INSEAD Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation

Hi Guys,

First post here so hope I’m doing this correctly. Wanted to know if anyone could be so kind as to give me their 0.02 on whether or not my background could be interesting to look at by the INSEAD admission folks. I’m still a couple of years away so I’ll just share achievements up to know and maybe add just overall “where I’ll be at that point in time” stats (i’m 2-3 years away from applying as an average applicant).

BACKGROUND
-Male, 26 YO, from a southern EU country
-Attended a top US public college (think top 30) for undergrad, GPA not great unfo, a 3.0, majored in Econ & PoliSci (plenty of extracurricular stuff
including but not limited to investment club president, student gov, tons of philanthropy)
-Interned in NYC, London, Tokyo all at top boutiques in AM and S&T during Ugrad (all FO roles)
-Took a year off between end of Ugrad and beginning of first FT job for variety of reasons; tldr is travelled then got an offer and had to wait to start
-First job: 1YR of FT S&T exp in a “big commercial bank” in a different southern EU country where I learned the language fairly well.
-Took GMAT once, scored 650
-Decided to attend a top MFIN program (think ESSEC/ESADE/ESCP/IE), Master’s thesis grade 3.7 GPA, class rep, international case comp finalist
- Second job: Went back into S&T at a top EU trading house where I’ve been promoted to Associate a year early (2YR FT exp vs usual 3), led roadshows by myself
-Overall I am bilingual and speak two other languages reasonably well.

MY STATS WHEN APPLYING
-28/29 YO
-I’ll have 4 years FT exp in S&T across two firms, all in equities and plenty of good accomplishments like big IPOs, roadshows, different trading strategies etc
-I will retake the GMAT and hopefully get 720 or above
-Two degrees, maybe some progress done on the CAIA (always seemed super interesting to me)

MY GOALS AT INSEAD
To be honest i’ll be pretty tired of S&T at that point so I’d probably like to try my hand at IBD or MBB. Locations wise i’d only target NYC and London (no visa issues for either)

MY QUESTIONS FOR YOU
1) On the new language requirement:does this still apply to me? If so, can I just take the INSEAD test for one of the two other languages I don’t speak
fluently or will I have to literally pick up an entirely new 5 language? (This seems slightly unreasonable to me)
2) Will that 720 GMAT be enough to make up for a poor Ugrad GPA
3) How important are the essays for INSEAD? I get the idea that they are valued more highly by the US programs
4) Am I too young to be applying at 28 with 4 years exp?
5) What are my chances?

Thanks so much!

Hi Ninja300,

thank you for your post.

Let me address your questions.

1) On the new language requirement:does this still apply to me? If so, can I just take the INSEAD test for one of the two other languages I don’t speak fluently or will I have to literally pick up an entirely new 5 language? (This seems slightly unreasonable to me)

You won't need to study a 5th language. English and your native language will fulfill the entry language requirement. In order to fulfill the exit language requirement, you'll need to prove that your fluency level at one of the two other languages you speak is at least A2.

2) Will that 720 GMAT be enough to make up for a poor Ugrad GPA

Yes, and your MFin degree will also help.

3) How important are the essays for INSEAD? I get the idea that they are valued more highly by the US programs

Essays are very important for INSEAD. There are many, and this is because INSEAD wants to give candidates the chance to present themselves in a holistic way.

4) Am I too young to be applying at 28 with 4 years exp?

No, your age won't be an issue as current average is around 29 years old (range is between 26 and 32). On the work experience side though, you'll be more on the lower end, but still within the range (average is around 5.5 ranging from 3 to 8 years).

5) What are my chances?

Your changes are fairly good. If you do score 720 at GMAT and are able to show rapid career progression with quality experience, I don't think you'll have any issues meeting all 4 admissions criteria (i.e. Academic Capacity, International Motivation, Leadership Potential and Ability to Contribute).

I hope this helps.

Good luck.
Alex
_________________

Hi,

I would appreciate any feedback about chances for INSEAD.

Latin American
BSc in Industrial Engineering
~4 yrs WE in banking AT government-owned development bank
Undergrad exchange for a year
GMAT: 700 (Q44 V41 IR5)
Extrac: leadership roles in some local professional associations

Cheers

A couple of additional questions before I respond:

1) How were your grades as an undergrad?
2) What do you want to do post-MBA?
3) Do you have experience in your background that points to your identification with social good aspect of INSEAD's mission?

Thanks
_________________

Hey Linda,

1) 7.7/10, 2nd highest in my graduating cohort.
2) Consulting
3) Actually, yes. I have been involved mainly in infrastructure financing where regional impact is very relevant as it is located in an emergent market.

