New INSEAD Essay Jan Intake 2026

Question

INSEAD MBA ESSAYS - January 2026 intake . Some business schools keep their essay prompts unchanged for years. Among these, INSEAD has asked the same essay questions, with minor tweaks, since time immemorial. Their essay questions did not change a single bit from 2016 to 2024. So, last year, for the August 2024 application cycle, we as consultants were caught off guard when INSEAD changed their second motivation essay and knocked off the extra-curricular essay altogether. For the 2025 admissions cycle, the changes are even more significant. I am happy though to see the return of the ECA essay. A lot of our INSEAD applicants have well rounded profiles with exciting ECAs. So last year, when INSEAD cancelled the ECA essay, it became a challenge for applicants who had lesser space to tell about their extra-curricular pursuits. Now that the ECA essay is reinstated, we welcome it with open hearts (and flowing words). The essay questions are: Job Essays: (analysis in the following posts): Essay 1: 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) * READ ANALYSIS: https://gmatclub.com/forum/new-insead-e ... l#p3534969 Essay 2: 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) * READ ANALYSIS: https://gmatclub.com/forum/new-insead-e ... l#p3553789 Personal Essays: Essay 3: 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) * Essay 4: 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) * READ ANALYSIS: https://gmatclub.com/forum/new-insead-e ... l#p3558622 Essay 5: Is there anything else that was not covered in your application that you would like to share with the Admissions Committee? (maximum 300 words) Namita Garg, Founder, MBA Decoder Email: contact@mbadecoder.com Reach out to us for a Profile Evaluation Helping applicants achieve their MBA dreams since 2011

MBAandBeyond · Answer

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MBADecoder · Answer

Analysis: Job Description

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)

INSEAD has clubbed two separate essay prompts into a single essay, with the combined word limit remaining at 500 words. This integrated format will allow you to present your career trajectory with better flow and structure.

Essay Analysis:  
In the first part, you will discuss your career choices and the motivations behind every role you have taken since graduating. In the second part, you will detail your current or most recent role, by delving into specific responsibilities and achievements.

The first part of the essay prompt asks for a comprehensive summary of your career choices and progression, with a focus on the “why” behind your decisions. In my experience of helping applicants write this essay, I often receive initial drafts that read like a “walk me through your resume” answer or a repository of achievements. This is not what the admissions committee is looking for.  Don’t regurgitate your resumes and your numerous achievements.   Instead, focus on the “Why” behind those resume pointers.  Explain your rationale behind joining a specific industry, a job or a role? What did you hope to contribute or learn? What skills did you learn in that role? What were 1-2 key achievements? How did this job give you direction for further advancement in your career?

TIPS AFTER REVIEWING INSEAD ESSAYS OVER SEVERAL YEARS:  
This essay offers a great opportunity to  demonstrate self-awareness and strategic thinking  in giving direction to your career. B-schools like applicants who are thoughtful and deliberate in their career decisions, so don’t come across as someone who drifts from one opportunity to next. Show that you have steered your career with a clear purpose and a desire to make a significant impact.

https://imgur.com/a/bNAj3IM

Secondly, keep INSEAD’s admission criteria in mind.  Highlight your leaderships skills and international orientation . Don’t waste space listing out day-to-day support responsibilities like “providing assistance” or “creating documents”; instead mention about work that was more strategic in nature and involved higher order leaderships skills like  influencing, negotiating, relationship building, collaboration, etc . If you work with global teams or clients, mention it in your narrative, emphasizing on how you contribute to such teams.

My third advice is especially relevant for applicants who have held several jobs or received multiple promotions.  Your most recent roles are likely to be the most meaty,  while early positions might have involved lesser impact.  Avoid dedicating disproportionate space to your initial roles; instead, allocate more detail to your recent positions where your leadership and impact are more evident.

