|
|
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
Track
Your Progress
Practice
Pays
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Icecream87
Joined: 23 Sep 2015
Last visit: 02 Aug 2018
Posts: 332
Given Kudos: 72
Location: France
Schools: Insead Sept '17 (M$)
GMAT 1: 690 Q47 V38
GMAT 2: 700 Q48 V38
WE:Real Estate (Mutual Funds and Brokerage)
Products:
26 Oct 2016, 02:39
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi guys, for those who missed, here are the questions asked during yesterday's chat with Fortuna Admissions:
Q: Hi, I am an electronics engineer,27, and have 5 years of work experience in automobile industry. It is totally a entrepreneurial journey so far. I have scored 690 in Gmat. Could you shed some light on odds of getting in? Regards -Mohit Gaba( India)
A : Entrepreneurs are considered to have an important value add in most schools. Hard to tell without knowing your full story though, or your GPA etc. Would be worth you signing up for a free consult to assess your chances.
Q: Melissa, I am 32 and have 8.5 years of experience and I have done my MBA from one of the Indian B School 6 years back. Is it true that age and earlier MBA can be a handicap for me? I have scored 740(50,40) on GMAT
A : Unfortunately age and a previous MBA can hinder your application. Generally those that are accepted that are older have a specific reason for an MBA like a doctor who has no previous business experience wants to run a hospital. If you are in your early 30s it can be tough butreally depends on your profile. Hard for me to guage so I would rcommend to sign up for a 30 minute free consultation
Q: Melissa, what qualities should reflect in recommendation letters?
A: same qualities that they are looking for in criteria. Definitely have recommenders address your leadership abilities (use examples); your int’l experiences/client work, how well you work in diverse teams, etc; how others on your team/clients view you (nice to work with, people come to you, you make people laugh etc (using examples); and of course any other strengths - analytical skills, communication/interpersonal skills, etc.
Q: with regards to the low GPA, most of us North Americans often do not have a postgrad to make up for a low undergrad GPA. Could a GMAT score of 700 balance out the low GPA in addition to significant career progression, good references and essays?
A: Agreed. Professional qualifications (CFA/CIMA etc) can also help demonstrate your academics. A 700 GMAT is a good solid score but you want to make sure that you have score well across all levels i.e. if you have a low GPA or a liberal arts degree, for example, schools will be looking for a strong quantitative performance.
Q : Emma - earlier you said: "if you have a low GPA or a liberal arts degree, for example, schools will be looking for a strong quantitative performance." Could you shed some light on what would qualify as a "strong quantitative performance" either in terms of Q score or percentile?
A: depends a bit - at INSEAD they tend to look for 75% +; at LBS it’s not so cut and dried but you want to be heading in that direction too.
Q: Does number of GMAT attempts (in my case it is 4) pull my profile down ? Thanks !
A : You can cancel your scores now so it’s more difficult for schools to see. Schools are aware that many candidates will want to take it a couple of times (and improve markedly in the second take!) but generally you don’t want to be taking it too many times so make sure your prep is good.
Q: Melissa, in INSEAD application, every question either remarks "short answer" or has a word limit. Can one not go beyond that word limit? and what does a "short answer" mean?
A: It’s just asking you to be short if you can - there is no limit actually. One more note about your age... ifyou can strongly make a point as to why you need an MBA (particularly because you have a previous one) than that can help- they will want to know
Q: You had mentioned that international exposure and the ability to work in diverse teams are regarded well in the application process? Could you shed light on what that might involve? Does having an undergrad degree from outside your home country and relevant work /internship experience abroad count. Or does it have to be demonstrated in your current role/job?
A: International exposure - can your recommender comment on if you’ve travelled abroad for work? Do you have int’l clients? Is your team multicultural?do you ever work in different languages? That kind of thing. Yes having an undergrad abroad or internshiop abroad counts but you can put that into other parts of your app (like in essays or data appform).
Q: How important are the newly introduced video questions? Is our application at risk if we got nervous and did not answered very well?
A: Video questions are a way for adcom to see you in person (as LBS/INSEAD both use alum to interview). It’s not the end if you didn’t do well but they are another piece of the puzzle so it’s important to prep and be as relaxed, comfortable but professional as possible.
