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Calling all INSEAD MBA Applicants: (Sept 2017 Intake) Class of 2018!!

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Icecream87

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Archived 'Calling All INSEAD Applicants' Topic

Hi there,

You've reached an old 'Calling All INSEAD Applicants' discussion which is now outdated and has been archived. No more replies are possible here.

Looking for the latest discussion? Check out this up-to-date Calling All INSEAD Applicants Discussion for the most recent conversations on this topic.

Interested in more from this school? Visit our dedicated INSEAD Forum to dive into all things related to INSEAD's MBA program.

Thank you for understanding, and happy exploring!

Icecream87

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Welcome everyone to INSEAD (Sept 2017 Intake) MBA discussion! Use this platform to know one another, build network, exchange ideas/information, discuss application strategies, share interview /school visit experiences, and boost one-another's morale to face the tough admission process.

Let's write the INSEAD story together!!
Good luck to all!! :beer

INSEAD's Video Interview Tips - By Stacy Blackman

Stacy Blackman

This year, the number of motivation essays has been reduced from four to three, and INSEAD has also introduced a video component in this application cycle. Once submitting their application, applicants will receive a link to a video interview. This video component is required to start the evaluation of your application. You will have until a week after the application deadline you are applying for to complete the video interview.

The INSEAD AdCom states: “We are keen on getting to know you better and believe that through a video you can come to life, so be spontaneous, be creative and be yourself! We look forward to virtually meeting you!”

DON’T MAKE THESE 4 COMMON VIDEO INTERVIEW MISTAKES

Dressing Inappropriately

—Most applicants have a clear grasp of the meaning of professional dress, but a number of admissions officers report that the standard seems to slide when the interview is conducted over Skype, particularly when it comes to the apparel below the desk. If you need to stand up for any reason during the interview and have nothing but boxers on, rest assured that is an impression the interviewer won’t soon forget.

Losing Your Cool with Tech Glitches

—Technological glitches such as dropped audio or a frozen feed are almost par for the course, but admissions staff say how you react to the situation is what really counts. Maintaining poise and keeping your frustration in check will leave a positive impression on your interviewer. Swearing at your speakers, on the other hand, will not.

Being Careless About Your Background

—Not your personal background, mind you, but that which literally appears behind you as you participate in the video chat. As with clothing choices, the backdrop you choose can make a negative impression if the interviewer is distracted by the messy bookcase or illuminated TV screen over your shoulder. Clean, clear, and well-lit is the way to go here.

Not Practicing Beforehand

—Video interviewing is both convenient and efficient, but takes some time to get used to in order to come across in a natural way. Some people are distracted by their appearance, others find themselves talking in a tone that’s altogether different from a face-to-face conversation. Make sure you conduct various practice chats and seek feedback on your performance until you’re satisfied that you’re conversing with ease.

Randy Bitting, founder of InterviewStream, which sells interview preparation systems to schools including nearly two dozen top B-schools, says, “Business schools are finding that there’s an enormous gap between how students view themselves as prepared compared to how employers view them in interviews.” Keep these four aspects in mind and make sure you’re doing all that you can to close that gap.

- See more at: https://www.stacyblackman.com/tag/video-interview/

R1 Candidates' Feedback on the Video Interview

pierre75020

Hi everybody !
Regarding the video interview. I did mine yesterday.
Basically it is the same kind of things asked for TOEFL.
You have 4 questions and for each of them, 45 seconds of preparation and 1 minute to answer.
My question were (in don’t remember the exact wording):
- What are you expecting to learn during INSEAD MBA?
- How your colleagues would describe you leadership style? give an example
- How would you fight stereotypes in a work environment?
- You are starting a new project with team members coming from different cultures and educational background. How would you make them meet?
It is quite difficult to answer in one minute to those question but I thinks that the purpose is more to assess your English level and your behavior in front of the camera than your philosophical reflection about such complex subject as fighting stereotypes (at least I hope, because I have to admit that I did not say things particularly interesting in one minute).

paisaj87

I agree with Pierre I think these questions are about showing your ability to express in english and for them to get a generl sense of your confidence and clearity of thought.
I think a good way to prepare is using old interview questions or available old questions from Kellog or Yale.
Good Luck Everyone.

