The INSEAD MBA Admissions Team would like to welcome everyone to this thread and offer an opportunity to ask questions about our leading MBA program. If there is anything we can help with, please let us know. Find relevant information on the INSEAD MBA programme here: https://www.insead.edu/master-programmes/mba Admissions information here: https://www.insead.edu/master-programmes/mba/admissions Financing information here: https://www.insead.edu/master-programmes/mba/financing

Last visit was: 20 Nov 2025, 03:34

It is currently 20 Nov 2025, 03:34

Toolkit

Business School and MBA

MBA Archive

GMAT Club Daily Prep

Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.

Go to My Error Log Learn more

Request Expert Reply

Confirm Cancel

Nov 20
UCR MBA Impact - Live Q&A with UCR AdCom & Student
07:30 AM PST
-
08:30 AM PST
Learn what truly sets the UC Riverside MBA apart and how it helps in your professional growth

Back to Forum

Create Topic

Ask INSEAD Admissions

1 ... 12 13 14 15 16 17

knocking

Joined: 17 Apr 2014

Last visit: 22 Sep 2016

Posts: 44

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 8

Location: India

Concentration: Entrepreneurship, General Management

Schools: Tuck '18 (S) CBS '16 (D) Sloan '16 (D) Tepper '18 (A) Kellogg '16 (I) Ross '18 (S)

GMAT 1: 740 Q50 V40 Verified score

WE:Information Technology (Computer Software)

Schools: Tuck '18 (S) CBS '16 (D) Sloan '16 (D) Tepper '18 (A) Kellogg '16 (I) Ross '18 (S)

GMAT 1: 740 Q50 V40 Verified score

Posts: 44

Kudos: 8

14 Mar 2015, 01:00

Kudos

Bookmarks

Hi Camille

I have two GMAT scores 690 (Q49,V35,IR7,AWA5) and 740(Q50,V40,IR3,AWA5), would my low score(IR) in second gmat be a red flag for admissions in Insead. I think everything went wrong for me in IR on that day, but as you see I have a great IR score of 7 in the first gmat. Both the tests were taken in a gap of 45 days.
Also is there any particular difference between the class of Jan and Class of Sep, I am eager to apply to Insead but I see that the deadlines for Sep intake have already expired. Are there any particular advantages / disadvantages of joining in Sep against joining in Jan or Vice Versa.

Thank you

INSEADadmissions

Official Business School Representative

Joined: 31 Jan 2012

Last visit: 29 Jun 2022

Posts: 118

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 4

Posts: 118

Kudos: 38

18 Mar 2015, 09:21

Kudos

Bookmarks

knocking

Hi Knocking,
1- would my low score(IR) in second gmat be a red flag for admissions in Insead?
--> We will look at your IR score but more for benchmarking rather than evalutate you on this. We accept GMAT scores up to 5 year old, so some applicants don't have IR score. The answer is no, it won't be a red flag. You will be assessed on your Q and V scores.

2- Are there any particular advantages / disadvantages of joining in Sep against joining in Jan or Vice Versa?
--> The two intakes have the same programme structure, however, the January intake has a two-month summer break in July and August during which time students can pursue an internship if they want. Generally, we recommend internships for students who are planning a career change, and specifically also for a transition into a finance role. So beside the summer internship, there are no differences between Sept and Jan promotions. Both intakes are equal in class size, diversity and follow exactly the same curriculum.

Cheers,
camille

knocking

Joined: 17 Apr 2014

Last visit: 22 Sep 2016

Posts: 44

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 8

Location: India

Concentration: Entrepreneurship, General Management

Schools: Tuck '18 (S) CBS '16 (D) Sloan '16 (D) Tepper '18 (A) Kellogg '16 (I) Ross '18 (S)

GMAT 1: 740 Q50 V40 Verified score

WE:Information Technology (Computer Software)

Schools: Tuck '18 (S) CBS '16 (D) Sloan '16 (D) Tepper '18 (A) Kellogg '16 (I) Ross '18 (S)

GMAT 1: 740 Q50 V40 Verified score

Posts: 44

Kudos: 8

23 Mar 2015, 13:44

Kudos

Bookmarks

INSEADadmissions

knocking

Thanks Camille, looking forward to applying for Jan'16 intake ...

idkksh

Joined: 26 Oct 2014

Last visit: 13 Mar 2018

Posts: 14

Own Kudos:

259

Given Kudos: 12

Location: Russian Federation

Concentration: Finance, Technology

Schools: Stanford '19 (S)

GMAT 1: 720 Q51 V36 Verified score

GPA: 2.9

WE:Project Management (Retail Banking)

Schools: Stanford '19 (S)

