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MiMEssay
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Hi Sherry2101,

Your profile looks amazing enough with a consistent streak of progression. Your career in itself is well diversified and gives you an all-rounded profile. The fact that you hold a venerable position in your current organization speaks a lot about you and highlights that you have leadership qualities in you. Your diverse academic background when matched with your current role also states how adaptive you are and demonstrates high intellect.

If you are able to score above 700 in your GMAT, that will provide you with a strong ground as 80% of the class at INSEAD has GMAT scores in the range of 670-750. However, I’ll recommend you to keep it above 710 to slightly compensate for your academics.

As Competition for each round is equal regardless of the intake or round you apply for, it doesn’t matter much whether you apply early or late. Rather it depends on your preparation with respect to the whole application process.

Moving onto your ECs, they clearly demonstrate a generous personality with genuine care to uplift others. I would recommend you to highlight your personal understanding and learnings behind these social causes. Your interest in music and dancing brings diversity in your profile and you should definitely talk about such passions in your apps to help adcoms know more about you as a person.

About your concern of a second MBA, I would say while IIM A is India’s one of the premier institutions, there will be question marks over the relevance of the first MBA and the need of a second. You need to have plausible reasons for pursuing MBA from INSEAD now with a clear chalked out plan for your post-MBA goals. Try to give a global outlook to your goals and highlight how you can contribute to INSEAD’s vision and community.

I wish you good luck with your exam. If you'd like, we are happy to hop on a call some time this week to discuss your chances in further detail and help you understand INSEAD better. Being an INSEAD alumnus myself, I’ll be more than happy to assist you in your journey.

Feel free to book a free session with us as per your convenience.

Cheers!
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Sherry2101
Hi Everyone,
I want to know which B schools should I be targeting & when? Request the experts to weigh in:


Post MBA goals:
Short term: Consultancy with MBB
Long term: FAANG (Marketing & strategy)
Geography change: USA/London

I only want to aim for 1 yr MBA programs as I've completed an Indian MBA (equivalent to MiM in India's top B schools)


Indian
Female
26

High school: 10/10 CGPA 2010 grad
Sr High school: 93% Aggregate (science) 2012 grad
Grad: Tier 1 engineering college (Non IIT, Non NIT) in biotechnology 7.1/10 absolute grading,2016
Post grad: IIM A/B/C/L (India's top 4 B schools) in Agrobusiness management 5.5 on relative grading scale 2018


Work ex (only post IIM MBA) 2.5 yrs overall

1 yr as group leadership associate (internal consultant) with India's Biggest conglomerate in the following 3 projects.
All 3 companies are of the same conglomerate & I worked here on stint rotations

1. Branding & Marketing Manager: B2B Fibre company, Mumbai (4 months)
Launched a new category, did GTM planning & execution for the category, handled PR, Media, Social Media etc. Worked with national celebrities for the launch

2. Digital Marketing Manager, Payments Bank, Fintech industry, Mumbai (4 months)
Scaled up paid digital marketing efforts for two apps of the company via affiliate marketing, referral programs, SEO, SEM etc

3. Demand Planning Manager, World's biggest aluminum manufacturer, Atlanta (USA) (4 months)
Worked on reducing the demand variance in the supply chain for the can manufacturing team, handled key accounts like Pepsico, Ball etc.


Brand Marketing Manager, India's biggest premium apparel Mens brand (1.5 yrs) , Based in India
Worked on advertising campaigns, social media marketing, SEO, SEM, Campaign launches, store launches, retail management, Ecommerce scale up, PR & Celebrity management. Drove All aspects of Media, Social Media, Marketing, Branding for the lifestyle brand. Was SPOC for all advertising agencies, PR, Media, Print houses, Ecommerce platforms like Amazon, Flipkart (Walmart)etc.


Current role: Business development manager, Fashion & Lifestyle category, Amazon Advertising, Based in India.
Just started this role. Got a 100% hike, promotion. The role typically goes to people with 4-5 years of experience while I only have 2.5 yrs


Extra curriculars:
Trained vocalist.
Self taught dancer (contemporary dance form, Bollywood, Bhangra)
Trained Keyboard player, Learning guitar

Volunteering

National Service Scheme Cadet (School)
Associated with Red Cross as fundraising volunteer (School)
Associated with NGOs focused on child education as a volunteer (College)
Highly passionate about Women's & Child education issues
Helped 150+ students from lesser fortunate backgrounds with soft skills like interviews, grooming, presentation skills to crack Job interviews, B school admissions etc.

