Happy International Women’s Day! Today we join together to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements across the globe for women so far. At Imperial College London, we aim to build a community of strong women.  

To celebrate and recognise this day, we are shining a light on a few of our inspirational students at Imperial College Business School. In this blog, they share what this day means to them and how the Business School helps them feel empowered as women. We also learned who their women role models are, and we join them to celebrate some of their biggest achievements to date. 

Who are your female role models and why? What is your proudest achievement?    

This is my book club pictured above. They are simultaneously my most trusted female role models and my proudest achievement. I started this book club when I moved to London, as a monthly meet up for friends and friends of friends who were new to the city and didn’t yet have a support network around them. Over the past 5 years we have become the best of friends and each other’s biggest champions, and they impress and inspire me every day.   
 
We support each other through personal and professional highs and lows. These wonderful women are the cheerleaders you need to guide you through break-ups and house moves. The ones who help you stand up to your awful boss and turn tears of frustration into tears of laughter. They are the first to call for a celebration when one of us does something amazing and were all there for each other online or socially distanced throughout lockdown. 

They have taught so much over the years, always encouraging me to do and be better for others and for myself. I am so proud of and grateful for every single one of these women, and of having been able to bring us all together. I don’t know what I would do without them. I certainly wouldn’t have made it through the MBA application process, let alone the first 6 months of the programme.   

What is a quote that you live by or a piece of advice you’d pass to another woman? 

“There is always room for one more seat at the table.” -  If you focus on creating more opportunities rather than competing for the same ones, you will make the office, and the world, a better place for you and the women around you.  

This January, MSc Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Management graduate, Clara Best, successfully launched Saved, a sustainable puff snack made of insect protein. According to Clara, crickets are 2,850x more Co2 efficient than beef and one pack of Saved puffs has the equivalent protein of one egg. In Clara’s own words, follow her journey from Imperial College Business School student to climate-conscious entrepreneur. 

Start your own entrepreneurial journey at Imperial  

Whether you’re a budding entrepreneur or have intrapreneurial ambitions, MSc Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Management will prepare you for an exciting career as an innovator. This intensive one-year full-time programme will build your toolkit in the three key areas of innovation, entrepreneurship and management, teaching you how to manage successful outcomes to create, deliver and capture value from innovation. Start your journey with Imperial today. 

If investors want businesses to clean up their act, they need a seat at the table. That’s according to Ravi Varghese, Head of Sustainable Investing at global asset management firm Epoch Investment Partners.

After seven years as an investment analyst, Ravi Varghese followed his interest in climate change by taking a role with Ceres, a sustainability organisation based in Boston. But he missed the cut and thrust of investment and went on to complete an MSc in Climate Change, Management & Finance at Imperial College Business School in 2018.

“Imperial’s reputation at the intersection of science and technology and management really stood out, and its network has been incredibly helpful.”

Promoted at Epoch in New York after joining as an analyst in 2019, he is now in charge of environmental, social and governance (ESG) and, with his team, helps assess the implications of ESG issues for the firm’s portfolio of around 500 listed companies.

Dealing in controversy

Grappling with ethics is part of the job. Nothing, in his view, is off limits when it comes to applying the tools of ESG investing – from fossil fuels through to defence and Big Tech. “We don’t exclude any sectors; controversial industries are more likely to benefit from a thoughtful ESG approach.”

Investors had grown pessimistic about the prospects of hydrocarbons, he says, but when energy prices soared, many ESG investors found themselves without exposure to these pivotal companies.

“Some sectors have fallen out of favour, but we’ve always said these companies are central to the global economy and energy security and will continue to be so for the next 30 years,” he explains. “Many are making the transition to lower carbon energy, and we want to take part in that.”

It’s perfectly reasonable that the tech giants should be subject to scrutiny

Divesting from fossil fuels doesn’t reduce emissions, it simply shifts the ownership, “and if that ownership becomes opaque, it could make things worse.”

