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Thomas, SMIB, ESSEC Business School, Jul 2022, Student of the Month

Thomas has been brought up in a family of engineers. Ever since he was a kid, he loved fixing things to understand the world in which he was living. Thomas did his engineering at UTC Paris, a famous engineering school in France. During his undergrad, he did two internships in the supply chain department on operational and technical levels. When Thomas was doing the research work for his best-fit program and school, he wanted a program to help him be the person he wanted to become, personally and professionally. He was accepted to HEC, Imperial, LBS, ESSEC, plus two more. He chose ESSEC Singapore as he found it his most suitable program and school and wanted to diversify his engineering profile. One of the most important things for him was international exposure, environment, and a global and multicultural perspective. Thomas preferred Singapore because it was one of the top two selected options. He liked Singapore. Thomas had visited there previously for a vacation, was so fascinated by it and couldn't resist choosing to pursue his master’s there. Let us look at his journey below and know what he said in his interview with us!

Could you please tell us something about yourself?

My name is Thomas, and I am 24 years old. Today I'll be talking about my journey, education, and why I chose to apply for ESSEC Business School. To give you some background about who I am, I was born into a family of engineers, and this is what influenced my education and what I am today. When I was a child, I loved playing and fixing things and became a mechanical engineer. I did my mechanical engineering from Université de Technologie de Compiègne (UTC) in France.

Why did you choose ESSEC Singapore?

Since I have an engineering background, I wanted to diversify my profile. I was looking for the best-fit school for me, and what program and school would allow me to become the person I want to become, personally and professionally. I took some time to know what I truly love and what I want to be a part of. I found this program the best fit for me, so I made it my choice for the future.

What is the reason for you choosing Singapore? Is there any specific reason?

I got rejected from a few programs I wanted and applied for, so I didn't have all the choices I would have liked, but Singapore was among the top schools I wanted. I would say that it was a gut feeling. I was there a few years ago for a vacation. I loved the place and wanted to spend more than a year doing my Master's. 

How was the application process for you in the middle of the pandemic?

It affected me mentally and psychologically. I would say that the most challenging part for me was the preparation for the GMAT. I spent six and a half months preparing for the GMAT with the MBA Center. I found that it is not as easy as it seems. I passed the test three times to get the desired target score. So, I would say that the GMAT preparation was the most difficult.

Apart from the GMAT, what about the other part of the application process?

Everything was fine except for the interviews discussing the other part of the application. The interview part is quite tricky as you don't know what to expect as each school tends to focus on a different aspect. It's not related to professional experience and education, and it is about who you are and who you tend to become.

Any piece of advice that you would like to give?

First of all, I would say that it's essential to know yourself properly and deeply and take time to think about what you would want to be in the future and what kind of person you would like to become. About schools and programs, I would say that contact as many people as you can and have discussions, meetings, and everything. It helps you to know yourself even better.