INSEAD has posted the following job and motivation essays within the Fall 2018 MBA application.
Job Essays
As the applications instructions state: The job questions are not essays. Hence, the number of words is not so important. People need to be comfortable writing 3 lines or 20. Some applicants work for companies that are well known and only 3 lines are sufficient to describe them; others work for small companies where it is more important to give the full picture.

Job Essay 1: Briefly summarize 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)

Job Essay 2: What would be your next step in terms of position if you were to remain in the same company? (short answer)

Job 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)

Job Essay 4: Discuss your short and long term career aspirations with an MBA from INSEAD. (short answer)

Optional Job Essay: If you are currently not working or if you plan to leave your current employer more than 2 months before the programme starts, please explain your activities and occupations between leaving your job and the start of the programme.
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. (approximately 500 words)

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. (approx. 400 words)

Essay 3: 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? (approx. 300 words)

Optional Essay: Is there anything else that was not covered in your application that you would like to share with the Admissions Committee? (approx. 300 words)
Video Interview Instructions
Shortly after completing your INSEAD MBA online application, you will receive an e-mail notification from Kira Talent with a unique link to complete 4 video interviews. Your link will be also available on your dashboard within the application system.

The video should be seen as a unique opportunity for you to share your passions, your motivations and who you truly are. The Admissions Committee is interested in obtaining an authentic view of you as a person, to see how you think on your feet and how you convey your ideas.

The video interviews do not replace the face-to-face interviews with Alumni.

Your application will be considered as complete and ready to be reviewed only once we have received your answers to the video interviews. Please complete your video interviews at your earliest convenience and no later than 48 hours after the deadline to which you are applying. We strongly recommend however that you complete this step before the final date to allow yourself some time to prepare for this exercise.

The MBA admissions overview link includes detailed advice from INSEAD admissions covering timing, practice, and technical requirements.  Advice direct from INSEAD adcomm:

• Get ready by practicing. You can practice as much as you want. Practicing will enable you to convey authentic and genuine answers. Practice questions are not shared with the Admissions Committee;
• Test your camera, your microphone, then forget the technology and look at the camera as if you were talking to the Admissions Committee;
• Although we ask you to wear business or business casual attire, the Admissions Committee will not judge your look or your background;
• You may want to prepare a notebook next to you to write down your key ideas; you will have 45 seconds to prepare each answer; you will then have 60 seconds to share each answer with the Admissions Committee.For additional information on applying, please visit the INSEAD admissions website.

For additional information on applying, please visit the INSEAD MBA admissions website.

 
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If you are looking for guidance on your  INSEAD MBA application, Stacy Blackman Consulting can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Contact us to learn more. Visit the website for Stacy Blackman Reviews, and check out the company’s e-publications for more in depth school-by-school guidance.

Bloomberg Businessweek has announced its annual ranking of the 31 best international business schools, following up on last month’s release of the top MBA programs in the United States.

The methodology for Bloomberg Businessweek’s ranking places considerable weight on recruiter opinions regarding how well MBA programs prepare their graduates with relevant skills, as well as student feedback on the same.

INSEAD, which has campuses in France, Asia, and the Middle East, unseated London Business School for the top spot, Bloomberg Businessweek reveals, thanks to its strong performance in both alumni and employer surveys, as well as a boost in its recent students’ ability to obtain jobs shortly after graduation.
Top Ten International MBA Program Rankings

• INSEAD
• London Business School
• IESE Business School
• Oxford’s Said Business School
• IMD
• Cambridge Judge Business School
• SDA Bocconi
• IE Business School
• ESADE Business School
• HEC Paris

The article’s authors also note that graduates of Mannheim Business School in Germany are the most likely to get hired quickly, while graduates of Switzerland’s IMD are the highest-paid.

The Bloomberg ranking methodology includes an employer survey (35% of score), alumni survey (30%), student survey (15%), job placement rate (10%), and starting salary (10%). MBA hopefuls should keep in mind that, because the full-time rankings comprise five elements, it’s possible to rank highly without knocking every category out of the ballpark.

