HEC - School of Management - Paris

WCW Question:

HEC - School of Management - Paris Answer:
Attend MBA forums, direct mailings referrals from alumni and informal interviews, campus visit, open-houses, adverts and school guides.

WCW Question:
2. Who reads the applications once they arrive at the business school?
Are students involved in this process?
Is it an individual or Board decision?

HEC - School of Management - Paris Answer:
All applications are submitted electronically. The complete application consists of the on-line Supplemental Application and supporting material: official test scores (GMAT and TOEFL), transcripts, letters of recommendation, ? The complete application is evaluated by either a Development Manager and/or an external file reader. All readers are admissions professionals who have been trained by HEC. Students are not involved in the process.

Final admissions decisions are made by the Admissions Jury, Presided by a senior executive named by the French Education Ministry. This Jury is composed of HEC professors and HEC MBA program directors, alumni, as well as members of the admissions team. Selection is a collective decision at every step in the process, including the final decision.

WCW Question:
3. How would you describe the decision making process?

HEC - School of Management - Paris Answer:
Selection is made through collective decision.

Following initial evaluation, an application is presented to a pre-selection committee, composed of several professional members of the admissions staff. Pre-selected applicants will attend evaluative interviews. The final decision, made by the Admissions Jury, will look at the entire application of each candidate and the interviewer recommendations. Because the Jury is composed of a variety of individuals representing different stakeholders, the decision reflects the long-term interests of school. The entire process is guided by a strict formalized procedure, approved by the French education ministry. Students do not take part in jury discussions/decisions.

WCW Question:
4. What criteria are used to evaluate good prospective candidates?

HEC - School of Management - Paris Answer:
The application process itself is a highly rigorous one. Several factors are taken into consideration during the process, including:

• Academic abilities
  
• Proven professional accomplishment
  
• Management capabilities
  
• Career goals
  
• Leadership potential
  
• International experience / Languages spoken
  
• Teamwork/communication/cooperative skills
  
• Extra curricular activities

WCW Question:
5. How important are GMAT & TOEFL scores?

HEC - School of Management - Paris Answer:
All candidates must take the GMAT and must demonstrate English language proficiency (the TOEFL/TOEIC/IELTS are required for non-native speakers of English).

WCW Question:
6. Is there a minimum needed before a candidate should consider applying?
Does it matter how many times a candidate sit these exams?

HEC - School of Management - Paris Answer:
The minimum TOEFL score required is 250 or 100 IBT, the minimum TOEIC is 800, and the minimum IELTS is 7 . Though there is no minimum GMAT required, the average is currently 650. Both exams play an important role in the admissions decision, and the average GMAT score is increasingly rapid.

In the case that an applicant presents several scores, the Admissions Jury will consider the highest obtained.

WCW Question:
7. Does the school expect particular profiles from international students?

HEC - School of Management - Paris Answer:
The MBA Admissions criteria are the same for all candidates, and we do not use a quota system. Diversity of nationality, culture, professional experience and academic profile is valued by HEC.

WCW Question:
8. How many international exchange programmes do you operate?
How and why were these partners chosen?

HEC - School of Management - Paris Answer:
There are 50 international exchange programs chosen for their area of expertise and their location.

WCW Question:
9. What is the breakdown in diversity according to geographic region?
Does the school employ a quota system?

HEC - School of Management - Paris Answer:
The geographic distribution is as follows (including exchange students):

• Europe 24%
  
• US/Canada 27%
  
• Latin America 11%
  
• Asia/Oceania 28%
  
• Africa/Mid East 5%
  
• C/E Europe 5%.

WCW Question:
10. What is the male/ female ratio?

HEC - School of Management - Paris Answer:
Taking this same group, the male/female ratio is
Male: 68%
Female: 32%

WCW Question:
11. How many years of professional experience does the school prefer applicants to have?

HEC - School of Management - Paris Answer:
Though there is no minimum work experience requirement, 3 or more years are preferred. The present average work experience is 6 years, and 97% of participants have more than 3 years.

WCW Question:
12. What are the professional backgrounds of the students who are accepted?

HEC - School of Management - Paris Answer:

• Service Industry: 48%
  
• Consulting: 18%
  
• Finance: 14%
  
• Manufacturing: 20%
  
• Other: 0%

WCW Question:
13. What is the percentage breakdown of industry sectors, which the students seek to enter?

HEC - School of Management - Paris Answer:

• Service Industry: 10%
  
• Consulting: 25%
  
• Finance: 30%
  
• Manufacturing: 30%
  
• Other: 5%

WCW Question:
14. How would the administration describe the strengths of the school?
What makes the programme unique when compared with other programmes?

