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Studying at Ashridge is rigorous. Come prepared to do lots of reading, and classroom exercises based on readings topics previously covered in the various classes / topics. Be willing to share your personal experiences and draw on them while doing group and individual assignments – they are the differentiating factors and the learning that we get from and give to each other. MBA is about taking the most out of the opportunities available – it is not a college course where you would expect the professors to hand-hold you through the entire course.

The admission process requires GMAT and TOEFL scores with the application, and 2 reference letters. You also have to submit transcripts of your college degree. The college then sets up the interview, which is preferred to be an in-person interview, but where this is not possible, telephonic interviews are held. I had joined a coaching institute for GMAT, which lasted for 6 weeks. To go to the UK, you need the student visa. The UK government website (www.britishhighcommission.gov.uk) has full details of the requirements. Visa applications are only handled by the VSF offices in stated cities (http://www.vfs-uk-in.com/). The application form can be downloaded from the website – be very careful and complete all the forms required. You have to apply for the visa in person to meet the biometrics regulations. Ensure that you have the visa fees, preferably in cash, with you and all other supporting documents. The visa processing takes about 4 working days and the progress can be tracked on VFS’ website. I flew British Airways – which was not a good choice since I was allowed to carry only 1 piece of checked in baggage – which was not sufficient. Each additional piece of luggage had a price of GBP60. Tickets were easy to get. The immigrations at Heathrow require your chest X-ray, which you should carry with you to avoid loss of time at the airport. Heathrow is about 1-2 hours drive (depending on traffic pile-ups) from Ashridge. The school had sent a car to the airport to pick me up.

The program is very well structured. The first 3 months is aimed at getting the basics in place, which is subject to examinations, usually at the end of March. The exams are hand-written, closed book. To be able to continue with the MBA, passing these exams is a must. The rest of the year is divided into modules which take the basics forward and integrate them in real-life scenarios, adding new topics/aspects along the way. The professors all have a mix of industry-experience through their past and current consultancy experience and academic rigor, so that the teaching sessions also reflect this same mix.

The International Week, when we go to a foreign country and the MBA project give the students a real life flavour, from within the familiar setup of the MBA class. Classrooms are equipped with the latest technology and spread across the campus. Each building has its unique flavor and since classes are rotated amongst the buildings, it does not become boring. The class is split into groups, each composition lasting 2 weeks after which each of us is rotated and put into different groups. The library and computer facilities allow us uninhibited access to learning materials. Help/assistance is always at arm’s length with the MBA co-ordination team, coaches, learning support groups and the professors. The college does not provide on-campus accommodation and the students have to rent accommodation in the town of Berkhamsted. The college has a well-coordinated transport department which operates the buses between Berkhamsted and the college. The lifestyle centre at the college has full gym facilities and swimming pool. The class-size is small (current one has 25 multinational students) and does not as yet require dedicated multi-national student groups. Due to the small size, all students bond together and help each other out – if not, the MBA co-ordination team is always there to help. Part-time jobs are available in Berkhamsted (the college does not offer any student or traineeships) but in the full-time course, there is practically no time to be able to handle even a part-time job. Berkhamsted is a small town, and has quite a few pubs and restaurants and a cinema theater to help beat the boredom, if any.

Ashridge has a dedicated Career Development cell, with the team pro-actively helping to source the MBA projects and post-MBA jobs. There are no typical placement events occurring on-campus. The alumni society is equally active in maintaining and growing the global alumni network.

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