Accepted Admissions Consulting Blog » INSEAD

INSEAD 2013 MBA Essay Questions

Linda Abraham — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:00:46 +0000

INSEAD 2013 MBA Essay Questions

JOB DESCRIPTION ESSAYS

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)

The key to strong job descriptions is “results achieved.” Definitely provide the other requested elements, but the distinguishing factor will be those results. Quantifying impact usually shines a spotlight on your impact and contribution.

The second most important element is “major responsibilities.” Don’t list the mundane or the aspects of your job that everyone with your title will share. Where did you shoulder “major responsibility”? Be specific in these descriptions to differentiate yourself, especially if you are from a common professional group in the applicant pool.

2. Please give 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)

Don’t confuse “full description” with “complete history.” How would you characterize your career since college? You also have to answer the second part of the question and you only have 250 words. Choose the most important elements — those elements that show contribution, leadership, and since this is INSEAD, a multi-cultural and global perspective.

3. If you are currently not working, what are you doing and what do you plan to do until you
start the MBA programme if applicable? (250 words maximum)

This is pretty self-explanatory. Show that you aren’t waiting for the phone to ring. How are you improving yourself in the interim? How are you improving your community?

ESSAYS

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)

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 could have a strong essay. Don’t forget to discuss how these qualities influenced your personal development. For more on INSEAD 1 and writing about weaknesses, please see this video:

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

A word on weaknesses. Be honest without going overboard. Don’t make up a phony weakness. I attended an HBS info session a few years ago. 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?” The applicant had to get real in a hurry. Take advantage of the essay: Give it some thought and respond with the benefit of that reflection. For more information, please see “Flaws Make You Real.”

At a recent AIGAC conference one of the adcom members remembered that an applicant in response to a similar question had listed his weakness as “pitching new ideas in a meeting.” The adcom member felt that the applicant was specific, real, and showed self-awareness by revealing this flaw. In fact, by demonstrating these qualities in addition to the requested weakness that he was working on, the applicant actually enhanced his chances of acceptance with his response.

Don’t write about “weakness in pitching new ideas in meetings” as your flaw just because you saw it here It will become the lame, stale example everyone uses. However, you all have weakness. Just be thoughtful enough and honest enough to reveal yours.

2. Describe what you believe to be your two most substantial accomplishments to date (if possible specify one personal and one professional), explaining why you view them as such. (400 words maximum)

Reference achievements from different areas 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. Quantify to add credibility and specificity to your attainments.

3. Describe a situation taken from your personal or professional life where you failed.
Discuss what you learned. (400 words maximum)

OK. when did you blow it. What did you learn from the experience. That lesson is the key element. The question is about resilience — your ability to learn and bounce back from failure. Much like HBS 2, this essay is a place for you to show that quality. Leaders need it.

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)

New variation on the goals theme. For A, show that you have a clear direction, a goal for your MBA. That means not that you know what you want to study while at INSEAD, but that you know what you want to DO and where you want to do it after you leave INSEAD. Define the function you want to perform and the industry you want to perform in it when you have your MBA. If relevant, you can also provide geographic preferences.

For the long-term goals, a little fuzziness is allowed, certainly more than for the short-term. However, the long-term goals should flow directly from the short term. It should all make sense and hang together.

For B, given your goals, why do you want to attend INSEAD? What about its distinctive, intense, multi-campus program will help you achieve your goals. What do you anticipate learning and how will it help you realize your vision.

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),

b) Describe the ways in which a foreigner in your country might experience culture
shock. (250 words maximum)

Choose the option that is easiest for you to answer and allows you to bring out an aspect of your experience not found elsewhere. Keep it short, real short.

6. (Optional) Is there anything that you have not mentioned in the above essays that you would like the Admissions Committee to know? (350 words maximum)

Use the optional essay to give them one more reason to accept you. DON’T use it for a superficial summary, a restatement of your other essays, or anything similarly boring and trite. If you choose to write it, produce a tight, focused essay revealing something you haven’t yet discussed.

7. (Reapplicant)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)

Historically, INSEAD was tough on MBA reapplicants. Hopefully this question signals a greater openness to reapplication.

How are you a better applicant now than you were last time? What’s changed? INSEAD adds a twist by asking you to explain why you are re-applying. Why do you think you will get accepted this time if you didn’t last time? The answer had better not be that you’re counting on a decline in application volume to help you squeak in the Fountainbleau door. Again, how are you “new and improved”? Why do you still want INSEAD?

