INSEAD PROFILE EVALUATION THREAD: Post all Profile Eval Requests Here!

Hi Prashanth! As you might already know, INSEAD clearly outlines their admissions criteria - Ability to Contribute, Academic Capacity, Leadership Potential and International Motivation. Let me tackle this one by one in your profile:

Ability to Contribute - On the face of it, your work experience looks interesting. However, you need to show growth within your role and be able to come up with pointers on how you will be a valuable asset to the class.

Academic Capability - In absence of steller undergraduate and MBA scores, GMAT will play a large role in your profile. I am glad you are planning to retake it. Aim for 730 or higher for your profile to be competitive.

Leadership Potential - You haven’t mentioned this in your post but I am hoping you have some leadership experience at your workplace. If not, look for instances where you have taken initiatives and led people (even if it was in an informal setting). Remember, INSEAD is not looking for leadership “experience”, they are looking for leadership “potential”.

International Motivation - This seems to be lacking in your profile. Since you asked for suggestions to improve your profile, this will be a great place to start. Take on some international assignments if that is a feasible option. Otherwise, come up with a storyline around how you are internationally motivated and ready to be a global leader.

Second MBA is always tricky to explain. Make sure to talk about why a second MBA is a necessity for reaching your future goals.

Feel free to get in touch if you are interested in an in-depth profile evaluation.

Also, if you are based in or around Bangalore, don’t miss out the MBA Bootcamp - a one-day Workshop to help you get a detailed understanding of the best MBAs suitable to your profile. The workshop will offer suggestions and strategies to facilitate the building of a winning application and one-to-one interactions with alumni from top business schools such as Wharton, Kellogg, INSEAD and Oxford, in addition to exclusive panel discussions with Admissions Officers from ISB, IIMB EPGP and the Schulich MBA. Click HERE to know more and book a seat well in advance.

Good Luck!

Hi CdnCharacter,

thank you for sharing your profile.

Overall, your profile has good elements to make you a serious candidate for INSEAD.

I like your career progression (from strategy consulting to PE) which also includes an accelerated promotion. This fast career progression will help you offset the relatively short length of your work experience.

Your 750 GMAT score is a clear indication of your academic capacity.

You seem to have traveled extensively, which is really good. On your application, try to also focus on how adaptable you are when working in multicultural teams/settings.

Your EC seem to be good too with some mentoring/coaching activities. On your application, make sure to also talk about those other "not-so-common" personal interests: e.g. boxing.

What can you tell us about your career goals?

I hope this helps.

Thank you very much.

Warm regards
Alex
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Very helpful, thanks so much for offering your thoughts ARLeeConsulting !

With respect to post-MBA goals - the idea is to transition into European private equity in the short to mid-term (think major firms like Apax, Permira, PAI, etc.) to get a deeper appreciation for how PE firms and businesses in general operate globally. I've had some European exposure in my current role but would like a more immersive experience. Ultimately, I want to take the learning / best practices from this environment back to Canada and support the evolution / internationalization of a family office or other small investment firm.

Would love to hear your high level thoughts on if that is something that aligns well with INSEAD's mission.

You're welcome CdnCharacter!

Your goals align well with INSEAD, as they're international and INSEAD is quite strong in PE/Entrepreneurship.

However, since you already work in the PE space, INSEAD could wonder why you need an MBA to transition to PE in Europe. INSEAD's career goals essay is quite short (only 100 words), therefore, you will need to clearly convey your need for an MBA in a very concise way.

I would be very interested in taking a look at your CV to further evaluate your profile and goals. Feel free to PM or email it to me (alex@arleeconsulting.com).

I hope this helps.

Good luck!
Alex
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Hi Everyone,
can anyone please evaluate and give 2 cents to my profile for INSEAD?