Q : Is it harder to get into hec or insead when you are French (because of the quotas) ?
A: In a sense yes, it is more competitive if you are French I’m afraid. Larger applicant pool from France for bothschools. Just put the best application together as you can covering all the criteria and you’ll be all set! If you’d like a free 30 minute consultation with us, we’d be happy to give our input if we feel you would be competitive enough
Q : Melissa, for INSEAD application can you tell what could be the most common mistakes from applicants?
A: tough question as there are many that are often made! But here is an article we posted on mistakes to avoid : https://fortunaadmissions.com/mba-application-mistakes-to-avoid-part-1/ and https://fortunaadmissions.com/mba-application-mistakes-to-avoid-part-2/
Q: so general question - how many applicants are invited for an interview would you say?
A : Depends very much which round you apply - a higher percentage goes through in the first couple of rounds as quality tends to be better. There’s no set cut off but you can be confident that if you put in a strong application you will get interviewed.
Q: Yes but just wondering if you got an interview, what are your chances then - assuming round one?
A: Schools are very cagey about their ratio of application to interview, and then interview to offer. Often it depends on what the class mix is looking like at your point of application. In some groups that may be overrepresented already your chances are lower. If you bring a specific USP your chances are higher. The simple answer is that quality tells in the end - at LBS we used to say that no matter when in the year you apply (even in R4 which is when there are fewer places available) if you are a strong candidate you will get a place.
Q: 50/50 25/75 ?
A : more like 50/50 - but I do stress that it varies from round to round! Chances are better in early rounds.
Q: Question to Mellisa about INSEAD alumni interview: will the interviewers have a list of questions and a form that they must cover? Are the questions standard across different interviewers?
A: INSEAD interviewers aren’t given specific questions but they do have a form to complete - they rank candidates on Career progression and leadership potential; Motivation and fit with INSEAD; International outlook and cross-cultural awareness and • Communication and interpersonal skills (check english skills). They also ask them if they would have liked being in the same work group as you!
Q : After the interview, is your application reviewed again as a whole or just the interview part?
A: At both LBS and INSEAD the admissions committee will review your entire file again in full after the interview process.
Q: What questions should I ask the alumni at the end of the interview?
A: I would try to turn things around on them and ask more personal questions to get them chatting about themselves. For example 1)How did INSEAD/LBS/HEC impact your career? Post INSEAD/LBS/HEC and in the long term? 2) Most valuable lesson you took from the school 3) Strength/value of the alum association 4) Advice before starting the programme – what would you have done differently? Hope that helps
Q: What happens to students who are accepted but are unable to complete their language requirement test by the deadline? Are they automatically dropped from admission or can they "push" until the September or January intake depending on when they were admitted to give them more time to complete?
A: they will give you the opportunity to fill the language requirement as they want all admits to succeed so they might offer you an extension. They could push you forward to the next round. Things might have changed on this so give me a few minutes and I’ll get back to you to confirm. Thanks
Q: Does anyone know what deposit (EUR) is expected of admits at INSEAD, and how long after the admit call the deposit expected? Thanks
A : INSEAD asks for a non-refundable 10% deposit within the first four weeks after offer.
Q: I have a question regarding deposits in HEC and INSEAD. Is it possible to get an extension on de deposit dates?
A: Generally no, but you’d need to reach out to the admissions committee to get a final answer on that.
Q : Another question - for LBS/INSEAD/HEC Paris, during recruiting, do large companies ever recruit for positions in the "home" country of the student or do they mostly hire for the European region exclusively? As a Canadian, I’m interested in staying in Europe post-study but would also like to keep options open to return home afterward.
A: Big recruiters look to these schools to hire people to work in literally all parts of the world. So some recruiting is for ’local’ roles in London/Paris/Rest of Europe but plenty of graduates either return home to new roles or head off to somewhere completely different. INSEAD and LBS in particular have a very global focus to their programmes and this is recognised by recruiters.
Profile Questions:
Q: Hi, I am an electronics engineer,27, and have 5 years of work experience in automobile industry. It is totally a entrepreneurial journey so far. I have scored 690 in Gmat. Could you shed some light on odds of getting in? Regards -Mohit Gaba( India)
A : Entrepreneurs are considered to have an important value add in most schools. Hard to tell without knowing your full story though, or your GPA etc. Would be worth you signing up for a free consult to assess your chances.
