INSEAD January 2015 Intake (Class of December 2015)

Hi everyone, I just had my first interview. Wanted to share this with you: you have to assume that your interviewers may have read your essays even if you haven't shared those with them.

I was very surprised today when my interviewer started with "So, as I've read in your essays, ..." -- I had not sent him those, just like my AO had instructed. I asked the interviewer where he got the essays and he confirmed that he could access them through the PDF'ed application form (the one you're supposed to share with your interviewers). Apparently the links to the essays in the PDF do work and do not require a password (see pages 12 and 13).

Just thought everyone should know, as the interview invites state that "your essays are not included as they are not required"

Good luck with your interviews and also good luck to all who are waiting for their interview invite. It ain't over until AO says it's over

John! Thank you for the tip. greatly appreciate it. when did they give you the interviewers information? is that via email too? i don't have the interviewers info yet...

I got 2 emails: On 26-Aug I got a "Pre-selection" mail which informed me about the fact that I'm having interviews. On 27-Aug I got the names and contact details of my interviewers in a second email. Good luck, fingers crossed!!

just got the email. it says "Prior to your interviews, we ask you to please provide each interviewer with a copy of your online PDF application that you can access from your application Dashboard on this link: https://apply.insead.edu/apply/auth/authentication (please note that your essays are not included as they are not required)."

when i get to my online PDF application, there are 15 pages, including essays, did you send the whole application to interviewers or what did you do? thank you!!!

Did someone from R2 accepted people receive any information regarding scholarships? The deadline for the notification is the 12th of September but maybe for some people the info came out earlier?

I got an email yesterday from one of the scholarships I applied to- I wasn't not chosen. I think they will come in batches whenever the committee finish deliberating.

Shiloanazrael:
I sent everything to my interviewers. the application includes a link to the essays and i don't think you can send one without them having access to the essays. But it seems like they are discouraged from reading the essays. Mine asked for resume as well.

FROM Insead Admissions Blog: Location, Location, Location: Flat-hunting in Singapore

So you’ve submitted your application, written your essays, and then a few weeks later, find out that you have been accepted into INSEAD. You’re still basking in the glory when you realize that the programme is gonna start in a few weeks and you still haven’t sorted out accommodation. Panic! Many students have experienced this feeling over the years and the author of the piece is no exception. The month of August had started (I was scheduled to reach Singapore on the 17th) and I still didn’t have a flat to call home. I thankfully managed to find a place before I could put Singapore’s anti-squatting laws to the test. To help the next generation of INSEAD students help in the flat-hunting process (and avoid making the same mistakes I did), I thought it best to put together some of the stuff I learnt along the way: Options: Some students starting in Singapore would have already read the names of Heritage View and Dover Parkview. These two condominiums are next to each other and are a brisk 10 minute walk from campus. Given the proximity to the school (and the presence of modern amenities), flats in these buildings are quite popular with INSEAD students. The catch: rent is not cheap. Thankfully, there are other less expensive options near the campus, including government-built housing HDB (Housing Development Board) flats. If students are willing to spend just a little more time commuting, there are other options as well. Lease terms: In Singapore, typically the minimum period for which a flat can be rented is six months. This might create complications for people who only intend to spend two academic terms in Singapore. As such, it is sensible to tell your agent to insert a clause that allows sub-letting. Given the number of people who swap campuses, it won’t be hard to find a sub-tenant but just make sure you’re not breaking any laws. If possible, come to Singapore a few days before your programme starts:Agents in Singapore are extremely efficient and it is not uncommon to secure a flat within a day or two viewing the property. By visiting the country early, students can have a better feel of the property and allay any concerns they might have from merely looking at the pictures. Some of my classmates started the house-hunting process only after the programme had started and made initial fretting completely unwarranted.

FROM Insead Admissions Blog: Learnings from Orientation Week

When I visited INSEAD’s Fontainebleau campus ten months ago, I told my mother I must get into this school so that I could return. Today I am welcomed on the campus along with 300 others. It truly gave me a sense of closure. The orientation week in itself is a mini course. It is overwhelming but stimulating at all levels. Personally I would like to share three learnings that I gained from the experience.   1 Diversity in Learning. In the environments I grew up it, voicing different opinions is not considered a character strength. In INSEAD, being vocal about your view is not only accepted but also encouraged, because it drives intellectual versatility. Borrowing the words of a brilliant professor on general management, the learning environment here “helps the more assertive cultures [to] tone down and the more sensitive ones [to] toughen up”.   2. Diversity in Network. Most say the value of the INSEAD MBA is its network. For me the difference between hearing about it and experiencing it is the same as looking at the pictures of Rome and actually being inside the Coliseum. In a single event, I could interact with nuclear engineers, pilots, and scientists as much as marketers, bankers, and consultants. What struck me is not only the sheer breadth and depth of their experiences, but also their willingness to share and listen.   3. Diversity in Life It is easy to assume that an INSEADer has it all—the intellect, the work experience, and the great future earning potential. Would your perception change if I tell you the sacrifices they made to get to where they are today? Behind the success is hard work, perseverance, juggling family responsibilities, and giving up comfort to step into the unknown. Hearing the stories from different people gave me new perspectives on relationships, career, and family. Indeed, learning how others balance the trade-offs in life inspired me greatly.   The orientation week passed in the blink of an eye. INSEAD stayed true to the values it stands for, and I look forward to the interesting days to come.

