E#6 ESADE Barcelona MBA: Beat the Odds with Adcom Beatriz Campos' Insights

First six months of the program is that organization and people. Because the core of our program is built on teamwork and collaboration. It's a value that we uphold and we leave it on campus every single day.

Hi, everybody. Welcome back to MBA Golden Buzzer. Today I'm excited to have Beatrice Campos, the admissions director at Azadeh, back with us to talk about something that every applicant wants to hear, which is what makes Azadeh truly unique. Those of you who are already looking at Azade know that it's known for its global mindset, hands on learning approach, and strong connections to Europe's business world. But what is it actually like to be a student there? And how does Azade set up graduates for success? If you're considering Azadeh or just curious about what makes them stand out, this is the episode for you. So, Beatriz, thank you so much for being here again. It's always a huge pleasure to have you.

Thank you, Ellen. That is great to be back here. Yes, a short break, but that's great to be back.

So let's start with your story. How did you end up working at Azadeh for maybe for people who haven't seen our other episode?

Sure. Well, it was kind of an interesting situation.

All right.

I worked into the financial market for 18 years. Then life change took me away from the financial market. And at one point I joined a consulting firm whose main activity was to prepare candidates for applications for Master's and MBA, PhD and LLM. So I transitioned into that nine and a half years ago. And then after a while, after nine and a half years, I managed to just receive this amazing invitation to join sade, a school that I always had very dear to my heart because I really loved the motto, do good to do better. It always resonated with me and helped me and helped this guide my process with candidates. Like, how can I do good? How is this candidate going to do good into one business school? And, you know, just receiving this invitation later just reinforced that, you know, I was on the right track. Track. It took me a while to get into this, but definitely it paid off.

Kind of like with the application process. I always tell people, you're going to end up where you're meant to end up. The road might not be obvious, but when you go, oh yeah, this is where I'm supposed to be.

Exactly, exactly. It beats. Suits me like a glove. Yes. That's. That's the same feeling that I have. It suits me like a glove here.

We love working with Azade too. It's a school that we absolutely love sending candidates to. So I'm really excited to get a little bit more into Azadeh and I think let's start with kind of the big question. What makes Azade different from other top MBA programs?

I think that our culture, I think that one thing that stands out for us is our culture and how we want we deal with candidates before the they're applying, but especially while they're at the school. We like to have this personal approach, so very personalized, very driven towards the candidates needs. So I think that this is one of the characteristics that stand out for us in how we deal with people. Because at the end of the day it's a candidate, it's an application number, but there is a real person right behind it. And we understand that to do good and do better, we need to see that people going through what the person is going through and how and why and when and what that person is going to, will have to do to become a better person when they get out of the program.

Right.

But they're still inserted in our community. So we want to see that that person has a long lasting bond with us.

Awesome. With the small class size too, that's even more important, right?

It is, it is even more important for us that we have, whoever we have in that big matrix and chessboard that we are looking into as a class profile does have a good fit with us because at the end of the day, again, we are dealing with people, we are dealing with people emotions, we are dealing with people's dreams, aspirations. Right. So I think that we take a lot of responsibility and accountability into that while we are looking into the candidate's application pack, but also when they're already with us.

Awesome. And I think one of the things that's always stood out for us with our candidates and with one of the main reasons they have interest in Azadeh is because of its really strong global focus.

Yes.

What does that look like in practice for students?

Well, I think that for students it will always feel like walking, as I say, in a mini United nations meeting because you have a bunch of nationalities, like 80 nationalities any given day or 100 nationalities any given day walking on campus. So I think that for candidates it means that they will be pulled and pushed into multiple directions because of the diversity, because of this multicultural exception explosion that happens on campus and of course different perspectives, points of views, ways of dealing with situations. So whenever I think that a candidate is looking at a study, they need to understand that they're going to be inserted Into a multicultural community that is rather small and big, but still has a very powerful energy pumping up there. Because if you see in between classes, you look into people, they're like exchanging ideas, they're talking about the case that they saw and they were just discussing into class. So there is this vibrant dynamics happening on campus. So I think that this is one of the greatest things that the candidate need to see. Like I want to be part of that. Our question is how bad, how much you want to be part of that.

