INSEAD Profile Evaluation - Tools for B-School Profile Evaluation

Hi All,

I am looking for some feedback on my overall strength as a candidate to my target schools, and some advice as to when would be the ideal year for me to apply. Thanks a lot in advance.

Background
Age: 26 (Would be 27 or 28 at matriculation)
Nationality: NZ, with dual European citizenship

Work experience (as of today)
1 year accounting in a large US healthcare company (publically traded) – responsible for financial accuracy and performance of 10 ambulatory centres across the states, reporting to stakeholders etc
2 years, 8 months working in one of the top 5 automobile manufacturers in Europe – 2 years in Financial Control, 8 months in FP&A. 1 promotion received – responsible for budgeting, forecasting, financial control, reporting of results to executive leadership, optimisations etc. Also key user for Financial consolidation tool, working with offshore team to enhance end user experience.
I would have 4 years, 8 months or 5 years, 8 months experience upon matriculation.

Education
BBA (Finance major) from a mid-sized state school in USA – 3.9 GPA
GRE – 162Q, 169V, 5.5W (taken mid 2016)

Extra-Curricular
4 years NCAA athlete in a Div2 institution (During this time I routinely helped with community service events)
French speaker – intermediate/advanced level
Honestly not a lot outside of this – I run regularly, play in a sports team, have some involvement with my work’s sports committee.

Target Schools
INSEAD, LBS, Cambridge, Oxford, HEC

Goal
Transition to Consulting

I would greatly appreciate any evaluation of my competitiveness as a candidate at the above schools. I am considering applying for Aug 2020 or Aug 2021 cycles, which would give me respectively 4 years 8 months or 5 years 8 months experience. It is quite unlikely that I will receive another promotion prior to either application cycle (not due to poor performance, but the next promotion would be to a managerial role and requires significantly more experience than I currently have). With this considered, would there be any substantial benefit to waiting until Aug 2021? My preference is to apply for Aug 2020 entry, unless my application would be significantly improved with a further year of work experience.

Thanks a lot for any feedback/advice.

Regards

Posted from my mobile device

Hi lmcc412 FYI, INSEAD does not currently accept the GRE if the GMAT is available in your country. They like to see at least 70-75% for each verbal & quant as an FYI. Your GRE is great for the other schools, however, and LBS is often considered quite parallel in its offerings to INSEAD.

The criteria for INSEAD is 4 part - academics, leadership, contribution and international orientation. And this is a fairly good way to assess your fitness for LBS, along with the other programs named as European programs tend to be international oriented.

Your academics are strong, but where are you with leadership in and outside of the workplace? Do you have any way to show contribution to assure them you would be an active student and alum? Do you have international work experience or exposure to international teams?

I like that you are a Kiwi....less represented than many other countries...anything unique or interesting with your background? Tell us more about the European stuff. Would this provide a unique perspective when working with your cohort and small group?

Hi All!

Please evaluate my profile for INSEAD Sep 2020 intake:

Cypriot 28 y.o.
GMAT: 650
Graduated from top Greek Engineering School (NTUA) 7/10 + Msc in Finance from Cass Business School
Working experience: 3 yrs Investment Banking, M&A + 1 yr Strategy Consulting in Cyprus
Extracurricular: Water polo semiprofessional player for more than 10 yrs + active member of my university senate

Goal: Work in Investment banking industry in Paris/London.

I'd like to kindly request you a profile evaluation on my candidature for INSEAD.

Nationality- Indian
Residence - Indonesia
Gender- Male
Age - 31
MBA (Indian Institute of Foreign Trade) - 3.2/4.33
Grad- 8.2/10 GPA (Tier1 engineering school)
GMAT- Yet to Give
GRE - 328
TOEFEL - 114

Post MBA Goals:
Short Term : MBB Consulting
Long Term: Starting my own consulting firm

Work Exp :
- 2 years in an International Trading Conglomerate - 1 year working experience in Africa/1 year in Indonesia as Physical Commodities Trader
- 3 years in one of the biggest software development company in the world

Awards and Recognition :
- Merit scholarship awarded by the undergrad university
- Part of the high potential pool of my company
- Awarded Employee of the year and so on

Extra-Curricular Activities:
- Participation in multiple Youth Conferences in Russia/India/Japan
- Gold Medalist at Table Tennis
- Active social worker and owner of an NGO

Yasoo cby7 ~! I lived in Northern Greece briefly and just worked with a Lebanese engineering client who helped build the airport in Cyprus.