Icecream87

Agreed! I got the leadership question as well, along with another on international experience, helping others, and a why Insead question. The format is indeed close to the toefl. But unlike the former you need to present a well thought answer as well. And for some questions, a 45sec preparation time can be quite short. So just train on random questions from the other schools as Paisa said, smile and look at the camera (this was the hardest part for me).

Arkay

Hello guys. Yes, I second (or third..) that

. Some questions do require elaborate examples for corroboration - that is when one feels that 60 seconds is a bit tight. So probably it is more to gauge fluency and spontaneity more than anything else. Best wishes to all.

DI119

I got the following questions in video interview-
1. What do you do when someone comes to you with a problem?
2. What was the most interesting project you have worked on? Why was it interesting to you?
3.What does diversity mean to you?
4. How do you keep track of your vision? Or that of your company?

fredurst89

Hi All,
I submitted yesterday my video interview. It was indeed a little odd. I received an email from my coordinator saying that interview invites will roll over until Oct 21st, at which point you would know if you are dropped.Wish you all the best!

ddb1990

Awesome! I completed the video interviews as well. Had a question about entrepreneurship, culture shock, how I manage teams and what I would like to learn at INSEAD.

lpetroski

My questions were mostly focused on entrepreneurship and how I would establish the foundations of my company. I won't put the exact questions here since I think part of the point is that INSEAD wants to see how you can think on your feet

I found it really fun! It's a great way to demonstrate your way of thinking, personality and presence to a committee that would otherwise only be able to judge your potential based on your written application. If a picture is worth a 1000 words, think what a video can do for you

If you approach it with this attitude, you'll do great. Relax and enjoy!

R2 Candidates' Feedback on the Video Interview

TurkishDelights

I was nervous the first 20 seconds of the first question then somehow things got 'normal' and relaxed.
The questions were about "my vision" , INSEAD MBA , diversity and entrepreneurship.

meera1435

It wasn't that hard but I am not sure what they are looking for.
My prep was very formulaic. Answer what why when how for every question.
I also noted a few career high points that can apply across questions so I don't waste time thinking of examples.
the practice questions were very useful to correct expressions. I also practiced with a lot of Kellogg and yale questions.
In the actual video interview, I did 5 instead of 4. The video failed in the first one and I was asked to repeat.

gluu

My practice questions :
- name a company you admire
- what does success mean to you

My real questions :
- why insead
- how would you establish the foundations of your company
- management style
- how did you build your international experience

souvik101990

My video interview went OK. I was wearing a suit (I didn't for one other school). INSEAD has my best impression.

Questions were based on leadership, international outlook, ethical dilemma and one that I can't remember.

The one thing that I tried to do in the videos is to highlight WHY INSEAD as that's something I couldn't touch upon a lot in the essays.

I will mention a goof up. In anxiety, I replaced the word 'global' with continental. I hope they don't think I was talking about food.

But I hope I gave them a reason to chuckle.

frhr

did my interview as well. the questions were about vision, two qqs on diversity and one on a project that I liked most.
honestly, the overall advise I can give - practice. First do the questions for Kellog and Yale, that are available on web. then do the qqs from this forum and the last thing - those at the website. There is a high probability that you will get one of the questions listed here.

Don't overdo it as well, should catch a moment when you are ready and not tired already.

I had a suit on, but only on top

vertex

Hey all

I got the following questions during my interview
1- practice
narrate one situation where non-verbal cues have helped resolving a conflict.

One situation where you felt extremely stressed and how you came out of it ?

