INSEAD and the GRE

Question

Hey all

Wondering if anyone here got admitted into INSEAD with GRE

What was your score breakdown? What is your nationality?

Thank you

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bb · Answer

You can also poke around the decision tracker that has that kind of data… though not sure how many GRE scores are reported.

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Missappleline · Answer

Got admitted with 328 - 161 in quant, 167 in verbal. I’m Belgian and Maltese, ex-lawyer.

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Az777 · Answer

Thats a great score!

Do you think they care about your overall score or put more emphasis on Quant?

Missappleline · Answer

I have no clue, but considering how much you have to write for the application alone, I think they do value verbal, so I wouldn’t neglect that part of the exam.

bb · Answer

The myth of quant is too old. I am not sure who invented it but it is not true.

1. Business Schools want diverse classes and students. They can’t recruit only quant engineers who can’t speak in full sentences.

2. Your score should be confirming your background and your story. If you are a finance background and you have a mediocre quant score then it does not add up. If that is your job, you clearly have not applied yourself.

3. Similarly if you say you want to do PE or Hedge fund investing and your Q score is bad, that’s a mismatch.

4. INSEAD is the #1 program outside of the US they don’t care what score you have really. No score will get you admitted. A bad score will keep you out in most cases but a good one will never be enough to get you in alone. Things other than the score will decide your fate.

Missappleline · Answer

100%. It’s also insulting (IMO) to think one part is more valuable than another. This is a business school, not an engineering school. Lawyers, writers etc. also apply to INSEAD - it has educated three heads of state and countless spokespeople.

You need to be able to communicate fluidly. If you are a mathematical genius, but can barely speak English, I seriously doubt you stand much of a chance, nor do I know what jobs you’d be looking at post-MBA. Better to go straight for an MFin or MSc - your skill set will be more relevant there.

bb · Answer

I would add that with INSEAD placing so many people into consulting and so many people applying to be consultants, client readiness skills are very important. (Not everyone will go into consulting and INSEAD does not want all eggs in one basket either but that’s the easy to identify group). This probably has nothing to do with your verbal or quan score but application and the interview. You need to be able to engage with a senior person, be able to communicate clearly, tell a story, and impress them. Obviously, nobody’s perfect and everyone will fail somewhere. However, the closer you are to perfection, the better.

Consulting company recruiters look for these client facing skills. A ton of people have strong quantitative skills or great verbal skills but those are not enough by themselves. Speaking skills, presentation delivery, interview, and people skills are very important if you want to be in consulting (not the only outcome but it is closely related to the next steps of many INSEAD graduates). These skills are also super helpful in any job interview. I always highly recommend brushing them up as much as possible before business school. Usually people don’t have the time to work on them during applications but once you are admitted, and you have six months before you start school, join Toastmasters and variety of other practical opportunities to get better. It takes time and these are perishable skills so you have to keep practicing and improving.

In terms of diversity, you can easily be someone like Elon musk and have an Asperger’s syndrome. You may shine in one area but be a challenged communicator and that is also fine but you have to be the best of the best to get into the number one school. Would Elon have been admitted 20 years ago? Not sure. Einstein did not get in during his first attempt. He could not even find a job after graduation, he was so bad. There is value in diversity and different people are good at different things. Sometimes were not well recognized for them. Sometimes it takes time to figure them out.it took Einstein decades to get his footing.

PS. I think I went way off topic 🤦‍♂️ But here we are

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Missappleline · Answer

I’ll also add, I think that the international element is more of a deciding factor in your application than any grade on a standardised test.

I have dual nationality, have lived and worked in 6 countries, and speak 6 languages. There are thousands of people with good grades on the GRE or the GMAT. There are far fewer people willing to up and leave their whole lives to pursue a new adventure in a faraway land, particular before the age of 35. *That* builds character, not an exam.

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bb · Answer

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