Click on over to Bloomberg Businessweek to see the details for all of the 31 schools ranked in this list. And remember, here at SBC we don’t like to encourage clients to focus too heavily on rankings when they’re making their MBA program selections. However, we also know those headed for b-school really can’t help themselves, so be sure to consider multiple factors when making your final school selection.
***

If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, Stacy Blackman Consulting can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Contact us to learn more. Visit the website for Stacy Blackman Reviews, and check out the company’s e-publications for more in depth school-by-school guidance.

The following are the INSEAD MBA application deadlines for the September 2019 intake (Class of July 2020).
ROUND 1
Application due:  September 19, 2018
Decision released: November 23, 2018
ROUND 2
Application due: November 14, 2018
Decision released: January 25, 2019
ROUND 3
Application due: January 9, 2019
Decision released: March 15, 2019
ROUND 4
Application due: March 6, 2019
Decision released: May 10, 2019

Competition for each of the rounds is equal, but the earlier you gain admission, the more time you have to secure financing and arrange logistics. The online application form typically opens two months before each application deadline.

To be included in a specific round, applications must be complete and submitted by 23:59pm French time on the day of the deadline.

For more information, please visit the INSEAD MBA admissions website.

 
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If you are looking for guidance on your INSEAD MBA application, Stacy Blackman Consulting can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Contact us to learn more. Visit the website for Stacy Blackman Reviews, and check out the company’s e-publications for more in depth school-by-school guidance.

INSEAD has posted the following job and motivation essays within the Fall 2019 MBA application, which is now live.
Job Essays
As the applications instructions state: The job questions are not essays. Hence, the number of words is not so important. People need to be comfortable writing 3 lines or 20. Some applicants work for companies that are well known and only 3 lines are sufficient to describe them; others work for small companies where it is more important to give the full picture.

Job Essay 1: Briefly summarize 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)

Job Essay 2: What would be your next step in terms of position if you were to remain in the same company? (short answer)

Job 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)

Job Essay 4: Discuss your short and long term career aspirations with or without an MBA from INSEAD. (short answer)

Optional Job Essay: If you are currently not working or if you plan to leave your current employer more than 2 months before the programme starts, please explain your activities and occupations between leaving your job and the start of the programme.
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. (approximately 500 words)

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. (approx. 400 words)

Essay 3: 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? (approx. 300 words)

Optional Essay: Is there anything else that was not covered in your application that you would like to share with the Admissions Committee? (approx. 300 words)
Video Interview Instructions
Shortly after completing your INSEAD MBA online application, you will receive an e-mail notification from Kira Talent with a unique link to complete 4 video interviews. Your link will be also available on your dashboard within the application system.

The video should be seen as a unique opportunity for you to share your passions, your motivations and who you truly are. The Admissions Committee is interested in obtaining an authentic view of you as a person, to see how you think on your feet and how you convey your ideas.

The video interviews do not replace the face-to-face interviews with Alumni.

Your application will be considered as complete and ready to be reviewed only once we have received your answers to the video interviews. Please complete your video interviews at your earliest convenience and no later than 48 hours after the deadline to which you are applying. We strongly recommend however that you complete this step before the final date to allow yourself some time to prepare for this exercise.

The MBA admissions overview link includes detailed advice from INSEAD admissions covering timing, practice, and technical requirements.  Advice direct from INSEAD adcomm:

• Get ready by practicing. You can practice as much as you want. Practicing will enable you to convey authentic and genuine answers. Practice questions are not shared with the Admissions Committee;
• Test your camera, your microphone, then forget the technology and look at the camera as if you were talking to the Admissions Committee;
• Although we ask you to wear business or business casual attire, the Admissions Committee will not judge your look or your background;
• You may want to prepare a notebook next to you to write down your key ideas; you will have 45 seconds to prepare each answer; you will then have 60 seconds to share each answer with the Admissions Committee.For additional information on applying, please visit the INSEAD admissions website.

For additional information on applying, please visit the INSEAD MBA admissions website.
***

If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, Stacy Blackman Consulting can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Contact us to learn more. Visit the website for Stacy Blackman Reviews, and check out the company’s e-publications for more in depth school-by-school guidance.

Last year, INSEAD made just the slightest of changes to its essay approach and questions, but this year, it has made none at all. Candidates must respond to four short career-focused queries and provide three motivation essays that together total 1,200 words.  Applicants are also tasked with completing a video component for which they answer four questions as four separate one-minute video recordings. Given the sheer number of prompts, tasks, and questions involved, some applicants may find INSEAD’s essay gauntlet a bit intimidating, if not outright punishing. Read on for our full analysis of the school’s questions, which we hope will make the process a little easier to manage.

