IE University

IE University is a private Spanish university in Madrid and Segovia, and it does not use the US Common App. You apply through IE University's own online application, and the heart of the writing is a single personal essay (the "Express Yourself" piece) that you can submit in one of three formats: a written essay of roughly 250-650 words, a video of up to three minutes, or a presentation of up to ten slides. Alongside it you sit the IE University Admissions Test (ieGAT), an English-language reasoning test that can stand in for the SAT or ACT, complete a short online video and written assessment, and then do a personal interview.

The core challenge for American and international applicants is that no part of this looks like a 650-word Common App essay graded by a single reader. IE reads your writing as one signal inside a multi-stage, holistic process, so the essay has to do a specific job: show motivation, fit, and a real reason for choosing IE and your program. Because admission is rolling and first-come, first-served, timing matters as much as polish, and popular programs close months before the year begins.

Deadlines