GMAT Score (yet to take): current performance 700+, have a month to go for the actual GMAT Targeting 720 Min, expecting 740 Max.

Languages:
Hindi
English
Punjabi
Italian (beginner)
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HI Shantanu,
Thank you for your detailed response.

I'm trying to aim at 720 Minimum to be on the safer side.
With regards to the second part of my Q, i wanted to understand which batch should I apply for.

Should I target INSEAD 2022 Jan admit or INSEAD 2022 SEP admit?
The reason for this is a combination of my age plus work ex & its implications.

INSEAD 2022 Jan: Work ex 3.5 yrs, Age 28 at the time of joining. Could be perceived as less experienced by admissions committee.
INSEAD 2023 Jan: Work ex 4 yrs, Age 28.5 at the time of joining. The more I delay lesser would be my chances if shortlist by MBB due to age factor.

Would request you to share your insights on the above, if possible.
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Hi Sherry2101,

Well, best of luck for your exam. A 720 GMAT should put you at a good spot.

Addressing your second concern, I think your work-experience is quite great. We know a candidate who had an experience of only 3 years at the time of joining. So, if you feel the quality of your work-experience can supersede the quantity, I say go for the Jan intake. But if you have any doubts regarding this, going for the Sep intake would be a better option and should not deter your chances to MBB. Even then, your age will fall in the average age of INSEAD MBA.

If you still have concerns, feel free to reach out to us. We can have a discussion at length over your work-profile and post-MBA goals.

Cheers!
Shantanu Sharma, Linkedin
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What s app: +65-97158525

Sherry2101
HI Shantanu,
Thank you for your detailed response.

I'm trying to aim at 720 Minimum to be on the safer side.
With regards to the second part of my Q, i wanted to understand which batch should I apply for.

Should I target INSEAD 2022 Jan admit or INSEAD 2022 SEP admit?
The reason for this is a combination of my age plus work ex & its implications.

INSEAD 2022 Jan: Work ex 3.5 yrs, Age 28 at the time of joining. Could be perceived as less experienced by admissions committee.
INSEAD 2023 Jan: Work ex 4 yrs, Age 28.5 at the time of joining. The more I delay lesser would be my chances if shortlist by MBB due to age factor.

Would request you to share your insights on the above, if possible.
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Hi everyone,

I have a pretty basic question - are the class profiles of Insead's Singapore campus and its France campus considerably different? And is any of them less competitive and easier to get into?
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Thank you Shaantanu for thevery detailed inputs.
Appreciate it.

Best,
S.
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Both the campuses are identical in terms of class profile, staff and faculty and so, competition. The difference is more on the surroundings side. The Singapore campus offers more networking opportunities. It exposes the local Singapore INSEAD students to mingle well with professionals outside their alumni network.

The France campus is more serene and offers the students a chance to dwell in the beautiful European landscape. However, winters are harsh in France.

For a program that takes its students back and forth, between the campuses, apart from the student travels involved as part of their job placements or personal trips, clearly, the Asian campus is more suitably located.

Shantanu Sharma, Linkedin
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Zandler
Hi everyone,

I have a pretty basic question - are the class profiles of Insead's Singapore campus and its France campus considerably different? And is any of them less competitive and easier to get into?
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curlie
27 year old Indian woman here.

\(Stats\)

GMAT Score: 740 (Q:50, V:40, 97 percentile)

Undergrad GPA: 8/10

Grad GPA: 6.7/7 (2nd in a class of 120)


Why I want an MBA: I have experience in IT/Finance and want to pivot into Strategy Consulting or General Management and am keen on an international study experience.

Why I want one now: I have always had an interest in the the process management space. I have been working as a business analyst where I am part of the implementation of a digital strategy in the organisation for over 3 years which led me to an interest in strategy in general. I want to learn and explore this new but related field.