Job Description 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)

Job Description 2: What would be your next step in terms of position if you were to remain in the same company? (short answer)

Job Description 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)

Job Description 4: Discuss your short and long term career aspirations with an MBA from INSEAD. (short answer)

For the school’s job-related short-answer questions (essentially mini essays), we encourage you to start by very carefully parsing exactly what data the school requests for each. Together, these four prompts cover many of the elements seen in a traditional personal statement essay, including info about one’s career to date, interest in the school, and professional goals. However, the topics are clearly separated among individual submissions rather than covered in a cohesive single essay, and INSEAD also asks applicants to comment on their expected progression within their current firm were they to remain there rather than entering business school.

The first prompt requires that you outline roughly six different aspects of your current or most recent position. Be sure that you address each of the elements the school lists, and do not skip any just because you would rather write more about some than others. You may also want to consider providing a very brief description of your company or industry, if the nature of either might not be readily clear to an admissions reader. For the second question, your response should be fairly straightforward. If your firm has a clearly defined management hierarchy in which one position leads directly to a higher one—and you would be interested in adhering to that system—you simply need to explain this and perhaps offer a short description of the new responsibilities your next position would entail. If your company does not have such an arrangement or you would want to move in a different direction, simply explain what your preferred next role would be and the duties involved.

The third prompt is rather self-explanatory with respect to detailing the various stages of your career to date, but do not be remiss in responding to the “rationale” and “choices” aspects of the query. The school wants to know that your progression has not been passive, with your simply accepting the next good thing to come along, but rather that you have made thoughtful decisions with clear motivations and intentions behind them. For the fourth question, you will need to present your professional goals within the context of an INSEAD MBA education. Do your research on the school to identify specific resources it offers that relate directly to the skills and experiences you need to be successful in your career, thereby illustrating how INSEAD would help you achieve your aims. Above all, be sure to show determination and direction—that you are focused firmly on your intended end points and will not be easily deterred.

For all your job description responses, avoid using any acronyms or abbreviations that would not be easily recognizable to most people. Using shortcuts (in the form of abbreviations/acronyms) and skipping basic contextual information could make your answers less understandable and therefore less compelling and useful to an admissions reader, so do yourself a favor by more completely depicting your situation. Also, consider framing your responses to these rather straightforward queries in a narrative format to make them more interesting to the admissions reader, rather than simply outlining the basic information. Strive to incorporate a sense of your personality and individuality into your submissions.

As we have noted, these questions cover many elements of a traditional personal statement, so we encourage you to download a free copy of our mbaMission Personal Statement Guide. In this complimentary publication, we provide a detailed discussion of how to approach such queries and craft effective responses, along with multiple illustrative examples.

Optional Job Essay: If you are currently not working or if you plan to leave your current employer more than 2 months before the programme starts, please explain your activities and occupations between leaving your job and the start of the programme.

With this essay, INSEAD hopes to see signs of your interest in ongoing self-improvement, knowledge or experience collection, and/or giving back. Whether you are choosing to leave your job a few months before the beginning of the MBA program or are asked to do so by your employer, simply explain what you expect do and gain during the  interim. The admissions committee wants to know that you are the kind of person who takes advantage of opportunities and to understand what kinds of opportunities appeal to you. For example, perhaps you plan to complete a few quantitative courses to be better equipped to hit the ground running in your related MBA classes, or perhaps you want to spend some time with distant family members or volunteering in your community because you know that your availability to do so will be limited when you are in school, and you want to maintain those important connections. Maybe you want to travel to improve your language ability in a more immersive environment before coming to INSEAD, given the importance of this skill in the school’s program. Or you might be arrange informational interviews, job-shadowing opportunities, and/or unpaid internships, which could help in various ways with recruiting and job selection. Whatever your goals and plans, clearly convey how you anticipate your experience(s) to add to or change your character, enhance your skill set, and/or increase your understanding of yourself or others—all of which are valuable in business school.

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 (approximately 500 words).

