bojunk
I'm an male engineer living in Europe, originally from an Asian country, and I'm targeting the Top 15 programs this year.
I'm currently in the naturalization process, so I will get my European citizenship at February next year at the latest.
If I go for R1, I most probably have to use my orignal citizenship, which is an overrepresented pool.
if I go for R2/R3, I might be able to use my new citizenship, which is a much smaller pool.
I heard rumors like "citizenship plays a big role in the quota system", but I also heard words like "the earlier, the easier and the more scholarship".
Therefore I'm genuienly curious to hear what everyone thinks of my dilemma: With my application readiness (not an extraordinary one though) equal in all rounds, which round should I go for?
Hi
bojunk thanks for this very interesting query. I have seen similar queries before on this forum, so I will provide a detailed answer.
Based on my personal observations, I have some broad-spectrum advice to share. When applying to schools, whether or not you have a second citizenship or a new one, business schools will consider your current geographic situation. This includes factors such as whether you are working internationally or residing in another country. Since this applies to you, it already sets you apart.
However, having an EU citizenship alone does not automatically make you more competitive, unless your profile is impressive for a top business school.
While I believe in the points I've mentioned, it is also true that admissions committees strive to maintain diversity in the cohort, and citizenship can sometimes support this objective. I have also seen a few rare cases where individuals with considerably average profiles and average GMAT scores from highly competitive demographics were admitted to top business schools. This advantage, as I observed, came from these individuals retaining their birth passports. Allow me to provide an example: The Indian demographic is exceptionally competitive and overrepresented. However, immigrants to India from neighboring countries in the Indian subcontinent, who retain their birth citizenship (non-Indian), have better odds of converting an admit (all other profile aspects considered equal) due to the exceptionally low representation of their birth country in the MBA cohorts.
In my opinion, you should apply when you feel most prepared and confident but not too late in the cycle.
Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD alum, ex admissions interviewer)
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