Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.
Customized for You
we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Track Your Progress
every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance
Practice Pays
we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Thank you for using the timer!
We noticed you are actually not timing your practice. Click the START button first next time you use the timer.
There are many benefits to timing your practice, including:
*To be included in a specific round, applications must be complete and submitted by midnight (23.59) Central European Time on the day of deadline.
Jan 2014 Intake
Round*
Application
Interview Decision
Final Decision
R1
Apr 3, 2013
May 17, 2013
Jun 28, 2013
R2
Jun 12, 2013
July 19, 2013
Sep 06, 2013
R3
Aug 7, 2013
Sep 13, 2013
Oct 25, 2013
Essays
Job Description Essays Essay 1: Briefly summarise your current (or most recent) job, including the nature of work, major responsibilities, and, where relevant, employees under your supervision, size of budget, clients/ products and results achieved. (250 words maximum) Essay 2: Please give a full description of your career since graduating from university. If you were to remain with your present employer, what would be your next step in terms of position? (250 words maximum) Essay 3: If you are currently not working, what are you doing and what do you plan to do until you start the MBA programme? (250 words maximum)
Personal Essays Essay 1: Give a candid description of yourself, stressing the personal characteristics you feel to be your strengths and weaknesses and the main factors, which have influenced your personal development, giving examples when necessary. (600 words maximum) Essay 2: Describe what you believe to be your two most substantial accomplishments to date (if possible specify one personal and one professional), explaining why you view them as such. (400 words maximum) Essay 3: Describe a situation taken from your personal or professional life where you failed. Discuss what you learned. (400 words maximum) Essay 4: a) Discuss your short and long term career goals. (300 words maximum) and b) How will studying at INSEAD help you achieve your vision? (250 words maximum) Essay 5: Please choose one of the following two essay topics: a) Have you ever experienced culture shock? What insights did you gain? (250 words maximum) or b) Describe the ways in which a foreigner in your country might experience culture shock. (250 words maximum) Optional Essay: Is there anything that you have not mentioned in the above essays that you would like the Admissions Committee to know? (350 words maximum) Re-applicant Essay: In case of reapplication, please provide an update on any new aspects of your professional, international, academic or personal profile that would not have been included in your previous application. Please also explain your motivation for re-applying to INSEAD. (400 words maximum)
Language Requirements: The INSEAD language policy requires that you have fluent English plus a practical knowledge of a second language in order to start the programme. You will also be required to demonstrate a basic knowledge of a third language before graduating.
Reapplications: INSEAD does not encourage reapplications unless there has been a significant professional or personal development since the initial application was submitted.
Campus choice: The Admissions Committee does not take campus choice into account when evaluating whether to accept or decline candidates. The selection process is, therefore, entirely blind to campus choice. Whilst Admissions will strive to accommodate your campus choice, if your preferred campus is full, you will be offered the choice of either a place on the alternative campus or a place on the wait list for your preferred campus. After the first 4 months into the Programme, you will have the opportunity to exchange campuses.
Interview: If you have been shortlisted for the interview, in-person interviews are conducted by INSEAD Alumni normally in your country of residence. In the majority of cases, two interviews are conducted.
The INSEAD MBA Programme is made up of two classes each year.The Class of July begins in late August and graduates in early July the following year. The Class of December begins in early January and graduates in late December. The curriculum, course structure, class size and composition, and campus exchange opportunities are identical across the September and January intakes. Internship The primary difference is that if you chose to begin in September, you will complete the MBA in ten consecutive months. If you chose to begin in January you will also have a two-month summer break during which you can pursue an internship or other endeavour. Career Opportunities Chances of finding a job have more to do with your skills, experience, and potential than your campus location. Career Services staff is well integrated across both locations, providing the same tools, coaching, and resources, irrespective of whether you are studying in Fontainebleau or Singapore. Whether you join in September or January, you will begin working with Career Services early on to prepare for the next step in your career. Those interested in entering into investment banking are specifically encouraged to consider the January intake, as investment banks hire full-time positions primarily through their summer associate programmes.