The second part of the essay question is quite straightforward. Here, it will help to follow a structured approach to describe 3-4 key responsibilities and your 1-2 of your most significant achievements. Again, keep INSEAD’s admission criteria of leadership and international orientation in mind and weave these into your narrative where relevant.

https://imgur.com/a/bNAj3IM 
 https://imgur.com/a/bNAj3IM

MBAandBeyond · Answer

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vsg700 · Answer

I just submitted my application for Jan-26 intake, I see that KIRA interview has 4 video questions and a 5th one which will be a written type question, does any one here have any idea what type of prompts will be given for written one

MBADecoder · Answer

ANALYSIS: GOALS ESSAY
  
 Essay 2: 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) *

A 300-word goals essay for the 2025 application cycle marks a significant change from the 100-word limit that had been in place since 2019. Previously, applicants were asked to outline their short- and long-term goals in just 100 words, with other details reserved for the interview stage.

While a 300-word goals essay is standard at many top MBA programs, we wonder  what prompted INSEAD to make this change?  The answer possibly lies in the expanded scope of the new prompt. It now explicitly asks applicants to specify their target industry, function and geography; explain how they plan to bridge the gap between their current experience and future aspirations; and articulate why INSEAD is the right platform to support this journey.
This signals that  INSEAD expects applicant to reflect more deeply about their career goals. In today’s uncertain job market, career clarity, planning, and feasibility matter more than ever. Applicants must know where they are headed, what’s their rationale and how realistic is their approach for achieving their aspirations.

A few things to keep in mind when writing the INSEAD Goals essay:

1. Strict word limit:   With just 300 words at your disposal, you must make every single word count. Its easy to get carried away by citing irrelevant quotes, or lengthy explanations about the industry or role you’re pursuing—those details can eat up space without adding real value. Snip anything that does not directly address the essay question. As it is, this essay includes several parts, which can only be covered if your writing is super tight.

2. Follow the essay question:   It may sound like common sense, but many applicants overlook this- answering every part of the essay question. Break the question down into its components and make sure you’ve addressed each one directly and clearly.

3. The goals essay should be deeply personal:    This essay is  all about you: your motivations, ambitions, skill gaps, and learning objectives. Tell your personal story here (AI generated responses lack soul) and express it with purpose, enthusiasm and conviction. By the end of your essay, the admissions committee should feel confident in your ability to achieve your goals and see why INSEAD is the right platform to help you get there.

We have seen applicants make   a few common mistakes   in the goals essays which you must absolutely avoid:

1. Not having a purpose:  Career goals without purpose makes your plans sound directionless. For the adcom, understanding  the “why” behind your answers  is crucial for fully grasping your goals, so, do mention your rationale behind your choices. Why do you want to follow a career path? What is your passion? What impact do you wish to create? Showing purpose adds meaning and direction to your goals statement; It shows that you are ambitious and intentional about the impact you can create through our career.

1. Not having ambition:  Many applicants position the goals as a natural progression from their current careers, but this approach lacks inspiration. B-schools seek to nurture leaders who are driven by a higher purpose and aim to make a meaningful impact, eventually making their alma-mater proud.  Simply stating that your goals are the next logical step signals a lack of ambition or vision.   This is especially risky if you are vying for highly competitive  careers like consulting and investment banking where you risk blending in with countless other applicants if you do not differentiate yourself by writing uninspiring essays.

2. Not giving enough clarity:  The wording of the goals essay must be very clear. Avoid vague statements, such as- “I will join a leadership position post-MBA”. Instead, answer with specificity. Clear, concrete details demonstrate that you’ve thoroughly researched your path and understand what it takes to succeed.

Name 2-3 companies indicative of the type of organizations you wish to join. In which industry or function? In which region or country? Mention the challenges you hope to tackle and the skills you expect to develop and how this experience will equip you for your long-term goals. And then, make all of this relevant for INSEAD by telling how INSEAD specifically will help.

3. The long-term goals do not have to be overly detailed,  as no one can predict what you will do 8-10 years down the line. But you should still convey a clear direction. Mention the type of company or organization you hope to join, the role you envision for yourself, and the kind of impact you aim to make—whether on your organization, your industry, or even at a broader societal level.

