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MBAandBeyond
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INSEAD on their website has suggested/ recommended an IR score of 6. Wanted to check is the Adcom very particular about this? Are there cases in the past, in which candidates with low/1 IR score have been admitted or rejected?
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January 2025 Intake for European Business Schools

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I will be re-applying this year to INSEAD as I was waitlisted in Round 2 last year and eventually rejected. Hoping to get some insights from experts in my situation. What are some worthy changes that warrant a re-application to INSEAD. Thanks and good luck!
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I will be re-applying this year to INSEAD as I was waitlisted in Round 2 last year and eventually rejected. Hoping to get some insights from experts in my situation. What are some worthy changes that warrant a re-application to INSEAD. Thanks and good luck!

MBAspirant05 - were you able to seek any feedback on last year's result? Broadly, since INSEAD's application is pretty exhaustive, it becomes important to showcase "worthy updates" since your last application. These could be:

- Higher GMAT/ GRE score
- Promotion(s) at work
- Significant international exposure e.g. moving to/ visiting another country for a project, working with international teams, etc.
- Entrepreneurial success e.g. selling your start-up
- Any noteworthy awards or achievements which showcase your profile in a different/ additional dimension

There could be other updates, but these are the main ones I've seen.

Sharing some more details of your profile can help provide more feedback i.e. work-ex, GMAT/ GRE, changes over past year, etc.

Regards,
Arvind
Founder, admitStreet
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AnubhavC97
INSEAD on their website has suggested/ recommended an IR score of 6. Wanted to check is the Adcom very particular about this? Are there cases in the past, in which candidates with low/1 IR score have been admitted or rejected?


AnubhavC97 Hope I can throw some light on this.

Adcoms have no absolute rules about what makes an admit or a reject. They just try to recognize some patterns by looking at profile stats to see who might be a good fit in terms of academics and overall aptitude. You have a tricky situation here with an IR 1. The adcom would need to evaluate your academic history and GMAT scores, including previous attempts and the breakdown between the respective quantitative and verbal sections before they can form an opinion on your academic fit. I know INSEAD has accepted people with low IR scores in the past (lower than 6), but then the adcom would have determined that the low IR scores were not due to their academic ability, but rather an unfortunate anomaly on test day.

Best wishes
Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD alum, former INSEAD admissions interviewer)
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MBAspirant05
I will be re-applying this year to INSEAD as I was waitlisted in Round 2 last year and eventually rejected. Hoping to get some insights from experts in my situation. What are some worthy changes that warrant a re-application to INSEAD. Thanks and good luck!


MBAspirant05 if you were waitlisted by INSEAD, you probably have a very solid profile and I'd say that's a good start for the next application cycle. It's usually one of two reasons that leads to a waitlist rejection - either a GMAT/GRE lower than the preferred score, or that the international experience for a non-consulting profile is lower than desired.
For example, I had average academic performance and my GMAT was also ok and not stellar, but I had more than 5 years of international work experience. My previous employer is a feeder company of INSEAD, but over the years I have seen many of my colleagues with high GMAT scores being rejected or waitlisted, likely because they did not have the same international mobility opportunities as I did. If you would like, I would be happy to discuss with you what might not have worked out so well for you in the last cycle. Feel free to connect with me.

Best wishes
Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD alum, former INSEAD admissions interviewer)
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MOTIVATION ESSAY 1.
Give a candid description of yourself (who are you as a person), stressing the personal characteristics you feel to be your strengths and weaknesses and the main factors which have influenced your personal development, giving examples when necessary. (500 words, maximum)

This prompt seems simple enough, but it’s actually harder than it looks, and you should prioritize it in your efforts. The key is doing the proper introspection. Think about past experiences that point to specific strengths – and weaknesses.

My #1 message about this essay is DO NOT TALK ABOUT WORK. They mention *personal* twice in the prompt. Then they added “who you are as a person” in more recent years after that didn’t fully get the point across. This is the top error that people make. The rest of the application is about work. Leave it alone on this one essay.

For example, one of my candidates has a strength of organizing groups or initiatives “on the cheap” that help others achieve a dream they felt was impossible and provided 2 quick anecdotes to support that. The mantra is ‘show, don’t tell.’

Make your claims, but make sure to illustrate them with examples (for both strengths and weaknesses.) If you don’t have a lot of clarity around your strengths and weaknesses, survey your friends and family and ask for their input.