INSEAD is unique in having a dual-campus structure, with a Europe campus in Fontainebleau, France, and an Asia campus in Singapore. The MBA programme runs in parallel on each campus. The two campuses are equally diverse, both have world-class faculty in residence, and both offer MBA participants access to global career opportunities. In addition to being able to study on the INSEAD campuses in Singapore and Fontainebleau, participants also have the option to participate in an exchange with Wharton.
Campus Exchange You will be asked to choose a preferred starting c ampus when you apply to the programme. INSEAD will try to accommodate your preference for starting campus, although in some cases you may be asked by the Admissions Office to start at the other campus. This is because campus preference is not taken into account in the selection of candidates for the programme, and therefore, in order to balance the class size and diversity across campuses, it is not possible to guarantee all selected candidates admission for their preferred campus. In addition to the two INSEAD campuses, students can also, for one period, exchange at Kellogg and Wharton. From Period 3 onwards, you will have the opportunity to exchange campuses. Through an on-line bidding process which takes place during Period 1, approximately 6 weeks after the programme starts, you will be asked to indicate your campus preferences for Period 3, Period 4 and Period 5. You can also bid for the Wharton exchange during this time. You will draw upon the same capital of points for campus exchange, Wharton exchange as well as for Elective course bidding. You will have the opportunity to spend at least one period at the other campus; however, that period may not be your initial preference as there are certain capacity constraints for each campus.
Program Structure - ”Avoiding down-time” – an accelerated MBA experience
The 10-month programme covers 80% of the course hours of a traditional two-year MBA programme by focusing on study five days a week and avoiding "down-time". The MBA programme includes five periods, each one lasting eight weeks. Every period ends with exams and a short break. The first half of the programme is built around 14 core courses, that provide you with a solid understanding of the key management disciplines, including finance, accounting, marketing, operations, strategy, leadership and business ethics. The second half of the programme can be customised, allowing you to choose 11 different electives that support your career and learning objectives. INSEAD offers a rich and varied choice of electives for you to choose from - over 75 altogether - including topics as diverse as "Building Business in China", "Mergers, Acquisitions, Alliances & Corporate Strategy", "Private Equity Finance" and "Market Driving Strategies".
Building Business in the Silicon Valley (field study)
Business Planning Workshop
Corporate Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurial Field Studies
Entrepreneurial Leadership
Entrepreneurial Strategies for Emerging Markets
Entrepreneurship in Action
Family Business Management
Leveraged Buyouts
Managing Corporate Turnarounds Successfully
New Business Ventures
Private Equity
Finance
Advanced Applied Corporate Finance
Applied Corporate Finance
Bank Management
Credit Risk
Corporate Governance: Financial Aspects
Fixed Income
Hedge Funds & Alternative Investments
International Financial Management
Investments
Options & Other Derivative Securities
Private Equity Finance
Value Creation in Corporate Restructuring
Marketing
Brand Management
Business to Business Marketing
Customer Insight
Discover Israel: Startup Nation (field study)
Market Driving Strategies
Pharmaceutical Marketing Strategy
Pricing Strategies & Tactics
Organisational Behaviour
Career Dynamics & Self Assessment
Communication & Leadership
Negotiations
Power & Politics
Psychological Issues in Management
Strategy
Blue Ocean Strategy Simulation
Blue Ocean Strategy Study Group
China Strategy
Emerging Multinationals in Brazil & Latin America (field study)
Global Strategy & Management
Industry & Competitive Analysis
Managing Media Companies
M&As, Alliances & Corporate Strategy
Real Estate
Strategy, Structure & Incentives
Technology and Operations Management
Competitive Supply Chains
Management of Services
Project Management
Social Media Strategies
Strategies for Product & Service Development
At Large
Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility
The Art of Communication
Online Bidding
When you are at INSEAD, at the end of period 1 you have to decide where you want to be for period 3, 4, and 5. Do you want to be in Singapore? Do you want to be in France? Do you want to go to Kellogg? And then you also need to decide which electives you want to take. So you are given 200 points to use throughout the year, and it’s up to you how you use those points. So if you really want to go to Kellogg in period 4 and you really want to take that “Your First 100 Days” course, you want to bid more points towards those two things. For more information on the online bidding process at INSEAD, check out this blog post and this one too.