Well, your GMAT is not awesome but you have the diversity card on your side; so if you have at least 70% for each verbal and math, should work. unique story, international exposure, leadership with university senate is positive. I am optimistic, but make sure re: 70% or have strong math grades to point to and then do the app well to prove verbal (if not GMAT, alternate evidence.)

questions: How are the grades for the MSc? If you are already in IB, why do you need an MBA to achieve the goal of doing IB in Paris or London? Also just making sure you know that for INSEAD, IB peeps go for Jan term because there is a 2 week break where you can do an internship. Would you bypass that, I imagine? Also, need to really speak to the need for a UN-style program and how that would empower your ability to be successful in short and/or long term goals.

Hi LordFoulmouth,

Thank you for your post and for sharing your profile. I really like the diversity of your experiences and the international nature of it all. A few questions for you: Since you already hold an MBA, why do you need a second one? What is your GRE breakdown? It appears you are considering taking the GMAT too, why is that?

I look forward to your response.

Susan

UPDATE: I learned from INSEAD adcom that as of late June, INSEAD CHANGED their policy and now accept the GRE even if the GMAT is offered in your country.

INSEAD does not accept the GRE unless the GMAT is not offered in your country

Posted from my mobile device

Hi Susan,
Thanks for your reply. Main reason for taking GMAT is that INSEAD does not favor GRE score too much ( as per feedback from experts).
My breakup for GRE is q167, v161

Main reason for second MBA is that now that i have a pretty diverse experience of various fields and regions, I feel I am well suited for a consulting job. Also hence, INSEAD

Please find my profile below. I appreciate any feedback.

Background and nationality: Czech Republic, white male, 26 years
Educational Background:
- Lived for 2years in UK, where I finished my high school diploma - not sure if relevant but adds more international experience.
- Undergrad: Empire State College with double major in Business administration and International Economic Relations; GPA 3.93 (top 3%)
- CFA level 3 candidate 2020
- ACCA Diploma in Accounting and Business (first three exams)
GMAT: taking GMAT in 3 weeks, mock score of 650, expecting 700
Work experience and leadership:
- 4 years full time experience (by fall 2020, not considering internships mentioned below,)
- Currently: Senior Mergers&Acquisitions and Strategy Consultant at Big 4 (I work in two teams), responsible for 2-3 consultants/interns
- Previously: 0.5y full-time finance internship at IGO in Belgium, 0.5y internship at local investment bank, 0.5y internship at US embassy commercial section, 1y Data Administrator at Moody's Analytics
Community involvement: Volunteering at CFA local society
Post MBA goals: I plan to transition to investment associate role leveraging my current B4 experience and CFA.
Target schools: INSEAD, Haas, MIT

Hi LordFoulmouth,

Thank you for your reply. About 6 months ago, INSEAD announced that the GRE score is perfectly acceptable (regardless of your geographic location) for MBA applicants so long as the score is in the 80th percentile (min) in both Quant and Verbal (vs. GMAT in 70th -75th percentile). You will not be penalized for submitting a GRE score. I recommend you communicate with the INSEAD Admission office (so you feel comfortable with submitting the GRE) and dedicate the remainder of your time (between now and application deadline) to crafting and submitting a stellar application.

As to your overall experience, you have a very interesting and competitive profile. I recommend your application make a clear connection between your experiences and why a second MBA is absolutely necessary for reaching your goals.

I wish you much success in your application(s). If you would like our help with your materials, do not hesitate to reach out.

Good luck!


Susan

Hi Xin Cho!

Thank you for your post. I love the diversity of your profile and your many wonderful accomplishments, albeit very European centric. A 700 overall GMAT will definitely help with your applications. In addition, an air-tight narrative that incorporates and weaves together your experiences, the reason for an MBA, and your post-MBA goals is critical for admission.

You have listed an interesting selection of target schools, particularly as they relate to your post-MBA goals. I would like to learn more about your selection criteria. It would be great for us to have a conversation and discuss this in further details. I recommend you take advantage of our free consultation (here).


