asian business schools, and location in the heart of Barcelona, ESADE is at the top of the list for an increasing number of applicants who seek to pursue (or continue pursuing) a high-impact, global career.
However, competition to join ESADE’s elite MBA is more difficult than ever.
That’s why we’ve prepared this guide to help you use your ESADE admissions interviews to stand out. We’ve rounded up not only our best tips but have also included sample interview questions to ensure you give your ESADE interview your best shot.
How the ESADE Interview Works
Making sure you shine during your ESADE interview is no easy task.
ESADE interviews, since they are most often conducted by a representative from the admissions committee, tend to be highly personalized and based on your whole application.
During the interview, the interviewer is also trying to gauge how solid your motivations for wanting to pursue an MBA are, how interested you seem in the ESADE program, and if you are truly a good fit for ESADE’s “Creactivist” culture.
Interviewers often ask many standard MBA interview questions, as well as questions designed to test just how collaborative you really are. You can also expect numerous follow-up questions.
Our clients who have interviewed with ESADE in the past say that the interviewer was very friendly and demonstrated a genuine interest in their answers. Though questions do tend to focus on standard MBA interview questions, be ready for anything.
Who will interview you?
You will interview with a representative from ESADE’s admissions committee. After being invited to interview, you will be given further instructions on how to schedule your interview.
Will the interviewer have read my application?
Yes. The interviewer will have read your entire application. Past reports indicate that interviewers develop specific questions based on your application, so make sure to take the time to review what you presented.
How long will the ESADE interview last?
45-60 minutes.
Who is ESADE Looking For?
(Photo courtesy of @_esade on Instagram)
“The ESADE MBA empowers you to become a driving force for change. To disrupt the future of business and forge a path for others to do the same. To lead with great integrity and flexibility. working as part of a team. To make your mark as a creative business activist. To think deeply about our world and how you can change it for the better. The ESADE MBA is for the future leaders who are ready to think differently and break new ground.” ESADE Admissions
Every year, ESADE literally searches the globe (43 countries are represented in the current class) for outstanding professionals given the honor of joining its annual class of 184 students.
With a strong emphasis on diversity, there is no “typical” ESADE student, yet the average admitted student does tend to have an average age of 30 and 6.2 years of work experience.
Beyond the statistics, though, ESADE is looking for candidates who want to positively disrupt the world of business through their careers. That’s why, in addition to strong academic performance (demonstrated through their test scores and university grades), ESADE seeks candidates who possess seek to be the following type of leader:
If this sounds like a community in which you’d be right at home, you’ll first have to prove you’ve got what it takes by successfully navigating ESADE’s admissions interview questions.
Trends in Recent ESADE MBA Interviews
Recent feedback from candidates interviewing at ESADE highlights several notable trends that you should consider when preparing for your interview:
Remote Leadership: Given the increasing focus on global and hybrid work environments, ESADE interviewers are now placing more emphasis on candidates’ ability to manage teams remotely and lead in distributed environments.
Diversity and Inclusion: ESADE continues to prioritize diversity in its MBA cohorts. Candidates are often asked to reflect on their experiences working with diverse teams and how they plan to contribute to ESADE’s inclusive culture.
Adaptability and Innovation: ESADE has a strong focus on innovation and disruption. Interviewers are increasingly testing candidates on how they handle uncertainty, foster innovation, and their potential to contribute to ESADE’s vision of producing “Creactivists.”
How Can You Prepare For Your Interview?
Though no interview is 100% predictable, ESADE interviews do tend to center around a fairly standard list of MBA interview questions. As such, we have prepared some model questions below that previous candidates have received in their past ESADE interviews.
What questions are asked in the ESADE interview?
The questions below are drawn from our clients’ interview reports, as well as from sites like clearadmit.com. Though these are not all the potential questions you could possibly receive during your ESADE interview, preparing for these (and any follow-up questions you think you might be asked) should give you a very solid foundation for your interview.
STARTING UP QUESTIONS
- Tell me about yourself. (Expect follow-up questions)
- What do you do in your current job?
- Why did you choose your university?
- What was your undergraduate experience like?
- What are your short-term and long-term career goals?
- Name three firms you would like to work at after your MBA.
- Why did you quit your previous job?
- Why do you want an MBA?
- Why now?
- Why ESADE?
- What will you bring to ESADE?
- What excites you the most about ESADE?
- What other schools have you applied to? If you get into all of them, how will you choose where to go?
- Have you visited campus? Spoken with alumni?
LEADERSHIP & TEAMWORK
- Tell me about a time when you didn’t get along with your team. What did you do?
