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Calling all INSEAD MBA Applicants: (January 2018 Intake) Class of 2018

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MBAPrepCoach

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[13]

Updated on: 30 Jun 2017, 07:36

Originally posted by MBAPrepCoach on 14 Dec 2016, 03:19.
Last edited by Narenn on 30 Jun 2017, 07:36, edited 5 times in total.

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Deadlines

Round 1
Application Deadline: March 15, 2017
Interview Decision: April 21, 2017
Final Decision Notification: May 26, 2017

Round 2
Application Deadline: May 3, 2017
Interview Decision: June 2, 2017
Final Decision Notification: July 7, 2017

Round 3
Application Deadline: June 14, 2017
Interview Decision: July 13, 2017
Final Decision Notification: September 8, 2017

Round 4
Application Deadline: July 26, 2017
Interview Decision: August 25, 2017
Final Decision Notification: September 29, 2017

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tylerdurden91

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30 Mar 2017, 22:45

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That can't be good....

lpetroski

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31 Mar 2017, 00:18

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rahulanand3011

Hi so I read somewhere on these forums that 30 students deferred their admission from September 2017 Intake to January 2018 intake!A little surprised that INSEAD allowed that many deferrals.What is your opinion on this guys?Since this in some way affects January 2018 applicants.

I wouldn't worry about this. In R1 and R2 there are still plenty of spaces available so an applicant shouldn't be affected. By R3 and R4, there will likely be a similar number of people deferring from 18D to 19J which evens out the pool. My guess is that INSEAD plans on this the same way they might plan on number of applicants per round.

As for deferring, INSEAD doesn't encourage or take lightly deferrals and makes it quite a process (including a higher deposit and almost 100% likely a higher tuition). However, sometimes exceptions are made for people with specific situations that may need to delay their start date.

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31 Mar 2017, 03:07

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rahulanand3011

I think the only reason someone would be upset with this is if they truly believe that they are a marginal candidate (i.e.: one of these 30 took my spot!), and then it would only be justified if this was an inordinately high number of deferrals (maybe there were also 30 deferred admits in to the class before, thus making the previous class have just as many available slots as this one, for example).

For my own feelings, I'd like to think that there are enough slots to go around for good candidates

Nick

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31 Mar 2017, 04:38

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Thanks for your opinion Nick

MBAPrepCoach

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31 Mar 2017, 05:11

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Narenn

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NickGer

[quote="lpetroski"]Nareen,

From all of my experience and research, INSEAD is more looking for cultural exposure and sensitivity than the mere fact that you have lived/travelled outside of your home country.

Hiya lpetroski - I'll take a stab at your question and join the discussion. A little background on me: I'm an American working in the EU for the past four years and applied in R1 this intake.

I think previous answers hit the nail on the head but I'd just add my own experience to help your understanding a bit. When I visited Fontainebleau last year for an Open Day, the team really emphasized having an international mindset. While international experience is proof / a symptom of an international mindset, I got the feeling that it was really the mindset that mattered -- if you can prove this any other way than experience abroad, wonderful!

Other than the international mindset, the admission's team does a good job of outlining the specific qualities that they look for (mentioned on their website and earlier in this thread).

If you or anyone else has any questions about nay of the above or about me personally, fire away!

Nick

Hi guys, you have hit the nail on its head. I second what you have said. Though international experience is definitely a huge plus, being culturally aware is more important. I can confirm that there are people in my class at Fonty who had never worked outside their country before but had an awesome work-ex otherwise. However, for a vast majority, being international is second nature. There are people who are citizens of 3-4 countries!! That was a big surprise for me.

This is exactly what I wanted to point out. Having international mindset and being able to interact with people from different parts of the world / from diverse cultures is what matters to INSEAD; Mere international experience may not be sufficient. Thank you all for your insights on this point.[/quote]
My feeling is that International experience is honestly a very good way to demonstrate that you have an international mindset. Show, dont tell.

Naturally the admissions committee is going to state that it is not a deal-breaker, to invite applications from a wide range of qualified candidates.

However I do feel that International experiences specifically experience abroad is quite helpful.

And of course if you can't back that up with general interest in openness and diversity, that would be raise an eyebrow. I would like to say that International mindset is enough but I really don't think it is given the competitive nature of this process.

If you have an excellent profile from the statistics point of view, 5 years of quality work experience or more, and an excellent track record of making an impact, then I think that you can get by with International mindset and exposure.

However if you're more like my candidate from round one who has a 650 GMAT, and only three years of work experience upon matriculation, it's good that he has worked outside of his home country for several years in a customer-facing position, implementing programs and leading international teams. He also has experience as chairman leading an international non-profit. ( incidentally, he's going to take the offer he got yesterday for Wharton Lauder.)

My point is that this is a holistic process, and I believe that you need to have a baseline demonstration of international orientation, but even more international focus, if you're lacking in other areas.