Which is a super, really good question.

Yes.

And also nice later. We see a lot of candidates afterwards that go to weddings all over the world and have all these friends, which.

Is also fun parties, weddings. So they're like doing five and ten year reunions. So this is amazing.

Right.

And the celebration of how much they endured together. But also see that those bonds started on campus doing, you know, endless paperwork and you know, studying for tests, all that kind of reverses and reverts to them in a fun global network that they can connect anywhere in the globe. I mean, going in weddings in Switzerland or skiing in the Swiss Alps or Italian Alps, I mean, it doesn't really matter. Or going to a wedding in Thailand. So it gives them mobility as well in terms of personal network as much as career wise.

I'm always jealous seeing their Instagrams, like I want to go to a wedding in Thailand.

Yes. I don't get invited to all those weddings. Come on, Ellen. It's time that we change that.

Right? And what's one Azadi tradition or experience that students love?

I think that we, we have a very strong entrepreneurial kind of vein happening on campus in the, in our school culture.

Right.

So I think that the rambla of innovation, the innovation hub at esade, I think that this is one of the coolest things that candidates enjoy. Not only if you want to launch your business, but I think that also when they look into the rambla of innovation as a space where their, their preconceptions can also be pushed and tested, you know, because it's an innovative thinking. So you can go either in technology or you can go into sustainability, or you are going into, back into the business world, into corporate world. But I think that the innovative thinking and the intrapreneurial thinking that this is what we have as a key skill for the future.

Right.

Your capacity to have ownership or your capacity to be creative in certain industries that are very traditionally rooted.

Right.

So you need to think, you need to change how you think. And the rambla of innovation, it Creates. They have like several hubs like the fab lab with MIT and the E work or so there are several things that can be used as bridges to several other areas, but also help you change a little bit how you see business from one angle only.

Right.

So the idea of the MBA at Estade is to help you open up your mind and use creativity, innovation. And the Rambla of innovation is like an amazing experience for everybody. I would tell everybody to go online, check or talk to someone who has done any kind of project at the Rambla.

That sounds like another thing that would be fun to do.

Yeah. I tell you this, Ellen, I was on campus a couple of weeks ago and it was amazing. It was amazing. Just reading through on the website doesn't do justice to. To what it really is. When you see PCs and elements there and you talk to the person who is running that and then it just, it gains life and it gives you a whole new perspective of what that can do as a powerful tool for every person.

Awesome. Awesome. So, yes, if you're applying, make sure you check that out. Usually Azadi students are super approachable too. So reach out to me. I'm sure they'd love to share their experience.

And the Latin community is always the funniest one, is always the greatest one. I mean, I'm biased, but not much. But I do know that they are like super great.

Really open. Yes, absolutely. Absolutely. And what's something about the AZADA experience that you think applicants don't really realize until they arrive?

I think that they don't really realize how much connections are important.

Right.

When you're reading into a website and you see like clothes, classes, curriculum electives, rambl of innovation or everything like this, sometimes it's hard to understand what connects the dots.

Yeah, right.

And what connects the dots are people. And I think that when they get on campus that they really see that coming to life. Really? Because there is a professor that was, you know, a physicist, an engineer, or a marketing, you know, reference in the market. And then you're talking to this person and then you're talking to candidates. Your, your classmates are real people who also have done great things or are just kickstarting their careers. I think that that makes everything real for them. So I think that one thing that candidates can't really put their fingers on is when they're doing the application is the people, the amazing people that they're going to meet there. And these amazing people are going to help them connect the dots from where they are today to where they want to be in the future. So I think that this is one thing that is very, very, very surprising. And you can see in their eyes as they walk into campus and when they are, I mean, walking into a building where you're going to spend like a year, two years of your life, it is interesting to see that first, this is where I go. I'm going to stay. You know, this is where I'm going to class now. But I think that when they. Once they real, they. They are past the point of the, you know, structural part of the business and they're looking into the real people going to class with them. This is incredible.