Native: Indian , Male , 32
Back ground: Merchant Navy, started my career in 2009 at the rank of Trainee Marine Engineer, appeared for promotional exam conducted by DG shipping india , became 4 th engineer and now serving as 3rd
Engineer promoted based on the sailing experience, VLCC oil Tankers.
Current employer: wallem shipmanagement hongkong
International experience: 15 countries atleast; USA, china, Vietnam, Venezuela, Ukraine, Kuwait, Iraq, UAE, Southafrica,
Singapore, Turkey, south Korea, Indonesia, Netherlands,Egypt
Sailing experience: 5 years aprrox( our contractual sailing period lasts for 6+-1 months per year , so from 2009 to
2018 in 10 years we get sailing experience exactly half of it )
Academics: B.tech marine engineering (MIT,pune) 62%( ~2.3 gpa)
12th( CBSE,KV) 76%, topper in Math with 96 in school
10th (CBSE, KV) 75%, math 90/100, science 89/100, english 78/100
GMAT 710 (V39, Q49)
Extra curricular: Guitar player, performed on few stage shows
Worked with NGo back in 2011, In 2012 i reactivated my mothers dormant NGO and have been
contributing ever since
Hiker,Trekker(went on solo expedition to himalayas, mostly to places untouched by human
presence)
Working out to summit the Everest.
college Volleyball and Badminton Player.
MBA: Supply chain demand and logistics,
future goals: i want to enter in the procurement sector for Multinationals shipping and Non shipping sector. Also
i want to establish a regular logistic route to supply products available to every other part of world in
to remote places in countires such as,indonesia,india(north-
north east), and Some places in Africa and south america.

Thank you!

Hello rajatvermaenator,

Your credentials are good and background is different. You will have an interesting story to tell.

Your immense international exposure would certainly be appreciated by schools such as INSEAD. I see you have built upon your profile by working in ship management company after merchant navy, explaining your focus.

Good to see that you have not just focussed on professional life but have taken up ECs as well.

Your GMAT is fine, not good nor bad but combined with your profile is pretty good to give a decent shot at INSEAD.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Cheers!
Shantanu Sharma
INSEAD Class of December 2017
----------------------------
Applying to INSEAD R1 Sep 2020?
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Indian
31
GMAT: 700 (Q50,V34, IR6, AWA5)
UG: Civil Eng (India) in 2010 (8.42/10), PG: MBA (UAE, Australia, Singapore) in 2016 (3.54/4)
WE: 8 Years [(2 Years Civil, 3 Years Technology, 3 Years Banking), (0.5 years Japan, 1.5 years Philippines, 3 years UAE, 3 years India)
Current Position: Middle Management (Leading a team of 11)
Recommendations: CXOs (Top banks in UAE)
Extra Curricular: Not much (mainly around gathering additional certificates that'd help me at work)
Awards: 1st All India Technical Paper Presentation Competition (2008), 1st Case Study Competition (2009)
Certificates: Project Management Professional (PMP), Green Belt Six Sigma
Language: Hindi and English, Learning: Mandarin (Level 1 exam in July, but I will submit application in round 4 for MBA 20D)

Thanks shantanu, a lot.

Hi suryanshg,

thank you for sharing your profile.

We're going to need a bit more detail in order to properly assess your profile, especially on your 8 years of work experience. It would be great if you could briefly share some details on your career path. This is particularly important in order to assess your career progression and leadership potential.

From a pure stats perspective, as an Indian applicant, your 700 GMAT score will put you in a bit of disadvantage. What is the possibility of a retake? Ideally, you want to score 20-30 points above the school's average, which in the case of INSEAD this would mean around 730-740.

You seem to have the international exposure that INSEAD appreciates so much, so you'll have no issues meeting the International Motivation criterion.

What can you tell us about your career goals? Why do you need a second MBA?

I strongly recommend you to not apply in Round 4 for the MBA'20D class, especially with a 700 GMAT score. If possible, apply in Round 1 for the MBA'21J class (ideally with a higher GMAT score).

I would really like to take a look at your resume. Feel free to PM or email it to me directly at alex@arleeconsulting.com.

Good luck!
Alex
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..

Friends!

Quick question - Does IELTS Academic overall score 7.0 is a real issue for INSEAD? I read on their website that there is no minimal score, but recommended minimum for IELTS Academic is 7.5 Does score 0.5 band lower than recommended disqualify me?