Although INSEAD’s request for “main factors … which have influenced your development” comes in the latter half of this essay prompt, we feel you should actually provide this context for your formative experiences before discussing the strengths and weaknesses you derived from them, because showing a clear cause-and-effect relationship between the two is important. The school asks that you offer examples “when necessary,” but your essay will be strongest if you present anecdotes to illustrate and support all your statements. Still, your essay should not end up being a hodgepodge of unconnected anecdotes that reveal strengths. Instead, focus on two or three strengths and one or two weaknesses in the mere 500 words allotted.

As always, be honest about your strengths (do not try to tell the committee what you think it wants to hear; truthfully describe who you legitimately are) and especially about your weaknesses—this is vital. Transparent or disingenuous statements will not fool or convince anyone and will only reveal you as someone incapable of critical self-evaluation.

Motivation 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 (approximately 400 words).

For this essay, you will need to offer two anecdotes that reveal different sides of you as an applicant, describing a high moment from your life and a low moment. Because the school also asks you to address how these incidents subsequently influenced your interactions with others and what lessons they taught you, you must identify stories that not only involve a significant incident but also affected you personally in a meaningful and long-lasting way. These elements of your essay are just as important as the accomplishment and the failure you choose to share; your unique thoughts can differentiate you from other applicants, and showing that you recognize how these incidents changed you and your relations with others demonstrates your self-awareness and capacity for growth. Steer clear of trite and clichéd statements about your takeaways, and really reflect on these situations to uncover your deeper reactions and impressions. For example, everyone gains some level of resiliency from a failure, so you must offer something less common and more compelling and personal.

Be aware that the best failure essays are often those that show reasoned optimism and tremendous momentum toward a goal—a goal that is ultimately derailed. In most cases, you will need to show that you were emotionally invested in your project/experience, which will enable the reader to connect with your story and vicariously experience your disappointment. If you were not invested at all, it is hardly credible to discuss the experience as a failure or learning experience.

Motivation Essay 3: 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? (approximately 300 words)

Although stereotypes about the top MBA programs abound—this school wants consultants, that school is for marketing professionals, this other one is for techies and entrepreneurs—the truth is that they all want a diverse incoming class, full of people with various strengths and experiences that they can share with one another for the good of all. Discussing how you choose to spend your free time—explaining why your chosen activities are important to you and what you derive from them—provides the admissions committee with a window into your personality outside the workplace and classroom and an idea of what you could contribute to the student body and INSEAD as a whole.

Optional Motivation Essay: Is there anything else that was not covered in your application that you would like to share with the Admissions Committee? (approximately 300 words)

We tend to believe that the best use of the optional essay is to explain confusing or problematic issues in your candidacy, and this prompt offers an opportunity to do just that. So, if you need to, this is your chance to address any questions an admissions officer might have about your profile—a poor grade or overall GPA, a low GMAT or GRE score, a gap in your work experience, etc. We suggest downloading your free copy of the mbaMission Optional Essays Guide, in which we offer detailed advice on deciding whether to take advantage of the optional essay and how best to do so (with multiple sample essays), if needed.

INSEAD does not stipulate that you can only discuss a problem area in this essay, however, so you have some leeway to share anything you think may be pivotal or particularly compelling. We caution you against trying to fill this space simply because you fear that not doing so would somehow count against you. Remember, by submitting an additional essay, you are asking the admissions committee to do extra work on your behalf, so you need to make sure that time is warranted. If you are using the essay to emphasize something that if omitted would render your application incomplete, take this opportunity to write a very brief narrative that reveals this key new aspect of your candidacy.

Video

After submitting your INSEAD application, you will need to respond to four additional questions in video form.  You technically have until 48 hours after the deadline for the round in which you apply to complete this element of the process, but we strongly recommend doing so sooner rather than later while your mind is still in application mode and to ensure you do not somehow forget this task or have to rush through it at the end of the allotted time period.

Because all INSEAD interviews are conducted by the school’s alumni, members of the admissions committee have previously had no opportunity to see or meet with candidates; they had to learn all they could simply from the written portions of the application. This video component now gives the committee direct and dynamic insight into applicants’ character and personality, as well as another angle on their language abilities. About the videos, INSEAD says on its site, “The Admissions Committee is interested in obtaining an authentic view of you as a person, to see how you think on your feet and how you convey your ideas.” So when the time comes for you to record your responses, do your best to relax, answer genuinely, and let your true self shine through!

