INSEAD SEPTEMBER 2011 Intake

Hi SMH, while I can understand your frustration (because I didn't get into INSEAD after an interview in R2), I don't agree with your post-application analysis. INSEAD is a great school and definitely one of the top schools outside the US. The stuff you mention - fewer scholarships than US schools, a bad European job market, etc - should be taken into account when deciding upon schools, not after the application is sent in. So by all means, someone considering INSEAD should think about their fit to the school. Do you want to complete your MBA in 10 months or do you think you would benefit from a longer program? Do you want to be part of a 500-person intake or would you like a more personalized experience? Do you wish to work exclusively in the US post-MBA (in which case, you should probably opt for a US school)? How important is an internship to your post-MBA career plans? These are questions to ask yourself BEFORE you sit down and start writing the essays and filling out applications. Most importantly, ask yourself "If this was the only school I got accepted to, would I happily attend?" Don't waste time on schools you'd never attend anyway.

Sure, INSEAD doesn't fit everyone's goals. But shouldn't the question of fit be answered before you spend weeks on essays, recommendations, procuring old transcripts, spending 200 Euros on an application, spending days preparing for interviews and flying all over the place.

Once you get an interview at INSEAD, I believe they're very serious about your application. You should take the interview seriously and don't try to second-guess the school. They're also investing time and resources into you by interviewing you and they're only doing that because they really like you and want to get to know you better. The alumni interview format which INSEAD follows is always going to be a bit of a hit-and-miss. You might get someone who's just had a bad day. This is why I believe INSEAD tries to balance out the process by two separate interviews. Prepare well, know your application, your industry, be clear about your goals and know the school. If you made it this far, you're almost there! Don't get discouraged by people's bad interview experiences - if you prepare well, you're in with a fighting chance.

I didn't make it to INSEAD but I put a lot of effort in my application. I still have huge respect for the school and I envy (in a good way) all the lucky people who made it. Fortunately, I made it to Cambridge and HEC. So I have a bit of choice but INSEAD is a league above and a great choice, and good luck to all those applying! If I had to do it all over again, I'd still go for it.