INSEAD Decision Tracker & Historical Admit Data | Add INSEAD to your profile WELCOME! So excited you are joining us for this journey called applying for INSEAD. I hope we can all support each other and make this an active thread. Very open to ideas and suggestions on ways to add value to your experience here. Wishing success for each of you. Cheers, Farrell INSEAD MBA Deadlines Deadline for complete application Interview decision notification* Final decision notification* R1 18 September 2019 18 October 2019 22 November 2019 R2 06 November 2019 06 December 2019 24 January 2020 R3 15 January 2020 14 February 2020 20 March 2020 R4 26 February 2020 27 March 2020 30 April 2020 *Interview and final decisions generally start trickling in a week before the deadline. Note: thread participants, please relay word limits when new application opens Need an INSEAD profile Evaluation? Post it here > International Work Experience or International Movitation? What INSEAD Looks in its Applicants? 2019-2020 INSEAD MBA Recommendation Questions Admission Trends at INSEAD: Analysis of GMATClub Applicant Data Essay Prompts: Job Description Essays Essay 1: Briefly summarise your current (or most recent) job, including the nature of work, major responsibilities, and where relevant, employees under your supervision, size of budget, clients/products and results achieved. (short answer) Essay 2: What would be your next step in terms of position if you were to remain in the same company? (short answer) Essay 3: Please give a full description of your career since graduating from university. Describe your career path with the rationale behind your choices. (short answer) Essay 4: Discuss your short and long term career aspirations with or without an MBA from INSEAD. (short answer) Motivation Essays 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 max.) Essay 2: Describe the achievement of which you are most proud and explain why. In addition, describe a situation where you failed. How did these experiences impact your relationships with others? Comment on what you learned. (400 words max.) Essay 3: Tell us about an experience where you were significantly impacted by cultural diversity, in a positive or negative way. (300 words max.) Essay 4: Describe all types of extra-professional activities in which you have been or are still involved for a significant amount of time (clubs, sports, music, arts, politics, etc). How are you enriched by these activities? (300 words max.)

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Calling all Applicants: INSEAD September 2020 Intake !

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03 Sep 2019, 08:52

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fcortezvaz88 just try to nail the application as well as possible, the video interview and hopefully the alumni/adcom interviews. To put any concerns about your communication abilities to the side. If you have some momentum and retaking is easy for you do that but if it's a trade-off between the quality of your application and retaking this definitely the application

fcortezvaz88

Good morning,

I am preparing my application to INSEAD Sept 2020 Intake. I have written my essays (just some improvements needed) and reccomendations letters are being written also. I have 9 years of work experience in Retail Market. I scored 710 in GMAT and 7 in IELTS. Do you see any problem with my IELTS score? I know that the recommended score is 7,5...

Tks

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03 Sep 2019, 08:57

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GMATin Are they reporting different questions than what
is in the link that Albs posted?

GMATin

URGENT
Can someone please specify the recommendation questions (including smaller questions like rating etc.) for the MBA program? I am getting different answers from my recommenders and want to make sure either of them is not making a mistake in filling them.

Many thanks

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04 Sep 2019, 02:05

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Hi,

I am an Indian male applicant. My background is in Financial Planning & Analysis with top FMCG companies and I have a 730 GMAT. I have recently accepted a job offer in Dubai from a consumer tech company with a very internationally diverse workforce. My earlier plan was to apply for the INSEAD Jan 21 intake. This means I will have ~4-5 months of international experience when I submit my application. I am currently debating whether I should stick to that plan or postpone my application to Sep 21 / Jan 22 intake so that I will have more than a year's international experience at the time of application. Any words of wisdom / advice from experts would be very valuable. Thanks in advance

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04 Sep 2019, 19:16

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KedKal, given the information I have, yes, I sense that having a full year in this environment will add a lot more heft to your application and sharpen your fit for INSEAD. I think if you leverage this (good stories about teaming with internationals) it will give you an edge. Make sure to use the extra time to work on any profile weaknesses (if you can, once the initial job phase is over, join Toastmasters or seek out a way to contribute to the community there, that kind of thing.)

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07 Sep 2019, 04:02

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Hello MBAPrepCoach! Thank you for starting this thread!

I wanted some insight from you regarding the time it takes to complete the essays for INSEAD. The number of essays for INSEAD is on the higher side compared to other schools, and I wanted to plan for the application accordingly.

As per my schedule, I plan to give my GMAT in the first week of October which should give me about 3-4 weeks at a stretch for my applications. Considering that I'm applying to 3 other schools, would you advise applying to 2nd round or giving more time to essays and applying in 3rd round?

Thanks!

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07 Sep 2019, 16:45

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kloppismydad That's difficult to say. What is your ethnicity/citizenship? Because there's a rule that they will only allow 10% per country and those slots get filled up if you are Chinese or Indian. And so, if that's the situation that you want to do whatever you can to apply and Round 2. Frankly, despite what admission says I believe that applying to earlier rounds does give you a significant advantage. It could play less of a role if you are from an underrepresented country.