Q: Melissa, I am 32 and have 8.5 years of experience and I have done my MBA from one of the Indian B School 6 years back. Is it true that age and earlier MBA can be a handicap for me? I have scored 740(50,40) on GMAT
A : Unfortunately age and a previous MBA can hinder your application. Generally those that are accepted that are older have a specific reason for an MBA like a doctor who has no previous business experience wants to run a hospital. If you are in your early 30s it can be tough butreally depends on your profile. Hard for me to guage so I would rcommend to sign up for a 30 minute free consultation
Application Questions :
Q: Melissa, what qualities should reflect in recommendation letters?
A: same qualities that they are looking for in criteria. Definitely have recommenders address your leadership abilities (use examples); your int’l experiences/client work, how well you work in diverse teams, etc; how others on your team/clients view you (nice to work with, people come to you, you make people laugh etc (using examples); and of course any other strengths - analytical skills, communication/interpersonal skills, etc.
Q: with regards to the low GPA, most of us North Americans often do not have a postgrad to make up for a low undergrad GPA. Could a GMAT score of 700 balance out the low GPA in addition to significant career progression, good references and essays?
A: Agreed. Professional qualifications (CFA/CIMA etc) can also help demonstrate your academics. A 700 GMAT is a good solid score but you want to make sure that you have score well across all levels i.e. if you have a low GPA or a liberal arts degree, for example, schools will be looking for a strong quantitative performance.
Q : Emma - earlier you said: "if you have a low GPA or a liberal arts degree, for example, schools will be looking for a strong quantitative performance." Could you shed some light on what would qualify as a "strong quantitative performance" either in terms of Q score or percentile?
A: depends a bit - at INSEAD they tend to look for 75% +; at LBS it’s not so cut and dried but you want to be heading in that direction too.
Q: Does number of GMAT attempts (in my case it is 4) pull my profile down ? Thanks !
A : You can cancel your scores now so it’s more difficult for schools to see. Schools are aware that many candidates will want to take it a couple of times (and improve markedly in the second take!) but generally you don’t want to be taking it too many times so make sure your prep is good.
Q: Melissa, in INSEAD application, every question either remarks "short answer" or has a word limit. Can one not go beyond that word limit? and what does a "short answer" mean?
A: It’s just asking you to be short if you can - there is no limit actually. One more note about your age... ifyou can strongly make a point as to why you need an MBA (particularly because you have a previous one) than that can help- they will want to know
Q: You had mentioned that international exposure and the ability to work in diverse teams are regarded well in the application process? Could you shed light on what that might involve? Does having an undergrad degree from outside your home country and relevant work /internship experience abroad count. Or does it have to be demonstrated in your current role/job?
A: International exposure - can your recommender comment on if you’ve travelled abroad for work? Do you have int’l clients? Is your team multicultural?do you ever work in different languages? That kind of thing. Yes having an undergrad abroad or internshiop abroad counts but you can put that into other parts of your app (like in essays or data appform).
Q: How important are the newly introduced video questions? Is our application at risk if we got nervous and did not answered very well?
A: Video questions are a way for adcom to see you in person (as LBS/INSEAD both use alum to interview). It’s not the end if you didn’t do well but they are another piece of the puzzle so it’s important to prep and be as relaxed, comfortable but professional as possible.
Q : Is it harder to get into hec or insead when you are French (because of the quotas) ?
A: In a sense yes, it is more competitive if you are French I’m afraid. Larger applicant pool from France for bothschools. Just put the best application together as you can covering all the criteria and you’ll be all set! If you’d like a free 30 minute consultation with us, we’d be happy to give our input if we feel you would be competitive enough
Q : Melissa, for INSEAD application can you tell what could be the most common mistakes from applicants?
A: tough question as there are many that are often made! But here is an article we posted on mistakes to avoid : https://fortunaadmissions.com/mba-application-mistakes-to-avoid-part-1/ and https://fortunaadmissions.com/mba-application-mistakes-to-avoid-part-2/
Interview Questions :
Q: so general question - how many applicants are invited for an interview would you say?
