How to apply to INSEAD MBA: Vince best application, essay, and interview tips
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Vince INSEAD tips
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Below, you can find the tips that have helped my clients get admitted to INSEAD.
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Please note that I am providing tips in the same order that I suggest candidates write INSEAD's essays.
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In short, I encourage my clients to write the easiest essays first.
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Doing so helps them build momentum, which they need to tackle tricky questions about strengths and weaknesses, failure, and culture shock.
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What do they want?
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First, let’s look at what they want
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Then, we will analyze why they want it
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Below, I have compiled all written components of the INSEAD application
INSEAD Application Checklist
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Please note that this information comes from various PDF’s that I downloaded from the INSEAD website in early April 2013
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Thankfully, INSEAD recently announced that they will replace their diffuse and complicated PDF system with a web-based application
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Let’s hope that transition goes smoothly so that applicants can finally find all the information they need in one place
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For now, I am doing my best to integrate everything for you (and me:)
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Finally, please remember that information is subject to change
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Be sure to verify all information with INSEAD before starting to work on your application
Please click here for my latest tips http://www.vinceprep.com/schools/insead
1. Profile pages
Note that not all fields are mandatory, so if one does not apply to you, leave it blank
When you plan to enter
January
September
Year
Campus preference
Fontainebleau campus
Singapore campus
Either campus
INSEAD will endeavour to accommodate your choice of campus but cannot guarantee your first choice in every instance. Please tick ONE of the boxes below to indicate your starting campus preference. Campus choice is not taken into account in admission decisions and your preference will not be included in your file when presented to the Admissions Committee
Are you a candidate for the dual-degree with SAID MA in International Relations?
Yes / No / Maybe
Have you previously filed an application to the INSEAD MBA Programme?
If yes, when:
January
September
Year
Academic Background
GMAT results
How many times have you taken the GMAT test in the last 5 years?
Please make sure to have ALL your official scores sent to us.
Total
Verbal %
Quant %
Date test to taken / to be taken (DD/MM/YY)
GRE results
How many times have you taken the GRE test in the last 5 years?
Please make sure to have ALL your official scores sent to us.
Verbal %
Quant %
Date test to taken / to be taken (DD/MM/YY)
English Proficiency Certification: TOEFL/TOEIC/CPE/IELTS/PTE Academic
To apply and be admitted to the MBA Programme, a candidate must be fluent in English
Certification must be sent with your application
Test type
Score (if applicable)
Date test to taken / to be taken (DD/MM/YY)
If not applicable, please indicate the reason
Only the following methods are considered as acceptable means of certification for English Language proficiency. To be valid, tests must be less than 2 years
University degree conducted exclusively in English (The transcripts should clearly mention the language of instruction is English to complete an application)
TOEFL
Internet-based test (Minimum required: 105)
Computerised-based test (Minimum required: 260)
Paper-based test (Minimum required: 620)
PTE Academic (Minimum required: 72)
TOEIC (Minimum required: 950) Listening & Reading AND Speaking & Writing sections
CPE - Certificate of Proficiency in English (Minimum required: Grade B)
IELTS Academic (Minimum required: 7.5)
Academic degree(s)
Country, institution, degree received, starting and ending dates
Final grades
Major field(s)
Please list academic distinctions, honours and awards
Professional Background
Current or most recent full-time position
Company / org name, sector of activity
Number of staff directly reporting to you (if applicable)
Total staff under your responsibility (if applicable)
Number of employees locally
Number of employees worldwide
Subsidiary of
Current job title
Job function
Department
Date of appointment to current position
Leaving date (If position ongoing, please state anticipated end date if you join the INSEAD MBA Programme.)
Current gross annual salary in local currency and in Euros (You may use any currency converter website to convert your salary)
Bonus and other compensation (specify currency)
Company revenue
May we contact your current employers?