GMAT 1: 720 Q51 V36 Verified score

Posts: 14

Kudos: 259

01 Apr 2015, 03:09

Kudos

Bookmarks

Hi Camille!
I need to get to January, 16 class, and I do not consider another business schools. If I have only 6,5 Band from IELTS exam, but 730 scores GMAT for example, quite good 8 years experience in classic banking in Russia (business loans, head of projects in Sberbank, head office), active life position, will my bad IELTS score will be stop-factor in my process admission to INSEAD?
Problem is that I plan to pass GMAT on April, 20, and I do not have time to retake IELTS. And, as I understand I will have worse chances if I submit documents in a third round.
Thanks in advance!

goodPaul

Current Student

Joined: 06 Jun 2013

Last visit: 18 May 2016

Posts: 14

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 43

Location: Italy

Concentration: Entrepreneurship, Finance

Schools: INSEAD Jan '17

GMAT 1: 720 Q47 V42 Verified score

GPA: 4

WE:Engineering (Energy)

Schools: INSEAD Jan '17

GMAT 1: 720 Q47 V42 Verified score

Posts: 14

Kudos: 48

16 Apr 2015, 19:07

Kudos

Bookmarks

Dear All,
I am a prospective applicant to INSEAD full-time MBA program from Europe.
I have a 720 GMAT score, a 4 GPA and a 4-year work experience in Engineering in the Energy sector. I am currently working as a Management Consultant (at BCG) post-MBA.

I would like to know whether my application would be considered from the INSEAD admission comitee, given I already have an MBA from a lower rank local European school (this is a tale of leadership, perseverance and ability to cope with challenges which I will detail into my essays).

I have obviously been thinking deeply about the rationale of pursuing a second MBA for me and I found that the INSEAD MBA program really fits with my future international aspirations, the skills and the enviroment I need to pursue my career goals, building on the foundations I have set since now.

I really feel INSEAD is what I want and need and I can contribute to the INSEAD experience.

I would use the essay n°5 to explain in detail the rationale and fit for a second, truly international MBA at INSEAD.

Would my previous MBA completely prevent me from being considered for admission? Will this in any case dramatically lower my chances of being admitted?

Thank you in advance
Best Regards

zero722

Joined: 05 May 2015

Last visit: 16 Oct 2015

Posts: 66

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 14

Posts: 66

Kudos: 5

05 May 2015, 11:34

Kudos

Bookmarks

Hello,

I am looking into applying to INSEAD for either the Jan or Sept 2016 intake. For this year I probably will only make the 4th round application intake for Jan.

Should I wait to apply for Sept intake instead?

Ofer

Joined: 31 Dec 2011

Last visit: 18 Jan 2016

Posts: 11

Own Kudos:

Schools: Booth PT '18 HBS '18 Insead July'17 (A) Stanford '18 Wharton '18

Posts: 11

Kudos: 1

15 Jun 2015, 03:45

Kudos

Bookmarks

Hi,

INSEAD is currently my top-priority program (full-time MBA), but I've recently been advised by a reputable local (Israeli) consulting firm to consider shifting toward top US MBA programs for the following reasons:

1. The long-lasting economic effects of the last financial crisis in Europe has led to a significant decrease in job opportunities, including for top MBA graduates.
2. In view of the detrimental effects of the crisis, all European financial powerhouses have seen a decline in hiring rates, perhaps with the exception of London.
3. Legions of MBA graduates, especially those who don't speak the native language of other European countries, are swarming to London, which in turn has enacted several stringent immigration laws, including for high-value professionals.
4. Job opportunities within the EU and within France in particular are at a low, and the US market has always favored US programs over European ones.
As a result, the value of an INSEAD MBA, particularly for non-French speakers, is now significantly lower than that of top US programs.

Though I haven't found any data corroborating this stand, it does seem to make sense and was proposed by well-informed sources. Would appreciate your views on this.

Ofer

himanshu_jain

Joined: 22 Jun 2015

Last visit: 24 Jun 2015

Posts: 4

Kudos: 0

22 Jun 2015, 02:21

Kudos

Bookmarks

Hi,
I have a GMAT score of 700. 4 years of professional experience including 2.5 years of international experience in oil and gas industry. Additionally 1 year of startup experience. Is it a profile good enough to apply ? My nationality is Indian.

feverkid

Joined: 12 Jun 2015

Last visit: 16 Mar 2016

Posts: 4

Given Kudos: 1

Posts: 4

Kudos: 0

24 Jun 2015, 01:46

Kudos

Bookmarks

Hi Camille
I have been planning to do my MBA for years and now I think I am ready for the application of Sept 16 class.
My rough profile is like:
26/M, HK. work on knowledge mgt field and attained PMP qualification.
degree in knowledge mgt and postgrad diploma in accountancy. GPA of both r ard 3.4.
2 yr entrepreneurial exp with a IT startup during undergrad and 5 yrs (by Sept 16) work exp in IT project mgt after graduation,
work in diff sectors from business side in-house/consultancy to NGO in-house / prof service.
a strong international social service background (over 10 years) on volunteer and organizational mgt.

i hv been intensively preparing for GMAT and hence i would like to seek for objective comments like:
- wht's the min requirement approximately of GMAT in my case?
- objectively speaking if my "diversified/jumpy" portfolio hinder the application?
- any other advice regarding my case for application?

thanks!!

