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INSEAD 2008 Application Questions, Deadlines, and Tips

June 27, 2007 By

UPDATE- THE TIPS FOR INSEAD’S 2009 MBA APPLICATION ARE NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE. PLEASE POST QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS TO THE NEW BLOG POST.


 


INSEAD Deadlines for September 2008 Intake


 


                    App Deadline        Interview Decision    Decision Notification


Round 1        Oct. 3, 2007            Nov. 9, 2007           Dec. 21, 2007


Round 2        Dec. 5, 2007            Jan. 18, 2008        Feb. 29, 2008


Round 3         Feb. 6, 2008           Mar. 21, 2008          Apr. 30, 2008


 Round 4        Apr. 3, 2008            May 7, 2008               June 20, 2008


INSEAD Essay Questions


 


The questions are the same as last year’s and my comments (in red) are virtually the same. 


Each essay topic listed below and in the subsequent pages must be answered.


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.)


For a question like this I recommend two strengths and one weakness. If you can choose one anecdote that reveals both the strengths and the weakness, you will have a strong essay.  Don’t forget to discuss how these qualities influenced your personal development.


A word on weaknesses. Be honest without going overboard. Don’t make up a phony weakness. I attended an HBS info session last year. One of the alumni said that he discussed a “phony weakness” in his essays (required for HBS that year) and his interviewer focused right on it, and basically said, “Come on. What’s a real weakness?” He had to get real in a hurry. Take advantage of the essays: Give it some thought and respond with the benefit of that reflection.. For more information, please see “Flaws Make You Real.”


2. Describe what you believe to be your two most substantial accomplishments to date, explaining why you view them as such. (400 words approx.)


Try to take accomplishments from different arenas of your life. (But don’t go back to high school and earlier to do so.) The accomplishments should show impact, contribution, and for INSEAD at least one should have a multi-cultural flavor.


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 approx.)


In choosing the situation, here’s a case when you can go back in time a little — let’s say 2-5 years. You can illustrate how you learned from this situation and were able to meet similar objectives next time around.


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 approx.)


This is a forward-looking career goals question. Use the past to set context for your future and show that your goals are anchored in experience. Then explain how INSEAD with its intense, one-year, general management program and strong international focus will help you achieve your goals.


5. Please choose one of the following two essay topics:


a) Have you ever experienced culture shock? What did it mean to you? (250 words approx.), or


b) What would you say to a foreigner moving to your home country? (250 words approx.)


These two have been part of the INSEAD repertoire for several years. Choose the one that is easiest for you to answer and allows you to bring out a facet of your experience not found in the other essays.  


6. Is there anything that you have not mentioned in the above essays that you would like the Admissions Committee to know? (200 words approx.) This essay is optional.


Take advantage of the optional essay to give them one more reason to admit you. DON’T use it for a grand summary, a restatement of your other essays, or something similarly boring, superficial, and repetitive. A tight, focused essay highlighting something you haven’t yet discussed.


Re-application


7. In case of reapplication, please use this page. Your essay should state any new aspects of professional, international, academic, or personal development since your last application. We would also like you to explain your motivation for re-applying to INSEAD. This essay should not exceed 400 words.


Until recently, INSEAD did not consider reapplications. The key question: How are you better this year than last? What has changed to make you more worthy of the fat envelope?


If you would like help with your INSEAD MBA application, please consider Accepted’s MBA essay editing and admissions consulting or a INSEAD Comprehensive Package, which includes essay editing, interview coaching, consultation, and a resume edit for the INSEAD MBA application.


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About Linda Abraham
  • Tarun Vatwani

    Hi Linda,

    This is regarding the question about cultural shock. As a person from a very reserved family, I have experienced many situations where I confronted a cultural shock. However, given the current state of the global mind-set, they might reflect as if I had an orthodox mindset. I can still outline the daunting experience I had in France with my inabilities to communicate in French language.

    How would INSEAD take this example, even though I will mention how I manage d to get immersed in French culture and establish friendships?

    Regards,

    Tarun Kumar Vatwani

  • Linda Abraham

    In most cases, if you can show that you adapted and overcame your initial shock it should work. You would no longer have the rigidity that you started out with, if you adapted. It could be a good essay if told honestly and with a little humor.