2- actual
what is diversity according to you ?( i did well on this one )
Describe one situation where you faced ethical dilemma? how did you resolve ? what factors did you consider while resolving it ?( GOd knows how one is expected to answer all of that in one minute !!)( not sure how well did it go )
What according to you is required to start a successful business and than to run it ?( i spoke about successful entrepreneurship. )
One project which interested you the most and why ?( i already had an answer for this one)

All the best :-)

Q&A with Melissa from Fortuna Admissions and former Assistant Director of Admissions at INSEAD: Here

Campus Visit Debriefs

INSEAD Campus Visit - debrief
INSEAD Singapore Campus visit
The INSEAD Singapore Campus

Old Interview Debriefs

September 2016 Intake

January 2015 Intake

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INSEAD September 2017 Intake Essay Tips

There are two sections of the INSEAD application that require answers in the form of an essay or short paragraph: the Motivation Essays section, which is what students typically think of as the MBA application essays, and the Job Description section, which offers applicants an opportunity to flesh out the highlights of their career path.

The recently released 2016-2017 INSEAD MBA application, for students seeking September 2017 entry, includes four motivation essays (one optional) and five short answer questions about your job description (one optional).

A new change this year at INSEAD is the introduction of a video. After submitting your application you will have an opportunity to “introduce” yourself to INSEAD via a video interview. This is an additional chance for applicants to make a positive impact on the admissions committee.

If you want to get admitted to INSEAD, here are some MBA essay tips to keep in mind:

Motivation Essays
1. Give a candid description of yourself (who are you as a person), 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 (approximately 500 words).

This is a relatively straightforward question about strengths and weaknesses. Be sure that you have a very solid understanding of your personal brand; the more specific examples you can offer to support the strengths you list, the more compelling your essay will be. Do your research about INSEAD’s brand and what they are looking for in admitted students. The goal is not to change what you say about yourself in order to match what they’re looking for, but to provide an honest assessment of yourself in a way that highlights why you think you will be a good fit for INSEAD.

2. Describe the achievement of which you are most proud and explain why. In addition, describe a situation where you failed. How did these experiences impact your relationships with others? Comment on what you learned (approximately 400 words).

This is a very personal essay, and it will be all the more powerful if you allow yourself to show some vulnerability. Note that you are not being asked to share your most impressive achievement, but the one you are most proud of – the achievement should reflect your values and goals.

By the same token, when you discuss a time that you failed, you want to avoid superficialities and choose something that was meaningful to you. There needs to be an impactful result, a clear way in which you learned from this failure. When you aim to accomplish big goals, failure is inevitable at some points along the road, and your essay should illustrate that you are able to fail without giving up or giving in.

There is a lot to pack into a very short amount of space with this essay – only 400 or so words – so this is one you will want to spend a lot of time brainstorming about and revising to make sure that it is concise, honest, and addresses all elements of the question (including how your achievements and failure impacted your relationships with others, either at the time or later in your career).

3. Describe all types of extra-professional activities in which you have been or are still involved for a significant amount of time (clubs, sports, music, arts, politics, etc). How are you enriched by these activities? (approximately 300 words)

Time is the one thing that we can never get more of. This question seeks to understand more about what you value by looking at how you spend your time. What do your hobbies say about what you will bring to the INSEAD student cohort? Are you someone who is accustomed to putting in long hours working with a group of like-minded individuals? What hobbies or interests have you had to give up as you’ve progressed in your career?

4. Is there anything else that was not covered in your application that you would like to share with the Admissions Committee? (optional; approximately 300 words)

Applicants often feel anxiety about whether they should provide an answer to optional essay prompts. It’s important to remember that these prompts are truly optional: if you feel like the existing essay questions (and INSEAD has plenty of them!) have fully covered your experience, then your time is far better spent making sure that your required essays are as strong as they can be.