I think that you can't really put on a brochure.

No, you can't. I mean, you can put pretty faces on a brochure, but still when you're interacting with them and you're listening to their stories and first day you're introducing yourself in class and that is. That is unforgivable.

And speaking of things that you can't find on the website, what's one thing you think that Azadi applicants should know about the school that they can't find on the website?

I think that the one thing that they cannot find on the website, but they should be talking to people is about how. How we can leverage the Rambla of innovation and how they can leverage that into their application as well. Again, not everybody is into entrepreneurship, but I think that the more they know or they learn about this, I think that the more confident they will be to resorting to the Rambla as a great tool for everything that they want to do in the future.

And speaking a little more about the learning experience at Ezade, one thing that I think is really cool is how hands on it is.

Yes.

Can you share an example of how students apply what they learn in real business scenarios?

Sure. So they have cases. Our learning methodology is based on case studies, but also like 50. 50.

Okay.

So 50% of time on theory and conceptual academics and cracking cases. So they will have to study, they will have to crack cases like everywhere else. Yeah. But they will have around 50% of the time of hands on experience. And the hands on comes into real companies coming into campus and saying, I have this situation, I have this problem. Correct. Solve it for me and then come implement it into our, into our team. Okay. Or consulting projects. So that can be done in several ways. And also like in not only in case discussions. You're not going to be studying in class and just cracking cases 24, 7. We want people to have the Real hands on experience. This is how they're going to learn how to converge and how to bring academic knowledge that they are taking into class into real life. So they need to know how to do this. So the case competitions and the situations that they're going to have with consulting projects. And this is how SADE leverages this, this methodology and brings them into like crash course.

Right?

Like, okay, you're gonna do this and this and go, you know, we gave you the tools, but here's a challenge. Go. So I think that this is how.

Awesome. Yeah. And that's. I totally agree with you. I think that's even more relevant now than ever. Right? That everything is moving so quickly and changing so quickly to be able to apply things that you learn and adapt and think on your feet.

So important with AI machine learning.

Right.

Everything is changing super fast. So whatever they were learning yesterday or the day before yesterday may be outdated already, depending on the content.

Right.

As much as any business school. And a SADE falls into that place wants to be adaptative and flexible and dynamic and fast in changing curriculum. There are certain things that are not possible to get done like that, like that fast in the blink of an eye. So I think that when a candidate looks into our culture and they look into how we deliver the program and the hands on experience, it's exactly that because we give the theory, we have the case studies, but when you're doing it in practice, it gives you a different perspective. It makes everything real, of course, but it also gives you maybe like, oh, I learned this, but for this company I need to adjust it. I need to adapt to a different situation because this wasn't on class or this wasn't in the case study. The methodology provides candidates with a strong academic foundation for them to thrive in any situation. But real world and real challenges will come through. And the thing is that they will have to learn how to adapt what they learned into class to that real situation happening then. Awesome.

Yeah, that sounds again like a really fun thing to do. And Azade is in Barcelona, which is one of Europe's largest business hubs. How does the location give Azade students an advantage?

I think that we have the benefit of being in Barcelona and this is, this will create bridges for candidates with certain industries.

Right.

Some of our top hire recruits, recruiters are consulting tech, finance and in the stat in the tech space, I think that Spain itself is a very tech savvy hub. So there are several technology companies and fintech companies and startups going there. And I think that Barcelona Definitely stands out into that. And I think that creating like a better connection, helping them cross that bridge into their desired industries and connecting the dots from where they are and where they want to be and through our channels and through our network and relationships with the industry and with the market itself, with the broader market itself. I think that that's, that's one thing that the candidate should be attentive of because it makes a difference when picking certain locations, depending on the industry, depending really on the industry that you want to be inserted at.

