Profile Eval | LBS & INSEAD R1 | GMAT 720 / GMAT FE 675 | Indian Male

Question

Looking to apply R1 to LBS & INSEAD. Would love thoughts on competitiveness - especially whether my GMAT (720 Classic / 675 Focus) holds up.

Background:

Indian male, 24 
 BMS in Finance from a top-tier Indian undergrad (8.5 CGPA) 
 96% CBSE Class XII 
 3 years at a top strategy consulting firm (joined at 20, promoted early) 
 Then joined a fast-growing consumer tech company in a generalist role — led 0→1 initiatives across growth, partnerships, and product 
 Now building an IT/e-waste vertical at my family’s systems integration firm — leading new biz + sustainability push  
 
Extras:

Founded a student venture in college (600+ users, 25 orgs onboarded) 
 Early-stage investing experience through family office (10+ deals, ~$150K avg. cheque) 
 Deep extracurriculars — theatre lead, society president, etc.  
 
GMAT Q: 
 675 Focus feels low. 720 Classic better but not amazing for Indian male pool. Retaking is tough due to severe ADHD — focus burnout is real. Is this enough for LBS/INSEAD R1, or am I undershooting?
Thanks in advance!

dee1pug1 · Answer

Your scores seem fine, but the WE is lower than the LBS average of 5. Postponing to next year may not be a bad option.
Lack of international work experience may bite at INSEAD. Same goes for lower WE.

GeneralEducation · Answer

Hello  ,

Your 675 FE is competitive for LBS and INSEAD, even as an Indian male applicant, considering your strong academic record, rapid promotions in consulting, entrepreneurial projects, and impressive leadership across business and extracurriculars. While the 675 Focus is good, admissions will understand your genuine challenges with ADHD if you briefly explain them in the optional essay. Your diverse, high-impact background and international exposure set you apart in the R1 pool, so focus on telling your unique story in your essays and get recommendations that showcase your leadership and growth. Also, INSEAD R1 is on 16 September, so it’s advisable to start immediately to avoid the last-minute rush. 
 
Book an evaluation call with our INSEAD Alumnus today to learn more about your admission chances.

TheRedPen · Answer

Hi brooklynbaby , You're a strong candidate for both LBS and INSEAD. The 720 GMAT Classic, while not top-tier for Indian male applicants, is within range. Given your standout professional trajectory - early promotions in strategy consulting, strong operational exposure in tech, and now building a sustainability-focused vertical. Your leadership in extracurriculars, early-stage investing experience make your profile well-rounded. Given your ADHD context, retaking isn’t necessary. Focus instead on crafting sharp, authentic essays that tie your career moves together and highlight your resilience and leadership maturity. Highlighting your leadership, professional achievements/tangible impact, relevant skills, career goals, unique experiences, and fit with the program effectively will be crucial in crafting a compelling application. Feel free to book a free call with our MBA experts for a more detailed discussion. You can also contact us directly at team.mba@theredpen.com or +91-7780769732.

MG4MBACrystalBall · Answer

brooklynbaby , Some thoughts on your profile evaluation and some queries too: The academic arc is promising given the GPA. What's your college name and has it been a feeder? The GMAT score (FE) is about alright for the Indian pool; classic is nearly there too. Overall, if you aren't sure of improving, I'd suggest moving on to applications instead. The professional profile is interesting albeit eclectic. What's the total years of experience? Seems the consumer tech role may have been quite short-lived, leading to some of the frequent job changes challenge. Plan to head back to family firm after MBA or what's the goal? The college level ECs sound rich and interesting. Family office investing may be more in the professional realm. Anything since graduating on the ECs front ? INSEAD/LBS value international experience a lot. Have you had any? Asking the obvious - rationale for not considering US schools? Hope this helps and sparks the right questions. Feel free to reach out on mcb@mbacrystalball.com for more. Cheers,