A : Depends very much which round you apply - a higher percentage goes through in the first couple of rounds as quality tends to be better. There’s no set cut off but you can be confident that if you put in a strong application you will get interviewed.
Q: Yes but just wondering if you got an interview, what are your chances then - assuming round one?
A: Schools are very cagey about their ratio of application to interview, and then interview to offer. Often it depends on what the class mix is looking like at your point of application. In some groups that may be overrepresented already your chances are lower. If you bring a specific USP your chances are higher. The simple answer is that quality tells in the end - at LBS we used to say that no matter when in the year you apply (even in R4 which is when there are fewer places available) if you are a strong candidate you will get a place.
Q: 50/50 25/75 ?
A : more like 50/50 - but I do stress that it varies from round to round! Chances are better in early rounds.
Q: Question to Mellisa about INSEAD alumni interview: will the interviewers have a list of questions and a form that they must cover? Are the questions standard across different interviewers?
A: INSEAD interviewers aren’t given specific questions but they do have a form to complete - they rank candidates on Career progression and leadership potential; Motivation and fit with INSEAD; International outlook and cross-cultural awareness and • Communication and interpersonal skills (check english skills). They also ask them if they would have liked being in the same work group as you!
Q : After the interview, is your application reviewed again as a whole or just the interview part?
A: At both LBS and INSEAD the admissions committee will review your entire file again in full after the interview process.
Q: What questions should I ask the alumni at the end of the interview?
A: I would try to turn things around on them and ask more personal questions to get them chatting about themselves. For example 1)How did INSEAD/LBS/HEC impact your career? Post INSEAD/LBS/HEC and in the long term? 2) Most valuable lesson you took from the school 3) Strength/value of the alum association 4) Advice before starting the programme – what would you have done differently? Hope that helps
Other Questions :
Q: What happens to students who are accepted but are unable to complete their language requirement test by the deadline? Are they automatically dropped from admission or can they "push" until the September or January intake depending on when they were admitted to give them more time to complete?
A: they will give you the opportunity to fill the language requirement as they want all admits to succeed so they might offer you an extension. They could push you forward to the next round. Things might have changed on this so give me a few minutes and I’ll get back to you to confirm. Thanks
Q: Does anyone know what deposit (EUR) is expected of admits at INSEAD, and how long after the admit call the deposit expected? Thanks
A : INSEAD asks for a non-refundable 10% deposit within the first four weeks after offer.
Q: I have a question regarding deposits in HEC and INSEAD. Is it possible to get an extension on de deposit dates?
A: Generally no, but you’d need to reach out to the admissions committee to get a final answer on that.
Q : Another question - for LBS/INSEAD/HEC Paris, during recruiting, do large companies ever recruit for positions in the "home" country of the student or do they mostly hire for the European region exclusively? As a Canadian, I’m interested in staying in Europe post-study but would also like to keep options open to return home afterward.
A: Big recruiters look to these schools to hire people to work in literally all parts of the world. So some recruiting is for ’local’ roles in London/Paris/Rest of Europe but plenty of graduates either return home to new roles or head off to somewhere completely different. INSEAD and LBS in particular have a very global focus to their programmes and this is recognised by recruiters.
paisaj87
Joined: 06 Jan 2015
Last visit: 30 Jan 2017
Posts: 48
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 7
Schools: Insead Sept '17 (A) HEC Dec"18 (A)
26 Oct 2016, 06:14
Kudos
Bookmarks
Icecream87
Great Job!! thank you!
Icecream87
Joined: 23 Sep 2015
Last visit: 02 Aug 2018
Posts: 332
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 72
Location: France
Schools: Insead Sept '17 (M$)
GMAT 1: 690 Q47 V38
GMAT 2: 700 Q48 V38
WE:Real Estate (Mutual Funds and Brokerage)
Products:
26 Oct 2016, 07:26
Kudos
Bookmarks
Happy to serve Paisaj 
.
I guess you received the email on scholarships today. So decision dates Dec 7th and end of March for the special ones.
Need to start looking at those essays!
.I guess you received the email on scholarships today. So decision dates Dec 7th and end of March for the special ones.
Need to start looking at those essays!
1/I come from one of their restricted countries (so check if you qualify, but I guess all of you do, excl French people who want to stay in Fonty) and 2/I live in France and want to go to school in France. 
)
