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Question

Hi
I've completed my engineering in 2009 from India and have worked with a big MNC (manufacturing sector) for 5 years with one promotion. However for personal reasons I had to move out of India to a place where getting a job for a foreign national is difficult. I quit my job in 2014 and am still unemployed. I'm targeting INSEAD Jan'17 class and I would like to know if I've a shsot at getting a good college even after being unemployed for so long.

VeritasPrepDozie · Answer

your long unemployment will certainly affect your chances but your measurables and rationale will just need to be very strong to compensate for this red flag. You will definitely need to exceed the data points in the class profile to optimize your chances here but if you put together a strong application you could make yourself competitive

MathildaBagshot · Answer

Does that mean that I need to have a higher than average score? How do I make the application strong?

VeritasPrepDozie · Answer

You want to minimize red flags when they exist and given you have an obvious red flag you have to make sure the other aspects of your profile are as strong as possible. Focus on the aspects you can control and make those as strong as possible. Your GMAT, essays, reccs, ECs. You will also need to account for your time since you have not been working for multiple years. If you have volunteered, interned, or took on charity work that is something you should share as well with admissions

CriticalSquare · Answer

You should aim to beat the median GMAT for INSEAD +10 to 20 points given your applicant pool. Further, if your UG GPA or class rank is low, you should consider taking some accredited courses (even online will help) to supplement a low GPA. If employment history is a red flag, it is what it is - question is what have you been doing instead? Any involvement activities in your community?

All in all, from the little you've shared, INSEAD might be a big of a stretch for you. What do you want to do after an MBA? This might help highlight some other schools that are a better fit. Looking forward to hearing back! Also, any additional details about your profiles will help.

MathildaBagshot · Answer

My engineering CGPA was 7.4 on a 10 scale that is less than 3 on a 4 scale. When I moved to Indonesia, the main difficulty in getting a job was the short term visa that we were granted by the govt.. Other than that I've many certifications that I earned during my employment. I was involved in CSR activities when I was employed and now that I am not, I volunteer at animal rescue shelters to help abandoned dogs get adopted. I'm learning Spanish on my own. Can you please elaborate on what kind of accredited course you're talking about? I believe its too late for that as I'm aiming the deadline of April'16 to apply to INSEAD. Is INSEAD really a stretch for my profile?

CriticalSquare · Answer

Hi there,

Thanks for the additional details. I like that you've kept yourself busy during your unemployment. While it is best to have been doing something more relevant to your goals, something is better than nothing. If you're applying in April, I agree that there isn't much time to study and take the GMAT as well as take another course. Since you have to take the GMAT, I would focus your time and resources on getting the best score possible - you really need to kill it for INSEAD.

The reason INSEAD is stretch for you is because of your employment gap. Now, you have to convince the AdComm that you truly want an MBA and believe it will help you achieve your goals, not because you need something to do because you're unemployed. How do you do this? Your story and rationale for your decision making become highly scrutinized. You'll need to think deeply about your goals, why INSEAD is right for you, what you hope to get out of your MBA, what do you want to do after, how will you avoid the visa issues post MBA, etc.

I know this is probably not what you wanted to hear, but it's better to consider these tough questions now and give your application the best shot. At this stage, if INSEAD is what you want and you're sure of it, expert opinions on your chances of getting in don't matter. Focus on the prize and get as much guidance along the way to put together the best application possible. Take a look at  our free resources  to get you started. Best of luck!

VeritasPrepEdison · Answer

Thank you for posting your profile.

I agree that if INSEAD is your dream school, you should really give it a try even though it looks to be a stretch based on what you have provided so far.

Scoring above the GMAT average for INSEAD would help address to some extent the GPA concerns. Demonstrating unique work experiences through vivid details would help. This should be established as a good foundation for your post-MBA goals.

You must account for the unemployment gap with activities that contributed to the community or at the very least led to some personal development. Clearly communicating what you have learned in a genuine and positive tone is important.

Hope this helps!

PersonalMBACoach · Answer

I recommend waiting until fall to apply to schools and working on improving your profile. You certainly have things working against you, so in order to overcome them I recommend you:

- Focus on GMAT and get as high a score as possible. This will start to compensate for the GPA
- Think of an approach to get closer to your career goals. While I would need to discuss with you to provide the best recommendation, you want to present a strong case for your ability to accomplish your goals
- Get involved in an extra-curricular activity that showcases leadership ability and makes sense with your broader story
- Broaden your target list of schools to include some reach schools and some more realistic options

Feel free to send me a note if you want to talk about the best strategy: [email protected]

Good luck!

Best,
Scott

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