Enrollment: 90
Average GMAT: 675.00
GMAT Range (25-75%): 620-750
Regular Application Deadline: 09/01
Rolling Admission: Yes
School Type: Private
Average Age: 31.00
Average Work Experience (months): 84
Student Faculty Ratio: 2:1

Part Time Program: No
Evening Program: No
Executive MBA Program Offered: Yes
Total Faculty: 56

Average Starting Salary: $128,100.00
Hired Consulting: 25%
Hired Finance: 20%
Hired Operations: 12%
Hired Marketing: 27%

Out-of-State Tuition: $49,993.00
In-State Tuition: $49,993.00
Financial Aid Deadline: 09/30
Average Annual Total Financial Aid: $43,635.24

Students Say - Academics
Within a stone's throw of Lake Geneva's shores, the International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland, specializes in "leadership development with top professors and exceptional facilities." The unique aspect of this program is its emphasis on real world learning which is supported through its "excellent faculty" who are not tenured, but rather work on a contract basis, meaning that they are effectively coming straight to the classroom from the boardroom. The school prides itself on being "a global meeting place" and this is evidenced by mix of nationalities and ages of its students and professors. "It's probably the smallest business school in the world," one student notes, "with only 90 students a year." Thanks to this "small class," students "can always enjoy one-on-one relations" with their "professors, career officers, and other resources." "The professors are often leaders or respected academics in their fields who are open to class discussion," one student says.
Many here appreciate the "opportunity for hands-on learning, with the start-up and consulting projects, in addition to the emphasis on leadership and opportunities for personal development." In line with IMD's global outlook comes an emphasis on real world experience. "Applied learning" and "problem-based learning" reign supreme here. Be forewarned though, the workload ain't light. "The most important skill to survive here is to prioritize the heavy workload," a student advises. Part of this time management involves working together and most students at IMD are pleased to find a "very collaborative work environment." "The workload is such that it is not possible to do everything, so students tend to divide up work." Any idea what this kind of teamwork might allow? If you were thinking something along the lines of "diversity," you're right. Most students here have already been part of the workforce, with around "seven to eight years of experience," and represent "41 nationalities from all over the world." Where else could you find out about everything from "the banana business to elevators [in places as disparate] as Zimbabwe and Mauritius"? All this makes for "an intensive but life-changing year!"
For the most part, "Everything runs like Swiss clockwork." "We get very attentive staff which sorts out everything from mobile phones to setting up bank accounts," one student explains. The "friendly and helpful" staff "cooperate positively" with students. "I'm glad the campus is good because I spent 100 hours a week there," one student explains. "Part of how we managed it is due to how helpful everyone is down there." But into every MBA, a little rain must fall. Students wouldn't mind seeing the school "market itself" and "increase brand awareness among the general public" so that it would "be better known outside of Europe." As one student explains, "It has a great reputation among those who know it, but as it's a small school, it isn't well recognized in the U.S., for instance."

Students Say - Admissions
In considering applicants for the MBA program, IMD requires its students to have a bachelor's degree or equivalent from an accredited institution, GMAT score, a minimum of three years full-time work experience (although they stress that the average among current students is seven years), and near-fluency in English (the TOEFL is not required, but considering your year at IMD will involve writing and speaking in English, your language skills had better be up to snuff). If you're unsure of where you stand, these good people have set up a MBA Assessment Form on their website (www.imd.ch/programs/mba/Assess-your-chances.cfm) where you can enter your stats and get a clear idea of whether you're a likely candidate for admission.

Students Say - Campus Life
You can thank the Romans for Lausanne. They originally founded it as a military camp but it went through many, many more incarnations and occupants until it reached its present state as one of the most beautiful locales in all of Europe. With over 15 museums, film and music festivals, several universities, nearby vineyards, and a massive focus on all things related to sports (which comes as no surprise considering the International Olympic Committee's headquarters is located here), there's no shortage of things to see or do regardless of the season. That said, for IMD students, "The heavy workload sometimes hampers social activities." A common complaint here is that the school "could improve its efforts to set aside time for more networking in a social environment." More often that not-and when time allows-students take things into their own hands and "go out of their way to organize social events or trips away." "Ninety percent of my time was spent on work, although there were different clubs or parties to attend almost every weekend," one undeterred student says. Another student sums up his experience, "IMD is a particular school and program in some senses. Since it doesn't belong to a university, its campus is smaller than the average and, therefore, it doesn't have on-campus housing....Overall, life at IMD has been spectacular both for me and my family. Lausanne is a lovely town, the campus is well-located...and people are friendly and competent and the support for families and spouses is fantastic." Others note, "The sports facilities could be improved." However, one thing that gets a unanimous vote of confidence is the "fantastic lunch buffet" and "amazing dessert table."

Students Say - Careers
After an "extremely busy first six months," IMD students settle into the second half of the year, where "project work is mixed with classes and recruiting." A huge part of this time involves working with career services to find a job. Many here note that since there is such a small number of students, their "career search is very individualistic and you can go for something off the usual track." IMD's career services center takes a personal approach to finding its students jobs by having them work with career coaches who help them "to better define [their] career goals" through surveys, "individual career strategy sessions," and workshops that cover everything from "networking" to "negotiating salary." Most impressive is the school's "class marketing,"wherein IMD distributes short profiles of its MBA students "available for employment to over 5,000 companies and managers worldwide." The school also sends out a "rŽsumŽ portfolio" to "over 250 organizations" that includes a "one-page rŽsumŽ for each participant." This, in combination with ever-present "company presentations and on-campus recruiting," makes for happily employed students. "It allowed me to make a huge career leap to another level," one student says.

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