- Tell me about one instance when you disagreed with your boss and how you handled the situation.
- How do you explain leadership?
- What is your leadership style?
- Tell me a leader you admire.
- Tell me about a time you had to manage a team remotely.
- Tell me about a time when you worked in a highly diverse team.
MISCELLANEOUS BEHAVIORAL
- Tell me an example of when things didn’t work out as you planned.
- Tell me about a time when you were pushed to your limits at work.
- How would your friends describe you?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- Describe a situation where you used your network to achieve something.
- Summarize yourself in a single sentence. How do you handle ambiguity in a fast-paced environment?
- How do you handle ambiguity in a fast-paced environment?
- What does the term ‘Creactivist’ mean to you, and how do you embody it?
CLOSING
- Is there anything else you would like us to know about you? / Is there anything you wished I had asked you?
- Questions for me?
We have found that answering real interview questions on the spot is a much better means of preparation than reading lists of interview questions for most candidates.
We highly suggest you take a look at mock interview questions and sample interview responses before your interview.
Our MBA Resource Center has dozens of real interview mocks from ESADE, as well as detailed guides to help you prepare for questions ranging from “Why our MBA program?” to “Tell us about a time you failed.”
The Ellin Lolis Consulting MBA Resource Center is your one-stop shop for interview success. Click to join!
If you’re still not quite confident with your interview skills, our interview experts can help you craft your answers or prepare you for the ESADE interview through mock interviews tailored to your profile.
What to do if you get a question you haven’t prepared an answer for
Despite your most diligent preparation, you will almost always receive a question you had not prepared.
First, stay calm and take a deep breath. You have already made it this far in the process, and one question will not trip you up!
Second, make sure you directly answer the question the interviewer asked you. For example, if the interviewer asks you about a time you had to deal with a difficult manager, make sure to tell a story about a difficult manager and how you handled the situation.
If you’re having trouble thinking of an answer or an example to support your answer, however, take a drink of water to give yourself a few more minutes to think. If you really can’t think of an example from your personal or professional experience, you can use a hypothetical answer about how you would act in a certain situation.
Finally, assume that the interviewer is testing how you think on your feet and respond to questions you didn’t prepare in advance. Though your answer might not be as polished as if you’d had weeks to rehearse it, smile and confidently respond to show you can handle any question they throw at you.
Make sure you get into ESADE
Several years ago, I had the pleasure of helping a client, Phillip, put the finishing touches on his MBA admissions essays. A stellar candidate in all regards, those essays secured him interviews at all of the impressive set of elite programs he applied to!
Phillip was overjoyed when he called me with the news but was surprised that the first words out of my mouth (after “Congratulations!” of course) were, “Well it sounds like we have a lot of practicing ahead of us.”
Though Phillip knew the statistics — at most elite MBAs, only 50% of candidates called to interview are actually admitted — he felt he’d already overcome the toughest hurdle and could relax a bit. “I’m really good with people,” he said, “so I’m just going to go in there and be myself.”
In the end, Phillip got five dings and ended up having to reapply the following year.
Practice is incredibly important. Especially when it comes to public speaking and highly competitive selective processes.
Our interview prep and practice service focuses on helping you determine what to highlight in your interview depending on the program while using appropriate, impact-driven language without being artificial, or worse, robotic. We also help you choose (and perfect) culturally appropriate examples based on the schools you’re interviewing for.
That’s the approach we took with Fernando, who secured a position at his dream school, ESADE.
“After my first conversation with Ellin, I already knew that she was the right person to guide me through my next goal, which was to apply for an international MBA.
From the start, Ellin impressed me with her organised and holistic methodology. The beginning of the process not only helps her to know you in-depth but also is a self-knowledge exercise, which will guide you until the rest of the application. She really aims at understanding you and your goals in order to give you better counselling.
Moreover, she has an incredible multi-disciplinary team, who can help you throughout the entire application process. Everyone has always been very kind, and most important, critical. All of them are specialists in their areas and have a lot of useful insights to share. In addition, Ellin is also completely accessible and is always willing to help you.
Finally, I’m sure that Ellin and her team were a key figure, who helped me in achieving my goal of attending ESADE. I strongly recommend her ”all-in” package, and I am extremely grateful for all they have done.”
Forget simulation platforms or long lists of tips – our 1:1 preparation focuses on playing to your strengths and overcoming your weaknesses to turn you into an interview expert. Hire our interview services here. Our interview packages sell out quickly, so make sure you sign up today!
Real MBA Essays That Got People In
School-specific sample essays that got our clients accepted
