At Menlo Coaching, we’re fans of INSEAD, one of the top European MBA programs. If you are considering applying to this prestigious and highly ranked institution, you may be in the process of navigating the INSEAD MBA application: What are INSEAD’s preferred GMAT scores? How can I make the most of INSEAD’s essay requirements?
In this article, we will use the experience of Virginie Fougea, INSEAD’s global director of admissions and financial aid, to help you understand the admissions process, what kind of applicants INSEAD wants, how best to prepare your application for your one-year MBA in Fontainebleau or one of INSEAD’s other campuses.
Jump to Related Articles for more video content on INSEAD, including additional videos from Virginie.
It is important to note that, when you begin the INSEAD MBA application process, there is an admissions officer (not an algorithm) who tracks the entire process. They can answer any questions you have, discuss concerns you might harbor about certain portions of the application, and accommodate you if you have a shorter time frame and need an early decision.
After that, the decisions process beings. The admissions officers have a complete, A to Z review of all submitted materials: essays, career resume, video interviews, and assorted other submitted materials so that anything you have deemed important for INSEAD to know is understood. They then hold a pre-selection committee where the admissions officers decide whether or not to invite you for an in-person interview with an alumnus, usually in their home country.
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Our free, comprehensive checklist covers everything you need to shop for an MBA admissions consultant.
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✓ Compare pricing across 35+ MBA admissions consulting firms
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INSEAD uses MBA alumni instead of admissions officers during the interviewing process. As a result, the interviewee can ask questions about the program and expect more detailed answers that draw upon the alumnus’ lived experience: what did the program meant to them, why did they decide to go to INSEAD, and what kind of career were they able to have as a result? In turn, the alumni interviewer gains an insight into whether you would be a good fit for the INSEAD program from the perspective of a fellow classmate– do you interact in a way that fits with INSEAD’s academic and student culture?
Alumni interviewers then send interview reports, after which your INSEAD application is reviewed by two more members of the admissions office. Those documents end up being about two pages long in total. By the end of the process, there are three comprehensive accounts of the application ready for the decision committee—made up of admissions officers, alumni, and faculty—to vote on their final selection.
Beyond the expected “accepted” and “denied” decisions, INSEAD might also waitlist an applicant or give out a conditional acceptance where they believe, for instance, that the person would make for a great INSEAD MBA with another year of life or work experience.
Ms. Fougea was willing to give us some insight into how she evaluates the essays and what INSEAD looks for in general.
It is typical for her to give a quick glance at the academic part of the application to check and see that they meet the INSEAD MBA admissions requirements.
INSEAD’s MBA application process will require you to:
These are minimum qualifications. The average INSEAD GMAT score percentile is in the middle 80s so many applicants will want to improve their scores as much as possible.
INSEAD places a high emphasis on four particular characteristics, so you will also need to demonstrate the following in your INSEAD MBA application:
Ms. Fougea then says that, rather than look at the CV or Resume, she’ll look at your first Motivation Essay.
Here’s a recent INSEAD Motivation Essay prompt: “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. (200 words maximum).”
For Virginie, the personality of the applicant is an essential part of the decision, sometimes more so than other qualifications. She says that she will supplement this first essay with video interviews in order to try and get a holistic sense of the applicant. It is only then that she looks at the job description, CV, and other academic materials in order to make sure they are a good fit.
As you can see, a successful INSEAD MBA application is one that makes an excellent impression in the personal essays. It is important to be open and honest in your INSEAD essay as well as having as much information about the school as possible. If there is anything that Virginie Fougea insists upon, it’s that an applicant be as prepared and engaging as possible in their INSEAD essays. She recommends that you do not attempt to hide aspects of your personality that might allow the admissions committee to gain a more holistic view of who you are as a person.
Our free, comprehensive checklist covers everything you need to shop for an MBA admissions consultant.
Our free, comprehensive checklist covers everything you need to shop for an MBA admissions consultant.
✓ Compare pricing across 35+ MBA admissions consulting firms
✓ Learn why “success rates” are not to be trusted
✓ Find the right service model for your needs
✓ Prep for your consultation calls
✓ Compare pricing across 35+ MBA admissions consulting firms
✓ Learn why
“success rates”
are not to be trusted
✓ Find the
right service model
for your needs
✓ Prep for your consultation calls