Thanks for the attention

Cheers

Posted from my mobile device

Hello everyone,

I am 27 years old, female
I have 4+ years consulting and start-up experience, promoted 2 times as top performer
I have Bsc. in engineering from one of the highest ranked university. I studied with 50% scholarship, but have a low GPA (2.8 over 4)
I have 700 GMAT score (50Q, 34V, 8IR)

I have played volleyball in minor leagues for 11 years, I am 2* scuba diver for 5 years

What do you think about my chances for INSEAD?

Hi Irmako,

The information you have provided here is not sufficient for me to understand your profile. A few questions keeping INSEAD's evaluation criteria in mind:
1. What is the break up of your work experience? How long have you worked at the consulting/ start-up? what were your roles and achievements at both these places?
2. Do you have international experience and exposure to working in international teams?
3. Your GPA is low, but that can't change now. Do you have a reason for the low marks? Was your scholarship merit based?
4. What do you want to do after INSEAD?

Thanks for the additional information. You have a competitive profile for INSEAD.

You might be interested in
1. My interview with Virginie Fougea, Director of Recruitment and Admissions at INSEAD.
2.The Get Accepted to INSEAD webinar recording.


Best,
Linda
_________________

Hi all,

First time posting in the GMAT Club forum and hoping to get some feedback on my profile and an overall assessment on the likelihood of getting an interview with INSEAD.

Background and nationality = Canadian

Undergrad Information = Completed an Honours BComm at McMaster University with a focus in Accounting & Finance

GMAT: 620 (Q44, V33)

Work experience and leadership: I manage and own a few businesses the most notable being a large event space in Toronto where we host a variety of social and corporate events ranging from Weddings, Receptions, Galas, Corporate Meetings, etc. This is a family business that I helped start alongside my brother and father. It is now lead by my brother and I. We host over 300 events a year and guest sizes range from 100-1500 guests. I am also a franchisee of a major convenience store franchise in Toronto, where I currently own and operate 3 locations. Also have a small size private investment

Community and others
-Very much enjoy travelling and hiking/mountain climbing. Most notable climbs so far include Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Carrauntoohil. Have currently booked a trip to Nepal to complete the 3 Passes Trek.
-I am involved in a social group where I act as a mentor for high school students and help create social engagement opportunities

Post MBA goals
-Further streamline the operations of my businesses so that I may start and grow new ventures in a sustainable manner.
-Strengthen international network and gain confidence conducting business internationally.

I am a bit concerned that my GMAT score may be too low so I am working towards writing the exam again, however I do not want to miss Round 1. Would it be advisable to apply with my current score or should I rewrite and then apply? Based off my schedule, the earliest I could see myself writing would be 1 week before the deadline.

Any help is appreciated and please do let me know if any other information is required. Would also love any suggestions of schools I should research into given my profile!

Thanks in advance!

You need a higher GMAT to be competitive at INSEAD and I do recommend you focus first on getting that score up even if it means a later application.

For INSEAD you also need to show a real appetite for international business or what INSEAD calls "International Motivation." You also need to show that you share the social element of its motto.

Best,
Linda
_________________

Irmako,

If you can, then you should increase your GMAT score because pre-mba consulting pool has really high average GMAT score. Applying in Round 1 or 2 is secondary if you do not have a good GMAT to support your application. So do not put yourself under pressure to apply in a specific round. Just get the GMAT blocker out of the way first.

You need to push your verbal score a bit. Take a look at link in the signature to understand more on academic capacity.

Cheers!
Shantanu Sharma
INSEAD Class of December 2017
----------------------------
Applying to INSEAD R1 Sep 2020?
Is your admission consultant from INSEAD?
MBA and Beyond Consulting/Academic Capacity
Schedule a free Profile Evaluation Session here.

Hello, please find below details about my profile.

Background:
- Indo Canadian (naturalized citizen), Male, 30
- Bilingual - Hindi, English

GMAT (TBD: scheduled for September first week): Aiming for 710+ (feedback welcomed)

Education:
- Undergrad - B.Eng. in Comp Science from a mid tier university in India (Honours degree, ranked in top 2 of graduating class) - 79%
- Grad School - Master of Science in Comp Science from a top public research university in Canada (100% scholarship, Department Research Award) - (GPA - 3.85/4)

Profile summary:
- Software Professional with 8+ years experience in ideating, implementing, and delivering innovative solutions
- Experience in technical leadership, customer-centric technology and R&D consulting, software project management, and technology risk management

