Calling all Applicants: INSEAD Sept 2019 Intake !

Hi Farrell,

Do you by chance know the Essay questions for Sept 2019 intake?

Also any ideas when the application portal will be open? Still shows Jan2019 on the iApply portal.

Thanks

Hi Goldielocks sorry for the late response.
They open the application 2 months prior to deadline; is it open yet?
Given the length of the application they should open it six months in advance IMO...
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Tuesday, July 24: Live Chat with INSEAD Alum

Hi Everyone, This Tuesday we have a live chat with Icecream87, at 9am Pacific time (6pm Paris time, 9:30pm Indian time) in our chat room. Icecream recently graduated from INSEAD. We hope all of you will participate in this chat. It's an excellent opportunity to ask your questions about INSEAD, its application process, and anything else that will help you make a strong case for admission this year.

Date and Time:

July 24, 2018 | Tuesday | 9:00 AM PDT (6 PM CEST; 9:30 PM IST)

Place:

Main Chat Room

There are admit chat sessions planned for other schools as well. Check out the complete chat calendar here.. https://gmatclub.com/forum/inviting-all ... l#p2092718

Highlights from the recent INSEAD alum chat

Do you want to introduce yourself a little bit before we get started?

Icecream87: I just graduated from Insead. And before that I was here with you all, reading biblically Bunuel and then going crazy with my application for INSEAD. The only school I actually applied for. I am french and congolese and I did finance before in paris and now heading to consulting in paris.


What do you think of recruiting trends at INSEAD? I know consulting is the biggest priority for most people, but what industries/sectors do you see your classmates going into?

Icecream87: IB recruits early (before the recruitment period), for internships that then turn to fulltime positions. IB recruitment is mostly for London. We also have tech that is becoming big with Amazon as the biggest, Microsoft somewhere behind. And then we have industry for MBA programs, pharma, capital goods, and many others. But yes consulting remains big.


What was the range of work experience in your batch?

Icecream87: The average is 5 years, with an average age of 29 and 34% women. It varies a bit from batch to batch, but this is a solid average.


How is the recruiting for non-Europeans in french / eu?

Icecream87: Most firms (consulting first) recruit worldwide. It’s not a problem if you want to work in the US. But you need to have a work permit (unless it is consulting). You have job offers that come from the world, but most companies (excluding IB and consulting) don’t really want to sponsor students. If you want to work in France, you have to speak french. And that’s the case for most european countries excluding the UK and the Netherlands


How good is the recruitment scene in Singapore? Apologies for a location specific question, since I want to build a career in Asia, specifically Singapore. Follow-up question to this is - any idea on how good / bad the Private Equity / Venture Capital recruitments are in Asia?

Icecream87: Fonty and singy are pretty much the same. Jobs in PE and VC are harder to get in general. Spots are limited and most of the time they search for a specific background. You can’t get into PE unless you have a previous PE background, consulting or IB background. Same for VC. Those who got in had the background. You can still make your way into a search fund but it’s not easy. You have to network a lot.


Why did you only apply to one school? what do you think makes a stand-out application for INSEAD?

Icecream87: DIVERSITY! I didn’t want to be a minority. Age, the average age is higher than US schools, I wanted to be with people who have had a lot of work experience, interesting stories to share, a solid network. Only a year spent away from work. I also wanted to stay in europe and particularly france. It was a no brainer. Ultimately the alums were nice. Whenever I got in touch they answered.


Do you think International experience is a must for candidates applying from Asia as the nature of competition is really high

Icecream87: Yes! or at least a strong international motivation. If you have only been in one single country, show that you are motivated to see the world, extracurricular also helps. Languages help as well.


Since the course is only for a year. Will this be enough time to build strong networks?

Icecream87: More than enough. All the people who went to Wharton found it way too slow. INSEAD is a fast passed program. We work hard and play hard. You won’t really have time for your friends and family though


What is the current economic trends in EU, and how is brexit gonna impact on INSEAD. Doesn’t absence of the additional Internship programs that provide a real time experience in management strategy impacts the INSEAD quality?

Icecream87: EU is doing surprisingly find (Macron effect?). We don’t really feel the impact of Brexit yet. IB in London is doing just fine for now. We still don’t know what will happen next. Consulting doesn’t care about internships. You can still do one if you want though. We also have two batches, the Ds that have an internship and the Js that don’t. If you want to do IB, you must do an internship (D or J) doesn’t matter. The Js just do it at the end of the program.


Given that INSEAD offers one of the shortest MBA program of 10 months, is there something you miss what you get from other traditional 2 year programs?

