Tsinghua and Beida IMBA Applicants for 2011

[kayro]

Hi Everyone

Just wondering if there were any others on this forum also considering applying to these two schools this year. I've been going through the applications for the Tsinghua SEM IMBA program and the Beida GSM IMBA program and had some questions - wondering if anyone can shed some light on these:

Tsinghua SEM IMBA

1. there seems to be no essay requirement for the scholarship application, just a form with required fields? Is the process as simple as filling out only the required information? Has anyone on this forum been awarded the scholarship in the past?

2.Have any past students taken regular MBA courses taught in Chinese in the past? Was the teaching quality much higher than the IMBA courses taught in English?

Beida GSM IMBA

3. there seems to be no specific essay topic for the IMBA application? the forms just indicate that a "letter of intent" is required, which is a bit abstract and very non-specific. Any past applicants have any experience / insight regarding this?

4. as an admitted IMBA student, is there an option to take regular MBA courses (taught in Chinese language) provided one's Chinese is up to par (couldnt find info regarding this for Beida GSM)? Have any past students done this in the past? Was the teaching quality much higher than the IMBA courses taught in English?

Thanks!

[Kodiak10]

You can take Chinese classes at Tsinghua - you just need to keep in mind the different Chinese levels needed for certain classes. In some classes, class participation and a final paper your grade. If you talk to the professor beforehand, you can do it so you hand the paper in English. Professors are more lienent for 老外 than 华侨, but each one is different. Harder classes include writing essays by hand during an exam and making a 20 minute speech in Chinese (on a subject like how the Chongqing futures exchange will compete with Tianjin) in front of 100 Chinese classmates with Q&A.

Some of the most famous (and most wealthy) professors from Tsinghua teach in Chinese. Their format is lecture however, and not interaction like Stanford or HBS. The key reason these classes are great is the network you develop with Part-time and Full-time MBAs. It is important to make 1 or 2 good friends in different MBA classes when graduating, For example - a part-time MBA or full-time MBA will know where all his/her classmates are and what industries they are working in. They can fill you in on who you need to connect with to achieve your goals.