How to Get Into INSEAD

Question

What Are the INSEAD MBA Requirements

Diversity: 
While building its MBA class, one of the critical INSEAD MBA requirements is diversity. And this INSEAD MBA requirement is not only about your passport. It’s about the culture you bring in, your language, gender, diversity in professional backgrounds, and the flavor and ideas you bring into the classroom. So, you need to bring this diversity into your INSEAD MBA applications. We often hear that INSEAD MBA applicants are concerned about getting into INSEAD MBA if they belong to an over-represented MBA pool, which is mostly the case for Indian engineers. But you are over-represented only in terms of your culture and professional background. You still are a unique person in terms of your thoughts, ideas, perspectives, and contributions to the world. And INSEAD MBA program highly emphasizes your diversity in terms of your contribution to their community.

International Motivation: A Critical Insead MBA Requirement 
All the primary Business schools consider the international experience an important parameter, and so does INSEAD Business School. Therefore, international experience is one of the most critical INSEAD MBA requirements. Still, instead of looking into the global companies you have worked for or the global travels you have made, the INSEAD MBA program is mainly looking for an applicant’s ability to work with diverse sets of people. The Insead MBA application needs you to exhibit that you can thrive in different cultures and with people who speak various languages and mindsets.

Are You a Good Fit for the INSEAD MBA 
For every business school that you’re applying to, the foundation of a good application is to determine your fitness for a school and communicate it in your application. Unless you do not know what the school looks for and how you can contribute to its community, you are making no case for your candidature! So why should business schools select you? How are they benefiting by selecting you over others? And you are gaining from their MBA program?

This is why it is essential to understand what admission looks for and if you are bringing precisely the qualities it needs in you, once you crack this, you will get the answer to your question – how to get into the program? Based on our experience, we have collated a few factors that will help you determine if you’re a good fit for the program or not. And how can you communicate your fit to the INSEAD business school in the applications?

READ THE FULL BLOG HERE...

MBAandBeyond · Answer

INSEAD MBA Application Details from (MBA January 2026 intake):

About the MBA Programme 
Admission decisions are based on a holistic assessment of an applicant’s academic record, leadership capabilities, personal attributes, global outlook, and openness to learning and contributing to the vibrant exchange of ideas at INSEAD. The admissions process aims to identify these qualities and build a well-rounded class that reflects strong academic ability, diverse professional and personal backgrounds, and a deep dedication to international business.

Campus Choice 
  When choosing your campus preference below, we would like to suggest that you consider:  
 
 Your personal situation, which could influence this choice, 
 Where do you plan to work after your MBA, and on which campus would you want to be for easy coordination of time zones and outreach for networking and recruiting?  
 Read all the details given on the application form.

EXAM RESULTS 
All applicants must submit GMAT or GRE scores directly to INSEAD for application consideration. Please ensure all required information, including raw scores and percentiles, is completed in the tables.

If you have taken the GMAT 10th Edition or the GRE, you must upload a copy of your scores in the  "Supporting Documents"  section. 
 Report all scores if you have taken the test multiple times or both the GMAT and GRE.

Academic Degrees 
Your transcripts should indicate both diplomas and grades awarded from each college or university that you have attended. Transcripts shall be in English or French. Transcripts in all other languages must be accompanied by a certified English translation.

If your academic institution is not available in the drop-down list, please select  “other university” .

For the adcom to start processing your application, the transcripts may be either uploaded in the section  “Supporting Document”  available in the menu on the left (scanned copies) or  sent to INSEAD via post by the applicant or by the academic institution directly.

Should you be admitted to the MBA Programme, you will be asked to send your original transcripts and degree to the Admissions Office by post. They can also accept official soft copies if sent to the Admissions Office by email, directly from your university.

Job Description (MBA January 2026 intake)

Provide a summary of your career since graduating from university, explaining the rationale behind your key decisions and career progression. Include a description of your current (or most recent) role, covering the scope of your work, major responsibilities, employees under your supervision, budget size, clients/products, and any notable results achieved. (500 words maximum) is required  
  Describe your short and long-term career aspirations, including your target geography, industry, and function. How do you plan to bridge the gap between your current position and these goals, and how will INSEAD help you achieve them? (300 words maximum) is required

INTERNATIONAL EXPOSURE 
 List your most significant examples of international exposure that you have experienced living, studying, working, or travelling outside your own country (Region).

ACTIVITIES AND INTERESTS

Activities   
 Please list significant extracurricular/extra-professional activities in which you are/have been involved, starting with your most recent activities (i.e. sports, performing arts, associations, club memberships, hobbies, community activities, etc.)
 
  Required field:  Describe the activities you listed above and explain how they have enriched your life (e.g., skills developed, personal growth, community impact). (300 words maximum) is required

Awards   
 List any distinctions, honours, and awards achieved through your extracurricular activities.

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION 
 Please ask your referees to complete the recommendation form promptly using the link provided in the application form.    Email addresses provided must be from professional sources instead of personal email addresses.    They can submit their recommendations at any time, even before you submit your application. Referees can save their progress and return to the form later, but once they have submitted their reference, it cannot be edited. You can track their submissions on your dashboard and send reminders to those who have not yet sent their recommendations.

Important information: Both recommendations need to be submitted before your application can be reviewed.

ESSAYS
Required fields: 
 
   Give a candid description of yourself as a person and a leader, emphasizing the strengths and weaknesses you recognize in yourself. Explain how you are actively working on your development, sharing key experiences that have shaped you, providing specific examples where relevant. (500 words maximum) is required   
   Describe a highly stressful situation you faced and how you managed it. What did this experience teach you about yourself and your interactions with others? (400 words maximum) is required

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

Video 
Shortly after submitting the application form, you will receive a link to a video interview. This video component is required to start the evaluation of your application. Please  submit the video interview at your earliest convenience and no later than 48 hours after the deadline to which you are applying . Once submitted, the video interviews cannot be modified. Therefore, please ensure that you carefully test your devices before starting the exercise.
The admissions committee is keen on getting to know you better and believes that through a video, you can come to life, so be spontaneous, be creative, and be yourself!

Note: It’s always wise to review the application requirements of your target schools carefully. For the most up-to-date information, the best approach is to reach out directly to the admissions committee via email.

For more information on INSEAD, check out our blogs: 
 
  Essays: Tips for Success  
  INSEAD Interview Questions

The new online application form opens approximately two months before each Round 1 application deadline.

With less than 100 days remaining until the Round 1 deadline for the August 2026 intake, now is a great time to   schedule a profile evaluation session to strengthen your application strategy.

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