And especially for international students, having a school that has such strong connections with that business community is really essential, Right? Because if you just moved to Barcelona and started sending resumes around, it's not going to work quite as well, right?

Exactly, exactly. And I think that for an international student, I mean for Latin students for sure, Barcelona stands out because it's friendly in all its, its shapes, right. It's a welcoming city. Food wise is fantastic. So I don't think that we have any issues in that. I don't think people will going to complain about eating out in Spain or Barcelona itself. So I think that community wise, the city is well structured to welcome international students into their communities. And I think that this is one thing that makes Spain and Barcelona a good destination for international candidates today.

Who wouldn't want to be in Barcelona, right? Great weather, great food, great business opportunities.

It's got it all. It's an easy travel to anywhere else, right. If you want to go to Italy, if you want to go to Portugal or anywhere else in Europe, or even if you want to stretch your legs a little longer or a little larger and go into Asia, for instance. So you're halfway there from Brazil to Asia, that is almost a 23 or 24 hour kind of trip. If you are in Spain, you're already halfway through that.

What kind of career paths do Azade MBAs typically follow and are there any interesting trends or changes that you're seeing?

I would say that the employment report shows consulting, finance and tech. Tech, broadly speaking, it could be like from Microsoft to Adobe or anything else. And when I talk about finance, it could also be like a fintech company or the traditional financial or banking. We have great positioning in those three areas and I think it's growing into the employment report. So. But I also see a little bit more of startups and fintechs rising into that. So I think because of the expansion in the market in this area. All right, we see a lot more candidates going into that as well. But consulting is definitely like Always over the top of everything. And we know why. I mean, the consulting provides a great experience for candidates in terms of career growth, industry breadth.

Right.

Because they will learn a lot about several industries, about several challenges and structures and problems. So I think that consulting really is a great way for a candidate to go into and just learn a lot about the insides of a company.

Right.

So these are the three main sectors. Today when we look into the employment report, it's a study and it's consistently going into like taking almost like 60, 70% of the application of the candidates pool going into after their MBAs.

And then something that if you're thinking about applying, that's always. I think a great step is to just Google Azadeh employment report.

Exactly.

Go check it out, Check out the industries, check out the locations, check out the salaries. It's great information to have about any program that you're planning to apply to.

Sure it is. The employment report should be a candidate's bible. Their biggest friend for any business school is the employment report because it's going to tell them, it's going to give them a track record. Yeah. And the growth in each industry. So I think it is fair to say that if a candidate really wants to know if that company, if that.

School is step is to just Google Azadeh employment report.

Exactly.

Go check it out. Check out the industries, check out the locations, check out the salaries. It's great information to have about any program that you're planning to apply to.

Sure it is. The employment report should be a candidate's bible, their biggest pro. And to give them the tools to thrive and succeed into that particular industry. The employment report and for any business school is the employment report because it's going to tell them, it's going to give them a track record. Yeah. And the growth in each industry. So I think it is fair to say that if a candidate really wants to know if that company, if that school is going to give them the tools to thrive and succeed into that particular industry. The employment report is that guideline, is that the material that they need to know back and forth and definitely take a closer look into companies listed into that.

Absolutely. Yeah. If you want to go into health care and less than 1% of people go into healthcare.

Exactly. Or consumer goods or a Lux market. So there are certain companies that are always like super trendier in employment reports. But there are companies, for instance, that might not be there, but you might be the lucky one. Is that guideline, is that the material that they need to know back and Forth and definitely open path into that new company or into that new market. So, I mean, don't be afraid to look into the employment report as a good track record, a good tool for a track record, but also like, okay, I might be the one pioneering into that particular company or industry.