HEC - School of Management - Paris Answer:
The HEC MBA values humanism, multiculturalism, innovation and open-mindedness. Being true to these values, HEC has developed a highly personalized program with the following key features:

a 16-month full-time program with 8 months core program and 8 months personalized program, customized to meet individual goals. Choice of English program or bilingual program (English/French). A teaching methodology that emphasizes personal development and coaching, and at the same time teamwork and a collaborative spirit an inherently multicultural program

• located at the heart of European business
  
• with more than 80% non-French participants / 32% women
  
• offering 50 exchange programs with the most renowned business schools around the world, and 8 double degree options
  
• 26 000 alumni worldwide
  
• over 200 recruiting international companies
  
• diversity of students population
  
• length of program - 8 months personalized phase / 8months core phase

WCW Question:
15. How would the current students describe the school and the programme?
Are they content with the career services department?

HEC - School of Management - Paris Answer:
Reputation and rankings of B-School.
Diversity of student population.
Ideal length of the program.
Localization in Paris, heart of Europe.

The strength of HEC Faculty and the academic quality of the program have always been of fundamental importance; students continually highlight their satisfaction with the learning environment.

The Career Development Service has a full-time professional staff dedicated to the MBA Program. Innovations of the curriculum have included the integration of career services into the MBA-self-assessment, mentoring and coaching, as well as workshops and seminars are an integral part of the MBA. Participants appreciate the coaching services provided, as well as organized events bringing them in contact with the school's alumni network. In addition, corporate recruiters are invited on-campus regularly to make presentations and to conduct interviews. The Career Development Service also runs on campus selection interviews for companies on request.

WCW Question:
16. Who are the major recruiters on campus?

HEC - School of Management - Paris Answer:
More than 200 corporate recruiters visit the campus annually.

Top recruiters are:

• Johnson & Johnson
  
• Hilti
  
• Renault
  
• Philips
  
• Société Générale
  
• IFC
  
• SAP
  
• The Boston Consulting Group
  
• BNP Paribas
  
• McKinsey&Company
  
• Accenture
  
• Murex
  
• Capgemini
  
• General Electric

WCW Question:
17. What guidelines should candidates adhere to for the essays? 'Do's & Don'ts'

HEC - School of Management - Paris Answer:
Do's
Be honest and answer the questions. The objective of the essays is to get a better understanding of the individual behind the application, so applicants should not be afraid of being original and of being themselves. Answers should be clear and easily located within the essay-a reader should not have to piece information together to find an answer.

Don'ts
Don't tell the admissions office what we already know, and don't tell them what you think they want to hear. Do not re-write the brochure, and above all, use the spell-check function.

WCW Question:
18. How important is it to stay within the designated word limit?

HEC - School of Management - Paris Answer:
Very important. Readers need to find the answer to the questions quickly. It is generally acceptable if an essay goes slightly beyond the limit, but candidates should make every effort to remain within limits indicated.

WCW Question:
19. What role do the 'Letters of Recommendation' play?

HEC - School of Management - Paris Answer:
Recommenders are asked to evaluate the senior management potential of the candidate. For this reason, they should have an appropriate professional position, and should have observed the candidate in a variety of professional situations. Recommendations tend to come from current superiors or superiors from previous positions or sometimes clients.

Academic recommendations are acceptable if they provide appropriate insight into the candidate's academic abilities. Recommendations should be from an individual that has seen the candidate's work to a high level of involvement.

WCW Question:
20. What is the function of an interview at your school, and what role does it play in the admissions process?

HEC - School of Management - Paris Answer:
Interviews provide a better way to judge the candidate's personality, motivation, maturity, resistance to stress, etc., as opposed to only reading his/her file. For this reason, all candidates admitted to the program have been interviewed. Interviews are conducted by alumni, professors or MBA admissions officials trained for this purpose.

The Admissions Jury asks the interviewers to make an admissions recommendation, which is taken into close consideration for the final decision.

WCW Question:
21. Are there unofficial / official quotas allocated by country or region?

HEC - School of Management - Paris Answer:
There are no quotas, although class size is limited to around 200 per year in order to preserve the quality of the program and personal attention.

WCW Question:
22. Does your school have 'rolling' admissions or admissions 'rounds'? When is the best period for a candidate to apply? Are candidates penalized for applying in the last round?

HEC - School of Management - Paris Answer:
The HEC MBA has adopted a rolling admissions policy. We are committed to giving candidates an admission decision within 4-6 weeks from the time his/her application becomes complete. We encourage candidates to apply early; as soon as he/she has the application form completed and the necessary exams (GMAT, TOEFL) have been taken.

The deadline for admission to the September intake is generally in May, with the majority of applications arriving by the end of February. The Deadline for admission to the January intake is generally in November, with most applications arriving in October.

Candidates should understand that they may need to make important personal and professional arrangements in order to attend the MBA. For this reason, planning an application is very important, and should be given ample consideration by each individual.

Candidates wishing to apply for scholarships are encouraged to apply early. Candidates applying late are not penalized.