LL0206

Joined: 24 Jun 2015

Last visit: 19 Sep 2015

Posts: 1

Schools: INSEAD Jan '17 HEC '18

Posts: 1

Kudos: 0

24 Jun 2015, 15:37

Kudos

Bookmarks

Hi Camille,

I intend to apply for the January 2016 intake and am hoping for some feedback regarding the current state of my profile. I recently completed the GMAT and received a score of 680 (44Q, 40V, IR8, AWA5). I am a Canadian professional with over 6 years of professional experience, the majority of which have been spent in various marketing and channel management roles at Canada's largest telco. Regarding the rest of my profile, my undergrad GPA is quite low (2.6) however I have secured strong reference reports from direct supervisors, a CAPM certification (on my way to completing the PMP) and believe my essays to be compelling as well.

With a high level overview of my application provided, I am wondering if you would recommend I retake the GMAT in order to improve on the Quantitative section and subsequently my overall score. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

matt4insead

Joined: 26 Jun 2015

Last visit: 28 Jun 2015

Posts: 3

Kudos: 0

26 Jun 2015, 04:36

Kudos

Bookmarks

Hi Camille,

Can interviews take place in a country other than the applicant's country of residence (if the applicant is on vacation for instance)?

sanchayM

Joined: 31 Jan 2013

Last visit: 07 Jan 2016

Posts: 7

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 8

Location: India

Concentration: Finance, International Business

WE:Corporate Finance (Energy)

Posts: 7

Kudos: 5

04 Oct 2015, 08:55

Kudos

Bookmarks

Dear Camille

Hi. I would really appreciate you helping me out with some of my queries.

1) For the letters of recommendation, what is the process ? I mean do I ask the concerned people to mail them to INSEAD or they need to register at the INSEAD website and write it online ? How does the recommendation reach INSEAD ?

2) How many essays does one need to submit for the class of 2016 ? As far as I can recollect there are total 8 essays (4 job related and 4 motivational). So does that mean that I have to submit 8 essays in total ?

Furthermore I also would like your opinion about my profile.
I am a 29 year old male from India. I have a GMAT score of 690 (V45 and Q39). I have 5 years of work ex in the power and utilities sector.
I am also a multiple professional degree holder - Chartered Accountant and Cost Accountant which are two very prestigious professional degrees in India. My core experience has been in the field of finance. So, I was wondering if you can provide me with some valuable advice as to how to proceed with the admissions process now.
I know that maybe my score is not up to the INSEAD benchmark but somehow I have a feeling that this is one of those schools that doesn't judge a candidate based on his/her GMAT score alone. Hence I would like to take my chances and would like your valuable inputs to help me prepare a very good application.

Thanks & regards,
Sanchay Maity

varunchand

Joined: 17 Jan 2012

Last visit: 11 Mar 2016

Posts: 36

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 158

Location: Kuwait

GMAT 1: 670 Q49 V32 Verified score

GMAT 2: 700 Q47 V40 Verified score

GMAT 3: 710 Q49 V38 Verified score

WE:Marketing (Manufacturing)

GMAT 3: 710 Q49 V38 Verified score

Posts: 36

Kudos: 31

11 Oct 2015, 06:01

Kudos

Bookmarks

Just finished my application... but looks like one of my recommenders might not be able to make it in time for the deadliness due to some personal issues, is the cut-off date for recommendations same as the application or is there a grace period for the recommenders?

jasonmak

Joined: 09 Mar 2015

Last visit: 30 Mar 2016

Posts: 18

Own Kudos:

[1]

Given Kudos: 1

Schools: IESE '16

Posts: 18

Kudos: 3

[1]

11 Oct 2015, 07:41

Kudos

Bookmarks

varunchand,
If my memory serves me right, your references can still upload their letters after the app deadline for a period of 2 weeks or so. Reach out to the admission team for confirmation as things might have changed

jasonmak

Joined: 09 Mar 2015

Last visit: 30 Mar 2016

Posts: 18

Own Kudos:

[1]