Absolutely. Absolutely. And what kind of student would you say thrives at iZaddy?

I think that the creative one there. There are a couple of candidates, Right. That we look into. The one that is going to be into the program, just sitting in class and attending classes from Monday through Friday and just going through this as a regular student. But there is that one that is going to canvas everything that is available. They're going to go into classes that they didn't think that they wanted to take. The curious kind of candidate who is going to say, I never had a chance of looking into entrepreneurship or that thing of ESG now or sustainability never really interested me, but now I have the opportunity to learn something different and complement my background with this because I'm here. Yeah. So I think that the candidate who takes the most out of the MBA is the one who is curious and creative and eager to go beyond a little bit and just go out of their comfort zones and just check it out. Because even if you don't want to pursue a career in that.

Yeah.

But you're opening up your mind and you are becoming. You're creating a backlog of information in your brain that at one point you might need to reach out. And you're going to say, I saw that in class. Yeah, yeah, I saw that in, I don't know, in a workshop. There was a company presenting at school and I saw and I attended that. So I think that this is the kind of candidate that we like to see on campus. That the one who is coming around a couple of times saying, I never thought that I wanted to listen about esg, but here I am listening about ESG or marketing, Analytics. Whatever makes you happy, that's fine. Right, right.

Like when you were working in finance, you never thought you'd be an admissions director, so who knows?

That is a big jump. And I was like, okay, I'm curious about that. Can I make a career out of this?

And there you go.

And there I go next. Whatever makes you happy, that's fine. Right, right.

Like when you were working in finance, you never thought you'd be an admissions director, so who Exactly.

No, that is a big jump. And I was like, okay, I'm curious about that. Can I make a career out of this?

And there you go.

And there I go. And here I am.

And there you. So let's get into our FastPass insight.

And here I am.

And there you. So let's get into our FastPass insights, the part of the podcast where we ask you some quick questions, quick answers. So what's one word that you would use to describe. Describe Azade's culture?

I would say inclusive.

It's a great insights. The part of the podcast where we ask you some quick questions, quick answers. So what's one word that you would serve and what's the best thing about studying in Barcelona?

I think that for us and for any candidate, I would say how you can benefit and explore the city in terms of culture. Architecture. You have museums, you have traditional museums. The architecture of the city itself is just stunning. You're looking into a place where streets are, are loaded with history. They're loaded with little cafes and restaurants and people and, you know, the elderly and the, you know, the youngest just sitting down, 5:00 in the afternoon, just taking a cup of coffee and just playing around and just enjoying that. So I think that when a candidate goes into Barcelona, I mean, and you can really picture yourself there and make the most out of it.

Who doesn't want to spend a year in my life?

I mean, then there is this, the modern and the old and the traditional living like in synergy and in balance in the city as well, because it's, it's a vibrant city. You have a lot of young people walking around it. You have corporations nested there as well, or just bringing their hubs into Barcelona. So culturally, gastronomically speaking, right? Restaurants and bars and food wise, it's incredible. And traditions and history. So there is a lot that you can take from the city as well.

And what's one must do experience at Esade?

I think that the Ramblau of innovation candidates should really check it out.

And what is the hidden gem at Ezade?

Hidden gem at Ezade. I would say that the patio in the top floor. The rooftop. Yes, I think that the hidden gem is that patio. I mean, you have an incredible view of the city. And I think that this is it. If I could pick a place, my personal special place set aside, that would.

Be that you heard it here first.

Yes, true.

And what's the biggest misconception about Ezade?

I think that people see us sometimes as a second choice. So I think that this is a misconception and I think that people need to see us as their first choice because we, we are Upholding strong values and we are upholding strong academics and our alumni are sitting in great companies and are working in our leading teams around the world. So I think that putting us as a top priority would definitely surprise, I think, a couple of people.

Absolutely. And what's your best tip for surviving that first semester?