johndoe84,
thanks for your update - I looked carefully to the form I should download from application site and pass to interviewers - indeed, it contains the links to all attached documents including essays and CV.


Have anybody from R3 successfully registered on scholarships portal? Since last Friday I continuously get an error: We are not accepting the registrations as yet. Please come back later

Scholarships portal looks to be open. Good luck to all R3ers!

FROM Insead Admissions Blog: Preparing for Separation

Klanti amar khama koro prabhu Pathe jodi pichiye pori kobhu —Rabindranath Tagore If I ever fall behind on the path If I ever get tired —Forgive me Lord. I’m sitting in my small room looking over the city—this huge edifice of human existence and labor. I see children smiling, screaming, and playing on the school playgrounds next to my building; I see the cars driving smoothly by; I see clouds in the sky and the glass and steel façades of the magnificent skyscrapers all around. This city, Singapore, is a testament of the best in human nature itself: the toil and the ingenuity that have joined forces to bring this gigantic machinery together are unimaginable in most other parts of the world. There is a lot to say about this city and this wonderful new part of my life. A few examples should suffice. Classical music plays underwater in the swimming pools; the streetlights have sensors to detect the presence of pedestrians and grow brighter or dimmer as needed; the buses detect change automatically; and drones capture street imagery. I can hardly contain my excitement at finally being able to make the journey to INSEAD, which by the way, is a dream come true. The level of intellectual discussion in the classroom and the experience and maturity of my fellow students amaze me time and again. The first feeling that grabs you when you enter INSEAD as a student is the feeling of being dwarfed by a cavalcade of amazing people. The year at INSEAD will definitely be one of the best yet one of the most trying in the life of anyone attempting it with the challenges of the huge loan and the sacrifices that you have to make to get here along with the pressure of performing among a group of over-achieving individuals. Yet, the biggest challenge that anyone will face here will have more to do with the disconnect that you will feel from the anchors that have been keeping you steady till now. You can prepare for almost everything to the minutest detail starting from academics to toiletries and feel that you are indeed ready for the challenge of the year ahead. Only choose two between three – sleep, study and socialize. I feel very strongly that they are missing out on the fourth corner of the problem, the invisible corner if you will. This corner consists of your family that you may have left back home or brought with you, in which case you need to devote time to them as well. This corner isn’t spoken about enough, yet it happens to be the most important one when it comes to your mental balance and peace. The pressures at INSEAD can get to the most seasoned of campaigners and proper planning is the only way to stay ahead of the curve. Me and my wife we spoke a lot about this disconnect and the fact that we would be spending a year mostly separated from each other. The good thing about technology is the number of choices it provides you to stay connected provided you want to stay connected. So we set up a few simple ground rules, such as trying and involving the other person in our lives as far as possible so as to reduce the disconnect. This serves the dual prupose of letting the other person know that you care and want her to be involved but also to let her know for a fact that most of the pressures that you are talking about are very real and not a figment of your imagination. Apps like Skype, Viber and https://gmatclub.com/chat have played a pivotal part in our lives in keeping in touch. I try and send even class notes to her by taking snaps of the handouts and sending them to her via https://gmatclub.com/chat. This has actually helped me a lot at times as she happens to sometimes bring out points which I might have missed out. It also helps in bonding and lends matter to talk about, something which can become a sore issue if you are spending your year in different cultures and different time zones. One other thing that I try and do regularly is to call her up whenever I can via Viber or Skype. Internet is cheap and Wi-Fi is free everywhere. It also helps if you’ve spoken ten times a day for two minutes each and then speak for maybe an hour before you go to sleep. However, this is rather optimistic as most days you wont get the time to call her ten times or speak for an hour. You will be trying to catch up with all that was taught in the class and at the same time prepare for the next day. This means that weekends will become more precious than you can imagine as it always boils down to a choice, whether to go out for a game or a tour or a party with friends or to stay home and chat over Skype. Like I have said before this is a hard trade off and the decision is almost everytime dependent on the people involved. Just one word of advice though, try and decide on your priorities first. That way you won’t end up just says that repenting even if you did lose up on the other things that you needed to do. Yet, you will constantly feel something missing from my life and I know well what that is. Which is why I started my blog with that comment on top from Tagore. It simply says that you will make mistakes and will get tired but then you will be forgiven in time. This year is indeed going to be exciting by the looks of how it has started, I just wish that I didn’t have to spend it celibate though!