Work experience (Moved to Canada right after undergrad, so the entire work experience is international(?)):
8+ years of work experience in Canada at increasing responsibility levels in technology:

1. Software Engineer (3.5 years)
- 1 year at a research lab directly working with industry partners
- 2.5 years at a large gaming company

2. Senior Software Engineer/Team Lead (6 months)
- Helped an early stage product startup scale
- Lead various automation efforts and technical team

3. Software Architect (4 years) - Boutique technology consulting firm
- Technical Project Manager responsibilities for about 8 months
- Technical decision making during sales & implementation lifecycle of various consulting projects - architecture, scoping, estimations etc.
- Leadership including mentoring team members, designing and leading the hiring process, team growth (led to 5X growth)
- Business development, attending conferences/sales (mostly US) as a technical expert

Tech Entrepreneurship Experience:

1. Co-founded an engagement analytics product company (tech startup) (8 months)
- Venture selected for a prestigious seed-stage program for scalable, science-based companies
- Mentorship by some famous VCs and entrepreneurs in technology space
- Actively involved in all aspects of product and business development: product refinement, market research, growth strategy, financial evaluation/projection, investment strategies, customer outreach
- Raised capital investment

2. Software Architecture Consultant (Independent)

Other activities/Volunteer work:
- Technology Advisor for a STEM education not-for-profit organization
- Regular participation as an instructor in not-for-profit STEM learning workshops for children and youth
- Lead a team that won a hackathon related to open data and technology use for civic engagement
- Avid hiker

Post-MBA goals:
Short term:
- Management consulting to complement existing technology consulting experience/skills, specific interests: strategy consulting and analytics

Medium term:
- Senior Leadership positions at technology firms (FAANMG)

Long term:
- Entrepreneurship

Questions:
- Profile evaluation for INSEAD

- Where do I stand?
- What must be improved to increase chances of an admit?

- Is the lower bound for GMAT score aim sufficient, or should I aim for a higher score?
- I have already taken the entrepreneurship leap, and I am currently a self-employed Software Architecture Consultant, is this seen as a negative or a positive attribute of a profile?
- Planning to apply for September 2020 intake, does it make a difference when submitting an application for round 2 vs. round 3?

Hi pipinstall,

thank you for sharing your profile.

Let me jump directly to your questions.

- Where do I stand?
I think your profile has good elements to be a good candidate for INSEAD. I would love to take a look at your resume, but in principle, I can see good career progression. I also like the fact that you co-founded a tech start-up and you're an entrepreneur now.

I understand you were born in India and all your work experience is in Canada, but do you have experience working in multi-cultural teams?

Also, what kind of projects and for what type of clients have you been involved in as an independent consultant?

- What must be improved to increase chances of an admit?
At this point, there is not much that can be improved except your GMAT score. 710 is a good score, but try to aim higher if possible (i.e. 720-730).

Also, we don't know much about your current experience as entrepreneur, but in these cases, it always helps signing a big project for a global company. Bonus points if you are designated as the leader of a multi-cultural team and your project involves some international travel.

- Is the lower bound for GMAT score aim sufficient, or should I aim for a higher score?
As mentioned before, 710 is a good score and you could be accepted with 710. But obviously, the higher the better. Also, try to get a balanced score with at least 75th in Quant and Verbal sections, and at least an IR score of 6.

- I have already taken the entrepreneurship leap, and I am currently a self-employed Software Architecture Consultant, is this seen as a negative or a positive attribute of a profile?
It really depends on how you frame this move. If you are able to put together a compelling story that shows that taking this leap was a step forward in your career and that you took it keeping in mind your MBA plans and career goals, then you can use this entrepreneurship move to your favor.

- Planning to apply for September 2020 intake, does it make a difference when submitting an application for round 2 vs. round 3?
Yes, it does. INSEAD claims that the acceptance rate across all rounds is the same. However, the number of applications INSEAD receives decreases significantly in Rounds 3 and 4 as most candidates apply in Rounds 1 and 2. In short, in Round 3 and especially Round 4 there are not many seats left. Also, keep in mind that Canadian is one of the largest national groups at INSEAD, which means that competition is fierce. Therefore, if possible, try to submit your application as early as possible.

I hope this helps.

Like I said, I would really like to see your resume to understand better all your experiences and career progression. Feel free to PM me or email it to me at alex@arleeconsulting.com.

Thank you very much.

Warm regards
Alex
_________________

Hello Alex,

Thanks for your reply and insights. Please find my replies inline.

Thanks for requesting a profile evaluation.