Kick-Ass Courses & Rock Star Faculty
Your First Hundred Days: This elective is intended to provide a taste of what it is like to assume managerial control of a company you and your team of fellow managers have just bought. To this extent, it is a logical follow-on to the Realising Entrepreneurial Potential course, although the company you will be concerned with here will not be the one you are targeting for REP.
Work in Progress. Please click here to nominate courses/faculty to be added to this list.
Pedagogy
There is no single preferred teaching method at INSEAD. Faculty are free to choose the method they believe fits best with the content of the session. You will, therefore, experience a wide variety of teaching styles, including case-studies, computer simulations and role-plays. Approximate % teaching methods used across all the courses:
Case Studies - 30%
Business Simulation - 10%
Experiential Learning - 10 %
Lectures - 30%
Group Projects - 30%
Study Group
When you arrive at INSEAD, you are assigned to a study group. During your core curriculum, you will work in study groups with five to six other participants. Study groups are designed to maximise national and professional diversity. No group will have more than two people of the same nationality or first language. Similarly, there will never be more than two people in the same group with the same professional background. Working within these groups to produce projects and assignments for which you will receive one group grade, you will develop the communication and leadership skills necessary to work in and lead diverse teams anywhere in the world.
Sample Schedule
Sample Schedule: Period 1, Singapore
8 am
Breakfast with study group to review case write-up at INSEAD coffee bar
8.30-10 am
Organisational Behaviour I Class
10-10.15 am
Coffee break; check emails
10.15-11.45 am
Prices & Markets Class
12-1 pm
Lunch with my strategy professor
1-2 pm
One-on-one discussion with my INSEAD Career Counselor
2-3.30 pm
Financial Markets & Valuation Class
3.30-4.15 pm
Workout at the fitness centre
4.30-5.30 pm
Energy Club panel discussion
6.30-8 pm
Dinner with housemates at Holland Village food court; catch up with emails
8-9.30 pm
Meet with study group to discuss role-playing for organisational behaviour class
9.30-11 pm
Read case and prepare individually for class tomorrow
11 pm
Latin American National Week Party - Chilean wine tasting, Argentinean tango show & performance, Brazilian dance party
Sample Schedule: Period 4, Fontainebleau
8:45 am
Run through Fontainebleau forest
10:15-11:45 am
Competitive Supply Chain Management Class
12-2 pm
Lunch with friends; catch up on emails & news at the bar; last minute finessing for afternoon interview
2-3:30 pm
Brand Management Class
4-5.30 pm
Consulting Interview
5:45-7 pm
Meet with Blue Ocean study group at Camembert to prepare presentation for Visual Strategy Fair
7-7:15 pm
Coffee break; respond to emails
7:15-8:30 pm
Realising Entrepreneurial Potential study group meeting: assignment & submission
8:30-11 pm
Return home, change into casual attire & head to Chateau Montmelian (one of the student houses) for Monty Mardi's dinner & drinks
11:30-2 am
Read and prepare for classes; work on job applications; catch up on emails
INSEAD Industry Club INSEAD Women in Business (IWIB) INSEAD Private Equity Club (IPEC) INDEVOR, the INSEAD Organisation for Social Impact, an affiliate chapter of Net Impact INSEAD Entrepreneurship Club (IEC) INSEAD Energy Club INSEAD Consulting Club INSEAD Retail, Consumer & Luxury Goods Club INSEAD Health Care Club INSEAD High Tech & Telecom Club INSEAD Media Club OUTSEAD: Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual Community INSEAD African Club INSEAD Basketball Club INSEAD Football Club INSEAD Rugby Club INSEAD Sailing Club INSEAD Tennis Club
Employment
GND (Grade Non Disclosure policy):
INSEAD implements a Grade Non Disclosure Policy, which is supported by the students. Policy details:
Recruiters should not ask students to provide any information on grades either in written applications or verbally during an interview.