Icecream87: At the end of the program I and my batch really wished we had an additional year. But that was FOMO talking! It was a great experience I won’t change a thing
What is the current economic trends in EU, and how is brexit gonna impact on INSEAD. Doesn’t absence of the additional Internship programs that provide a real time experience in management strategy impacts the INSEAD quality?


Can you walk us through the dual interview experience?

Icecream87: If it’s the admission interviews, super easy. You don’t need much. Just show you are normal, your short and longterm goals are also normal. Don’t aim too big, but also don’t go blindly into saying you want to do consulting. Do your homework, talk to current students and alums. Understand what the recruitment process is really like. Most students end up in completely different positions than they primarily aimed for. Either because they were dinged (consulting and IB just doesn’t recruit everybody) or because they found some other company they never thought about that is actually very appealing. Be open and realistic. Just don’t be a weirdo. Know
your interviewers and asks them tones of questions to make them talk as much as possible and you will be fine.


INSEAD demands for a good amount of details and a lot of essays, along with video interview. Can you give us a tip to help us deal with this heavy application in a comprehensive and coherent manner, at the same time impressing the adcom?

Icecream87: You have to be thorough and show that you fit with the four requirements of the school: leadership, contribution, intellectual capacity, and international motivation. Give examples of then all. It is tiresome, but there is no way around that.


What’s one thing that stands out from your INSEAD experience?

Icecream87: The people for sure. That feeling of being an imposter, of not feeling that clever, of always having somebody else who has been there, done it. It creates great opportunities to learn and to meet great people. I also really loved the humility that this environment creates


One of the key aspects which you will like to recommend for the candidates before applying to Insead?

Icecream87: Show you can contribute!!!! Show you have contributed before, and tell the school how you can contribute once in! You are talking to the admission’s team. They want students who will become ambassadors (Virginie Vougea head of admissions) knows my name and gets in touch because I contribute, my deans have contacted me for great conferences and such because I contribute. It will make your experience at school reacher, and the school will love you!


Doesn’t the Macron effect increase the already fierce competition? and How is Macron effect going to tackle the language barrier (Current biggest hurdle for international students in EU nations)?

Icecream87: Each country is different. Some are more open to international employees more than others. Unfortunately in france so far Macron effect has not changed a thing. In any job in contact with french companies you need to speak french. Other countries in europe do a better job at that. The Netherlands and Switzerland do a better job (excluding the UK, obviously)


Where do you see most people going to in terms of geography? Does the campus location matter when it comes to recruiting location?

Icecream87: Yes! Location matters. Taking the example of consulting, London is super competitive, so is Dubai, and Amsterdam. In the US, they still prefer americans, and in France, same old story, they can sponsor you only if you speak french. So you need to have a rational to apply to a country that isn’t yours and for which you don’t speak the language. A spouse can be one of it, but it makes it harder.

On campus recruiting allows you to recruit anywhere. Companies will interview you where you are, it doesn’t really matter. Unless you want to do IB (London) in which case you’d want to be in fontainebleau, even though you can still be recruited from singy. Stats just show that live recruitment works better that webex.


Could you elaborate on your learning experience at INSEAD? What’s typical day of an INSEAD student?

Icecream87: No one typical day. Class at 8.30, lunch at noon, group work, sport, club activity, recruitment, drinks at freddy’s, poker night, party, night in paris, travelling on the weekend. You will just be super busy and everyday is different.


Is INSEAD a strong brand in Europe outside France or is there a particular preference to the Bschool of the nation (say IESE in Spain, IMD in Switzerland, etc)?

Icecream87: The real rival of INSEAD in Europe is LBS. Not the others. Although it is true that people even in france don’t really know INSEAD. Even in the fontainebleau, which is very funny. But all the people who are supposed to know INSEAD (recruiters) know INSEAD and respect it quite a lot. The other major school in france is HEC which everyone knows for its grande école program. But as far as MBA is concerned, INSEAD is up there alone.

Great insights. Thanks for sharing!

In for Round 1.

It will be great to hear from last year's success stories. What worked for you guys: Calling gmataroram, paraguay123, dont_give_up, crza!

What worked for me to write a successful application for INSEAD was the understanding of what the school looks for.

INSEAD looks for the following 4 factors in prospective candidates-
1 Ability to Contribute
2 Academic Capability
3 International Motivation
4 Leadership Potential

Point 3 was not very evident from my profile. I had not worked outside of my home country. But I proved my International motivation by highlighting how I am appreciative of various cultures and languages in my home country and extrapolated it to the global stage.

Thank you for coming forward to tell us the factors contributing to your INSEAD success.



You hit the nail on the head. So much hype is usually created around INSEAD's requirement of international experience/exposure, that applicants who have not worked outside their countries start to think they have no chance at INSEAD; however this is not true and your case is a classic example of what INSEAD actually looks for.