A balanced 710 is competitive at INSEAD. Do realize that INSEAD looks more closely at the separate scores on the GMAT than the overall. Overall your profile is competitive, but I would prefer to see more multi-cultural experience. Yes I realize you immigrated form India to Canada. However INSEAD talks about "International Motivation" and it seems like you made the move and presumably adapted, but that's it. If you have worked in multi-cultural teams or traveled for pleasure outside of India and Canada, please make it clear that you did so.

Also INSEAD is looking for people with commitment to social good. You have some, but be sure to highlight it and make the most of what you've got.

You might be interested inmy interview with Virginie Fougea and our INSEAD essay tips.

Best,
Linda
_________________

Hi pipinstall,

Thanks for asking me to review your profile and I hope my suggestions will be of help.

You have great leadership experience and that must be brought out sufficiently well in the application, through all the components- essays, resume, recommendations. INSEAD's essays give you a lot of space to really delve on your professional leadership. You should make the best use of that space by showing the impact you have created on business outcomes (do give financial numbers to show impact).

I am concerned about your goals though. The path to entrepreneurship is too long. If you are already an entrepreneur with proven success, then why would you wait for another 10 years before you take that jump again? That doesn't convince. Moreover, if your venture is doing well, why don't you continue growing it?

On another note, you should rethink your career goals. If you are targeting pure strategy consulting, that may be really difficult, besides your past experience will lose relevance in doing so. I am also not convinced with the midterm goal.

To answer your specific questions:
1. You have good leadership experience and international experience as well. A well-executed application, with sound career goals should definitely help your chances.
2. I'd agree with Alex. At this aim for a better GMAT score. 710 is reasonable, but more would be even better.
3. Your entrepreneurship gig should tie in with the rest of the story, and your career goals. I have already pointed that out above.
4. Given the competition, its always less risky to apply to the earlier rounds. That said, we have helped an Indian applicant successfully apply in R3.

29 year old Male, Indian
GMAT: Not given yet


Education
10th-80%
12th-68%
B.E (Electronics)-64%
PGDM (Diploma in Management-IMT Nagpur)-7.1

Work Experience
1. HCL Tech (Leading Indian IT Company) (9 Months)
Project :FedEx operations management center

KEY ROLES
->End to end planning and execution of project delivery
• Plan, manage and communicate the progress of the project, achieving project milestones and maintaining the momentum of the project
• Optimization of Resources planning and forecast with a focus on overall project profitability. Facilitate resolution of issues and roadblocks
• Strive for devising and implementation of best practices across deliveries
• Managing projects within Timelines & Budgets
• Experience in managing project with Quality process
• Adept at project monitoring, control and Risk Management.
• Experience in conducting team reviews
• Mentoring and Coaching team members


2. Left the Job for Full time UPSC Preparation (1.5 years) (Could not clear)

3. HDFC Bank (6 Months)
Designation: Assistant Manager
Profile: Personal Banker

KEY ROLES
Managing Customer Portfolio
Generating leads and reselling-cross-selling
Managing day to day bank operation to adhere compliance requirements
Generating and analyzing various reports


4. Founded Tea Processing Company
Launched my own tea brand.
Running the startup since 1 year and have managed to generate positive cash flow.


Other interests
1. Running a health blog related to diabetes management
I am Type 1 diabetic since 2 years.
Since my diagnosis, i did a lot of personal research to manage the condition. i started the blog to present the complex information in simple non technical manner.

2. Selected for MIT Entrepreneurship Bootcamp.
Couldnot attend due to funding issues

3. Interest in Swing Trading
I have an interest in stock markets and have been managing my personal portfolio.

4. Have worked with different NGO for underprivileged child education

5. Interest in Badminton
Participated in local competitions


Goals
Short term: Job in consulting
Long term: Entrepreneurship

I am looking for world class 1 year MBA program.
Please let me know your opinion about my profile and how can i improve my chances.

Thanks in Advance

Hi Preet,

I have two observations:
1. INSEAD prefers applicants with an international focus. You dont seem to have any international experience. That will not bode too well for you.
2. If your company is only a year old, then are you planning to shut it down when you go to business school? Or is there someone who will manage it while you are off for a year?

Hi Namita,
Thanks for the reply.

1. Yes, i have never been outside India but during my tenure at HCL, i had interaction with the clients from USA.
During their Indian Visit, i had the job to prepare their agendas according to their schedule and interest.

Also, the blog i created, allowed me to interact with people around the world through social channels. It helped me to get basic understanding of their thinking and tehir ways to manage their health related problems

2. While doing the business, i felt that i dont have the required skillsets to take the business to the next level. I will shut it down if i get the good school