Background

Work experience: 3.5 years (1 promotion) as a Business Analyst in a global financial services firm with a focus on technology platforms

Extra curriculars and other experience:

Part of a Leadership Prep program at work
Part of Digital Innovation Initiatives at work
Part of the site-level (1000+ employees) employee engagement and communications workgroups at work
Head of the Alumni Committee at Grad School

Undergrad school/major: Bachelor of Engineering in Information Technology

Other education/coursework: Master of Management Studies with a focus on Information Systems

Hi curlie,

At the first glance itself, your profile stands out with impressive achievements under your belt. Your undergraduate score of 8/10 and grad GPA of 6.7/7 showcases your strong academic capabilities. Furthermore, your GMAT score of 740 is again a very competitive score which will allow you to target most of the top-notch B-schools, most specifically INSEAD.

Coming to your work experience, you have worked as a business analyst in a global financial firm for a period of 3.5 years which again is decent enough. However, you haven't mentioned any big brand names which can pose as a drawback since you will be competing against applicants who have worked in the big 4 companies and for a longer duration of time which is something the adcoms pay extra attention to when it comes to an MBA program. Having said that, you can showcase the intensity of your work experience by highlighting why you choose this company, the kind of projects you worked on, how you were able to add value to this organization and what unique skills you’ve picked up along the journey. Moreover, since you are applying for an MBA program which is a managerial degree, you should also focus on highlighting the instances wherein you’ve taken the lead and spearheaded initiatives.

Most importantly, since you are targeting INSEAD, you need to be aware of the fact that INSEAD gives extra preference to applicants who have an international experience as it highlights your broadened perspectives and adaptability skills. Hence, it is in your best interest that you mention some international experience you had in the work front to showcase these interpersonal skills.

Furthermore, your extracurricular participation is equally important as it will showcase a holistically developed profile which is what the schools are looking for. Needless to say, you definitely possess a decent hold on your extracurricular activities through your active involvement in various CSR activities, active members of your grad school alumni network, and other impactful initiatives. However, you can add more value to your profile by digging deeper into the various endeavors you undertook and how you went above and beyond to excel in the same. Additionally, you can also elaborate on the activities you participated in during your college years such as highlighting the kind of events you organized, duties you performed, and your major takeaways from the same. All in all, varied skills can contribute towards you being a great future leader which would automatically impress the adcoms.

Now coming to the INSEAD school that you are targeting, it falls under the dream category (where your chances of acceptance is 40-50%). However, you can boost your chances of acceptance by focusing on the kind of application you are submitting. Your application is basically what differentiates you by highlighting your strengths and overshadowing your weaknesses which will help you stand at par with your competitors. Moreover, you need to hedge your bets wisely by targeting a good mix of dream and competitive schools. Under the dream category, you can target HEC PARIS and under the competitive category (where your chances of acceptance is 50-60%), you can look at ESSEC, ESCP, FSFM, MANNHEIM, and ESADE.

That said, if you are contemplating on how to draft an impactful application, you can check out our All-in-one service, which is a complete end to end consulting process aimed at providing personalized application suggestions, unlimited edits, and expert consultants who would constantly be there to help you throughout your journey. We’ve helped 2500+ applicants get into their dream schools so far, and we’d love for you to be next!

Below is the link to our All in One service:

https://www.mim-essay.com/mim-all-in-one

Hope this helped!
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boblesponge
Hi

Background and nationality: 30+ Russian/Romanian
Undergrad Information: Top 10 Russian finance/econ schools 3.2/4
Grad: Top 10 UK engineering schools, petroleum engineer 4/4
GMAT: 720 (I have plenty of time to retake if needed)
Work experience and leadership: 10 years of corpfin/corpdev for Russian oil giant (top 50 in Global F500) of which 5 years in Singapore, led a couple of high-caliber M&A assignments; been on career track, promoted 3 times, been awarded by CEO, shortlisted for senior leadership roles in portfolio companies (still will be able to play this card post-mba)
Community and others: within my employer led several de-carbonization, tech and operational efficiency projects with tangible quantifiable results, interned at tech VC, did 3 Ironman 70.3 triathlons and a marathon in a row in 4 months (I don't know how it can be helpful but some folks mention it), CFA lvl 3 candidate
Overall international exposure (studied or worked): European and Siberian parts of Russia, Europe, Asia/Singapore, Middle East
Post MBA goals: Consulting with emphasize on energy transition or VC in clean tech, not sure about my odds in IB
Schools:
a) I guess European schools will be the best fit for me (INSEAD, LBS) since I'm a bit older, have int. exposure and visa will not be an issue;
b) also would love to explore 1-year programs at Cornell and NYU (MBA Tech) since I'm inclined to tech/STEM and hey, NY is the center of galaxy;
c) maybe 1-year accelerated at Duke (with concentration in Energy Finance) since I have significant energy experience;
d) not much info about MIT fellows or Stanford Msx;
e) not sure about standard 2 year US MBA path, but would love to hear your suggestions.