For a thorough exploration of INSEAD’s academic offerings, defining characteristics, crucial statistics, social life, community/environment, and other key facets of the program, please download your free copy of mbaMission’s INSEAD Insider’s Guide.

The Next Step—Mastering Your INSEAD Interview: Many MBA candidates find admissions interviews stressful and intimidating, but mastering this important element of the application process is definitely possible—the key is informed preparation. We therefore offer our free Interview Primers to spur you along! Download your free copy of the INSEAD Interview Primer today.

The one-year MBA program offered by INSEAD is quite intense, but the international student body makes it worthwhile.

The MBA application
form for the September 2020 intake of INSEAD’s MBA program is available on
INSEAD’s website now. The essay questions (Job description and motivation
essays ), as well as the video essay component remain the same this year also, so our analysis of the  essay questions also remains the same.

 Application Deadlines for the September 2020 Intake:

Round

Application Deadline

Decisions Released

Round 1

September 18, 2019

November 22, 2019

Round 2

November 6, 2019

January 24, 2020

Round 3

January 15, 2020

March 20, 2020

Round 4

February 26, 2020

April 30, 2020

INSEAD's Admission’s Criteria

• Academic capacity
• Leadership potential
• International Motivation
• Ability to contribute

For more
information on application requirements and advice on video essays, please
visit the INSEAD MBA admissions

INSEAD’s job
description questions and motivation essays allow
candidates to discuss a variety of topics related to their interests and
experiences, thus providing them ample opportunity to present each aspect of
their candidacy- their personal stories, their triumphs and
failures. The “job questions” ask for a factual account of one’s current
position and career progression, as well as short-term and long-term career
goals with an MBA from INSEAD. There is no prescribed word limit for job
questions, so you can use 150-200 words. The three “motivation essays” call for
short reflections and discussion of a variety of topics e.g. strengths and
weaknesses, failures, accomplishments, extra-curricular l
activities etc. With careful thought and planning, you can use these
essays to present your well-rounded personality. Here is
your chance,  to be creative and
highlight your experiences. It is important to present your essay precisely,
keeping the soul of your story intact.

According to INSEAD
Admission Team:

“This is a
critical part of our evaluation process. As such, we advise you to spend a
significant amount of time on your application essays. Your responses provide
the best opportunity to be creative and tell us about yourself. We would like
to get to know you and to find out what motivates you. The essay questions are
not meant to be academic articles or business memos, but rather your personal
stories. You can fill in the essay questions online or copy/paste your answers
in the text boxes directly within your application.”

Job description Essays:

1. Briefly summarize 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)

This question
requests a snapshot of the applicant’s current or most recent job. Keeping in
mind that this will be the admission committee's introduction to your
candidacy, you should also provide information to help the reader understand
your place within the organization and the work that occupies your days. Please
stay focused on the details of your present job, nature of work, major
responsibilities, supervision, size of the budget, number of clients/products,
and most importantly, “results achieved”. While detailing out your current job,
you should also focus on the impact you have made on your organization. But
please avoid elaborating your greatest achievement as you will get an
opportunity to do that in the second motivation essay.

2. What would be your next step in terms of position if you were to remain in the same company? (short answer)

For this question,
you need to show that your next position should be more challenging than your
current one. But if MBA at INSEAD is your next step, you probably don’t need
your next promotion. Through this question, the admission committee wants to
determine whether you have a clear sense of your career trajectory. You may
outline a next step that would entail increased responsibility in terms of
project size or complexity or number of employees managed. You may also mention
an estimated timeline for promotion into this position, if applicable.

3. Please give us a full description of your career since graduating from university. Describe your career path with the rationale behind your choices. (short answer)

This question can
be considered as a walk-through of resume in the essay format. The purpose of
this question is to get an understanding of how you have progressed along your
career path. Your best bet is to focus on each full-time position you’ve held,
the reasons behind each move, increases and changes in responsibility, and the
lessons/ skills learned. It is important to show progress at each stage of your
career, which is straightforward if you have worked for the same company and
received regular promotions. If you have changed companies, make sure to
explain the reason how and why you made your career choice.