I'm afraid that you've gravely underestimated the amount of time you will need for your applications. I work with people 3 months at least 2 months on these applications and that's just for INSEAD if you're piling on other schools, you're going to need at least 2 months and that's given that you don't have super crazy work hours.
Is there any way you can speed up the process with your gmat or take the GRE or something? If you're trying to achieve perfection with your test score, then it might be a better investment to put time into your application because if your application isn't interesting then your test score is irrelevant. It’s a risky way to allocate a whole month if that is the case.

If this is not the case, if I were you I would try to work on both at once if it comes to that. There's a lot of introspection needed for INSEAD as well as research and I think that you trying to cram and jam that into 3 weeks with other applications is just going to be certain failure.

There's generally a point of diminishing returns with studying for the GMAT and your brain is ready for some other type of work....in this case I would start with the applications immediately if you would like to go for Round 2 which I would recommend. Make sure to get really focused in your studies for the GMAT, maybe get a tutor to accelerate things…also, I recommend you get up an hour early every day so that you're giving it your best energy. Don't try to pile it all on after work when your brain is fried. Quality over quantity with practice and take practice exams as often as possible.

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09 Sep 2019, 08:32

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MBAPrepCoach

kloppismydadThat's difficult to say. What is your ethnicity/citizenship? Because there's a rule that they will only allow 10% per country and those slots get filled up if you are Chinese or Indian. And so, if that's the situation that you want to do whatever you can to apply and Round 2. Frankly, despite what admission says I believe that applying to earlier rounds does give you a significant advantage. It could play less of a role if you are from an underrepresented country.

I'm afraid that you've gravely underestimated the amount of time you will need for your applications. I work with people 3 months at least 2 months on these applications and that's just for INSEAD if you're piling on other schools, you're going to need at least 2 months and that's given that you don't have super crazy work hours.
Is there any way you can speed up the process with your gmat or take the GRE or something? If you're trying to achieve perfection with your test score, then it might be a better investment to put time into your application because if your application isn't interesting then your test score is irrelevant. It’s a risky way to allocate a whole month if that is the case.

If this is not the case, if I were you I would try to work on both at once if it comes to that. There's a lot of introspection needed for INSEAD as well as research and I think that you trying to cram and jam that into 3 weeks with other applications is just going to be certain failure.

There's generally a point of diminishing returns with studying for the GMAT and your brain is ready for some other type of work....in this case I would start with the applications immediately if you would like to go for Round 2 which I would recommend. Make sure to get really focused in your studies for the GMAT, maybe get a tutor to accelerate things…also, I recommend you get up an hour early every day so that you're giving it your best energy. Don't try to pile it all on after work when your brain is fried. Quality over quantity with practice and take practice exams as often as possible.

MBAPrepCoach, not what I wanted to hear but definitely what I needed to! I shall initiate my essays for INSEAD along-side my GMAT preparation. Though I'm trying to accelerate my preparation, I doubt I will have the confidence before last week of September to appear for the exam so I better get started now with my essays.

Really, really appreciate your honest feedback and suggestions there.

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14 Sep 2019, 03:24

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Good luck! Since INSEAD now accepts the GRE, do take a mock exam for that even if you have studied just for the GMAT. Might be a way to save time. The quant is considered easier.

kloppismydad

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kloppismydadThat's difficult to say. What is your ethnicity/citizenship? Because there's a rule that they will only allow 10% per country and those slots get filled up if you are Chinese or Indian. And so, if that's the situation that you want to do whatever you can to apply and Round 2. Frankly, despite what admission says I believe that applying to earlier rounds does give you a significant advantage. It could play less of a role if you are from an underrepresented country.

I'm afraid that you've gravely underestimated the amount of time you will need for your applications. I work with people 3 months at least 2 months on these applications and that's just for INSEAD if you're piling on other schools, you're going to need at least 2 months and that's given that you don't have super crazy work hours.
Is there any way you can speed up the process with your gmat or take the GRE or something? If you're trying to achieve perfection with your test score, then it might be a better investment to put time into your application because if your application isn't interesting then your test score is irrelevant. It’s a risky way to allocate a whole month if that is the case.

If this is not the case, if I were you I would try to work on both at once if it comes to that. There's a lot of introspection needed for INSEAD as well as research and I think that you trying to cram and jam that into 3 weeks with other applications is just going to be certain failure.

There's generally a point of diminishing returns with studying for the GMAT and your brain is ready for some other type of work....in this case I would start with the applications immediately if you would like to go for Round 2 which I would recommend. Make sure to get really focused in your studies for the GMAT, maybe get a tutor to accelerate things…also, I recommend you get up an hour early every day so that you're giving it your best energy. Don't try to pile it all on after work when your brain is fried. Quality over quantity with practice and take practice exams as often as possible.