Hi boblesponge,

First and foremost, your profile is of exemplary stature which is evident from your perfect GPA score of 4/4 from one of the top 10 engineering colleges in the UK which is an added perk as B-schools is on the hunt for exceptional students. Furthermore, you have a very impressive GMAT score of 720 that again vouches for your stronghold in the academic front.

Coming to your work experience, you have 10 years of work experience which is quite impressive especially when it comes to an MBA program. Most importantly, you have been working in the energy sector which is pretty unique when compared to the professional domain of the other applicants. This aspect of your profile sets you apart from your competitors and makes you stand out in the crowd.

Furthermore, you have also mentioned how you got the opportunity to work for 5 years in Singapore which can be used to showcase your broadened perspectives and adaptability skills. Moreover, since you are applying for an MBA program which is a managerial degree, you ought to highlight some of your experiences in this domain. Furthermore, this can be taken up a notch by elaborating on the kind of projects you handled, duties you performed, and most importantly highlight what were your major takeaways.

Furthermore, your participation in extracurricular activities is equally important as it will showcase a holistically developed profile which is what the schools are looking for. Needless to say, you definitely possess a decent hold on your extracurricular activities through your active involvement in various CSR activities, marathons and by undertaking CFA certification. You can also elaborate on the activities you participated in during your college years such as highlighting the kind of events you organized, duties you performed and your major takeaways from the same. All in all, varied skills can contribute towards you being a great future leader which would automatically impress the adcoms.

Now coming to the schools under your radar, including stanford, they all come under the dream category (where your chance of acceptance is 40-50%). However, you can boost your chances of acceptance by focusing on the kind of application you are submitting. Your application is basically what differentiates you by highlighting your strengths and overshadowing your weaknesses.

Moreover,I’d suggest you hedge your bets wisely by targeting a good mix of dream and competitive schools. Under the competitive schools (where your chances of acceptance are 60-70%), you can consider schools such as, MICHIGAN, ESSEC, ESCP, WHU and FSFM.

All things considered, I would suggest that you apply in the upcoming round to leverage the first mover advantage and ensure a higher chance of getting accepted. That said, if you want to know more in-depth and personalised suggestions regarding your application which holds 30% value in your selection process, you can book a FREE 20-minute consulting session with one of our expert consultants who will help chalk out a winning strategy that would boost your chances of acceptance by a minimum of 3x! The link is attached below:

https://www.mim-essay.com/book-an-appointment-form/

Hope this helped!
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Hi Everyone,
I want to get my profile evaluated for INSEAD - France or Singapore
Request the experts to weigh in:


Post MBA goals:
Marketing/Branding in Production industry


I only want to aim for 1 yr MBA programs as I've completed an Indian MBA back in 2015

Indian
Male
32
Married

High school: 68% - 2004
Sr High school: 72% - 2006
Grad: Tier 1 engineering college - K J Somaiya Mumbai (Non IIT, Non NIT) in Electronics and telecommunication - 2010 pass out - 56% aggregate score
Post grad: N L Dalmia - Mumbai - 2015 pass out - 68% aggregate


Work ex

Pre MBA -

1 yr in LSI Research and Development - Intern - VLSI Company - PUNE - 2011 to 2012
1 Yr in LSI Bridgetech - Engineer - Mumbai - 2012 to 2013

MBA - 2013 to 2015

Post MBA -

1 year 7 month - Wealth management - ICICI Bank
6 Month - Wealth Management - Yes Bank
2 Years - Plant Sales Manager - Nuvoco Vistas corp ltd - Formerly Lafarge India Ltd. - Mumbai
1.5 Years - Trade Marketing - Nuvoco Vistas Corp Ltd - Gujarat/Rajasthan state - Still working in this profile.