4. Discuss your short-term and long-term career aspirations with an MBA from INSEAD. (short answer)

This is a fairly
straightforward career goals essay asking
you to explain your short-term and long-term goals. After detailing out your
career history, explain where you stand now why you believe that an MBA is the
next logical step in your career path NOW? What are those skills that you still
lack which you hope to acquire by an MBA? How an MBA will fill the gaps in your
career?

Then explain your
short-term (3-5 years after MBA) and long-term goals (5 - 10 years after MBA).
Please identify the position that you hope to hold immediately after MBA
program, specifying both a job title and 1-2 organizations/companies for which
you would like to work. Then you will discuss your long-term 5-10-year plan,
explaining not just what role you hope to occupy but also the broader impact
you hope to have in this position. Please make sure to demonstrate a logical
connection between your short-term and long-term goals. In other words, explain
how you will move from step 1 to step 2 and so on. Make sure that your goals
are realistic as well as ambitious. That is, if you aim for a technology or a
consulting role, you’ll need to demonstrate that you already possess some
skills/experience in that area and are now aiming to enhance those skills.
Likewise, if you are a career changer, you should provide evidence as to how
your current skill set would facilitate this transition. (Approximately 150-200
words)

5. If you are currently not working or if you plan to leave your current employer more than two months before the programme starts, please explain your activities and occupation between leaving your job and the start of the programme. (optional)

This is the seventh
 year that INSEAD has included a question
providing unemployed applicants the space to explain their situation. This
shows that INSEAD is not excluding unemployed candidates from admission if they
are utilizing their time productively. So, it provides them an opportunity to
advocate their case and discuss the new skills they are learning, the volunteer
work they are involved in, and any conferences and professional development
workshops they are attending, and other efforts they are making to secure
short-term employment before MBA. This would validate their growth even during
the time they are unemployed.

This question also
includes applicants who are planning to take a break of more than two months
between the time they submit their applications and the time they would join
INSEAD’s program. In this case also, they need to evidence how they are
actively developing skills, making productive use of their time, and
progressing toward their career goals. This essay is also a place for the
applicants who are leaving their current employer to join another one, two
months before entering the program. They should use this essay to discuss their
new employment. This essay is also an opportunity to discuss the actions you
plan to take in preparation for MBA such as getting involved in voluntary
activities, attending conferences, and engaging in any other activities for
professional development before beginning the INSEAD MBA program.

here to learn
some useful techniques to help you say ‘more’ in ‘less’).

Motivation Essay #3: 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? (approximately 300 words)

The
extra-curricular is  an important element
of how INSEAD evaluates the candidate on one of its four key admissions
criteria: ‘ability to contribute’. They want to know if you are an applicant
who will not only contribute to the class room but also to the life of the
community outside the classroom as a student, and later, as a member of the
alumni network. Candidates who have other interests/hobbies that they are
passionate about, and who perhaps have some achievement in sports, music, arts,
etc. will go on to become students who will take the lead in student clubs and
will be actively involved in the alumni network. When describing your
extracurricular activities, please make sure to focus on social or
community-based activities instead of solo involvements, such as reading,
working out in the gym, or watching movies, as admission committee is seeking
applicants who can contribute to the INSEAD community by collaborating and engaging
with their peers through various clubs.

Motivation Essay #4: Is there anything that was not covered in your application that you would like to share with the Admissions Committee? (approximately 300 words)

An optional essay
is an opportunity for you to give the Admissions Committee relevant information
that you could not give in other essays or other parts of your application.
This question is also meant to shine a spotlight on
an experience or a side of your personality that has not
been revealed in the other parts of your application: essays, recommendation
letters, and resume.

Even though INSEAD
has provided you enough ground to cover about your candidacy, you may still use
this essay in a variety of ways to further strengthen your candidacy. More importantly,
you should also use the optional essay to address a weakness in your
profile, such as low GPA or GMAT, a gap in your job history, or your
inability to get a recommendation from your current supervisor.

For further assistance in developing your application essays, you may
review the general EssayTips.

For essay analysis  of other
schools by MER, click here.

Since 2011, MER (myEssayReview) has helped applicants get
accepted into top 20 MBA, programs, including INSEAD.

Click here for INSEAD admit, Mansi's
interview.

This article
was first published in myEssayReview
blog.

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