brooklynbaby · Answer

Thanks for the reply, Manish! Here are the answers to your queries

1. Yes my college is a feeder.
2. Total years as of now are slightly more than 4. You're right, my stint at the consumer tech firm was ~8 months, but it was entirely prompted because I saw a major opportunity at the family business and didn't want to delay it. I shall try expressing this with clarity. At the consulting firm, I spent more than 3 years, so I'm not a frequent job changer really, I hope they believe it! And yes, plan's to head back to the family firm post the MBA.
3. Not really. I have been using whatever time I have had doing professional stuff only (investing through my uncle's family office, expanding my dad's portfolio restaurant chain into catering etc.). I am a big music nerd though, and I try to review one album a week on my instagram. This also made me spot that there's no letterboxd/goodreads for music so now I'm building that too (stay tuned, this will be cool haha).
4. Sadly, I don't. I do want to apply to US schools, but all I have heard is that my GMAT's too low.

MG4MBACrystalBall · Answer

brooklynbaby ,

The feeder college and plans to head back to family business can be a big plus actually. The ECs arc will need to be carefully navigated.

Maybe not the M7s, but if you are open for T15, it could be worth a look. Focusing on  2 schools can be a bit too risky  basically. Check out the linked blog.

Cheers,

dreamadmit · Answer

Hi  brooklynbaby ,

For LBS and INSEAD R1, your GMAT is borderline. A 720 Classic is not a competitive score for Indian male applicants. About retake - unless you are hitting 740+ in mocks consistently, a retake may not be worth it.

That said, your background has strong points. Early promotion in consulting, diverse roles across sectors, and leadership in extracurricular activities.

Focus on making your essays sharp, especially around your transitions and why now. A lot depends on how you present your experiences in the application.

Feel free to reach out for further help.

Thanks,
Dream Admit, an INSEAD Alumnus

MBAandBeyond · Answer

720 Classic is OK for both schools, especially if your quant score is good and your application shines(essays, clarity of goals, diversity of experience). You're just above the median score, but in a competitive demographic (Indian male, consulting). It can be risky if submitted as the only score, especially for INSEAD.

Explain the ADHD/focus burnout  only  in the optional essay, and briefly, focus more on your  resilience and coping strategies .

Short work experience at matriculation, but early promotions, venture/ESG exposure, and clarity of goals can close that gap.

Family business concerns: Some adcoms may worry about “fallback plans” or “lack of challenge” in a family biz. Counter this by clearly showing- Why are you in it? What are you building? What is your post-MBA vision beyond it?

You should add 1-2 other EU programs to your list, or consider 1 U.S. school with a strong global placement record.

Questions for further reflection:
 1. Can you quantify the impact of the IT/e-waste vertical you’re building? Revenue? Partnerships? Pilot success?
2. Which region do you want to work in post-MBA, Europe, SEA, or return to India?
3. Do you want to pivot into full-time consulting first, or jump straight into corporate leadership or entrepreneurship?

You’ve done the hard work! Let's discuss more. We would love to learn more about your extracurricular activities, professional experience, and personal journey so we can offer a more tailored assessment of your profile and evaluate your chances at top b-schools more accurately. If you'd like, feel free to    book a profile evaluation session.

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admitStreet · Answer

brooklynbaby - Just to clarify, 675 Focus could be 720 or 730 in Classic, last I checked. Did you check the latest concordance tables with the overall percentiles? Also, what's the sectional split of your score: balanced/ skewed? Generally, having a balanced score is better than a score which is skewed towards either section. Your undergrad pedigree, GPA, work-ex and ECA's present strong angles. It'd be crucial to have a strong narrative covering your experiences, transferable skills, career goals, and how/ why the MBA fits in. The lack of international work-ex might be a slight concern for schools like INSEAD, also given that the score isn't too high. Have you also looked at other programs in the EU/ UK such as IESE, HEC Paris, Oxbridge, etc? In the US, the score would make M7's a bit of a stretch, but some USTop15 programs and certainly some USTop15-25 programs could be looked at. Hope this helps/ Feel free to reach out here for a deeper chat. Regards, Arvind Founder, admitStreet | Testimonials W: https://admitstreet.com | Request a Free Profile Evaluation

Profile Eval | LBS & INSEAD R1 | GMAT 720 / GMAT FE 675 | Indian Male

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