If yes, whom may we contact? Full name, email, title, direct telephone, country code, area code, number
Will your company pay your INSEAD tuition fees? Yes, no, to be negotiated
Previous full-time positions (repeat above)
Total duration in months of full-time positions held (by beginning of the MBA programme)
Please list part-time work, internships and summer jobs starting with your most recent position
Please explain any gaps of time since you left high school for which you have not accounted
International Exposure
Please list your most significant examples of international exposure that you have experienced living, studying, working or travelling outside your own country
Activity (from MM/YY)
Country/region
Languages
In which language(s) was your university degree taught?
What languages) do you use at work?
Activities and Interests
Please list significant extra-curricular activities in which you are/have been involved, starting with your most recent activities (i.e. sports, politics, performing arts, associations, club memberships, hobbies, community activities, etc.)
Activity from (MM/YY) to (MM/YY)
Position / level / office held
List any distinctions, honours and awards achieved through your extra-curricular activities
Supplementary Information
How did you learn about the INSEAD MBA Programme? (Indicate all that apply)
INSEAD Alumnus/a (name)
INSEAD MBA brochure
INSEAD Professor (name)
Internet
Colleague at work (other than INSEAD Alumnus)
Other (please specify)
Event (e.g. MBA fair, info session, campus visit)
If you have visited an INSEAD campus or attended an INSEAD event, please state where and when:
Has a member of your family attended INSEAD? (name)
Please give details of physical disabilities which might necessitate special arrangements.
Military Service
Completed from from (MM/YY) to (MM/YY)
To be done
Exempted
Not applicable
2. Job Description Essays
Job Essay 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. (250 words maximum)
Job Essay 2. Please give us a full description of your career since graduating from university. If you were to remain with your present employer, what would be your next step in terms of position? (250 words)
Job Essay 3. If you are currently not working, what are you doing and what do you plan to do until you start the MBA programme? (250 words maximum)
3. INSEAD Essays
Latest tips are here http://www.vinceprep.com/schools/insead
Each of the 8 essays (plus 2 optional) has a maximum word limit. An automatic word count will appear on the top left of the blue box. If you exceed the limit, the word count will appear in red. But don’t worry, the font of the text will be reduced but your text won’t be cut short. It is acceptable to exceed the word limit by about 10%. This said, the essays are an important summary exercise and it is recommended that you respect the given instructions.
Essay 1. Give a candid description of yourself, 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. (600 words maximum)
Essay 2. Describe what you believe to be your two most substantial accomplishments (if possible specify one personal and one professional, to date, explaining why you view them as such. (400 words maximum)
Essay 3. Describe a situation taken from your personal or professional life where you failed. Discuss what you learned (400 words maximum)
Essay 4. a) Discuss your short and long term career goals. (300 words maximum) and b) How will studying at INSEAD help you achieve your vision? (250 words maximum)
Essay 5. Please choose one of the following two essay topics: a) Have you ever experienced culture shock? What insights did you gain? (250 words maximum), or b) Describe the ways in which a foreigner in your country might experience culture shock (250 words maximum)
Essay 6. Is there anything that you have not mentioned in the above essays that you would like the Admissions Committee to know? (350 words maximum) This essay is optional.
Essay 7. In case of reapplication, please provide an update on any new aspects of your professional, international, academic or personal profile that would not have been included in your previous application. Please also explain your motivation for re-applying to INSEAD. (400 words maximum)
Vince reminder - Don’t forget: Important short answers from Profile Pages
Please list academic distinctions, honours and awards
Please explain any gaps of time since you left high school for which you have not accounted
Please list significant extra-curricular activities in which you are/have been involved, starting with your most recent activities (i.e. sports, politics, performing arts, associations, club memberships, hobbies, community activities, etc.)
List any distinctions, honours and awards achieved through your extra-curricular activities
4. 1st Letter of Recommendation
INSEAD Business School MBA Admissions Recommendation Questions
How long have you known the candidate? Describe your relationship with the candidate and the circumstances whereby you met.
How do you rate the candidate on the following criteria?
Organisational skills
Inquisitiveness/intellectual curiosity
Problem solving skills
Creativity and resourcefulness
Initiative
Motivation and enthusiasm
Achievement drive and results orientation
Teamwork
Communication and interpersonal skills
Maturity
Personal integrity
Cultural sensitivity
Charisma
Leadership
How do you rate the candidate’s potential for becoming a responsible and successful manager in international business compared with other students or employees whom you have known in a similar capacity?
