Calling all Applicants: INSEAD Jan 2019 Intake (Class of Dec 2019)

Hey Folks
@Hi krc.
Your screenname is making me crave fried chicken.
I can answer your questions below, but encourage you to post in Ask Admissions Consultants as well.
this thread is not for profile evaluations.
@MBAPrepCoach
KFC! lol!!
Sure i will drop a note to admission consultants as well.

Need some suggestion & motivation around here.

Background: 2008 UG candidate from an Indian University. 7.9/10 CGPA. 2013 PGDM (Post Graduate Diploma In Management - Full time) candidate from One of top 20 B-Schools in India. Second best college on east coast. (Atleast at the time i attended. To give some perspective for non-Indian peers in this group - stood among top 1700 of around 1,00,000 applicants for this program.). Currently married & have a kid under 1Yr old. Turned 31 few days back but young at heart. Over 7Yrs Work exp spread across different profiles ranging from IT consultant, Regional Sales Manager in Consumer Durables & currently a Project Manager. Looking for a more focused global 1Yr - MBA program (NYU Stern Tech MBA/INSEAD/Richard Ivey or the likes). Prime reason for going for second MBA - Going Global. Adding a global study & work experience to my resume. I understand that incurring a 50-60Lakh loan at this stage of career/Life is a substantial burden given I have a kid & a mortgage, but willing to take the leap looking at a longer term (10Yr) perspective.
Currently I am on the verge of booking my GMAT slot towards April End and kick start application process by May 9th in line with 2nd round deadline for INSEAD for Jan 2019 intake. I know there is lot of work pending yet, given that i haven't started any serous prep of GMAT/Essays/LoR yet. Willing to burn midnight oil for next couple of weeks to rev the engine.

Suggestion needed:
1. Inputs if Global MBA program is a good choice for me after a 2Yr FT MBA in India. (I know i need to back it up with strong reason for 2nd MBA)

Why do you need this? I would make sure your current education won't get you there within a couple years before spending $82K on this.
Will this allow you to get your dream job? If not, what is the point and how is your current education not sufficient. dont want to rain on your parade but not seeing a compelling reason here.

Lets say there I always wanted to do a global program, and didn't have the resource till now. And next 2-3Yr time frame is the last I can build my career and rest is a marathon on the chosen track. I will put in more compelling reason in my essay.


2. Any major advantage in rushing for the R2 deadline than taking slow with the R3? (Scholarship Aid? I personally feel aid of 8000 - 20000 Euro is not a significant game changer for a 82000 Euro program)

Things get competitive for Indians and Chinese in Round 3; those slots get filled up real quick.
I encourage round 2 however the quality of your application is the most important thing.

Ok. Thanks for this input.

3. Is INSEAD a best bet for me if i target a score of around 720+ in GMAT.

Not sure what you mean? You can target whatever you like but..? You mean if you actually have a 720+?

Just wanted to know how important GMAT score would be for my profile.

If over 720 then top US programs are within reach (for your profile, I would say 720, because overrepresented)
however 720 or less I think it's the best you can do. Also go for schools noted below.

4. What are the additional schools fellow aspirants with similar profiles are looking into?

Most applicants to LBS also apply to INSEAD, they are both global programs.
For those applying to J-Term, often applicants will also throw their hat in the ring for EU schools: HEC, IMD, IESE, IE, and maybe Rotterdam and/or ESSEC.
September batch more so Oxbridge, LBS.

I was also looking into NUS,ESADE,IVEY as well. Will make note of above colleges as well.

Thanks in advance for your inputs.

Hi,

I also do have a v quick question. I was wondering how binding the word limitations are, and what is the acceptable number of words on top of the pre-determined limit?
For example for Essay 3 (word limit is 300), I have 350 words. Is that ok?

Thanks

Hi All - I just submitted my INSEAD application. INSEAD is my top school for a whole host of reasons. My plan is to only apply there in the first round, and then apply to HEC and/or IE in a later round if I don't get into INSEAD.

On paper, I don't see any reason I wouldn't get into INSEAD aside from my age (34), my amount of work experience (12 years), and my perhaps overrepresented nationality (dual American/Canadian). I feel I can sufficiently balance those factors with other parts of my application, including my desire to use the MBA for a career change. But of course, admissions processes are subjective, so I do feel like I need a backup plan.

I'm wondering, would it benefit me in any way to apply to all three schools at the same time? For example, if one school offers me a scholarship, can I use that as leverage to get a scholarship at another school?

Perhaps the rules have changed recently. I just submitted my application, and it would not allow me to submit until I was within the official word limit.

Dear MBAPrepCoach,
I have read your points on recommendation letters. I have one more question in this regard. The recommendation form has 6 questions. Approximately how long the answers have to be by the recommender? I mean how many words for each question is reasonable?