Thanks for your replies!

Best

All the best!

Hi kebab1990,

your IELTS overall score if 7.0 won't automatically disqualify you. Worst case, if the only thing preventing the AdCom from inviting you to interview is your IELTS score, you'll most likely be asked to retake it. INSEAD will put your application on hold in the meantime.

I hope this helps.
Alex
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Hi ayush_95,

thank you for sharing your profile.

I like your career progression, accomplishments, international experience and EC. The BCG brand will def give you more credibility.

Let me ask you a few questions though:

1. Have you taken GMAT? If so, what's your overall score and Q/V/IR split?

2. How many years of work experience will you have at matriculation?

3. Is BCG going to sponsor your MBA?

4. What are your career goals (short and long-term)?

Thank you very much.

Warm regards
Alex
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Hi LadyGaladriel,

thank you for sharing your profile.

I saw that you posted before on this threat and received a couple of profile reviews, so I'll just go straight to your questions/concerns.

I understand that my GMAT is a little weak (for an Indian applicant) and my undergrad may be could have been better, but despite these flaws, how do I fare? Do I stand a chance?

I really like your profile. Your experience in Tier 1 law firms, your career progression and leadership experience and your strong EC can help you offset your GMAT score.

Would INSEAD be willing to forgive my lack of foreign work experience considering my non-engineering background?

I don't see your lack of international work experience as a major deal breaker. You studied 2 years in Kenya in middle school, and have had some business meetings abroad. Furthermore, you have always worked with foreign clients. This clearly shows international exposure, and should give you enough leverage to show international motivation and adaptability to working in multicultural settings. Bonus points if you can show your career goals are also global.

I have worked with Indian applicants with 710 GMAT scores with similar international exposure to yours who were accepted to INSEAD. So you def have chances. The key is to put together a kick-ass application with outstanding CV, Essays and LoRs.

I hope this helps.

Good luck!
Alex
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Thank you!

Appreciate your response very much!

Best
Kebab

Hi,

Please evaluate my profile -

Indian
10th - 93%,
12th - 86%,
B.Tech (Chemical Engg, 2015, Tier 1 NIT) - 6.3/10
GMAT - Yet to take

College Extras -
- Head of the E-Cell (helped support a couple of startups which have gone on to do extremely well)
- Started a couple of college bodies
- Started a couple of revenue generating startups
- Organizing committee for various bodies at fests (Such as TEDx, INK talks, business and literary events)
- Volunteered for MAD

Work Ex -
- First Digital Marketer at a real estate startup, ran their digital marketing ops for a few months (Handled a team + a couple of agencies).
- First Product Manager at a series A funded health-tech startup.
- Co-Founder at a Ed-Tech startup serving 1500 kids and 100 teachers

Extras -
- Leadership team in the Bangalore chapter of a org related to exponential tech.
- Part of a team which finished among the top 40 teams globally for a competition to build a self-learning app in English and African languages.

Aim - Build a career in exponential tech.

Any chance at all?

Hi,
Please evaluate my profile.

Education:12th Standard:93.4%
BE Chemical:CGPA 7.8:Teir 1 college

WorkEx: Senior Developer at Oracle
Total Experience 4 yrs

GMAT Score:740(Quant.50:Verbal.40:IR.8:AWA5)

I work with Oracle India, Domain: Marketing Cloud Solution, I have helped them Migrate their CRM Business to cloud and have lead a few important projects in the same domain. I am a certified scrum master and run my own scrum team of 5 developers and each of them has more experience in the field than I have. I had done my internship in Digital marketing Domain with Tesco where I was running a couple of accounts for them in the capacity of Digital marketing manager.
I don't have any onsite experience but have counterparts in NA and Canada with whom I work closely.

Achievement at work: Have won Hackathon, Youngest Certified Scrum Master in the team, Have lead multiple Projects and head a team of 4 developers.

Extra Curriculars: Badminton state level player in School time, Head of Techno Management festival in College, Have volunteered with Teach for India for 1 year. Have helped a few Non Profits developing their websites.

Post MBA:Product Manager or Tech consulting

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
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