Big Tech, with its vast influence over societies and economies, is fraught with pitfalls for ESG investors, but can’t be ignored. “It’s perfectly reasonable that the tech giants should be subject to scrutiny,” he says. “As investors, we continue to think how we can be effective partners while challenging practices that could ultimately draw a backlash from society or regulators.”

If a client’s reputation is at stake, a company fails to reform or displays weak governance, then it may be time to depart. “One of the interesting things about ESG is that it merges the pragmatic reality of the corporate world with more complex issues around ethics and reputation.”

The growth of ESG

Even in the last three years, ESG has developed apace, says Ravi. “Not every asset manager had an ESG team then, which is very different today. ESG had to overcome a lot of scepticism… It means many things to many people, so definitions are important.”

In his role, Ravi often engages directly with companies to dive deeper into the detail around ESG performance, and he works closely with investment analysts in his company. Investor stewardship is another important pillar in ESG – increasingly, for instance, shareholders are asking businesses for plans to report and cut emissions and meet environmental and social targets. His team is also responsible for explaining the firm’s ESG philosophy to its clients.

Controversial industries are more likely to benefit from a thoughtful ESG approach

While formal qualifications aren’t a prerequisite for entering the ESG field, he’s grateful for the solid grounding delivered by his time at Imperial College Business School.

“It gave me a foundation in climate science and the political, economic and technological tools for mitigating emissions. I think it really accelerated my ability to pursue this career. ESG is now being applied to so many different industries and asset classes, and it promises to be a really interesting journey.”

Ravi Varghese in brief

• Completed the MSc in Climate Change, Management & Finance at Imperial College Business School
• Head of Sustainable Investing at global asset management firm
• Worked as a senior associate at a non-profit organisation advocating for sustainability
• Completed his undergraduate degree at Yale University

LGBTQ+ Scholarship recipient, Lindsey Pigott, currently studies MSc International Health Management here at Imperial College Business School. To mark LGBT History month, Lindsey talks us through her experience of applying for the scholarship and how it supported her journey through Imperial.  

What is the GMAT exam?

The Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) is a core part of the business school admissions process, for both MBA and Master’s business and management programmes. It is a standardised, computer adaptive test designed to assess your skills in quantitative reasoning, verbal reasoning and data insights, all of which are vital to your success in business.

More than 7,700 programmes at approximately 2,400 business schools accept the GMAT as part of their admissions process.

What GMAT score do I need for Imperial?

At Imperial College Business School, we require the GMAT for our Full-Time MBA and MSc International Management. For these programmes, we recommend a GMAT Exam score of 600+, or in the 55th percentile or higher in the GMAT Focus Edition (available from 7 November 2023). 

Having a good GMAT score will also add weight to your application for other programmes, such as our part-time MBAs and MSc Business Analytics.

Why is the GMAT required?

The GMAT helps business schools to assess academic potential and gives a consistent point of comparison between candidates from a diverse range of academic and industry backgrounds, which helps with admissions decisions.

A good GMAT score will help you stand out during the admissions process. Taking the exam shows you are serious about your studies and future career. Some benefits are:

• Helps to highlight your skills and boost your confidence in key areas such as critical thinking and analysis
• Prepares you to become successful as a student and in business
• If you aspire to work in consulting, many top companies will look for a good GMAT score – so putting the work in now will support your future career goals.

Is the GMAT difficult?

Whilst the GMAT is a challenging exam, it is not an intelligence test, and a high score is achievable with proper preparation.

Over the years we’ve seen a lot of bright candidates underperform, so make sure that you understand the structure of the test, question types and how the scoring works – as well as doing plenty of practice and revision. You should give yourself at least 2-3 months to prepare. Find out more about exam preparation on the GMAT website

Practice, practice and practice. The more practice questions you do, the more comfortable you get with the format of questions and the topics they cover.

- Leila Azimova, Full-Time MBA alumnus

Time management is important as you prepare for your test – particularly if you’re balancing your revision with professional and family commitments.  Plan in advance if you’re balancing preparation with a full-time job or family.

