Calling all Applicants: INSEAD January 2021 Intake !

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- INSEAD has >90% international student body and accepts applications for round 3.
- I reckon they don't have many applicants applying with GRE for them to publish such stats. That said, the admissions director has mentioned that they "accept GRE primarily for applicants based in countries where the GMAT test is not offered." I would also assume that you should score above 90th percentile for GRE, as that translates to 700 in GMAT. You can also email the admissions team for clearer details on this.

Copied from INSEAD FAQ: Yes, we also accept the GRE test. A score above 80% for the quantitative and verbal sections of the GRE is highly recommended.

Thank you so much for the clarification. Yes, I have a 325 in GMAT which translates to an equivalent of 710 GRE.
I hope that works. I gave mocks of both GMAT & GRE and scored much better on the GRE test. I hope that schools don't give preference to one over the other.

What is your secret for verbal? Did you take at home version?

Hey Amit, I would not like to discourage you but I believe you should really think if INSEAD is the right school.
Regarding the application process INSEAD's requires way more effort than the average on the essays, video interviews, etc so you should spend lots of time working on it (and I believe than a month is just not enough with the essay writing + peer review). If you just reuse essays from other applications they will notice it and their questions are quite specific so they require thorough dedication.

For example GMAT of 710 for an Indian is in the lower end and may not be enough to get through.

Maybe you can get a better view of your chances if you ask for your profile evaluation in the INSEAD profile evaluation topic.

Regards,
Pablo

Hey rosarosa he probably meant that he has a 325 on GRE, his Verbal of 157 would be in the range of V34-35 on GMAT and his Quant of 168 would be like a Q50 on GMAT. But the exams are quite different, for example, the Verbal part, evaluates vocabulary but not Critical Reasoning.

Regards,
Pablo

Hi Pablo,

Thanks for your feedback. I understand that the INSEAD Essay requirement is very specific & being from an over-represented pool of applicants it may get difficult. But, the way I see it that I have one entire month's time to prepare for it. I also would like to add that I am a filmmaker by my profession, which brings a tinge of uniqueness to my profile. Keeping, these two things in mind I will like to take my chances. Are you applying to INSEAD as well?

donesd

I took GRE 2 years back. I am naturally good with vocabulary, and that helped me to score a 157 on GRE verbal.

If you have the time to dedicate you can make it. Being from a unique work background you will be quite welcomed in INSEAD then, anyway I think the feedback from the application consultants can be helpful to prepare the essays.

I did already applied in R2 I'm waiting for the interview decision.

Regards,
Pablo

pabpinor

I am not taking help form any consultant. I feel that they have priced themselves exorbitantly high. So, I am doing everything on my own

You may consider ApplicantLab, not that I have used them before but I saw many good reviews of them. Have you started working with your recommenders on the application? For me, management of my recommendations/recommenders (due to their busy schedules) was trickier than working on my own essays.

Good luck with your application.

donesd

Yes, LOR's are always painful. I have sent the link to my recommenders. Let's hope they complete that in time.
Can you & pabpinor give me some inputs for Video essays?

Hey Amit!
INSEAD has always upheld that their admit rates across all rounds will remain balanced. Their process is unlike the US schools where the chances for internationals drastically decrease in R3. However, considering the situation (deferrals from 21J, higher applications to European schools due to the visa uncertainty in the US), I am not very sure how R3 will pan out.
Yes, as an Indian, the competition in terms of GMAT score is a lot harder. However, 710 is around the average at INSEAD and the feedback from the adcom and alumni is that the school does look at applications a lot more holistically. So in case you believe that you have a strong profile on the parameters that INSEAD evaluates and can put in enough time for an extremely demanding application, please do some peer reviews and seek feedback on your chances.
All the best for your application!

Anyone here applied for HEC as well? I heard that it has a very similar process like Insead

Amit, your unique profile gives you a good chance at INSEAD. One of my friends who is an INSEAD alum told me that he had a musician and a monk who had not gone to college in his class. Plus a musician from India got in, in R1, if I'm not wrong.

AAspirations

That's super news!
Thank you, everyone, for being so kind to your inputs. Can you give me any feedback regarding video essays? Is it really a very important component of the application?

Take this with a grain of salt. Your unique profile does not guarantee admission. Plus, the video interviews are to see how you think on your feet. But if you go thro' this forum, you can prepare for it. I've heard from guys that they got in, in spite of bombing on one of the questions.

What do you mean by you're a film maker? What do you do specifically?