Yesterday I've been told by my admissions consultant that candidates are normally interviewed by one person who has recently graduated and is closer to your age, and one who graduated earlier, about 10 years ago or so. Also, she told me that despite the fact that many people have one interview in a form of a friendly conversation, and another as a stressful interview, the interviewers are not briefed by the school, so their style fully depends on their personal approach.

I've had my first interview today, with a "younger" interviewer. Just thought someone would be interested in my experience.

Interviewer profile: Associate at a Consulting firm. Graduated about 4 years ago.
Location: coffee shop close to where she lives (downtown).
Day & time: Saturday, 9am.
Length: 1h30m.
Questions:
- Why MBA?
- Why INSEAD?
- Why Singapore?
- What are your short and long-term goals?
- Describe how you've come to the idea of getting an MBA?

It started as a more formal "question and answer" session, then I messed up a bit answering one of the key questions, and my interviewer immediately fed back that I sounded unconvincing. It was like a bucket of iced water for me. I pulled myself together and responded with a well-structured and much more cohesive response. She smiled and apparently liked what I said, because the rest of the interview she was much more casual and relaxed. It was really more about her getting to know me better and giving me some tips and advices for my next interview and studying at INSEAD.

Generally, I feel that despite I screwed up in the beginning, I still did quite well. She didn't confirm that she will submit a positive feedback, but said that she'd planning to be in Singapore after New Year and we may see each other there.

FYI 15D had 429 admits per date. This from MBA Connect.

Thank you, TaipanRex. I guess that means that they will admit about a hundred more?

Any updates on the scholarships?
I am a waitlist candidate.
I got reject from 3 of 5 scholarships.
For one, I have not received any update. It says on status "Decision taken - will be notified by email"
For need-based, it shows "application received"

FROM Insead Admissions Blog: Diversity: what we all have in common

5 September 2014 I’m three weeks into the MBA program at INSEAD and I have already made meaningful connections with so many of my classmates. At first glance, the diversity of the INSEAD student population can be intimidating. My classmates are some of the most successful young professionals from every corner of the world. As an engineer from the U.S., what could I possibly have in common with an investment analyst from India or a luxury goods public relations manager from Belgium? Meeting all of these new people with different backgrounds and cultures has made me realize that the fact that we are all so diverse is what makes us have so much in common. We all have so many experiences that it is easy to find something that we share, even if it is small. With the depth of our diverse cultures, experiences, and characteristics, there is bound to be overlap. Where are you from? This is the classic question that I’ve struggled with all of my life and most INSEADers have a difficult time answering it with just one word. My family is from Slovakia, I was born in Austria, but grew up in Florida and lived in Chicago before I came here. This complicated answer is nothing new among the INSEAD student population and my dual nationality is completely normal. Because there are so many students with dual-nationalities and those that have lived/worked all around the world, I feel like I truly belong here. What did you do? Another difficult one to answer. Many of have had multiple jobs before coming here and even already changed careers from our undergraduate education. Then there’s the question of what we want to do after graduation—even harder to answer. However, because of the breadth of experience, I’ve met people that have worked in the same industries or job functions as I have. What’s next? Like I said, people are very curious about what you want to do post-MBA but the truth is that most of us are still exploring our options. On-campus recruitment is going on for the 14D class but many of us 15Js are participating to get ahead and learn more about companies. The struggle to figure out what to do next bring our class together as we ask each other about our former careers and discuss options for the future. It is the things that make us different that actually bring us together. Because of the wide variety of locations, jobs, and experiences, you’re bound to have at least one little thing in common with everyone that you meet. Maybe it’s a former employer or location or simply the global mindset that brought us all together at INSEAD in the first place. I’ve made connections with other people that have immigrated to new countries even if we are from opposite ends of the world. I’m looking forward to discovering more about my classmates as the year goes on and getting to know everyone past the surface questions of where you’re from and what you did before.

My interviews have been done since last week. I start to check post here everyday to see if there is any news ^^. Because of the many worries (Admit, Finance, Room) sometimes I thought I might be happy to just settle down my life here instead of pursue the INSEAD journey. I am trying to finish essays for scholarship application before the deadline. How are you guys doing?

Same here: Working on essays, too. Interviews happened the week before last week. I don't dare to put the phone away However, an INSEAD alumni friend told me that they probably want to finish all the interviews, before sending out their decisions, which should happen by Sep-23. Hopefully earlier