However, if you do have a weakness or unusual aspect to your application, the optional essay gives you an excellent opportunity to address it head on and indicate your self-awareness, as well as the steps you are taking (or have taken) to mitigate any weaknesses. That might mean explaining why a poor undergraduate GPA doesn’t reflect your current potential, or owning up to a spotty job history and showing the steps you’ve taken to strengthen your resume. Don’t try to deflect blame; own up to your mistakes and show what concrete actions you’ve taken to make yourself a solid MBA candidate.

Job Description Questions
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.

Make sure you keep this essay focused on your most recent job, and if you’ve been there a while, focus on the last year or so. If you do not supervise many (or any) employees, spend some time thinking about the experience you’ve gained in your current role that lends itself to supervisory experience. Keep this essay brief and focused on objective, measurable results whenever possible.

2. What would be your next step in terms of position if you were to remain in the same company?

This should be a relatively simple question to answer: what are your opportunities for growth and advancement within your current organization? Depending on your career goals, it may make sense to discuss how you are currently preparing to take on this next role, and whether you feel it is the direction you want to take your career in.

3. Please give a full description of your career since graduating from university. Describe your career path with the rationale behind your choices.

The goal here is to show intentionality in your career path – not just that you’ve jumped around at random, but that you’ve had a goal you’re working toward or have at the very least steadily increased your responsibilities and seniority. This is also your chance to explain any resume gaps, industry jumps, or otherwise seemingly unexpected portions of your resume.

4. Discuss your short and long term career aspirations with or without an MBA from INSEAD.

Many business schools have essay questions which address the idea of where you want your career to go, regardless of whether you’re admitted to their MBA program. Change happens, and you are not always in control of the direction it takes. In addition to the questions designed to get a better look at the intentionality of your career path, this question attempts to get a sense of how well you roll with the punches. Do you have contingency plans for how to shape your career in the event of market changes or disruptive innovation?

Your answer should illustrate that you have put significant thought into how you will move forward with your career, regardless of whether you’re admitted to the INSEAD MBA programme this year.

5. If you are currently not working or if you plan to leave your current employer more than 2 months before the programme starts, please explain your activities and occupations between leaving your job and the start of the programme. (optional)

The adcom is again looking for intentionality with this question: are you pursuing an MBA because you aren’t sure what to do next, or because you’re certain that it’s the right step for your career goals and aspirations? The specifics of what you are doing (volunteering, studying, traveling, etc.) are less important than how well you can show that your activities have a purpose and have been chosen to support your career goals.

No matter how many essays your target school requires, EXPARTUS is here to help. If you’d like guidance when it comes to developing your essay or strengthening your personal brand, feel free to contact us.

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INSEAD - Admission Trends Over 5 Years!!

We decided to analyse our accumulated forum data of INSEAD applicants to determine admission trends and acceptance chances of applicants. We have tried to determine acceptance chances by GMAT score, Intakes, industry, etc. and compare performance of GMAT Club applicants with overall applicant pool. The data used for this analysis is self-reported, so it's advised to use findings of this analysis only to get idea of admission scenario at INSEAD. Don't presume that these findings will hold true all the time.

We would welcome any comments, opinions, suggestions or anything else that you might have to say about the findings of this analysis.

INSEAD vs GMATClub Applicant Pool: YoY Comparison
	2012 Intake		2013 Intake		2014 Intake		2015 Intake		2016 Intake
	School	GMAT Club	School	GMAT Club	School	GMAT Club	School	GMAT Club	School	GMAT Club
Acceptance Rate	N/A	37%	N/A	27%	N/A	26%	N/A	25%	N/A	18%
Average GMAT	N/A	724	N/A	710	701	710	700	708	700	709
Average GPA	N/A	3.45	N/A	3.49	N/A	3.46	N/A	3.5	N/A	3.46
Avg Work Experience	60 - 72	67	60 - 72	71	72	68	66	66	72	64
Average Age	29	29	29	29	29	28	29	28	29	28

January and September Intakes: Applicants and Acceptance Rates

Both the acceptance rate and number of applicants are higher for Sept intake.
R2 and R3 have highest probability of acceptance than other rounds.
R1 is greatest round in terms of number of applicants.