Some helpful tools include the StrengthsFinder assessment. If you buy the book it comes with an assessment. 16 Personalities is a free and useful way to get in greater touch with your strengths and weaknesses, and to find language that will help describe you. And finally, there is a values quiz on MindTools https://www.mindtools.com/a5eygum/what-are-your-values . This last tool will help you use personal anecdotes to reverse engineer your strengths.

There’s a good chance you’ll get asked about your strengths and weaknesses in the course of any MBA application, and introspection is key to a compelling story. These tools and the insights they bear will be useful across the board.

The key here is to reflect on past times in your life when you did well – and not so well – and trace back the strengths and weaknesses they point to. The objective of this question is to give adcom insight into who you are, not just what you have done.

Please don’t overtly brag in this essay. The best approach is to speak directly, from the heart and demonstrate self-awareness. With this question, you have the chance to build trust and make an emotional connection with the adcom.

So often, applicants spend all their time discussing accomplishments but are afraid to open up and describe who they really are as a person. When someone is candid about their failings, it opens our heart to them, and we feel more connected to them. The importance of making an emotional, heartfelt connection is widely underleveraged and can really make you memorable to adcom for that reason.
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Effectively Framing Product Management and Consulting as Post-MBA Goals

We invite you to join us on a path to success with our captivating webinar. Elevate your application strategy, showcasing the perfect blend of skills and aspirations for success in the dynamic fields of Product Management and Consulting. Join us for a transformative journey toward a standout MBA application.

Speakers for the session:
1. PRAVEG MAHESHWARI (INSEAD Alum)
2. KAUSTUBH KULKARNI (INSEAD Alum)

Date: 25 January 2024
Time: 9 PM IST


REGISTER FOR THE SESSION HERE!

MBA and BEYOND.
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I heard that INSEAD’s employment situation is very poor this year, and the newly released employment report is much worse. Can any friends who have already enrolled share the real situation?
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It’s v bad. Jul 23 batch hasn’t got the joining dates yet
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I will be re-applying this year to INSEAD as I was waitlisted in Round 3 last year and eventually rejected. As a feedback, my AO had a one liner for me - "the profile is strong - we did not have enough seats since you applied in round 3 - no improvement points to share". Hoping to get some insights from experts in my situation. What are some worthy changes that warrant a re-application to INSEAD. Thanks and good luck!

To be honest - nothing much has changed in 6 months other than a potential promotion in April this year. I was wondering if its a good idea to submit the same set of essays in the application. I will give a GMAT to update my score which was on a lower side (680). Any thoughts on the application are welcome.
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Are you R Lawana?
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Yes?
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I know you. Let me dm you
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Product Management and Consulting as Post-MBA Goals

Hey applicant,

Join us on a path to success with our captivating webinar - ’Effectively Framing Product Management and Consulting as Post-MBA Goals’. Elevate your application strategy, showcasing the perfect blend of skills and aspirations for success in the dynamic fields of Product Management and Consulting. Join us for a transformative journey toward a standout MBA application.

Date: January 25, 2024
Time: 9 PM IST


CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE SESSION
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Lawana911
I will be re-applying this year to INSEAD as I was waitlisted in Round 3 last year and eventually rejected. As a feedback, my AO had a one liner for me - "the profile is strong - we did not have enough seats since you applied in round 3 - no improvement points to share". Hoping to get some insights from experts in my situation. What are some worthy changes that warrant a re-application to INSEAD. Thanks and good luck!

To be honest - nothing much has changed in 6 months other than a potential promotion in April this year. I was wondering if its a good idea to submit the same set of essays in the application. I will give a GMAT to update my score which was on a lower side (680). Any thoughts on the application are welcome.

Lawana911 - Based on the AO's feedback, your profile was likely in a competitive pool which had a high % of seats filled in by R3.

Given that 6 months isn't long enough to have significant updates, a higher GMAT score (with balanced Q/V) and promotion (assuming you apply after the promotion i.e. in April round) can make a re-application worthy. International exposure (work assignments, travel etc.), if any, will also be a good addition.

Would suggest reviewing and strengthening the essays, so it shows that you've made an additional effort there as well. Can provide further feedback if you share more details on your profile.

Regards,
Arvind
Founder, admitStreet
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AnubhavC97
It’s v bad. Jul 23 batch hasn’t got the joining dates yet
Please stop misleading people. That’s not true.
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