So Basically I have worked in VLSI field before MBA, and post MBA got into Sales - have experience in B2C sales (banking workex) then B2B Sales ( 2 years as Plant sales manager), then moved to Marketing - Handing Rajasthan state BTL activities.


Extra curriculars:
Love to play Squash


GMAT Score (yet to take): current performance 670+, have a month to go for the actual GMAT Targeting 720 Min, expecting 740 Max.

Languages:
Hindi
English
Gujarati (basic)
Marathi (basic)
French (beginner)


Kindly revert regarding chances of getting in INSEAD.
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Hello,

Thank you for your time to weigh in to evaluate my profile!

I'd like to get my profile evaluated for INSEAD in France/Singapore for the Jan 2022 Intake.

Profile:
31, Indian male living in France since 2012.

MBA admission goal: Applying to INSEAD for the Jan 2022 intake
I feel INSEAD is the right match for me because provides the opens opportunities for me both in Asia and Europe, where I'd like to work in the future.

Post MBA goals:

- Short-term: Consultancy with MBB
- Long-term: FAANG (Strategy)
- Geography: Asia (Singapore, India) then Europe (UK, France)

Education:
- Bachelors in Electronics and Electrical Engineering from Top 5 Engineering schools in India (not a high GPA); Graduated in 2011
- Masters in Management from top 3 business schools in France (high GPA); Graduated in 2015

Experience
- 1.5y as co-founder and led product growth of e-commerce startup in Austria & France
- 2.5y Head of Marketing at high-growth HR startup in Paris
- 1y Growth Manager at Fintech startup (backed by FB) in Paris
- 1.5y freelance growth consultant in Toronto
- 2y Marketing Data Analyst at top healthcare startup in Europe based in Paris

GMAT: Yet to take (690 in previous GMAT). Aiming at 720+

Languages
- Fluent in English, French
- Intermediate in German
- Other languages: Fluent in Hindi, Telugu

Extra curricular activities:
- Running for 5+ years
- Fine-arts
- Volunteering for rural hospitals in India
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Hello,

I'm having hard time to decide whether I should even apply to INSEAD, and would really appreciate a profile evaluation that would help me understand where I'm standing really.

I'm 28, with 6+ experience in Tech, mostly as a software engineer + tech lead.
After the first company I worked for for a few years as a leading engineer got acquired by a giant e-commerce company, I worked for a FAANG-level Fintech company, and was part of a core team responsible for the development of their main global product.
After that, I led an engineering domain at a start-up that was featured as one of the most promising start-ups in the last year.

- I took GMAT a couple of years ago and scored 670 (90% in Verbal. Surprisingly it was the Quant. part that let me down).
- I have a B.Sc in Computer Science, and another diploma in Electrical Engineering.
- I speak five languages (all from completely different language families) - three fluently, and two at a B2-C1 level.
- a few years of Operational + tech experience from my military service.

Given my gmat score, I thought about maybe going for a year at a school like SDA or Oxford/Cambridge, but after some research it seems to me that it probably won't be worth it, and the choice here is either applying for INSEAD, or not apply at all. (LBS is not considered because it's almost a 2 year program)

Thank you for the help!
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Somnium7
Hello,

I'm having hard time to decide whether I should even apply to INSEAD, and would really appreciate a profile evaluation that would help me understand where I'm standing really.

I'm 28, with 6+ experience in Tech, mostly as a software engineer + tech lead.
After the first company I worked for for a few years as a leading engineer got acquired by a giant e-commerce company, I worked for a FAANG-level Fintech company, and was part of a core team responsible for the development of their main global product.
After that, I led an engineering domain at a start-up that was featured as one of the most promising start-ups in the last year.

- I took GMAT a couple of years ago and scored 670 (90% in Verbal. Surprisingly it was the Quant. part that let me down).
- I have a B.Sc in Computer Science, and another diploma in Electrical Engineering.
- I speak five languages (all from completely different language families) - three fluently, and two at a B2-C1 level.
- a few years of Operational + tech experience from my military service.

Given my gmat score, I thought about maybe going for a year at a school like SDA or Oxford/Cambridge, but after some research it seems to me that it probably won't be worth it, and the choice here is either applying for INSEAD, or not apply at all. (LBS is not considered because it's almost a 2 year program)

Thank you for the help!

