See this? This is us when we got news from our pal Jim (not his real name) that he had gotten into INSEAD.
Not that we were surprised. Homeboy worked HARD on his apps and he had some KILLER essays. But when it comes to the very unscientific process of bschool admissions, you just neeeever know what’s going to happen… for good or for not so good.
In this case, though, it was very, very, VERY good.
Check out some freshly minted advice from this freshly admitted B-school application rock star. Find out how he got into INSEAD (with a lower-than-average GMAT score), and take away a few gems of wisdom to apply to your upcoming app.
Here are his stats, ladies and gents:
Age: 29 years old
Undergrad: University of California at Irvine
GPA: 3.14
GMAT: 610 (Quant 39, Verbal 35.)
Fun fact: He’s a product of the community college system. He transfered to UCI midway through his college career.
1) Why do you think YOU got into INSEAD?
I felt it was my essays and how well organized and structured my story was. Without the help of AJ and the Admissionado team, I would not have been able to tell my story the way I wanted to. I have the experience, but I did not know how to tell my story.
2) What was the most challenging part of the app for you? And how did you overcome that challenge?
As you can tell my GMAT is low. In fact, in the range of scores for INSEAD I am at the absolute bottom of the pile with a 610!! This was by far the most challenging part of the application and it was all on me. A word of advice to all future applicants, give yourself PLENTY of time to study for the GMAT and try not to do what I did, which was to study, do the apps, and take the test right before the deadline! This only put pressure on myself, AJ and the team working behind him. As easy as it may sound to compartmentalize and try to separate the two things, 100% focus must go into the test as well as your essays and application.
3) Tell us about your interview. What do you think you did right?
Leading up to the interview I was nervous. So I prepared myself like crazy. Mock interviews with anyone and everyone I could ask. Researching on what questions it could be and it could not be. In hindsight, the over preparation was a little overkill, but nonetheless it prepared me well. The first interviewer was really chill and we got along great. It was mostly a personality test to see if I am somebody he and other alumni from the school could study with and hang out with. The second interviewer was a little tougher; I could not get a good read on him. I thought I did well until I asked for his advice…and he was very candid with me: to listen more and stop interrupting as much! Gah! However, I assumed it was like the first interview, which was a free flowing conversation and I was overly excited about asking questions about the school, his background, and experiences in international business. But, I guess it wasn’t that bad since I got in!
My advice? As cliche as it might sound, go in over prepared so that you wont get blind sided. While you will get questions that will make you think on your toes, be professional, insightful, enthusiastic, energetic and be yourself.
4) What advice do you have for future applicants?
Never give up, never! Dream big and follow your dreams! After finishing my GMAT a few days before applications were due, seeing the score of 610 devastated me. I was upset, distraught and even questioned whether I should turn in the app for INSEAD and my ability to go to a basic business school! However, this truly says that the GMAT is one component of an overall application. The essays are super important to show who you are as a person, to highlight your strengths and highlight your weaknesses, which may be hidden strengths. I believe this pushed my application over the barrier of the reject pile and into the acceptance pile. To future applicants: do not ever give up on yourself and your goals. Ever!
So there you have it. Smart advice from a smart guy. We wish him the best of luck in all his future endeavors! (Although, let’s be honest, we don’t think he’s gonna need any luck.)
