INSEAD MBA Admissions Tips

GMAT

To be competitive, a candidate should score at least in the 70-75 percentiles in both portions of the GMAT.

Interviews

Applicants who successfully pass the initial screening process by the Admissions Committee are invited to two interviews conducted by two different INSEAD MBA alumni in their country of residence.  The interviews usually revolve around a candidate’s fit for the INSEAD experience as well as their passion for an international business career.

Essays

There are five required essays and one optional essay. The intention of the essays is to reveal your personal history, creativity and ability. High quality essays are essential for a successful application.

Examples of essay prompts previously used by INSEAD:

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. (400 words approx.)
2. Describe what you believe to be your two most substantial accomplishments to date, explaining why you view them as such. (400 words)
3. Describe a situation taken from school, business, civil or military life, where you did not meet your personal objectives, and discuss briefly the effect. (250 words)
4. Discuss your career goals. What skills do you expect to gain from studying at INSEAD and how will they contribute to your professional career. (500 words)
5. Please choose one of the following two essay topics:
1. Have you ever experienced culture shock? What did it mean to you? (250 words)
2. What would you say to a foreigner moving to your home country? (250 words)
6. (Optional) Is there anything that you have not mentioned in the above essays that you would like the Admissions Committee to know? (200 words)

Recommendations

Two Letters of Recommendation are required and should provide information about your demonstrated leadership and management potential. For this reason, it is preferred that at least one recommendation comes from the workplace: your current supervisor or manager is usually a good choice. The other recommendation may also be from someone who has had a chance to evaluate you in a professional setting: a client, a former supervisor or a colleague from your community service or extracurricular activities. If you have a particularly insightful academic recommendation, you may submit it, although it is less likely to address the management potential that interests INSEAD.

Key Statistics and Information 

o Fees for the classes of July and December 2008 MBA program amount to €50,000.

o Executive MBA

o PhD

For expert help with your application, check out our MBA Admissions Consulting.