Given Kudos: 1

Schools: IESE '16

Posts: 18

Kudos: 3

[1]

11 Oct 2015, 07:58

Kudos

Bookmarks

Sanchay,
1) letters are uploaded online by your references. After you complete their details on your MBA app, then you will have the option to send them an online request to their email addresses and your references will have to take it from there etc.
2) INSEAD is known for its comprehensive essays and that's for a reason. I think 6 out of 8 are mandatory and 2 optional assuming this has not changed.
Profile - it's tough to say as it's not black n white. My 2 cents, don't look at the number of degrees or certifications or experiences ... what matters is the contributions, the decisions, the changes ...
Please note that I am not part of the INSEAD team so I would reach out to them with further confirmations on your queries
g'luck

appsmba2016

Joined: 25 Mar 2015

Last visit: 14 Nov 2015

Posts: 15

Kudos: 0

18 Oct 2015, 00:51

Kudos

Bookmarks

I would like to enquire about the MBA applications for January 2017 - Class of December 2017. When do the application for this session open and when it the earliest that one can submit the application?

Are the applications and admissions conducted on a rolling bases or would they be reviewed by the admission committee collectively after the completion of the deadline?

How does INSEAD look toward diverse applicants such as doctors, architects, lawyers, etc.? Would appreciate an outlook.

Thank you.

Lurkermclurker

Joined: 13 Dec 2015

Last visit: 14 Feb 2016

Posts: 1

Kudos: 0

Updated on: 02 Jan 2016, 13:26

Originally posted by Lurkermclurker on 31 Dec 2015, 14:12.
Last edited by Lurkermclurker on 02 Jan 2016, 13:26, edited 1 time in total.

Kudos

Bookmarks

Hi there,
I have a question about the language requirement. I have two native languages (Norwegian and English). I went to high school and college in the US, graduating with a major in Japanese.

Can the fact that my university degree was conducted in English satisfy the English requirement even though my major was in Japanese (and that would be used to satisfy my 3rd language)?

To summarize - I would list:
Norwegian - Native
English - fluent - university degree conducted in English
Japanese - fluent - major in Japanese

Or should I just list English as a second Native language?

Thanks!

xyeek

Joined: 18 Jul 2015

Last visit: 21 Aug 2020

Posts: 175

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 14

Location: New Zealand

Concentration: Strategy, International Business

Schools: Insead July'17 (WA) LBS '18 (M)

GMAT 1: 740 Q50 V40 Verified score

GPA: 3.88

WE:Marketing (Consumer Packaged Goods)

Products:

Schools: Insead July'17 (WA) LBS '18 (M)

GMAT 1: 740 Q50 V40 Verified score

Posts: 175

Kudos: 25

31 Dec 2015, 18:20

Kudos

Bookmarks

Lurkermclurker

I'm not part of the INSEAD adcom but I can answer your question. Yes, having your university degree conducted in English satisfies the English requirement. I would go with what you've listed rather than listing English as a second native language just to keep things simple as you'll need to show "proof" of your second native language otherwise.

indruze

Joined: 19 Dec 2014

Last visit: 02 Mar 2017

Posts: 10

Own Kudos:

Concentration: Entrepreneurship, Leadership

Schools: LBS '17 (WD) HBS '17 (D) INSEAD Jan '17 (S)

GMAT 1: 660 Q43 V38 Verified score

Schools: LBS '17 (WD) HBS '17 (D) INSEAD Jan '17 (S)

GMAT 1: 660 Q43 V38 Verified score

Posts: 10

Kudos: 7

08 Feb 2016, 11:57

Kudos

Bookmarks

Dear Camille,

I've read all this thread thoroughly and I have a question that I couldn't find answers to anywhere else:

There's not a single question in the application asking the basic question "Why Insead"? I presume this is done on purpose? I couldn't find where to place the information that I had visited campuses, attended open days, talked with the alumni. In almost every other university application, there is a dedicated space for that. So I'd love to know if that's a test of an applicant's creativity of where to put it, or does Insead deliberately not ask this question?

Thank you so much,
Indre

jaychhaparwal

Joined: 04 Feb 2016

Last visit: 25 Feb 2016

Posts: 1

Kudos: 0

15 Feb 2016, 23:29

Kudos

Bookmarks

Dear Camille,

I am keen to get into Insead and have a few questions before I appear for GMAT in June 2016.

My current age is 33 and have experience of 9 years; I am sure that by the time I get into Insead, my experience would be 10 years +. I have also done PGDBM in Finance for 2 years. My quenstion is that will my candidature be considered for admissions in Insead? Assuming that I get into Insead, how easy/difficult would it be for me to get placements.

Reply awaited.

Thank you.

Best,
Jay