I took some time off before the test but before that, I would fit in an hour or two daily.

- Devanshi Shah, MSc Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Management

You have around two minutes per question for quantitative reasoning, and even less than that for verbal reasoning – and you will lose significant marks if you rush the later questions or fail to complete the test altogether. Make sure you practice your timing as well as the different question types!

How do I prepare for the GMAT?

Make sure you understand the format, question types and scoring of the test before you take it, so you have a strategy for success.

There are a wide range of ways that you can prepare for the GMAT, including books of practice questions, online resources, apps, private tuition, or preparation classes. What’s most important is finding the right approach for you.

I used several different resources to study for the test and set myself a goal for what score I wanted to achieve. I started with various books that guide you through all the different components of the test. I also bought the Official Guides with the questions from the previous years. These are very helpful as practice is key to improving your score.

- Paul Ludwig, MSc Management

Brush up on official advice on preparing for the exam from GMAT.

When should I start preparing?

GMAT Exam scores will remain valid for five years from your appointment date. 

By having a good score in place early on, you can reduce the stress of preparing for the test later and put yourself in a stronger position to get into your target school. Research from the Graduate Management Admissions Council shows that candidates achieve the best GMAT results when they take the test during their undergraduate degree – so it’s never too early to start preparing!

How much does the GMAT cost?

The cost of the GMAT is based on the location of your test centre or your location when taking the online exam. Find out about location-specific pricing and regulations on the GMAT website.

GMAT vs GRE

The main difference between the GMAT and GRE is that the GMAT is typically taken by candidates looking to only go to a business school, whereas the GRE is accepted for most graduate programmes, including those outside of a business school.

At Imperial College Business School, we accept both GMAT and GRE. Taking one or the other will not put you at a disadvantage. Check the entry requirements for your programme before applying.

Are you considering applying to Imperial’s Full-Time MBA?

Admission to Imperial’s Full-Time MBA is competitive, and we understand that the application process can seem daunting. In this article we’ve put together some tips to help you make your application stand out.

You can apply for the Full-Time MBA through our online application system. The form asks you to provide details about yourself, your career, your educational history, and your goals. Filling out this information takes careful consideration as you will want to make sure your application highlights everything that makes you an outstanding candidate.

What should you prepare for your application?

Preparation is key when applying for the Full-Time MBA at Imperial. The application process requires you to complete several sections before you can submit. Key parts of the application that require time and attention to detail include the:

Career planning questions

The career planning questions present an opportunity to show how you think Imperial’s Full-Time MBA will support you in achieving your future career aspirations. You will need to write about the sector you are interested in working in, your ideal employer, role and country. This requires research, reviewing job specifications for potential roles and researching employers that you may want to work for. Giving yourself time to consider your answers and really think about what you want to achieve will show our Admissions Team that you know how a Full-Time MBA will truly benefit you and your career.

Personal statement

Your personal statement is an opportunity to tell us more about yourself, your motivation for undertaking the programme, and how you plan to use your MBA to make a positive impact.

We encourage you to be authentic, and don’t simply write what you think we want to hear. We value diversity and we want to find out what you would contribute to the cohort and the Imperial community.

It’s a good idea to ask a friend or mentor to proofread your statement before you apply. This will help to ensure that you are presenting your skills and strengths in the best way possible.

 Finessing your CV

Uploading your CV is a crucial part of your application. It is important to keep it simple and use a clear format. You should use your CV to highlight professional and academic experience, extracurricular activities, and international experience. You should try to keep your CV to one side of A4, and definitely no more than two.

One of the things we are looking for is evidence of career progression, so make sure you highlight any promotions or increases in level of responsibility.

It’s a good idea to focus on your impact and achievements in each role, rather than simply listing responsibilities.

Find out more

You can learn more about the Full-Time MBA and studying at Imperial by attending one of our information sessions or webinars. They will give you an opportunity to get more insight into the programme and ask us any questions you have. Register for an upcoming event to meet our Recruiment team and ask any questions you have about the programme or studying at Imperial.