IESE MBA Recommendation Questions
The IESE Business School at the University of Navarra MBA application requires one recommendation, but up to two may be submitted. The applicant’s recommendation should be from a current employer. The letter should reflect your capacities in the work environment.
Choose individuals who know you well through significant, direct involvement with you within the last three years, will provide detailed anecdotes and examples to support their assertions, and are sufficiently enthused to spend time writing a thoughtful letter. If candidates are unable to provide a letter from a current direct supervisor, former employers or clients, and extra-curricular activities such as Volunteer Organizations can also be considered.
The IESE recommendation questions for the current MBA program admissions season are available below.
IESE Recommendation Questions 2025-2026
Recommender Information
First Name
Last Name
Position or Title
School, Institution, or Company
Please elaborate on your professional relationship with the candidate providing details on such – the duration of your relationship, nature of projects you worked on, and so on, etc) (100 word limit)
Written Responses
1. How do the candidate’s performance, potential, or personal qualities compare to those of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? Please provide specific examples. (300 words)
2. Please describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response. (250 words)
The recommender must complete and submit the online form; no opportunity to upload a letter is available. There are only two IESE recommendation questions; both are short answer. If the recommender is unable to use the online submission form, the applicant must contact MBA admissions via email.
MBA Applywire
I'm a GCC national at MBB in the region. Mostly worked on large-scale government projects, and hoping to continue in government after graduation (also a woman, not sure if that makes a difference but I see fewer women from my country applying to MBAs).
322 GRE (162V 160Q)
3.0 GPA from US T30 school (this one is painful but I had a strong upward trend after switching majors)
5 years experience (boutique + currently MBB)
Hey everyone,
I’d really appreciate an honest profile review and advice on how to best position myself over the next 4–5 years before applying to MBA programs (targeting M7 / T15, ideally with strong scholarship outcomes).
Background:
• 23M, URM (Latino, immigrant background)
• Graduated December 2025 from a non-target state school (Honors College)
• Major: Finance
• GPA: \~3.7–3.8
Work Experience:
Incoming: Management Rotation Program (Audit track) at a large U.S. financial institution (starting mid-2026)
• Rotational program with exposure to risk, capital markets, and enterprise functions
Current: Financial Analyst (Controls / Risk) at a large global tech company (co-op + full-time transition before MRP) not FAANG but similar
Prior internships:
A) 6 months internship Internal Audit – Housing Finance / Mortgage-related institution (Fannie/freddie)
B) 1 year internship and 1 year contract Risk & Compliance – Fixed Income / Debt Issuance organization (~$800B issuance exposure)
Exposure to MBS, capital markets, and financial risk frameworks
C) Summer experience for a regulatory agency (Pcaob, SEC, GAO)
Leadership & Extracurriculars:
• Director of Data Analytics – professional Latino association (2-5K members)
• Committee Member – State CPA Society (content + events)
Certifications / Plans:
Sitting for CFA Level I (May) → plan to complete CFA within ~3–4 years
Planning to complete CPA (150 credits + exams) within ~4–5 years
Short-Term Goal (pre-MBA):
Move from audit → capital markets / risk / transaction-related roles internally
Potentially pivot into roles closer to banking, valuation, or strategy
Long-Term Goal (post-MBA):
Investment Banking (M&A / Capital Markets) or potentially strategy consulting as backup
⸻
Questions:
1. How competitive is this profile today for M7 / T15 (assuming a strong GMAT, targeting 740+)?
2. What matters more in my case over the next few years:
• Internal mobility into capital markets–related roles?
• External jump (e.g., consulting, transaction advisory)?
3. Will CPA + CFA actually help for MBA admissions + IB recruiting, or is that overkill?
4. How can I best differentiate coming from a non-target + audit background?
5. What would you prioritize if you were me for the next 4–5 years?
I am a European 28-years-old engineer (automotive and oil&gas background) preparing my MBA applications. GMAT Focus 695 (97th percentile), IELTS 8/9, ~3 years of work experience.
4.1 GPA from a T10 university in STEM planning on doing entrepreneurship post college during the deferred years.