Yes, the first semester golden tip in the Golden Buzzer, I would say, is get organized and connect to people. Yeah, get organized because you're going to be overwhelmed with the amount of information and understand that you're going to learn things from a different perspective from sometimes whatever you've been doing so far, but you're going to learn in a different scale and perspective. So organization is key for that. And relying on people first six months of the program is that organization and people. Because the core of our program is built on teamwork and collaboration. It's a value that we uphold and we leave it on campus every single day. So rely on people, either if it is your classmates or someone from the admissions team or the career center team. So reach out to people. People are important to help us also see things under a different perspective, put us into a different angle to see things again or to, you know, get ourselves reorganized.

And what's your golden buzzer tip for successfully showing fit with Azadeh when applying? Because it's so important.

I think that would be talking to people when a candidate writes in their application, when I connected with John Smith, class of this and that this shows for us that they have done the due diligence. But that person, that student or alumni, were impactful enough for him to bring it into the essay. So sharing a personal experience or a tiny bit of your conversation with that person, I think that it really shines through the application and enables us to see that you've done the due diligence, but that you listened to that person. So I think that listening is important. And putting and letting us know that you listened to that person is even more important.

I like that that you listen, not just that you can mention 10 people in a random list in your application.

It's not a laundry list. Definitely not. And we can see through the laundry list as well. Like if you list five names and you don't share a single personal touch of how that person impacted or changed your view of the school or opened your eyes to something that you completely missed out when going through the website or attending conferences and info sessions. Because that is a personal experience.

Absolutely.

So I think that this is. This is it. I think this is like a key thing for Candidates to bring to raise into their applications.

So if you're just starting your application now, make sure you're reaching out to people. If you're.

Exactly.

Make sure you reach out to people.

Take notes, Take notes. Always have something like this. I use those, you know, I still use those. Yeah, use the resources, whatever. If it's a cell phone or if it's a notepad, doesn't matter. But just take notes and think how this can be connected to you, to your story. Circle back to you.

Awesome. Awesome. And for our final round, if someone is choosing between Azadeh and another top MBA program, what's the one question that they should ask themselves?

How can I do better after this?

I like that.

How can I do better after this? I mean, high school is going to give you the academic, top notch curriculum.

Right.

People are going to give you the real experience. Okay. Because at the end of the day, you're coming into a program as someone with your accomplishments, failures, fears, dreams, and the laundry list of things that you wish you had done. And you're looking forward to doing it in the future.

Right.

But how much effort did you really put into that during the program? And because of that effort, you're coming out of it a different person. I think that the key question is, did I make the most of it during my mba and did it really change me to the person I aspired, I dreamed of becoming? I think that this is, this is a good question.

Well, thank you so much. It's been such a pleasure as always to have you. Amazing insights for you guys who are applying. You know, the SADE is super approachable. So, you know, make sure that you reach out, continue the conversation with the school and hopefully, you know, we can have you again soon.

Anytime, Ellen, anytime you need. And whatever questions your candidates or you may have about a study, feel free, feel free to reach out to me. I'm based here in Sao Paulo. I know you're back in the U.S. but if you have any of your candidates or prospective candidates looking into Pasade and they just want to understand a little bit more about school culture, about the application process itself, or reach out to anyone in our community, I mean, I'm here. Oh, I put myself at your service if you want. And then your candidates and whoever is listening and watching us today so that they can also reach out to me and to anyone else in the team.

At ESADE guys, make sure you take advantage of that. That's an amazing resource for you.

Yes.

And if you're also looking to start working on your application. If you're applying to Azadeh or any other business school school definitely visit our website to learn more about working with us. We are proud to have a 98.9% success rate and would love to talk to you about how we can help you get admitted to Azadeh. So thank you so much and yeah, looking forward to having you again sometime.

Thank you so much Ellen and looking forward to coming back.

Thanks. Bye bye bye.