INSEAD Application Deadlines

Jan 2013 Application Deadlines: 11 April 2012; 20 June 2012; 16 August 2012

Sept 2013 Application Deadlines: 3 October 2012; 5 December 2012; 13 March 2013

*To be included in a specific round, applications must be complete and submitted by midnight (23.59) Central European Time on the day of deadline.

If you would like help with your INSEAD MBA application, please consider Accepted’s MBA essay editing and MBA admissions consulting or our INSEAD School Packages, which include advising, editing, interview coaching, and a resume edit for the INSEAD MBA application.

Take a peek at the rest of our MBA essay tips!

By Linda Abraham, president and founder of Accepted.com and co-author of the new, definitive book on MBA admissions, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools .

Tags: 2013 MBA Application, INSEAD, MBA Admissions

Accepted’s Most in 2011

Accepted.com — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 17:00:51 +0000

What worked for you last year? At least what worked at Accepted.com for our readers? And that’s YOU!

Here are a few posts, articles, and resources that proved particularly popular:

Top Ten Most Visited Accepted Admissions Blog Posts of 2011

5 Most Downloaded Special Reports of 2011

5 Most Popular Articles

6 Most Viewed Webinars

5 Most Visited Chats Pages:

With the year drawing to a close, I have a request. We moved to a new blogging platform in September, and since then, you folks have really stopped asking us questions. On the old blog, we frequently received profile evaluation requests and “what are my chances?” questions on school tip posts. We welcome them! And miss them in our new abode. Don’t be shy. If you have a question or would like your profile evaluated, just ask.

And what’s the mostest of the mostest at Accepted? The absolute best? YOU! Our readers, followers, circlers, fans, friends, participants, and most of all, our clients. Thanks for a wonderful 2011.

By Linda Abraham, founder and president of Accepted.com, co-author of MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools.

Applicants, learn the 5 fatal flaws to avoid in your application essay, statement of purpose, personal statement, or secondary essay with our FREE special report, 5 Fatal Flaws.

Tags: Admissions, Chicago Booth, College Admissions, Columbia Business School, Grad School Admissions, Harvard Business School, INSEAD, Law School Admissions, London Business School, MBA Admissions, Medical School Admissions, Northwestern Kellogg, NYU Stern, Rankings, Stanford GSB

INSEAD MBA Admissions Interview Available Online

Accepted.com — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 17:00:54 +0000

If you attended our recent INSEAD Q&A then you know that Kara Keenan, the Assistant Director of Marketing for the Americas from INSEAD, covered a wide range of admissions topics, offering some excellent advice to our INSEAD applicants. Here’s an excerpt from the conversation in which Kara discusses the benefits of an INSEAD MBA – if you are thinking about applying to INSEAD, then read on!

Linda Abraham: Dine asks, “Why should students choose an INSEAD MBA over other prestigious MBA programs in the States?”

Kara Keenan: Again, one of the advantages is the one-year/ten-month nature of the program; a great return on your investment. We cover 80% of the course hours of the two-year program in ten months, so you definitely get the vast majority of the material. It’s certainly an intensive program, so in that regard it might not be for everyone. Especially in the beginning of the program – in your core courses – there’s class Monday through Friday. You’ll spend a lot of time in class compared to a U.S. school where there’s no class on Fridays and things are taught at perhaps a slower pace.

I think another advantage for INSEAD is that our students have more experience. The average years of experience for INSEAD students is five years, whereas at some of the other U.S. schools it’s more like two years. So, if you’re more experienced and you would like to be with your peers, I think you’ll definitely get that at INSEAD and you’ll learn a lot from them, as well. Even if you’re coming with two or three years of experience, you might be in a study group with someone with seven or eight years of experience. You can really share and learn from one another; I think, perhaps at a more significant level than at a program where most people have one to two years of experience. I think that’s something nice.

Also, if you’re looking for an international career and international experience, I think there’s really no comparison to an international MBA program versus a domestic one.

For the entire Q&A, please view the INSEAD transcript or listen to the audio file on our website. You can also read up on INSEAD-related news and advice by visiting the INSEAD B-School Zone and our blog post, INSEAD 2012 MBA Application Questions, Deadlines, Tips.

To automatically receive notices about these MBA admissions chats and other MBA admissions events, please subscribe to our MBA event list. To listen to the Q&A recordings on-the-go, please subscribe to the Accepted Admissions Podcast.