Students are not to broach the subject of grades with recruiters and may not disclose grades to recruiters either in written or verbal communication.
Recruiters may request, and students may provide their GMAT scores either in written or verbal communication.
Students may indicate if they are on the Dean’s List (top 10% of the class)
Recruiters may request a copy of the Dean’s List from Career Services.
Upon accepting a full-time offer, students may release their INSEAD grades to their future employers, as we understand this may be necessary to process their employment documents in certain countries.
Upon graduation, alumni may release their INSEAD grades
Recruiting Opportunities
On Campus Recruiting On-Campus Recruiting is a programme of events consisting of company presentations usually followed by a networking cocktail where students can mingle with company representatives. Interviews are then held at a later stage. Three recruitment campaigns are organized per year:
January - February: For summer internships / projects for the December graduates
March - June: For full-time positions for the July graduates and summer internships / projects for the December graduates
September - December: For full-time positions for the December graduates.
The recruitment period begins with three weeks of company presentations taking place in the evenings, with interviews on campus or in local offices/hotels starting shortly after. Interview sign-ups are orchestrated through the School’s on-line interview scheduling system. State-of-the-art telecommunications enable students on both campuses to watch company presentations and interview with recruiters by videoconference.
Other Recruiting Opportunities:
Independent Job Search: Members of the Career Services team will provide guidance on job search strategy, contacts, cover letters, resume adaptation, etc. Job Postings Companies with a specific career opportunity or a summer job may prefer to post it on-line using our dedicated platform, "CareerLink." Over 2000 of these career opportunities are available to MBA participants each year via CareerLink. You can sort jobs by criteria, save jobs in your own "job cart" for later reference, keep track of your applications and also set up job alerts to automatically receive an e-mail when a relevant job is posted.
The CV Book: For each MBA class, the Career Services publishes the curricula vitae (CV) of all participants available for employment which is available online and as a book. It is an important tool for prospective recruiters. Summer Internships/Project Participants beginning in January have the option of using their 8-week summer break for employment. Career Services assists MBA participants on both campuses with their job search and is committed to ensuring that the experience is successful for both the participants and the companies.
Career Treks: Participants frequently organise "treks" to countries to meet first-hand with a selection of companies. There are also regional sector-specific treks (e.g., investment banking, media, high-tech) that take place. Career Services supports these treks, providing guidance and information as needed. In 2008, treks to Australia, Japan, Korea, Brazil, India and Ireland were organised.
Employment Stats
Median Base Salary: €85,000 ($111,350) *Exchange rate: €1 = US$1.31 Median Salary: $119,500.00 Top Functions: Consulting (47%), General Management (20%), Finance/Accounting (15%)
Top Locations: Western Europe (40%), Asia Pacific (25%), Africa/Near/Middle East (8%), Central/Eastern Europe (5%), Latin America (6%), North America (8%), Southern Europe (7%), Northern Europe (1%) Top Recruiters: McKinsey (127), BCG (60), Bain & Co. (48)
Prodigy Finance: This was started by three INSEAD alumni in 2006 to solve the problem experienced by many international MBAs in funding their education. Their innovative model is based on community funding - individual alumni fund MBAs. Main features of the loan programme:
No co-signer is required and most nationalities are covered (around 150).
The interest rate varies based on individual applications. Current average APR is 7.5%
Grace period of 18 months (study period plus 6 months) followed by a 7 year term.
No penalties for early settlement.
An application fee of 1.25% is charged by Prodigy only on successful applications.
Maximum loan size is capped at tuition, although loans will be resized based on the applicant's individual profile.