Ask INSEAD Admissions

Hi,

An important question on the GMAT Score report in relation to the supporting document deadlines.

I have already taken the GMAT once and had the score report sent to INSEAD. My re-take is scheduled for the 22nd of July. The app deadline is the 25th, which is not a problem as my application is complete and ready for submission. The issue is as follows:

The official score report is made available to universities within 20 days of taking the test as per the GMAT website. I remember the official score report was available to me within 2 days of taking the test last time. Hence, I will be able to enter the score details into my application form.

However, if the official score report does not reach INSEAD before the application deadline will INSEAD admissions consider the official score report for the 2nd GMAT test or will it be considered past the application deadline and only the first score report will be taken into consideration? If this is this is the case I would prefer to apply for the next in-take.

Look forward to your reply. Thank you.

Hello,

Apologies for the late response. Actually, a candidate can take GMAT as late as the day of the application deadline itself, and in this case the scanned copy of the unofficial score report should be attached to the application form. We can start processing the application based on the unofficial score; the official score should reach us after about two weeks and this is fine for our purposes. If you have declared you're unofficial score but did not attach the score report under supporting document, please email it to mba.candidates@insead.edu citing your name and location so the Admissions Officer in-charge of your region can easily locate your profile.

Regards,
Leizel

Hi,

I have read great stats about entrepreneurship at INSEAD, e.g. 50% of grads start their own company at some time in their career, but I wonder if putting that as post-MBA career goal can somehow limit the chance of admission. My concern is that only 5% actually start a business after the MBA, so maybe one is more likely to be admitted if he puts as objective an area where INSEAD has stronger placement (e.g. consulting), even if that's not the preferred post-MBA job. Could it be the case?

Thank you.

Hello,

You may have the opportunity to express your post-MBA goals through essay but the Admissions team will still be focusing on your qualifications and accomplishments during application. During the interview stage, you are expected to show genuine interest to the programme and to have an open mind to any possibilities for change (industry, function, geography). Electives in Entrepreneurship are popular to our MBA students so an interest in this field should not be a hindrance to be admitted to INSEAD. It will all depend on how an INSEAD MBA can help you, and what you, as a student, can contribute to the class.

Regards,
Leizel

Hello,

I'm applying for the September 2015 intake, and i have a question about my application:

I'm from Peru and in my country the internships are different that most country's, you do them while you're in school and is almost a full time job (30-40 hours a week), so i wanted to know if when you review my file you will count the internship i put as work experience, because with that one year my work experience will be 5.5 by the time i would go to insead, and the work i did was exactly the same as an assistant.

Thank You

Hi Zoid,

The lower % of post-mba entrepreneurship ventures is not a reflection of the admission selection but rather cost related. You'll find out that the % of students starting a business right after graduation is fairly similar accross all top school (5-6%). The reason is that all students have to finance their programme and the majority have to reimburse their loan. Therefore, they don't have the capital to start up a business just after their MBA.

INSEAD being the school with the fastest ROI, you'll find out that 5 years out, 30% of our Alumni have given a shot at settin up their own business.

The entrepreneurship interest is very high among our students even during the programme. Close to 80% will take at least 1 course related to the subject. 25% will take 5 or more Entrepreneurship courses!

So, if your dream is to become an entrepreneur, then you should be true to yourself and tell us so in your application. INSEAD is all about diversity! and this goes beyond nationalities. It is also about diversity of experiences and aspirations.

Cheers,
Camille

Hi Esteban,

Yes, we will also consider your internship(s). Though, with 4.5yrs of work experience (without internship), you shouldn't be worried. If students have on average 6yrs of professional experience, 80% of students have between 3 and 8 years of work exp.

Cheers,
Camille

Hello Admissions,

I am applying in round 1 for full time MBA. I was sailing onboard ships for 5 years where I have visited and worked in various countries and with multinational crew.

One ship can visit multiple port and that's why I am having difficulty in answering the international exposure part of the application.

Please advise what shall I mention in the countries, should I leave it blank and just mention my international experience ?