Sample Size: 1907 Applicants

Acceptance Rate by GMAT Score

As expected, acceptance chances increase with higher GMAT scores; however, this holds true only upto 730 level, after which we can see some decrease in the acceptance chances of applicants with GMAT scores 740 and 750. We observed similar trend during the analysis of ISB applicants as well.

Sample Size: 838 Applicants

Acceptance Rates of Different Age Groups GMAT Score

Greatest portion of INSEAD's applicant pool is coming from 28-30 age group and this group also has highest chance of admission. This is not very surprising because average age of INSEAD's incoming class has always stayed around 28 - 29.

Sample Size: 358 Applicants

Acceptance rates by Countries

For this analysis, we have considered only those countries that have relatively higher number of INSEAD applicants on forum. We have not chosen the countries with less than 15 applicants.
We have also shown the difference between average GMAT of overall applicant pool of a specific country and average GMAT of admitted students of that country.

Sample Size: 610 Applicants

Acceptance rates of applicants from various industries

The first chart - line chart - shows acceptance rates of applicants from various industries and the pie chart next to it shows industri-wise allocation of applicants.

Sample Size: 784 Applicants

Incoming Class of INSEAD

Here we have done industry-wise classification of students admitted between 2012 and 2016 to see representation of various industries in an average INSEAD MBA class.

Sample Size: 784 Applicants

As I said earlier, we welcome your views, counter-views, suggestions, etc on the analysis. Thank you!

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That's a lot of charts.

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Hi guys,

Thank you! I have been waiting for this thread!
Do you experts have any take on this new video thing? It worries me a little.

Thank you again!

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Good to see the acceptance rate for Chinese is 63%! And the GMAT is 730!!!

Sent from my iPhone using GMAT Club Forum mobile app

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Just came across the following blog post. Following suit with Kellogg and Yale, INSEAD has introduced this new component in the application process. What do prospective applicants think about the new video interview? Will it help in providing deeper insights into your background?

Attachment:

INSEAD.png [ 33.02 KiB | Viewed 49427 times ]

Icecream87

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Narenn

Attachment:

INSEAD.png

Yes I stumbled upon that too yesterday. There is still no way to get a hint on what potential questions they would be asking. And that is worrisome.

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25 Jul 2016, 04:57

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Awesome piece of info..Thanks

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FROM Insead Admissions Blog: Sponsored student? INSEAD is almost a no-brainer!

INSEAD attracts many types of students. Amongst them, a good number of admitted students (about 10-15%) are ‘sponsored’ students. These are students whose MBA is funded by their employers with the understanding that they would return back to the sponsoring... Continue Reading →

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FROM Insead Admissions Blog: Internships & Summer Holidays at INSEAD

When describing the curriculum of my MBA program to my friends and family, many were surprised to learn that the program itself is actually ten months, with a two-month summer break for the classes with January starts (July graduates do not have an... Continue Reading →

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Hello Everyone,

I'm an Indian male applicant to INSEAD sep-2017 intake. Its very ambitious of me to think of applying to INSEAD given my financial background.
My profile goes as follows:
GMAT: 720 (Q49/V40)
I am yet to take language test(s).
Work-Exp: 60 months till July-2016
Sector: Electrical Design Engineering - heavy electricals manufacturing and power sector (54 months at BHEL - a manufacturing sector PSU in India)
Extra-curriculars are good but community service is poor.
Have been part of theatre groups and social cause performances - acting and direction.
Leadership roles are ample within and beyond my profession.
Acads: High School - 91%
12th std - 93%
B. Tech. (Electrical Engineering) - 73.4% (but 4th in class)

Firstly, I'm not even sure how strong my profile is for INSEAD. So please enlighten me in this domain.