4. Not pinpointing the reasons you need an MBA:  Sometimes applicants overlook answering what skills do they currently lack to achieve their goals. Identifying these knowledge or skill gaps is essential to tie the essay together and clearly demonstrate why an MBA is the right next step. It shows self-awareness and reinforces the relevance of the program to your career trajectory.

5. Making it generic:  As MBA goals essays are meant to be highly personal, do not write anything that applies to a broader range of students. Instead, share specific insights that reflect your unique journey and aspirations. Avoid giving generic reasons for choosing a course or project. Instead, clearly explain how it will help you overcome a specific knowledge gap or gain skills essential for your post-MBA roles. Every course, experiential learning opportunity, and club you mention should have a direct connection to your career goals and demonstrate purposeful planning in how INSEAD will help you prepare for the next stage of your journey.

Lastly, while AI generated essays will give you a polished end product, it will not be the best. It may not be personalized or it may lack a soul. As adcoms seek passionate and visionary leaders, you should aim to retain your voice and personal style in the goals essay.

Namita Garg,
 Founder,  MBA Decoder  
 Email:  contact@mbadecoder.com 
 Reach out to us for a Profile Evaluation 
   Helping applicants achieve their MBA dreams since 2011

MBADecoder · Answer

Essay Analysis: Describe a highly Stressful situation

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) *

INSEAD’s behavioural essay question has gone through significant changes over the past year. Historically, applicants were asked to address two examples within a 400 word limit: their most significant achievement and their biggest failure. Last year, for the September 2024 application cycle, INSEAD changed the prompt to a single, 400-word failure essay. This year, they have shifted the focus again, asking applicants to describe a “highly stressful” situation.

The prompt is broad in its scope and can include a variety of scenarios. At its core, however, this is a leadership question, where you are expected to showcase your resilience and maturity in handling adverse situations.

During Round 1, we observed many applicants opting for fairly basic stories – such as managing a project under tight deadlines or adapting to a scope change. While these stories may be valid, they lack the depth needed to demonstrate true leadership. Instead, applicants should select stories where they were stuck in more complex challenges that require influencing, persuading, driving change or collaborating in difficult circumstances. Some impactful situations to consider can include:

• Navigating a significant difference of opinion with your team or leadership
• Resolving a conflict within a team or with a senior manager
• Convincing stakeholders to adopt your approach against initial resistance
• Facing an ethical dilemma
• Choosing between two equally compelling but difficult paths
• Making the tough decision to let go of an employee

Each of these situations involves adversity and requires applicants to use their resilience and maturity in handling it.

Use the STAR approach for answering the essay question. Start with setting the context of the situation. Why was the situation stressful? What was at stake or what would happen if you didn’t take any action? Why did you feel compelled to address the problem at hand?

Next, what actions did you take? Did you have to influence or persuade someone? How did you do this? What arguments or tactics did you use that convinced them?

What results did you achieve? What was their significance?

Reserve the last 100-150 words for self-reflection. What did you learn about yourself and how do you cope under pressure? What skills were you able to use in overcoming challenges? Also address, how do you interact with others during such situations. how do you lead, communicate, or collaborate to achieve positive results even under stressful situations?

Additional Tips:
INSEAD’s application requires several essays so you should aim to have a balance between personal and professional stories. My personal preference for this essay is to lean towards a professional story as it’s more relevant in a bschool context. However, take a call depending upon how you are leveraging the rest of the essays.

Also, try to choose an experience from the last three years to present the most accurate picture of the leader you are today.

Namita Garg,
Founder, MBA Decoder
Email: contact@mbadecoder.com
Reach out to us for a Profile Evaluation : https://mbadecoder.com/services/free-pr ... valuation/
Helping applicants achieve their MBA dreams since 2011

New INSEAD Essay Jan Intake 2026

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