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17 Sep 2019, 12:03

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I need your advice MBAPrepCoach. Just submitted my application. Now I need to complete the video interview through Kira Talent. What sort of questions are being asked in these interviews?

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19 Sep 2019, 04:26

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Hello aghosh54 I am so sorry I wasn't able to respond soon enough, I have not been feeling well.

For the benefit of all applying in R2. There is a specific thread on GMAT Club for all video questions, just so you know, but you can also refer to this blog on my website. I still need to update it with a few more questions but this will provide you will a pretty good idea. I will say, they add questions every year so certainly not guaranteeing this is a comprehensive list for this season. My advice is to at least have an idea for what you would say for each of these, so you can spend your 45 seconds outlining instead of stressing out about an answer.

https://mbaessaycoaching.com/2017/03/07/insead-video-interview-questions-tips/

aghosh54

I need your advice MBAPrepCoach. Just submitted my application. Now I need to complete the video interview through Kira Talent. What sort of questions are being asked in these interviews?

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19 Sep 2019, 10:25

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MBAPrepCoach

Good luck! Since INSEAD now accepts the GRE, do take a mock exam for that even if you have studied just for the GMAT. Might be a way to save time. The quant is considered easier.

Hello MBAPrepCoach, hope you are feeling better now!

I followed your advice and looked at GRE as an option. During my research, I came across the following on INSEAD's website:

Quote:

GMAT: all applicants are required to take a GMAT test as it provides us with a standardised way of evaluating candidates. While we do not have a minimum score required for admission, we advise candidates to aim for a score at or above the 70th-75th percentile for both the quantitative and verbal sections of the GMAT. For the Integrated Reasoning section, we recommend achieving a score of 6 or above. Please keep in mind, however, that standardised tests are just one of several admissions criteria. A high score does not guarantee admission, and a below average score does not eliminate a candidate.

GRE: we also accept the GRE test for which we do not have a minimum score but advise candidates to aim for a score above 85% for the quantitative and verbal sections of the GRE is highly recommended.

Source: https://www.insead.edu/master-programmes/mba/admissions (Academic capacity)

Based on the text above, it seems that a lower GMAT percentile is required compared to GRE, unless they are comparing percentile on GMAT vs. percentage on GRE. Wanted to get some insight from you regarding this.

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19 Sep 2019, 10:29

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Very interesting, I did not know about this because they've only just recently allowed to GRE as an exam. It might be because they know that the GRE is considered to be less of a challenge on the math part at least. So I guess I don't really know take a mock exam and see how it goes.

kloppismydad

MBAPrepCoach

Good luck! Since INSEAD now accepts the GRE, do take a mock exam for that even if you have studied just for the GMAT. Might be a way to save time. The quant is considered easier.

Hello MBAPrepCoach, hope you are feeling better now!

I followed your advice and looked at GRE as an option. During my research, I came across the following on INSEAD's website:

Quote:

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19 Sep 2019, 13:05

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MBAPrepCoach

aghosh54

I need your advice MBAPrepCoach. Just submitted my application. Now I need to complete the video interview through Kira Talent. What sort of questions are being asked in these interviews?

Thank you MBAPrepCoach for sharing the video questions. I hope your health is better now. Out of 4 question 3 were on the list that you provided. The 4th one I would like to share with you- If you meet a president or a leader of a country what question will you ask and why?

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20 Sep 2019, 13:28

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I just read this thread, I spent 3 days on my INSEAD essays and submitted for Round 1, am I screwed?

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avinoam

I just read this thread, I spent 3 days on my INSEAD essays and submitted for Round 1, am I screwed?

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guess so..

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20 Sep 2019, 21:10

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avinoam if you haven't spent a significant time in the introspection process prior to writing the essays, then yes, most likely.

avinoam

I just read this thread, I spent 3 days on my INSEAD essays and submitted for Round 1, am I screwed?

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23 Sep 2019, 03:46

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@ashosh54 so nice of you to send over the 4th question!

aghosh54

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aghosh54

I need your advice MBAPrepCoach. Just submitted my application. Now I need to complete the video interview through Kira Talent. What sort of questions are being asked in these interviews?

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24 Sep 2019, 11:45

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Any R1 applicant received the interview invitation yet? Fingers crossed. Wish the best for you guys!

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25 Sep 2019, 06:28

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Anyone gotten any interview calls yet ? For the batch starting september 2020

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02 Oct 2019, 11:05

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Hello everyone,
Serious applicants across any schools can DM me to be added to a closed whatsapp group for discussions. Please note that this group is only for people who have applied to any of the schools, not for people planning to apply or to take gmat.
The purpose is to discuss timelines, updates, interview invites and debriefs.

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