Hi Abhinawster,

I would suggest that you put in the list of countries the ones that you've like the most or stayed for the longest. I think that Admissions will get the international nature of your job in the job description essay.

All the best!
Camille

Hello,

I've been trying to get in touch with members of the Technology, Media and Telecom Club. The URL (https://www.insead.edu/mba/clubs/media/) to the club under the student life page redirects to the student life page. Is there any other way I can contact the Technology, Media and Telecom Club?

Hi KingShark,
No, that's how you should do it. But keep in mind that the students are very busy and especially at this time of year. It was the begining of period exam last week up to today included.
If you have not received a reply by now, i would advise that you try them again as they may have more time to get back to you now that the exams are finished.

All the best,
Camille

Hello,

I'm wait listed R3 Jan2015 candidate, and I'm considering reapplication to R2 Sept 2015 intake as an alternative to staying in wait list. Should I coordinate my reapplication with my Admission Officer and what should I do to reapply?

Hi Htetzz,

The waitlist is carried out up until the admission decision of R4, so you still have a chance to make it to the programme. Should you want to re-apply for Sep 15, then yes. Please, do contact your admission coordinator, she will be able to tell you what the re-application process will be in your case.

warm regards & all the best,
Camille

Hi Camille,

I have a question, which I hope you can help me with. I am looking to apply to INSEAD and I was aiming at getting my application in in round 3. However, I took the GMAT yesterday and my score was a little disappointing - 700 Q45 V40 IR7 AWA N/A- which I realise is quite unbalanced. I am especially disappointed since I work in quite a mathematical/analytical role and my university background is also very mathematical (econometrics). I guess, on the day, I did not perform my best, especially since all my practice test results were higher. So my question is the following: would my mathematical background make up for my disappointing quant GMAT score or would you recommend that I retake the GMAT before applying?

A little bit about my background, if this helps answer my question: European male, 26, work experience in 3 EU countries, undergrad in top10 UK university (economics and econometrics 2:1).

Thanks

tepbb,
First, you really shouldn't be disappointed with a GMAT score at 700! it is a great score! Secondly, i wouldn't really call your score unbalanced either. We assess score in percentiles, so (Q45 V40) you are in the 75% in Q and 92% in verbal. Though the GMAT average of the class at INSEAD is 700, the actual requirement is to score in the 70% for both Q and V. Anything above is pure bonus!

Now, the GMAT is only one small part of an application. It's important for us because it gives us great clues on how students will do academically and how their can cope with stress, time management and a very fast pace MBA programme. This said, everything else in your application is really what can set you apart.

I stumbled across this article which i think is a pretty good guideline to help decide if you need to retake the GMAT or not.
https://magoosh.com/gmat/2013/should-i-retake-the-gmat/

In you specific case, i'd say don't waste your time retaking the exam and concentrate on crafting an awesome application. Work on your essays, on your references, prepare for the interviews etc...
This will surely make a lot more impact that an extra 10 points on your GMAT.

Cheers,
camille

Hi Camille,

thanks a lot for your prompt response! Although I also feel that 700 is not such a bad score, I am slightly concerned by the 70% + requirement. In fact, Q45 now falls in the 65th percentile, so this puts me just short (sorry I should have clarified this in my initial post).
I appreciate the need to focus on the rest of the application but as it is also stated on the INSEAD website that INSEAD discourages reapplications, hence I do not want to blow my chances because of an unrepresentative quant score the first time round.

cheers

Hi Camille,

Just wondering if the 70% stated above is a hard cutoff? Like if your overall score is good but either quant or verbal percentile is below that, can other parts of your application help you out?

Thanks.

I will insist again on the fact that the GMAT is only one aspect of your application and that it is not one that will give you a competitive edge.

No it is absolutely not a hard cutoff. 70% percentile is a guideline. The score you want to grab to be 'in the safe zone' (like Magoosh said in the article i posted earlier). 700 is an average. You're all studying the GMAT right?
An average means half the class is above and half the class is below! The actual range is 600 to 800. With 80% of the class between 650 and 750.