    Good luck!

  • Sachin N

    Hi Linda,

    I am looking to apply to Insead for my second MBA.

    I have graduated with my first MBA from a university in my home Country. I have completed 3 years of work experience since.

    How would INSEAD expect my application to illustrate the reasoning behind doing a second MBA?

    Thanks,

    Sachin N

  • Linda Abraham

    First of all, verify that INSEAD will consider an application from someone who already has an MBA. I’m not sure either way.

    Assuming it will consider your application, you need to argue why you need a second MBA to achieve your current goals. What will this MBA give you that your previous one did not and cannot? And the answer cannot just be prestige or ranking.

    Good luck!

  • Raul

    Hi Linda,
    There is one question on the application which you do not have above:
    Please give a detailed description of your job, including nature of work, major responsibilities; and, where relevant, employees under your supervision, size of budget, number of clients/products and results achieved. (250 words)

    It is hard to find any info on this question on the web – do you have any comments?
    Thanks!

  • Raul

    Hi Linda – sorry one further question. Further to the above, there is one other question not listed
    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)

    and how is this one different to the first personal essay question? They seem very similar

    Thanks!

  • Linda Abraham

    Raul,

    The first one asks about your current responsibilities. The second one asks about your career since graduation. Obviously your responsibilities have changed.

    For the first one, I would give the facts they ask for highlighting your contributions and impact and quantifying them as much as possible. The question doesn’t really call for analysis or insight or information about your motivations and lessons learned. That’s for the "real" essays.

    Good luck!

  • Raul

    Hi Linda,
    Thanks for the quick response.
    So the first two essays don’t really fit into the overall ‘picture’ that I’m trying to paint? In question 2 where I am listing my career to date, do I just write it out in chronological order?

    Thanks

  • Linda Abraham

    Everything fits into the overall picture you are trying to create. Certainly the facts of your current and recent jobs are an important part of the mosaic.

    Linda

  • KM

    Hi Linda,
    I have been running my own business for the last eight years.
    In the main application, how do I state my salary ?
    My remuneration is judged on the turnover on my Company. So will it do if I were to state my company’s GTO instead.

  • Linda Abraham

    I’m not sure what GTO means . Revenue?

    You need to state your income ie, what you use personally after business expenses are paid by the company.

    Good luck!

  • Tarun Vatwani

    Hi Linda,

    I have been wait-listed at INSEAD. Is there something I should be doing on my part to increase my chances for converting the wait-list to an Admit? Should I be pushing any updates to my profile (I recently received a promotion and a salary hike)?

    Please advise.

    Regards,

    Tarun Kumar Vatwani

  • Linda Abraham
  • Tarun Vatwani

    Hi Linda,

    Thanks for the response. INSEAD did ask me to confirm whether I would like to be on the wait-list or not.

    Regards,

    Tarun Kumar Vatwani

  • Tarun Vatwani

    Hi Linda,

    I did go through the chat transcripts and found them really helpful in planning my next course of action.

    After I submitted my application, I did have some new developments on my end. I was recognized for the significant contribution to the arrangement of Indian festivities at the company premises. I even received a promotion as a Group Leader way ahead of the stipulated duration of employment with the company. The promotion is a recognition of my expertise and management abilities in the office space.

    INSEAD has a limitation of two recommendations. Owing to this limitation, I opted for recommendations from my immediate supervisor and project manager who (I believe) had provided valuable feedback over my performance in the profession so as to keep me in the race for Sep 2008. As part of my plan of action for strengthening my profile among the pool of wait-listed candidates, I would like to submit another recommendation from a Project Manager with whom I worked for more than a year, but who is not my direct supervisor.

    1. Will it offend the Ad-Com if I provide an additional recommendation?

    2. The additional recommendation will be from a non-Indian (French-Jew) with whom I worked with in France at the customer location. Will this help in enforcing my adaptability of working in a multi-cultural setting?

    Please advise.

    Tarun Kumar Vatwani

  • Linda Abraham

    Take advantage of the need to confirm your interest in remaining on the waitlist to tell them of growth/promotions/achievements since you applied.

