At IE University, we want to make sure the best and brightest fill our classrooms. To ensure the best candidates, our personalized admission process allows students of all different talents and interests to shine. We search for what makes each and every applicant unique to decide if hey will excel at IE University.
Our students choose IE University because they seek an innovative approach to higher education within a diverse environment. This generation of students wants to spend their university years at an internationally recognized, globally focused university that will allow them to flourish creatively and academically.
We sat down with Miguel Costa, Director of Admissions of IE University, to discuss the IE University admissions process. Read on for everything you need to know before applying to IE University!
What kind of student is IE University looking for?
Our admissions process goes beyond a candidate’s grades. Focusing only on grades does not always reflect the reality. A candidate with an average of 9.5 would appear better than another candidate with an average of 8.5 with diverse interests, and this is not necessarily true. When we interview prospective students we ask them passions inside and outside the classroom. We want to know what you like, which activities you are involved in, how many languages you speak, your future aspirations, and what values you could bring to IE University.
For example, if you have good grades, speak several languages, play a musical instrument, have played for a high school sports team, and are passionate about technology (maybe you’ve taught yourself basic programming by watching YouTube videos), that would be very interesting for us.
For us, diversity is key. We want to know what you’re passionate about and what makes you a unique part of our campus.
What are applicants looking for when they apply to IE University?
Our ideal students don’t see the university as a means to an end, they see it as an end in itself. Some decades ago, university was something you had to go through in order to get a good job after graduation, but this has changed. Today’s students understand that university is an opportunity to learn more about themselves and become well-rounded people. At IE University, we encourage you to live your university experience beyond the confines of the classroom.
Could you describe how the IE University admissions process works?
We want to attract the kind of students that we know will have an enriching experience at IE University. Our applicants know that we’re after students with good academic records, intellectual curiosity and a profound desire for personal development.
We consider each application independently. For us, each individual is a unique case. Our admissions process consists of four stages: (i) an online application, (ii) an admissions test, (iii) an online assessment and a personal interview, and (iv) the final committee decision. These phases allow us to determine whether you have the necessary skills, qualities and profile to be a successful student at IE University.
How to apply to IE University: The application process
Online Application: To begin the application process, you must fill out an online application form and attach different documents that are important for our assessment. These documents include an admissions test (if you chose to submit SAT, ACT, CAS, or LNAT), a copy of their academic records, letters of recommendation, a recent CV, and additional information about your extracurricular activities, hobbies, awards and anything else that might be of importance.
Admissions Test: IE University’s admission test is conducted solely in English. It assesses your verbal, logical and numerical skills, paying attention to evidence of in class and extracurricular learning.
Online Assessment: The online assessment allows the admissions team to get a sense of your personality and potential before proceeding to a possible interview. Completing the assessment is simple: you will be given 3 questions to answer in a set amount of time. One of your responses will be written, and two will be recorded via video. The whole process should only take 20 to 30 minutes to complete.
Personal Interview: The interview allows us to get to know you on a personal level and confirm that the information presented up until this point is accurate. In this stage, we’re looking for individuals that can defend their points of view and surpass our expectations.
Committee Final Decision: After successfully completing the previous steps, we will review your application once more before making the final decision. Successful admissions can be either definitive (if application is complete) or conditional (if the candidate still has to turn in certain documents).
We hope that you have found this information useful. If you have any comments or questions about our admissions process, please visit our Admissions page or contact us at university@ie.edu and we will be happy to help.