Hi Somnium7,

From the first glance itself, your profile looks decent enough with room for further improvements. Overall, you seem to have a decent hold in the academic front, but since you haven't given any details regarding your GPA, it puts me in a tight spot, as I am unable to give you an accurate and complete review of your academic proficiency. However, to give you a brief idea, you need to have at least a 6.5+ GPA in your undergraduate to get an admission in a top B-school, more specifically INSEAD.

Coming to your work experience, you have an extensive years of work experience which will definitely work in your favour especially since you are applying for an MBA program. However, you lack big brand names under your belt such as KPMG, PWC and BLACKROCK. Having said that, you can compensate for the same by drawing attention to other aspects of your profile, such as the kind of projects you spearheaded, duties you performed, and most importantly highlight what were your major takeaways. Moreover since you are applying for an MBA program which is a managerial degree, you should also focus on highlighting the instances wherein you’ve taken the lead and spearheaded initiatives.

As for your GMAT score, 670 is pretty competitive and should allow you to target most top b-schools. While the average GMAT requirement for INSEAD is 690, if you are open to retaking the test, I would recommend doing so. If you are pressed for time, fret not, you can still be targeting the school with your current GMAT score. Your GMAT holds 15-20% of an impact on your chances of getting accepted, that said, you need to follow a strategy of magnifying the other strong suits of your profile.

Furthermore, you have mentioned that you speak five languages, which can vouch for your broadened perspective and adaptability quotient, something which is very much valued at a school like INSEAD. Most importantly, you have mentioned that you had a few years of tech and operational experience in the military, which is a unique background that adds a lot of diversity and value to your profile.

Now, coming on to your target school - INSEAD, it falls under the dream category (where your chances of acceptance is 50%). Having said that, you can boost your chances of acceptance, by drawing attention to the stronger aspects of your profile which can be achieved through your application. Your application is basically what differentiates you by highlighting your strengths and overshadowing your weaknesses. Additionally, it also carries a 30% impact on your admission prospects which is why I would stress you to pay more attention to the same.

That said, if you are contemplating on how to draft an impactful application, you can check out our All-in-one service which is a complete end to end consulting process aimed at providing personalised application suggestions, unlimited edits and expert consultants who would constantly be there to help you throughout your application journey!

Below is the link to our All in One service:

https://www.mim-essay.com/mim-all-in-one

Hope this helped!
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Hi GAURAVSH,

I see you have a diverse profile with respect to professional experience. Your chances will become quite strong if you happen to score above 700 as 50% of the students at INSEAD have their GMAT scores above that mark.

Since professional experience forms the highlight of your profile, we will be primarily discussing it here. I see you have worn multiple hats, you’ll have to emphasize why you have changed roles. I insist you properly connect your pre-MBA outlook with the post-MBA one. Later, you must also make it clear how an MBA at INSEAD helps you achieve your goals.

The point I’m trying to bring home is you’ll have to create a flow for your professional experience which looks a bit unstable apparently. You must bring forward solid reasons for why you have changed roles and what have been your learnings from such different profiles.

I also request you to highlight the career progression. Any achievements, or your contributions towards your employers in the past.

Your ECs will need more explanation. Either you should talk about your other hobbies/interests or you should cover your Squash journey in more detail. This will give a more holistic touch to your personality and profile.

Feel free to connect with us for any help or support. Being an INSEAD alumnus myself, I’ll be more than happy to assist you in your MBA journey.

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GAURAVSH
Hi Everyone,
I want to get my profile evaluated for INSEAD - France or Singapore
Request the experts to weigh in:


Post MBA goals:
Marketing/Branding in Production industry


I only want to aim for 1 yr MBA programs as I've completed an Indian MBA back in 2015

Indian
Male
32
Married

High school: 68% - 2004
Sr High school: 72% - 2006
Grad: Tier 1 engineering college - K J Somaiya Mumbai (Non IIT, Non NIT) in Electronics and telecommunication - 2010 pass out - 56% aggregate score
Post grad: N L Dalmia - Mumbai - 2015 pass out - 68% aggregate


Work ex

Pre MBA -

1 yr in LSI Research and Development - Intern - VLSI Company - PUNE - 2011 to 2012
1 Yr in LSI Bridgetech - Engineer - Mumbai - 2012 to 2013

MBA - 2013 to 2015

Post MBA -

1 year 7 month - Wealth management - ICICI Bank
6 Month - Wealth Management - Yes Bank
2 Years - Plant Sales Manager - Nuvoco Vistas corp ltd - Formerly Lafarge India Ltd. - Mumbai
1.5 Years - Trade Marketing - Nuvoco Vistas Corp Ltd - Gujarat/Rajasthan state - Still working in this profile.

