INSEAD MBA: R4 2020 OR R1 2021? (German, 25y, Entrepreneur)

Question

Dear all,

I plan to apply for an MBA at INSEAD.
My Profile:

- German
- 25years
- 3,5 year work experience in Insurance and Technology Start-up
- Entrepreneurial background, already build my own start-up company, solid achievements in terms of financing and customers
- 3.2 GPA, Bachelor from University of St. Gallen
- Visiting Lecturer for Entrepreneurship at University of St. Gallen
- Various Extra-Curricular Activities 
- GMAT: 710 (V39/Q49)

Now I am not sure whether to apply for Round 4 or Round 1 of the next cycle.

Round 4:
- Only a few spots left
- However, I am not Indian, French or American and maybe could provide a bit of diversification 
- Not so much competition, I am aware that I don't have the "strongest" profile in terms of GPA and GMAT, but I am confident I have a unique positioning as an experienced entrepreneur

Round 1:
- Many open spots
- Extreme competition
- My main concern is that they will not bring me in as there are too many "strong profiles"

Could anyone provide some insights?

CrackVerbalShree · Answer

Hello HHPreparation,

You have a good profile and with your entrepreneurial background, I am sure there will be a lot you can talk about. Out of the 900-1000 students who get every year about 38% are from Europe. Which means around 340 students from Europe. Looking at it more from the chances of admit - you might still be taking a chance. If you are not in a hurry and you want to improve the probability of your admit, my suggestion would be to apply in R1. Unless you have some really impressive stories in your entrepreneurial experience and you believe R4 or R1 it will definately have an impact.

We have a webinar tomorrow with an INSEAD Alum, here is a  link to attend

All the best!

Regards,
Shree

MBAPrepCoach · Answer

A few questions  HHPreparation

• Are you interested in getting financial aid? Because there are 0 scholarships in round 4 and it's limited in round 3. Everything is available in round one or 2. 
• Also would you be interested in internship? If you are not then that kind of shows you have a pretty good fit with September batch. On that note you might even consider Colombia January batch as well that application opens in June due in Oct. 
• Do you meet 70-75% on both verbal and quant? They're pretty strict about that. 
• If you have any interest in working in the Middle East or spending one of your periods there that is only available in September however an internship is only available in January. 
• Do you have proof of leadership/teamwork/problem-solving? You're pretty young for someone who will be going to a European school but if you can prove positive impact in your business and the community, it should be OK.

HHPreparation · Answer

Dear Shree,

Thanks for getting back to me with your opinion. I will definitely check out the Webinar!

Dear MBAPrepCoach,

Thank you for the insights. Also very helpful!
- I am not interesting in financial aid
- I am not interested in an internship
- I meet the GMAT Treshholds
- Middle East is not an interest to me
- Impact/Leadership I am confident that I can establish this fact with my successes of my first company and in my current position as head.

Best

MBAPrepCoach · Answer

Well, when I say financial aid I mean free money, not loans. So, that is a disadvantage, but otherwise things really line up for you. The next question, can you put together a great application in 3.5 weeks - there are 7 essays and 5 recommendation questions. CV. Videos. It's a lot. I spend 2-3 months on this with clients, unless they are able to take 3 weeks off work or something.

Also please be aware - INSEAD is NOT very reapplicant friendly. Especially when you apply the next year because what changed? they would say. Unless it's a massive promotion or GMAT increase they are not keen on slogging through all the same stuff. So IF if if if you have a rock-solid well differentiated application in that time frame - which is frankly hard to imagine - go for it.

HHPreparation · Answer

Again, excellent advice thank you. I already have everything ready except essays. And for the essays I feel confident to put together a solid first draft in that time. But I get the overall pictures. I think I will prepare and see where I land in terms of timing

If its Round 4 nice, if not then I wait for Round 1.

aidmit · Answer

hI  HHPreparation ,

Overall, I do believe that you bring diversity to the cohort at INSEAD if you position yourself as an European entrepreneur with a leadership ability to lead a cohort of students at University of St. Gallen.

But, I would strongly advise against applying in R4 because-
(1) You do not have enough time to draft and polish your application. I would at-least set aside a month drafting and finalizing the essays. It is very important that you apply when you are ready and not when the application is due. See for yourself if you could put your best foot forward in a short time. If not, its always advisable to take your time.
(2) Typically, the vacant slots for the batch are filled in the first 3 rounds. R4 essentially scouts for extremely talented candidates or looks for replacements in case applicants withdraw. Hence, even if you successfully fulfill all the criteria that the school is looking for, you might still be unable to secure a place.

bb · Answer

INSEAD MBA: R4 2020 OR R1 2021? (German, 25y, Entrepreneur)

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