MBA Admissions One-to-One in Brussels
IESE YTP. Undergraduates
An exceptional gateway program for those with prodigious talent and a desire for success, IESE’s Young Talent Path (YTP) opens the door to a unique learning experience for young professionals.
Through collaboration with international contemporaries, you will expand your expertise and global insight, before embarking on the IESE MBA program, supported by a €22,000* scholarship.
Enroll now and become part of an exclusive group of highly motivated, gifted young professionals.
- Exchange knowledge and experience with a diverse range of talented, highly motivated peers.
- Share your Pre-MBA journey with other IESE MBA students and alumni.
- Participate in IESE events all over the world, including the Alumni Learning Program.
- Secure a €22.000* scholarship to IESE’s world-class MBA program.
*Scholarships are subject to eligibility criteria
IESE YTP Overview
Get to know our Young Talent Path (YTP) designed for young professionals with 0-2 years of work experience. IESE’s MBA Associate Director, Camille Chow, takes you through the highlights and tips to apply to the YTP program and students share their experiences.
YTP FAQs
IESE’s YTP is our pre-admission program for the IESE MBA. Our MBA was 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 the full-time IESE MBA in the future.
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 the IESE MBA and have the opportunity to participate in IESE events all over the world, including the Continuous Education Program, gaining first-hand experience in business across different continents. You also 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, you will be able to apply for a scholarship or request financial aid at the time of your application to the MBA. We evaluate these requests on a case-by-case basis.
*Subject to fulfilling GMAT / GRE requirements.
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 an 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
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 work experience (excluding internships).
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 recommend applying directly to our full-time MBA.
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 recent graduates who have job offers or are currently working.
No, we welcome applicants from all academic and professional backgrounds. You do not have studied a business-related discipline to be selected for the YTP.
Admission process
The admission process consists of:
- The Embark Application online (US$40 fee)
- An Online Assessment (mandatory)
- Selected applicants are invited to the 3-day Assessment Boot Camp in Barcelona (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 may be eligible to become an IESE YTP candidate!
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.
The GMAT or GRE are not required for the YTP application. However, when you are ready to apply to your IESE MBA, you will be required to submit a GMAT or GRE score as part of your application.
Once you submit your application on Embark with all of your personal and professional information, you will receive an invitation to the Kira Talent video assessment (in 2-4 business days). The Assessment consists of an online video interview with three questions and a short career essay.
After you submit your application in Embark, you will receive an email with the information to access the video assessment within 2-4 business days. Keep in mind that the email could be in your spam folder, so be sure to check all of your folders regularly after submitting your application.
You will need to prepare three video interviews and one short essay. The deadline to complete the Kira Talent Assessment is March 17, 2023.
Please note that the application fee of US$40 is non-refundable. We offer a waiver of the application fee for applicants who are reapplying. If you are reapplying to the YTP, you should open your application in Embark and inform the YTP team (YTPinfo@iese.edu) about your request for an application fee waiver.
If you don’t have any full-time work experience, you can write “none”, “zero” or “0,000” in the “Full Time Jobs – Employers” section of your application. This will allow you to proceed with your application.
You can submit one recommendation letter from a recent employer or university professor. The recommendation letter must be submitted by March 14.
If you are reapplying, you do not need to submit your recommendation letter for a second time. You can send your recommendation request to YTPinfo@iese.edu.
Yes, if you still meet the eligibility criteria. We encourage candidates to reapply and would be glad to waive your application fee. If you no longer meet the eligibility criteria, we recommend applying directly to our full-time MBA program.
Please contact YTPinfo@iese.edu to confirm your application fee waiver. You should complete the online application with an updated copy of your CV and resubmit your Kira video online assessment. You do not need to resubmit your recommendation letter unless you choose to.
Assessment Boot Camp
The YTP Bootcamp will be held in-person on IESE’s Barcelona Campus. We do not offer the Bootcamp in hybrid format.
In approximately mid-April 2023, our carefully selected YTP 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. The YTP Bootcamp 2023 will be held July 5-7, 2023.
During the 3-day bootcamp, you get a taste of life as an IESE student. You prepare for three case class discussions, work with international peers on a group project and have a final project presentation. You interact with members of the MBA Admissions and Career Development teams, who share more about the transformative experience of IESE MBA. At a panel discussion and networking cocktail, you hear from former YTP candidates who are currently enrolled in the MBA about their career paths.
Unfortunately, we do not allow for deferrals. The bootcamp is a mandatory part of the YTP admissions process and your bootcamp performance is taken into consideration during the selection process.
If you are not able to participate in the Bootcamp, we encourage you to reapply for the YTP the following year. Assuming you still meet the eligibility criteria, we would be glad to waive your application fee during the reapplication.
We recommend applying to the YTP only if you are confident that you are able to attend the bootcamp.
MBA Rankings.