Secondly, my major concern is finance. In India, max. loan amount without collateral etc. is INR 30 lacs (approx EUR 40,000).
I have next to nil collateral property.
I'll be able to personally manage not more than approx EUR-15,000. So how am I supposed to fund my studies if I'm not awarded any scholarship. Saying that, may I know the probability of getting a scholarship and if yes, about how much, based on my profile.

Please oblige me with your advice as I really want to apply to INSEAD but for an average Indian with low financial background, it is next to impossible investing that much even if you deserve it. (If I do).

Thanks for reading.

Abhishek

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Hi,

I am an Indian applicant.Good profile and lots of Extracurricular, working in world's best Entertainment company. But I am not from IIT and never went abroad for work (so no International exposure) and most imp GMAT 670.

My chances with Insead seems pretty SLim. Need opinion.

Thanks in advance,
abrakadabra

prabhakar09

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Location: Estonia

Concentration: Strategy, General Management

Schools: IE (A)

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09 Aug 2016, 05:38

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abrakadabra21

Dear you know WHO,

As you say you have a good profile and a brilliant EC. I would encourage you to still apply. And apply in R1.

So far, what I have understood is that these points like IIT and GMAT score are just very small additives. Sure if you had a GMAT 700-710 chances would have been better. But you can take the test Again. IIT I wouldn't even worry about it.

As for international exposure. the main point that they are looking for is how easily you adapt to a different cultural situation. so you can find some examples from your experience with the entertainment company or if you are a north Indian and working in South India you can site that. (not sure how strong that essay would be, but definitely something to think about)

Make the application. All the best.

PRAVEEN433

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09 Aug 2016, 22:59

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hi, i am an indian applicant trying to get to intake of july 2017 in insead.
my profile reads -
b.tech - IT-BHU -8.19
gmat -760
very good at sports activities and little community service during the college time.
i m little struggling with my communication skills.

plz tell me what are my chances. And i have few more questions
a) i did my undergraduate in English. It is mentioned in INSEAD form that we have to submit a proof stating that the language of instruction
was English. I don't know where to find the proof.
b) is the video interview is final or will they take some other interview after this. If yes, how much time they give for the preparation of interview

prabhakar09

Joined: 20 Mar 2016

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Location: Estonia

Concentration: Strategy, General Management

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GMAT 1: 690 Q49 V35 Verified score

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09 Aug 2016, 23:15

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PRAVEEN433

Hello Praveen,

First off, It's IITV. now. use that.

Your chances depend majorly on your work experience, international exposure... and so on.
1. no proof needed.
2. the video interview is a new addition to the process, so not much info is out there. from what I have understood, this is the step 1.

nigushto

Joined: 25 Mar 2016

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09 Aug 2016, 23:54

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PRAVEEN433

The answer to your question a) is this link www.iitbhu.ac.in/institute/notification ... uction.pdf. How do I know this? Because I graduated from the same college

boy I miss those days
b) It's not a video interview but more like a video essay. I do not have much info about that but your interviews will definitely be separate from the video.

Having said that, communication skills will be key to your application and with addition of the video component, it will be critical. So focus on improving that in the next couple of months before the deadline and that should help. Get your essays reviewed by peers and friends as a different perspective is always helpful.

Let me know if you have any other questions - I'll be happy to help as much as I can.

nigushto

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10 Aug 2016, 00:18

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prabhakar09

PRAVEEN433

It's IITBHU, not IITV

prabhakar09

Joined: 20 Mar 2016

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Location: Estonia

Concentration: Strategy, General Management

Schools: IE (A)

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10 Aug 2016, 00:47

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nigushto

prabhakar09

PRAVEEN433

It's IITBHU, not IITV

Oh Sorry, I thought it was IIT Varanasi, Anyway point being:- if the IIT name gives 0.01% better probability .. use it.

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