Request for Profile Evaluation for INSEAD

Question

Hi,

I am an Indian male, aged 30 years. My GMAT score is 670 (Q48 V34).
I am a Chartered Accountant (CPA equivalent ) and a CFA.

I have 7 years of professional work experience, 3 years in Finance (International Operations) and 4 years in Management Consulting. I am currently working with Accenture. I have delivered large scale transformation projects and have been consistently rated high in my organisation.

As part of my extra co-curriculars I do long distance running - Marathons and play a musical instrument - Sitar. I am comfortable with 2 foreign languages, which I have learnt as a hobby.

I plan to pursue my MBA at INSEAD in their Jan'24 intake and would like to evaluate my chances considering my profile and score. My critical question is whether strong letters of recommendation with my additional professional qualification can help improve my chances with 670 score.

MBAGuide · Answer

Hi  Karan0912  hope this finds you well.

While I understand that my response may not be what you were hoping for, it's important to note that your GMAT score, particularly your Quant score, is slightly lower for your demographic. If it all comes down to stats at the end (for example if there are other CAs, CFAs and consultants in competition), your GMAT could impact the decision. But there is still hope as I have seen instances of Indians being accepted into INSEAD with sub-700 scores, those who have standout profiles, such as graduating from prestigious institutions like IIT and having full-time international exposure.

I would strongly advise you to set up a one-on-one meeting with the admissions office rep. This will allow you to present yourself impressively and get a read into any concerns you may have. Your CA and CFA certifications are definite strengths that you should highlight, as they contribute to your overall academic background and can help you navigate the competitive landscape.

Regardless of your GMAT score, exceptional Letters of Recommendation (LORs) will be crucial in your application.

Best wishes

Karan0912 · Answer

MBAGuide 
Could you please explain how can we set up such 1-1 meetings ?

CrackAdmission · Answer

Hello Karan0912 , I am Arijit, a consultant from CrackAdmission, and I have evaluated your profile for the INSEAD MBA program. Your Chartered Accountant and CFA background, along with 7 years of work experience, including 4 years in management consulting with Accenture, showcases your strong leadership potential, which is highly valued by INSEAD. While your extracurricular activities of long-distance running, playing the sitar, and knowledge of foreign languages showcase your well-rounded personality, INSEAD places significant emphasis on international exposure. As you do not have significant international exposure, highlighting any proxy international experiences can be a valuable addition to your application. We can work together to identify opportunities for you to gain this experience, such as working on global projects or participating in international conferences or competitions. Your GMAT score of 670 is slightly below the average for INSEAD's MBA program. Retaking the GMAT to achieve a higher score would strengthen your application. While we do not offer GMAT prep services, we can provide guidance and support as you prepare for the test. In addition, we can help you brainstorm essay ideas and identify potential recommenders who can speak to your leadership potential and achievements in the workplace. At CrackAdmission, we have a successful track record of working with applicants like you to achieve their MBA dreams. With our guidance, you can craft a compelling application that showcases your strengths, experiences, and goals, and highlights how an INSEAD MBA can help you achieve them. Contact us to learn more about our services and how we can help you stand out in the highly competitive INSEAD MBA application process. Please find below some videos created specially by us while working closely with INSEAD alumni. 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHWiSvmjhzM&t=27s 2. https://www.youtube.com/live/q1HaIkLR7Cw?feature=share Feel free to reach out to me at arijit.biswas@crackadmission.com / 9701215544 Cheers and all the very best !!

MBAGuide · Answer

Karan0912 You may fill in this form on their website https://www.insead.edu/master-programmes/mba/contact-us Given this is a long weekend, the FR campus may take time to get back. You can alternatively fill the form and also reach out to Brenden Low (MBA biz dev team, SGP campus) on his (professional)social network. Best wishes

AdmitExpert · Answer

Karan0912 While your Chartered Accountancy and CFA qualifications highlight your academic strengths, and your work experience in finance and consulting demonstrates your professional achievements, the lack of international work experience (working abroad, not working with international clients or being part of an international team) may put you at a disadvantage in the highly diverse and globally-focused INSEAD community. Additionally, a 670 GMAT score falls below the school's average and may make admission more challenging, even with strong letters of recommendation and essays. Therefore, it might be wise for you to apply to schools that value your experience and strengths more specifically, and where you have a better chance of being admitted. It's essential to choose the schools carefully and apply to a mix of dream, reach, and safety schools to maximize your chances of acceptance. You should also consider retaking the GMAT to improve your score if possible, as this could increase your chances of being accepted at more competitive programs. This will also ensure all areas of your profile are strong in comparison with the applicant pool for these highly competitive programs. It will be nice to understand your work experience and career growth in more detail for us to evaluate your profile fit for different schools. For a more detailed 1-1 strategy session, please write to contactus@admitexpert.com or fill the form at http://www.admitexpert.com Good luck!

MBAandBeyond · Answer

Hey  Karan0912 ,

Thank you for sharing your profile. Your profile seems interesting on the surface. Your work experience is the most significant aspect of your profile. I’m sure you can bring a lot of good stories from it. Firstly let me tell you the aspects on which INSEAD evaluates your profile.
 
1) Ability to contribute
2) Leadership skills
3) International Motivation
4) Academics

Your GMAT score is low; however, it can be compensated with your CFA and CA. Any additional certifications/achievements should also be highlighted. On the work front, your work experience will be the major highlight of your application. I’m sure you will have great stories to dig out from your 7 years of work experience. Also, while creating the stories, you will need to put forth the leadership qualities in you. While listing your work or responsibilities, you will need to pick the most impacting one. Talk more deeply about your experiences and show how your different roles have developed leadership qualities in you and how you took care of things when they went south. Talking about such experiences helps give AdComs great insight into your values, beliefs, and leadership potential and styles.

ECs play a major role in an application as it adds diversity. Playing sitar is one such thing on your end. Knowledge of Foreign languages will also help you. Are you associated with any NGOs or involved in any social work/activity? The AdComs highly appreciate it. Try highlighting them, if any.

You may want to read our article on  How to get into INSEAD , to gain some insights of the school.

To answer your question, CFA and CA and strong letters of recommendation will enhance your chances at INSEAD. However, in order to evaluate your profile better, we would like to know the hidden aspects of your work experience and your impact in order to find your USPs. Also, it would be great if I get to know your post-MBA goals to gauge your fit for INSEAD. What’s going to matter most is how you link the dots with the values of the INSEAD and bring a great narrative to stand out from the other applicants in the pool. Hence, feel free to  schedule a call with us  at your convenience.

“Coffee with MBA and Beyond” .

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GyanOne · Answer

The GMAT should be increased to a 710+ Karan. Also please clarify on the international experience bit. Please go through these articles as well. They will help: https://www.gyanone.com/international-e ... important/ https://www.gyanone.com/best-mba-admiss ... nts-india/

GeneralEducation · Answer

Your work experience and extracurriculars are quite good. You overall carry a good profile but GMAT is at the lower side. I definitely feel you can score much better on GMAT. Considering the fact that you don't have enough time to retake GMAT. In fact, If I were you, I would definitely apply with 670 considering the current average is 710 whereas also their 2023 class intake GMAT ranges from 670 - 750. 
Referring to your question on  Letter Of Recommendation , yes a strong recommendation can help to advance your profile a bit. Also, focus on the application essays to build a good story for the admission team.

You can talk to our  admission experts  or INSEAD current students or alumni to understand their admission process.

Angry-Indian-male · Answer

Hey, this seems like a great profile for a top school, but I believe more in-depth review would be required to get an idea of the odds to get into the schools

Request for Profile Evaluation for INSEAD

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