Please give your answers to each of the following questions. Please provide examples where possible
Comment on the candidate’s career progress to date and his/her career orientation.
What do you consider to be the candidate’s major strengths? Comment on the factors that distinguish the candidate from other individuals at his/her level.
What do you consider to be the candidate’s major weaknesses?
Comment on the candidate’s potential for senior management. Do you see him/her as a future leader?
Describe the personality of the candidate, including reference to the characteristics listed in the table above.
5. 2nd Letter of Recommendation (Link generated and sent to the recommender)
INSEAD Business School MBA Admissions Recommendation Questions
How long have you known the candidate? Describe your relationship with the candidate and the circumstances whereby you met.
How do you rate the candidate on the following criteria?
Organisational skills
Inquisitiveness/intellectual curiosity
Problem solving skills
Creativity and resourcefulness
Initiative
Motivation and enthusiasm
Achievement drive and results orientation
Teamwork
Communication and interpersonal skills
Maturity
Personal integrity
Cultural sensitivity
Charisma
Leadership
How do you rate the candidate’s potential for becoming a responsible and successful manager in international business compared with other students or employees whom you have known in a similar capacity?
Please give your answers to each of the following questions. Please provide examples where possible
Comment on the candidate’s career progress to date and his/her career orientation.
What do you consider to be the candidate’s major strengths? Comment on the factors that distinguish the candidate from other individuals at his/her level.
What do you consider to be the candidate’s major weaknesses?
Comment on the candidate’s potential for senior management. Do you see him/her as a future leader?
Describe the personality of the candidate, including reference to the characteristics listed in the table above.
When do they want it?
With it's unique biannual intake cycle, INSEAD has lots of deadlines
Deadlines
INSEAD says, "It is your responsibility to ensure that all application materials arrive at INSEAD by the deadline for your chosen round at 23:59 CET (Paris time). Please check admissions deadlines on the following page: http://mba.insead.edu/admissions/dates_deadlines.cfm
All application materials received after the day of the deadline will be considered late and the application will automatically be considered for the next round. Please note that a limited amount of flexibility may exceptionally be provided in the case of natural causes outside your control (postal strikes, lost packages, etc.)."
Essay order
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I suggest grouping your essays into four stages, as indicated below
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Also, I encourage my clients to send quick outlines or bullet points of possible answers before they write a full essay draft
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I am a "big picture" thinker who likes to see the overall strategy of an application before I worry about how to cut words from any one particular essay
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Therefore, I save my clients significant time (and money) by helping select the best possible mix of stories before they begin drafting full essays
FIRST STAGE: PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE
- Profile Pages
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Job Essay 1 - current job
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Job Essay 2 - career trajectory
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Job Essay 3 - currently not working?
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Essay 4 - goals, Why MBA? Why INSEAD?
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Essay 7 - reapplication essay (as needed)
SECOND STAGE: ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CHARACTERISTICS
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Essay 2 - two most substantial accomplishments
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Essay 1 - personal strengths and weaknesses
THIRD STAGE: FAILURE AND CULTURE SHOCK
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Essay 3 - failure
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Essay 5 - culture shock
FOURTH STAGE: ANYTHING ELSE?
- Essay 6 - additional information (optional)
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Throughout this blog post (and subsequent YouTube videos), I will explain each stage, and each application component, in detail
Latest INSEAD essay tips are here http://www.vinceprep.com/schools/insead
FAQ
Vince note: please read the INSEAD Admissions FAQs for useful tips ▸ http://mba.insead.edu/faq
LINKS
Need help with school research? Please see Vince's INSEAD links ▸ http://j.mp/INSEAD_links
TESTIMONIALS
INSEAD MBA Class of 2014
I used Vince for second opinion service prior to turning in my application. My essays were already complete. I felt confident with my answers and didn’t see any room for change or improvement. He managed to change my answers by challenging me to think alternatively and come up with other answers.