Good luck!

Susan

Background and nationality: 27 male from China

Undergrad Information:
Top Chinese diplomacy university, Major in English Language and Literature, Minor in International Relations
GPA: appox. 90/100 (my alma mater does not offer 4.0 scale GPA but the equivalent varies from 3.7-3.9 according to different metrics). Awarded national scholarships by Ministry of Education of China.

GMAT: 740 (Q51 V38 IR8 AW 5.5)
TOEFL: 115/120, I know most people on this forum don't need TOEFL scores but just put it as a reference

Work experience:
- (undergraduate) internship abroad at a United Nations regional hub, and Ministry of Finance of China, both working on policy analysis
- Joined one of China's policy financial institutions as client coverage officer since graduation, negotiating sovereign loans to local governments along the Belt and Road Initiative countries. Sectors are mainly focused on infrastructure, power, energy and resources.
1.1.5 years working in Beijing covering ASEAN countries
2.then fast-track promoted to regional manager on Asia and CIS (Russian-speaking countries) and worked for 2 years from Beijing, led a team and closed several deals, one of them was a Deal of the Year Award by a prestigious forum
3. relocated to Africa Office covering Eastern and Southern Africa. expected to have 1.5 years of WE upon matriculation. Lead negotiator for several mega sovereign debt restructuring (over 7bln USD) and interpreted for Company executives' meetings with African heads of states and government ministers.

Others: CFA, China CPA candidate, top employee performance award.
Traveled to over 30 countries in Asia, Europe and Africa, mostly in a professional capacity.
Official passport holder (government representative stationed abroad other than diplomats at the Embassy).

Extracurricular:
In college
- President of Debate and Public Speaking Club, won a few national and international awards
After college
- liaison officer of Chinese government poverty alleviation program to an impoverished county (each policy financier like us has been assigned a pair-up county to help reduce poverty with our resources and expertise). Helped source experts and funding for local farmers to grow certain fruits and identified early stage buyers.
- Licensed English teacher within the company, offering regular English language and interpreting/translation training to interested employees as a part of the company's staff training module
-Also speak intermediate French (B1 proficiency under EU standards)

Post MBA goals
Work as an investment officer in infrastructure at one of the nascent China-sponsored multilateral development banks

Hi guys,

I am an Indian male candidate. My background is in Financial Planning & Analysis with top FMCG companies in India. I have a 730 GMAT and 4 years of work experience currently. I have recently accepted a job offer in Dubai from a consumer tech company with a very internationally diverse workforce. My earlier plan was to apply for the INSEAD Jan 21 intake. This means I will have ~4-5 months of international experience when I submit my application. I am currently debating whether I should stick to that plan or postpone my application to Sep 21 / Jan 22 intake so that I will have more than a year's international experience at the time of application. Any words of wisdom / advice from experts would be very valuable. Thanks in advance

Hi KedKal,

Congratulations on the new job! Prior to this role in Dubai, how much international experience do you have? If the answer to this question is "little," then I recommend you postpone your application to September 2021/January 2022 intake so you submit a stronger application. If you feel that your profile is strong as is, and, other than time, waiting would not add value to your overall application, then applying for intake January 2021 may make more sense.

Sorry the answer is not black and white. I am happy to learn more about your profile and help guide you. If interested, please reach out.

Good luck!

Hi davidfeng,

You have a great profile with a really interesting work experience. I think you would be an excellent candidate for INSEAD and other top-tier universities. I recommend focusing your application in demonstrating how your work experience has helped prepare you for a career as an Investment Officer, and how INSEAD can help you bridge any gaps (be specific here) to succeed in your future goals.

Happy to speak further if that is of help to you. If interested, please reach out.

Good luck!

Susan

As I prepare to kick off preparations for applying next year, I would be grateful if you could evaluate my profile. Apologies for the longish post!

General Details
Background: Male, 30 Years old, Indian [Have you heard that before? Lol]
GMAT: 750 [Q50, V41] IR 8 AWA 5
Plan to apply for Sep’ 21 session

Educational Background
Bachelors: B.Eng in Polymer Science and Chemical Technology from Delhi College of Engineering, Delhi, India. 74% (Don’t know GPA). Graduated in 2010.
Masters: M.S. in Plastics Engineering from University of Massachusetts Lowell (highly reputed program).
GPA: 4.0. Graduated in 2015.