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31 Mar 2017, 05:23

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@moose89 my apologies for not responding sooner. It has been a crazy past two days with Stanford and Wharton decisions coming out.

Yes, INSEAD decisions come out about a week before but really not much before that, and I wouldn't count on that. And I'm afraid there really is not a reasonable way for you to approach them and try to rush their process.

However you have an outstanding profile, and I would be extremely shocked if you weren't accepted. Above average work experience, non-profit experience and of course you come from a fairly under-represented country. You're not a consultant, so that separates you from the bulk of other South African applicants. It really looks very, very good all the way around.

What you can do is show how your profile compares to the admitted student profile, in all ways, but for your purposes, in terms of your grades, GMAT, and work experience. That will give them some concrete evidence. Because the program is so short INSEAD cares more about grades than many other programs, there's no time to ramp up.

And then for the more qualitative aspect of things give them a paragraph about your qualifications for each of the four stated criteria.

Another very important point I think you could make is the percentage of applicants who received an invite.

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02 Apr 2017, 18:28

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QUESTIONS? Hello everyone, I have a bit of time to answer questions that might have have come up on the apps to be submitted for round 2. Please fire away.

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03 Apr 2017, 00:49

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MBAPrepCoach

QUESTIONS? Hello everyone, I have a bit of time to answer questions that might have have come up on the apps to be submitted for round 2. Please fire away.

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Hi,

Can you please elaborate more on the candid description with strenths and weaknesses essay. How should we approach this essay ?

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03 Apr 2017, 01:21

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Whitelie

MBAPrepCoach

QUESTIONS? Hello everyone, I have a bit of time to answer questions that might have have come up on the apps to be submitted for round 2. Please fire away.

https://MBAPrepCoach.COM

Hi,

Can you please elaborate more on the candid description with strenths and weaknesses essay. How should we approach this essay ?

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Whitelie - interesting choice of a screenname! Yikes =) Don't lie to me, OK? JK.

This is a hard question, and you should prioritize it in your efforts. The key is doing the proper introspection. Think about past experiences that point to specific strengths.

With regards to examples, my #1 message about this essay is DO NOT TALK ABOUT WORK. They mention *personal* like 9 times in the prompt. This is the #1 error that most people make. There are so many opportunities to talk about work elsewhere in the INSEAD application.

One of my R1 candidates has a past history of organizing groups or initiatives that help others achieve a dream they felt was impossible "on the cheap" and provided 2 quick anecdotes to support that. The mantra is show don't tell. Make your claims, but make sure to illustrate this 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 with this. I use this tool, it is free for 15 days. Make sure to let everyone know you need feedback rather quickly. https://www.reachcc.com/reach/survey.nsf

The strengthfinders assessment is also very useful, if you can support the results it with personal anecdotes. If you buy the book it comes with an assessment. https://www.strengthsfinder.com/home.aspx

And finally, there is a values quiz on MindTools https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTED_85.htm

The key is to reflect on past times in your life when you did well (and not so well) and trace back the strengths and weaknesses those point to.

The objective of this question is to give them insight into who you are, not just what you have done. And from this, they can discern your level of self-awareness.

With this question, you want to 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 to make you memorable cannot be overstated.

Best,
Farrell

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03 Apr 2017, 05:09

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This is how I approached my personal essay:

First paragraph: Started with a quote and elaborated how i use it as a mantra in my life. Described what the most important thing to me is and why.

Second paragraph: Example and personal history (childhood) of why i think i have the above mentioned approach to life. Connected the example to more personal charactistics.

Third paragraph: Another example (teens to ~20) and connected this to personal development and contribution to outlook on things.

Fourth paragraph: weaknesses and conclusion abt how insead fits in.

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03 Apr 2017, 05:28

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Anyone from Round 1 heard back for interviews?

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tylerdurden91

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03 Apr 2017, 05:31

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Not yet...

StevenGerrard

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03 Apr 2017, 08:24

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Interview invitation received. AO is JM.

tylerdurden91

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03 Apr 2017, 08:26

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Wow, that was quick! When did you receive it?

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03 Apr 2017, 08:33

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Also congrats StevenGerrard! Best of luck with the interviews!

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03 Apr 2017, 19:47

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Do you references get notified if you get dinged or rejected without interview form a school?

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03 Apr 2017, 22:24

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Dear All,

I am aiming for R2. I haven't given GMAT but will be applying with my GRE scores (321, V=153, Q=168) . In the past has anyone of you heard about any applicant being rejected just because he/she submitted GRE instead of GMAT ? I emailed their Admissions Officer and he says GRE is also fine.

Thank you all in advance !

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04 Apr 2017, 00:01

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FROM Insead Admissions Blog1: Ask, Don’t Beg. Give, Don’t Take. Love, and be Loved.

February. Love is always in the air. Or at least, that’s what I thought. Entering the second part of the first period of the INSEAD experience, for some reason things begin to wear me out. The lessons are all around,... Continue Reading →

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