How to be Compelling in Your iX Application.

So many students’ summer plans have already been cancelled, and coming out of a global pandemic with a boost on your resume is now tougher than ever. There are already major shifts happening in the way people work now, and will continue to work in the future - and the ability to work remotely is undoubtedly a core pillar in these changes. That’s why iX Remote and iX Remote Plus have built-in components specifically focused on helping you learn the skills that matter most. It’s this that has made our Remote programs popular with ambitious students around the world who are looking to innovate and push themselves this summer to go above and beyond.

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Still, at our core, our mission is unchanged: we’re looking to create epic journeys of growth for the most ambitious students, in order to unlock their (and our communities’) potential. So what makes an application to iXperience align with that?

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Firstly, the application can be done in one of two ways: either in the written track or with a telephonic interview with one of our Admissions Consultants.

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The written application is made up of a series of short essay format questions. There’s nothing you need to prepare for this: it’s about your own story, your circumstances and your background. You’ll need to spend a bit of time thinking about the answers, since they’re designed to get you thinking about yourself and the way you approach challenges as learning opportunities. The whole application should take you around an hour to complete.

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The telephonic interview is slightly different, but the substance is the same. You’ll schedule a time with a member of our Admissions team, and they’ll give you a call that will last 30-45 minutes on average. They’ll ask you questions about your background, your studies and what drew you to the course you’ve applied for.

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In either case, your application will be evaluated by at least two people at iX (to ensure that the evaluations are done fairly and comprehensively). Exceptional applications can sometimes be referred to our Head of Admissions for special consideration, depending on the circumstances. If you sign up for one type of application (written or interview) and would like to switch to the other, you’re welcome to - they’re both designed to get the same information from you, and so have an equal chance of success. In addition, putting in an application for financial aid can be done in either the written or interview tracks. Whatever assistance you need, just ask your Admissions Consultant to help you if you run into any trouble.

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When it comes to evaluating your application, there are several things that we look for on our side. It’s important to know that, while the majority of our students are American at this stage, we have students from all over the world each year. The United Kingdom, the Netherlands, New Zealand, China, Nigeria, Brazil, Germany and many more countries are represented amongst our alumni. Wherever you come from, you’re welcome at iXperience! What matters most is that you’re ambitious, and ready to take up an intensive course that will put you in front of some very real-world problems that very real businesses are actively trying to solve.

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Your motivation for doing the course, and your sense of motivation in general, are key to the success of your application. You’ll need to demonstrate - through your history, activities, demeanour and enthusiasm - that you’re ready and keen for a program that certainly isn’t a walk in the park. Considering that you’re going to be learning from some of the best in the industry in an intensive and high-paced way, you need to show that you’re up to the task.

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With the internship component being a major reason many students do the iXperience program, having a proven ability to collaborate and work effectively in a team is also a key factor to show in your application. Having a sense of initiative to innovate and think critically will be key to your success in both the course and internship components, so it would be helpful to show that - either through examples of previous group-based collaborations, projects you’ve done, groups you’ve been part of, clubs you’ve risen in the ranks in, and so on. There are many ways to demonstrate your abilities.

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If you’re able to provide examples in your application of what you’ve done in the past, be it an internship or class, it’s great to show examples of a project or passion for learning - even if it’s not directly related to the course you’re applying for. It always looks good when you’re able to find opportunities, even in tough or negative situations - it shows you have the drive to learn and succeed. It’s most definitely a mindset that will help you far beyond iXperience - it’s key to succeeding in your career, too.

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Don’t be shy to talk about things that interest you, no matter how weird you might think they are. There’s no need to be afraid of breaking away from the mold of what you think of as a ‘typical interview’ - we’d love to hear about the clubs you’re part of and your startup idea, but we also want to hear about your passion projects, your volunteering work, your backpacking trip through Vietnam and the canoe you cut from a single tree trunk with your dad, armed with nothing but a pocket knife and half a coconut shell. There really is no need to be nervous; what matters is that you’re able to be yourself, while conveying that you’re genuinely and deeply interested in experiencing and learning new things, like you would in a good coffee chat.

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Of course, there are bonus points if you can demonstrate an understanding of your subject matter in context - for example, building a cool application to analyse data during the COVID-19 outbreak. Or creating an engaging social media campaign for a cause you’re passionate about. Or working with a friend on a hypothetical investment portfolio during a time of market turbulence, just to try and understand what is going on. These kinds of things are a bonus, but not a necessity.

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If there’s only one thing that comes out of all of this, let it be this: be engaging, and be yourself. As long as you’re authentically invested in what you do, and what you want to do in your future, we’d love to have you on our program.

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If you’re ready to take on the application, click here.