So Basically I have worked in VLSI field before MBA, and post MBA got into Sales - have experience in B2C sales (banking workex) then B2B Sales ( 2 years as Plant sales manager), then moved to Marketing - Handing Rajasthan state BTL activities.


Extra curriculars:
Love to play Squash


GMAT Score (yet to take): current performance 670+, have a month to go for the actual GMAT Targeting 720 Min, expecting 740 Max.

Languages:
Hindi
English
Gujarati (basic)
Marathi (basic)
French (beginner)


Kindly revert regarding chances of getting in INSEAD.
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Hi nikhilsamuel89,

It seems you have a very interesting profile with your professional experience being the highlight of your resume. Your career progression is very attractive and gives an image of a high-performing individual. The high GPA in post-grad and your projected GMAT score make your academics strong.

You still have a good chance with your current GMAT score as middle 80% of the class at INSEAD have their GMAT scores in the range of 680-740. Your work-ex duration stands above the class average of 5.6 years.

I ask you to provide details with respect to the scale and worth of the startup you co-founded. Regarding your work-ex, you must highlight specifically your contributions to your employers in terms of numbers and percentages. This will make your profile all the way more attractive.
Along with this, you must bring forward your learnings from your past roles. You can highlight instances where you lead your team through a crisis or tough time. As you have worked in startups, I believe there might have been impregnable situations.

Your ECs are very interesting and worth giving a separate space. Your running gives an impression of doggedness to your profile. You can accordingly cover your progress and running achievements too. Your volunteering highlights an important trait of contribution to society.

Alongside, you can also consider applying to HEC too.

Feel free to reach out to us for any help or query. You can book a free session here. We can talk in-depth about your application strategy and other target schools. Being an INSEAD alumnus myself, I’ll be more than happy to assist you in your MBA journey.

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nikhilsamuel89
Hello,

Thank you for your time to weigh in to evaluate my profile!

I'd like to get my profile evaluated for INSEAD in France/Singapore for the Jan 2022 Intake.

Profile:
31, Indian male living in France since 2012.

MBA admission goal: Applying to INSEAD for the Jan 2022 intake
I feel INSEAD is the right match for me because provides the opens opportunities for me both in Asia and Europe, where I'd like to work in the future.

Post MBA goals:

- Short-term: Consultancy with MBB
- Long-term: FAANG (Strategy)
- Geography: Asia (Singapore, India) then Europe (UK, France)

Education:
- Bachelors in Electronics and Electrical Engineering from Top 5 Engineering schools in India (not a high GPA); Graduated in 2011
- Masters in Management from top 3 business schools in France (high GPA); Graduated in 2015

Experience
- 1.5y as co-founder and led product growth of e-commerce startup in Austria & France
- 2.5y Head of Marketing at high-growth HR startup in Paris
- 1y Growth Manager at Fintech startup (backed by FB) in Paris
- 1.5y freelance growth consultant in Toronto
- 2y Marketing Data Analyst at top healthcare startup in Europe based in Paris

GMAT: Yet to take (690 in previous GMAT). Aiming at 720+

Languages
- Fluent in English, French
- Intermediate in German
- Other languages: Fluent in Hindi, Telugu

Extra curricular activities:
- Running for 5+ years
- Fine-arts
- Volunteering for rural hospitals in India
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Hey Somnium,


I understand your dilemma very well. I hope this clears some air.

Your profile definitely looks promising the first glance. If you can improve your GMAT score to 700+, it will provide you with a strong ground as 50% of the students at INSEAD have scores above 700.

Your presentation will need more polishing as you’ll have to highlight your career progression, contribution to your past and present employers, hobbies, interests and ECs. You should introspect and try to understand whether you definitely want to move to a managerial role from your current operational/tech role.

I must tell you this that your military service is a hallmark of your resume and b-schools have a separate preference for applicants from a security services background.