    If INSEAD says that they want no additional material, then ask your project manager not to submit a 3rd rec or letter of support. If they don’t explicitly say not to provide that letter and you feel the 3rd letter will add to their information about your qualifications and provide a different perspective, then take the risk and don’t stop your project mgr from submitting an unsolicited letter of support.

    Good luck!

  • Tarun Vatwani

    Thanks.

    Regards,

    Tarun Kumar Vatwani

  • JayG

    Hi Linda,

    Do you feel it is better for an applicant to apply in the first round of an intake or is any round equally good. For most schools, all rounds but the last are quoted to be equally competitive. The last round being more-so competitive.

    For the August intake at INSEAD, per the chat, all 4 rounds are quoted as equally competitive. In your experience have you found this to be the case?

    Thanks in advance for your thoughts on this.

    Regards,

    J.

  • Linda Abraham

    J.

    If you are from a over-represented cohort in the application pool, then you are better off applying in an earlier round for a given intake. If you are from an under-represented group, then you can take INSEAD at its word.

    In almost all cases, you want to apply when your application is ready or again, I quote "Linda’s Rule: Apply as early as possible PROVIDED you don’t compromise the quality of your application."

    Good luck!
    Linda

  • E. Rafael Sánchez S.

    Hi!
    I just went through the two stages prior to decision by INSEAD-R2-July 2009. I want to know my real opportunity here in percentage terms:
    How many people apply for each round in average?
    How many people is pre-selected for interview in average?
    How many people that were selected and then interview enters INSEAD, in average?

    Thanks in advance

    Rafael

  • Whizkid

    Hi Linda,

    I am one of the WL candidates from R1 Aug08 and am still waiting for an admit call from INSEAD. I had an offer from a very good school in India, Indian School of Business. I accepted the offer since I did not want to delay the MBA education by another year. The studies commenced last month.

    However, I am still pretty much interested in going to INSEAD because of the international experience it offers. I did provide additional write-ups and recommendations to the Admissions Committee, which included the information about my role-change in the previous organization.

    Does it make even an iota of sense in talking to the Admissions Committee and stating them that even after starting with another college, I am very much enthusiastic about their program? How would the Admissions Committe take this?

    I am getting very concerned after seeing the postings on other forums, which mention that almost 80% of the seats are already occupied.

    Please advise.

    Regards,

    Whizkid

    Indian/IT/M/29
    5 years WE
    4 years Int
    Resigned as Project Lead (Was Technical Lead at the time of applying)

  • Linda Abraham

    Whizkid,

    I don t’have a clear answer for you.

    Most of the time, saying that you have been accepted much less are attending another program is a no-no.

    In your case, you may have little to lose. I also don’t think it can help much. Your ardor is not really an admissions factor once they are confident you would accept an offer, they don’t really care if you are a 10 on the want-to-go-to-INSEAD chart or an 8 — as long as they think you will go.

    Good luck!

  • Whizkid

    Thanks, Linda.

    Regards,

    Whizkid

  • American1

    Hi Linda,

    I am thinking of applying to INSEAD this fall. I was thinking to apply in the first window and knocking out my GMAT this August. I worked in a law firm for a summer as a legal clerk, worked at the US Embassy abroad for 6 months, and worked as an investment research editor for Deutsche Bank for 6 months. I have a load of extra curricular activities and a really solid GPA, do you think my work experience is enough to be considered for admission at INSEAD? I ultimately want to get my law degree and business degree, but I can’t make up my mind as to what I want to do first. I am leaning towards my MBA first, but I need to know that I would have a good shot at it first. Thank you for your help in advance!

  • Linda Abraham

    You would be considered, certainly, but I am not optimistic about your chances of admission to INSEAD with only a year of full-time experience divided between two different jobs — and one in a legal, not business, capacity. I think you need to have two solid years minimum of work experience to have a decent chance of admissions to INSEAD. And their average is higher.

    Good luck!

  • Nitin Sinha

    Hi,
    I am looking for admission at INSEAD for January 2009 batch.I have 3 years experience at IT company at INDIA. I hold Civil Enginneering Degree From NIT. Do you think I should apply to INSEAD this year or wait till next year.
    Regards,
    Nitin.

  • Linda Abraham

    Assuming that this year will be one of professional development and growth, I would wait. That year should make you a more competitive applicant at INSEAD.

    Linda