Professional Summary with major highlights
Job 1: Product Development in small to medium plastics compounding company. [India] [2010 – 2013]
• Started there as a trainee and left as development manager. Had 2 promotions in 3 years.
• Work included developing new product platforms to increase sales as well as diversify product portfolio. Also worked with quality department of plants across India to standardize testing resulting in quality complaints, etc. [Don’t have numbers right now]
• Helped set up operations in its first overseas plant.
• Acted as a liaison between technology and sales and marketing – worked in streamlining our products, developing materials for tradeshow, etc.

Job 2: Product Development in a major Plastics manufacturing company [USA] [2015 – 2018]
• Had 2 roles in this company. Both primarily in product development in different parts of the business. I was moved within one year of joining to the company to the headquarters due to my good performance.
• Involved with a team working on a patented product technology that provides a sustainable alternative to much maligned Styrofoam (styrene) cups, etc. Instrumental in bringing about $500K in cost savings as well as introducing a new product platform. Filed 2 patents for the work done there.

Job 3: Technical Service & Development in a Major Oil & Gas company [A Blue chip company as they like to call it] [USA] [2018 – Present]
• Work in the chemical business of the company on the interface of technology and business serving customers in the packaging industry.
• Global technical lead for a new application area to the company. Serve as technical lead coordinating activities of 3 global teams.

Extra-Curricular Activities
• Active in the volunteering space since my undergraduate days. Currently involved or in the past involved with various charities doing work ranging from food donation, teaching and mentoring underprivileged kids, waste management, etc.
• During my undergraduate, captain of the Cricket team and led the team to its first ever podium finish in an inter varsity tournament.

Why MBA?
I have spent the initial part of the career in technology which was planned to develop a strong technical foundation. I wish to now round of my professional skill set by gathering business acumen. Although there are many ways of achieving that, being a firm believer of learning via education – I wish to enroll in an immersive full-time program to get the maximum experience as well as better prepare for my career aspirations (read below).

Post MBA Goals
With an eventual goal/aspiration of being an entrepreneur focusing on developing sustainable solutions to issues such as plastic waste, I feel in the short term I would want to work in consulting helping companies in a similar area. This will better prepare me when I venture into entrepreneurship.

School Selection
Currently my target school is INSEAD. Based on my own research and talking to current students/alumni, it is a school that gives you an opportunity to network and learn from people of different nationalities, backgrounds, etc. It is aptly called business school of the world and I wish to take advantage of gaining that global perspective.
Other reasons are it being a shorter program, thus lower opportunity cost as well as with the desire to work/explore a different geography.

Questions/Concerns
• Am I too old for an MBA? By the time I will start, I will be 32. My understanding is that European schools generally have an older demographic, so should not be much of an issue. The reason I am applying for that session so I have enough experience in my current company for it to hold some weight when looking for jobs post MBA.
• Being from an over-represented pool (sucks to be Indian male engineer!), what are my chances? Is my work in a niche industry going to be enough of a differentiator?
• Since I have a year before I submit my applications, what can I do to bolster my chances?

Hi AG23,

Thank you for your post and for sharing your profile. I have answered your questions below in blue:

Questions/Concerns
• Am I too old for an MBA? By the time I will start, I will be 32. My understanding is that European schools generally have an older demographic, so should not be much of an issue. The reason I am applying for that session so I have enough experience in my current company for it to hold some weight when looking for jobs post MBA. An MBA post 30 is a bit tricky but doable. That said, I don't think you need to wait another year to apply - by the time you matriculate, you'll have completed 2 years at the current company, and that should not hinder your employment post MBA.
• Being from an over-represented pool (sucks to be Indian male engineer!), what are my chances? Is my work in a niche industry going to be enough of a differentiator? The quantitative components of your profile make you competitive. I recommend you take the time to match the qualitative strength as well. Typically, a qualitatively strong application ensures that your narrative and reason for applying are reflective of an appropriate goal while keeping in mind the values and the mission of the institution you are targetting.


Happy to continue the conversation. If interested, please reach out.

Good luck!

Susan