Applying for a scholarship to Imperial’s Full-Time MBA: advice from students

Imperial College Business School offers significant scholarship funding to outstanding applicants to the Full-Time MBA.

A wide range of scholarships are available, and all self-funded candidates are automatically considered for all scholarship for which they meet the eligibility criteria and application deadlines.

Below, we find out more about some of last year's scholarship recipients, including the benefits of receiving a scholarship and their advice to applicants and future students.

Our scholarships recognise students for academic excellence and community engagement, as well as diversity-oriented scholarships for students from specific regions, LGBTQ+ students and those coming from disadvantaged background and/or have overcome adversity.

Advice to prospective students:

My advice would be to do your research. Know your goals and what you want to achieve after the MBA and plan for them to happen. Leverage the resources at Imperial as much as possible, which includes taking up leadership roles, expanding alumni networks, and committing to the Personal Leadership Journey to better understand yourself. Secondly, talk to people and ASK! Nothing is more valuable than listening to others sharing their own experiences. Build your connections even before the start of the programme, which includes getting familiar with incoming and previous cohorts as early as possible. Finally, trust that you are making the right decision and be ready to ‘unlearn and relearn’. As MBA students we often come to the programme with lots of industry knowledge, but you should still be open-minded enough to learn from new experiences that can potentially shape the future.

Advice to prospective students:

1. Aim high. Go for the best schools. You will often find that you have what it takes to get in.  
2. Don’t think about funding at the beginning. Somehow, these things have a way of sorting themselves out eventually. 
3. Be open-minded. You will find yourself changing your mind about a lot of things several times over and that is okay. 
4. Network even before you start. Talk to current students and alumni. They are incredible resources to leverage during the application process.

Advice to prospective students:

My top tips to anyone thinking of applying to the Full-Time MBA:

• Embrace the change! Be open-minded and accepting towards the new way of life
• Build meaningful bonds and friendships
• Get involved in activities outside the MBA and connect with the wider Imperial community - take advantage of all that it has to offer
• Be open to learning
• Time management is key!
• Participate in all the networking opportunities provided by the School
• Don’t take yourself too seriously and enjoy the experience!

Scholarships available for entry to the Full-Time MBA September 2022 intake include:

• Advisory Board Scholarship
• Africa Regional Scholarship
• Black Future Leader Award
• Dean’s Impact Scholarship
• Forté Fellowships for women
• Imperial Excellence Scholarship
• LATAM Regional Scholarship
• Reaching Out MBA (ROMBA Fellowship)
• Riley Family Scholarship
• Sainsbury Management Fellows’ Award