Vince asked me to submit alternative answers that would distinguish me from other candidates. We did a brainstorming session where we looked at the different topics’ pros and cons. That was very helpful. I changed two of my answers based on his suggestions.
I subsequently used his interview session. Vince is very good at evaluating face-to-face communication skills. He helped me to prepare some tough questions and worked on my weaknesses.
I highly recommend his service.
INSEAD MBA Class of 2008
Vince is my comrade, my box of wisdom, my gas pedal and my set of breaks. He is focused on bringing out all your potential and fighting the battle with you. Vince doesn't just give you advice. He will reject your essays. He will tell your stories are not appealing. He will say everything that he needs to say. This is only because he knows that the essay has to be about you and he believes that you can create your own unique outstanding essay. He won't write your essay for you, which is the easy way, because he knows that it won't work.
When I was rushing my essay to meet the last intake of INSEAD, he made time for me. He introduced Skype so that we could talk when I was overseas, and tried to make everything possible happen. But just when I was about to submit the essay, he told me not to. He told me the essay was not enough to pass INSEAD, especially the final intake. I was shocked to hear this. I was even frustrated. We discussed why it was not possible. Considering my GMAT score, essay, and background, he said that I was "average". It wasn't appealing enough for INSEAD to choose me when most of the seats were filled.
He was able to make such an important decision knowing that I had spent days and nights just so that I can submit the essay in time. I am truly thankful for his strong suggestion that stopped me from making a terrible mistake and for his courage to do so in such a tense situation.
ヴィンスは、自分にとって単なるカウンセラーではなく、戦友であり、知恵の源であり、アクセルでもブレーキでもあり ました。
ヴィンスは個人の能力を最大限引き出すことに注力し、エッセーを書くという課題に対して共に戦ってくれます。単に助言をするだけ ではありません。エッセー に駄目出しをしたり、エッセーの内容が面白くないとはっきり言います。これは、書いたエッセーが本人を本当に表現している必要があり、各個人が光るエッ セーを書けると信じているからです。きっと代わりに書けば簡単なんだろうが、それをしないのは、そんな小手先の勝負では勝てないことを知っているからで す。
僕がINSEADの最後の締め切りに間に合わせるために、急いでエッセーを書いていた時、ヴィンスは忙しいなかで時間をつくってくれ ました。僕が出張で時 間をつくれないと知ると、Skypeというサービスを紹介してまで、なんとか僕を助けようとしてくれました。しかし、エッセーを提出する直前に、提出を止 められました。それはそのエッセーがINSEAD、特に最後の締め切りで合格するにはレベルが低かったからです。心血を注いでこれまで準備してきた僕は びっくりし、怒りさえおぼえました。なぜ無理という判断になるのかを長い時間議論しました。GMATの点数、僕の前職を考慮すると僕は応募者の中では「平 均」だという評価でした。ほとんどの席が埋まっている中で、INSEADが僕を選ぶにはあと少し足りないということでした。
1ヶ月半も 昼夜を惜しまずエッセーを磨き続けていた、あの緊迫した状況のなかで重要な判断を冷静にしたヴィンスには今でも感謝しています。締め切りを目指 して共に戦ってきただけに、ヴィンスにとっても辛かったと思われるその判断をしたヴィンスの勇気に敬意を表したいです。
-Updated by Vince on 12 May 2013
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Results
Testimonials
"You encouraged me to be genuine, and helped me find the right, true stories that captured who I am. In this way, you offer applicants not only an effective admissions advisory, but also a unique journey of self discovery and empowering dreams."
Havard Business School Class of 2015, with Fulbright Scholarship (also admitted Stanford GSB)
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"First, you limit the number of your clients so that you can maintain the high quality of your services while many other MBA consultants accept clients almost beyond their capacity. Second, you are really great 'catalyst.' Each question you asked me made me think and thus deepened my stories. Thanks to you, I was able to come up with excellent ideas that I could never come up with alone."
Kellogg Class of 2015 (also admitted Berkeley Haas)
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