Talking about prospects, yes, an MBA at INSEAD is worth all the pain, effort and uncertainty that goes into the preparation and application process. Being an INSEAD alumnus myself, I’ll defend my statement to death.

Feel free to book an hourly session here. I’ll be more than happy to discuss the application process and long-term prospects.

Regards,
Shantanu Sharma
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Somnium7
Hello,

I'm having hard time to decide whether I should even apply to INSEAD, and would really appreciate a profile evaluation that would help me understand where I'm standing really.

I'm 28, with 6+ experience in Tech, mostly as a software engineer + tech lead.
After the first company I worked for for a few years as a leading engineer got acquired by a giant e-commerce company, I worked for a FAANG-level Fintech company, and was part of a core team responsible for the development of their main global product.
After that, I led an engineering domain at a start-up that was featured as one of the most promising start-ups in the last year.

- I took GMAT a couple of years ago and scored 670 (90% in Verbal. Surprisingly it was the Quant. part that let me down).
- I have a B.Sc in Computer Science, and another diploma in Electrical Engineering.
- I speak five languages (all from completely different language families) - three fluently, and two at a B2-C1 level.
- a few years of Operational + tech experience from my military service.

Given my gmat score, I thought about maybe going for a year at a school like SDA or Oxford/Cambridge, but after some research it seems to me that it probably won't be worth it, and the choice here is either applying for INSEAD, or not apply at all. (LBS is not considered because it's almost a 2 year program)

Thank you for the help!
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Hello, it would be great if anyone of you could evaluate my profile as below for INSEAD Jan '22 intake:

Background:
Indian IT Male
Age 27
GMAT 710 (V37 Q50)
TOEFL 109

Education:
Bachelor of Engineering majoring in Computer Science from the University of Mumbai in 2016
GPA: 7.24/10

Work Experience: Total 5+ years
Top ERP software company headquartered in Germany
Work as a technology consultant helping customers in the digital transformation of their ERP landscape. Moreover, I also specialize in security consulting and database performance optimization.
Total international experience of around 1 year working for clients in North America and UAE. (was in Dubai for 3 months and around 9 months in Philadelphia and Palo Alto)

Certifications/Achievements - Completed a leadership program with my company for around 6 months with a highly selective batch of around 40 people from India.
Interests - Trekking (have trekked in the Himalayas in Northern India and Sahyadris in Western India) and adventure sports.

Post MBA Goal - Product management in a tech company (FAANG).
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Hi, thank you for your time to evaluate the profiles on here. I would appreciate to hear your thoughts on my profile and figure out where I stand on an application to INSEAD

Background:
- Singaporean Female
- Age 29 in 2021
- Speak fluent English, Mandarin Chinese, Mandarin Cantonese and basic Spanish

Current GMAT score: 670 (Q47, V36, IR8)
- Will be retaking in a few weeks time, aiming to get a 720.

Education:
- Bsc. Biomedical Sciences from the University of Queensland.
- First class honours but GPA 2.8/4 (after conversion).
- This is due to how Australia grade the honours year separately from the rest of undergrad. Have a score of 81/100 in my honours year.

Experience:
- 4.5 years as a neuroscience researcher and lab manager, lead a team of 6 in this time.
- Almost 1.5 years as a data analyst/analytics consultant in a regional tech firm, also play a training and mentor role within my first year.
- Self-learned to make the transition as I felt that career opportunities in academia are limited and I wanted a challenge

International Experience:
- Lived in Australia for three years for university
- Served clients in China

Extracurriculum activities:
- (Work-based) Communications person on a committee that was set up to help the department to improve working relationships via news updates, events etc.
- Volunteer at a local church as a service coordinator
- Avid crossfitter for the past 6 years (yea, i know its the cult life!)
- Dabble in other sports every now and then - hiking, bootcamps, dance, yoga
- Adhoc brochure design and handlettering (not quite sure if these hobbies count)

Post MBA goals:
- Would love an opportunity to work in Europe
- Pivot into management/strategy consulting or tech product management
- This is slow work in progress but I like to think that the network in an MBA programme would give me a louder voice to help women in STEM, regardless of which area in STEM (sorry this isn't something that is well thought through but something I have been slowly working on)

Thank you for your time again!
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