I use that same approach with my clients. We use the optional essay to highlight how they plan to contribute, substantiating that with previous similar contribution. With some clients who have worked extensively on small teams, I focus on the contribution/ positive dynamic they bring to the team at work.

I think with International orientation it's important to just show that you have had some exposure to people of different cultures, and demonstrated curiosity and interest.

Applications volumes increasing because Trump and Financial Times ranking. Strongly recommend everyone demonstrate why you *need* to be in a United Nations style program and how that will help you fulfill your goals and legacy.



https://mbaprepcoach.com
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Hello folks,

Needed some thoughts on the structure for the goals essay. Have been through several admissions consultants' sites and blogs.

One structure that I have come across is short term goal followed by long term goal and then a bit of how INSEAD MBA helps in achieving the goals.
Another structure I have come across is short term goal followed by long term goal followed by how INSEAD MBA will help followed by how one would go about without an MBA.

So clearly the difference is the part on how one would achieve the goal without an MBA. Is that really needed or is it advisable to include? It's a bit tricky as the path without an MBA might not necessarily be straightforward. In fact in some cases it may not be possible at all.

Hello nishantd88 I would recommend that you check out my blog on this. There is something called blog categories and you can find the one that says goals essay. I also have a successful insead goals essay example on my site as well.

https://mbaprepcoach.com
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Thanks Farell. Went through quite a few of your blog posts. Very informative.

nishant88
This is the one I recommend....on a PC now and can access it. This is my goal q formula.
https://mbaessaycoaching.com/category/goals-questions/
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INSEAD Application: Essay Exercise.

Roughly 3 weeks left for R1 submission. I am sure most of the R1 folks are currently busy in writing essays. We have come up with a set of questions for all those who are working on the essays. We encourage you to introspect on these questions and try to find convincing answers. If you don't find a logical answer to any question, you can discuss it with your friends, family members, or simply post in this thread to get opinions from fellow applicants.

I am sure the outcome of this whole process of self-reflection and introspection will be strong and compelling essays. Good luck!

Question Set

• What are your short term and long term goals? How an MBA from INSEAD (or any other business school) will help you achieve them?
  
• In case you have to abort the MBA plan for some reasons, will you still be able to achieve your future goals? How?
  
• Can you point out specific aspects of the skill set required for your future career that will be augmented by attending INSEAD?
  
• Do you have any weak spots such as poor academic record, low GMAT, or lack of leadership roles in job? How you plan to mitigate them? Here are few options to think about..
  
  • Focussing on your strengths and making sure they are articulated well in the application
  • Addressing weaknesses in optional statement
  • Trying to overcome weaknesses
  
  
• Have you figured out what can you contribute to an INSEAD class? How your classmates will benefit from your experience and expertise?
  
• If you’ve not lived or worked abroad, how would you indicate your international motivation and appreciation for various other cultures?
  
• If admitted which campus are you planning to attend? Why?
  
• Sept intake doesn’t have an internship option. Do you think getting recruited in target companies without internship is possible?
  
  Recommendation Letters…
  
  • Do you recommenders know you well? Have they seen your work closely, seen you in action in various settings and circumstances?
  • Do your recommenders believe in you and want you to succeed?
  • Do your recommenders know the recommendation questions and deadlines to submit them.
  • Have you had any conversation with your recommenders on why you want an MBA, what are your career goals, etc things?
  • Have you told your recommenders which qualities you hope they will speak to? (Leadership, innovation, maturity, team work, etc.) Do they have examples of when you have shown these qualities?

Thanks for posting this Narenn wonderful introspection exercise for INSEAD in particular

https://mbaprepcoach.com
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Hey everyone, wow, pretty quiet in here given the deadline is about 2 weeks away! Hope everyone is well underway with their applications, lots of essays and so I recommend that you do AT LEAST THE BRAINSTORMING for each and every essay by Wednesday....it's amazing how, if you ask your brain to come up with ideas, they percolate effortlessly at the right time, much better than stressing and straining to come up with something at the very last minute.
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My recommender entered his phone number incorrectly and submitted the form.

The LoR section of the application form says
"Your chosen referees do not have to fill in the form in one go; they can save and come back to it later. However, once submitted, the form can no longer be edited. After submitting their recommendations, they will receive a confirmation receipt via email."

So basically he cannot go back and edit the form. What's the way out? Should I write to INSEAD admissions team?
Or should I wait and submit my application. And once an AO is assigned, explain the issue to him/her and seek advice on the steps to be taken?

Hi nishantd88,

I would either let your AO know about this after you submit your application, or reach out to INSEAD's IT Support at 5555-ITservicedesk@insead.edu.

I hope this helps.

Thank you
Alex
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