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Tags: Accepted Podcast, INSEAD, MBA Admissions, Q&A

INSEAD MBA Student Interview

Accepted.com — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:00:50 +0000

Accepted.com is continuing a blog series featuring interviews with current MBA students, offering readers a behind-the-scenes look at top MBA programs. We hope to offer you a candid picture of student life, and what you should consider as you prepare your MBA application.

Here’s a talk with Kelly Sun, a student who is wrapping up an exciting, fun-filled, and educationally rich experience at INSEAD. Thank you Kelly for sharing your thoughts and experiences with us!

Accepted: First, can you tell us a little about yourself – where are you from? What and where did you study as an undergraduate and when did you graduate?

Kelly: I was born in Beijing and spent my teenage years in Chicago and Singapore before returning to the USA again for college. I went to University of Washington in Seattle and graduated with a Business-Information System degree. Prior to my MBA, I worked as a technology audit manager for Expedia, Inc, the world’s largest online travel company.

Accepted: Why did you decide to attend INSEAD? Why did you choose the Singapore campus over those in Fontainebleau or Abu Dhabi?

Kelly: INSEAD was my #1 choice since the beginning as it represents all the factors I sought for in an MBA program: Ranking and reputation (#5 in the world by Bloomberg), one year program, outstanding professors, global perspective and diversity, strong international focus and recruitment outlook, and last but definitely not least – a school that promises an intense, challenging and fun-filled fast-life.

I chose Asia because interestingly, though I am Asian by ethnicity, it is the region that I have the least professional exposure to. I have lived in Belgium and spent time working in France, but had very little professional context in Asia. Given my interest in the emerging markets I wanted to know how to best leverage the opportunities available. Plus – Asia’s rapid growth and expansion is immensely energizing; each time I visited Asia for personal reasons, I left with a feeling of vibrancy and aspirations, so I knew I wanted to come work in Asia since Day -1 of MBA.

Abu Dhabi is for exec educations only – maybe next time!

Accepted: What are some of your favorite things about living in Singapore? Least favorite?

Kelly: I have just posted a school blog post about the advantages of being a Singapore “Lifer” (someone who spends all his/her time at one campus). The city is efficient, clean, cosmopolitan, the regional capital of many prominent companies and firms with strong support for entrepreneurial culture, plus all the softer sides of life: Sunshine, beaches, affordable and delicious cuisines, and travel base to all the fascinating destinations. Let’s face it – one or two years of MBA is not just for expanding your professional knowledge and skill sets, but your network and horizons personally. A great city attracts and retains great alumni that you can network with.

Downside? I can’t think of anything really, the fact I’m a lifer here is self-evident, isn’t it?

Accepted: How does the Asian location, as well as the school’s focus on being a “business school for the world,” contribute to your post-MBA goals? Have your career goals changed since you’ve begun your studies?

Kelly: I had a strong professional interest in Asia and found many like-minded people from all over the world at the Singapore campus. Today’s world is no longer just US or EU driven, the growth and demand comes from all over the world and you must be able to react appropriately to grasp the advantage. This is why I came to INSEAD – to gain a global perspective which is relatively different from the view point from an US-centric school – and understandably so as the US schools have different priorities.

INSEAD does not just theorize about doing business globally, you are immersed in an environment where the new generation of top business minds from each country, as well as a faculty as diverse and interesting as the student body itself. You could be collaborating with a Dutch, a Brazilian, an Israeli and an Irish on a case for a Korean company and understand the vast mindsets in real context, and gain understanding of different motivations and business interests present. Even as you clash occasionally, you learn and improve your competency and maneuverability in conducting international business. At the same time, it is an eye-opening and humbling experience to extract insights from the talents before you.

Accepted: Had you visited the campus before deciding to attend?

Kelly: I did visit the Fontainebleau campus during my work in France and eventually decided on Singapore.

Accepted: What’s your favorite class so far?

Kelly: There are many – but I particularly liked a course called Management Decision Making. The course comes timely after we finished all our core-courses which taught us the hard skills of strategic analysis and calculating financial returns, etc, and MDM is a course that teaches you the human decision-making process and common thinking traps. To me, this is enlightening as most leaders and CEOs do not make bad decisions based on bad data or misrepresentation of facts – they make bad decisions because they fail to see certain pitfalls in their own thinking pattern. This is a class that teaches you to examine your own logic, motivations and thinking patterns so you can be fair-minded and confident in your decisions, and improve the utilization of information on hand to aid in the process.

Accepted: Do you have a job lined up for next year? If so, what role did INSEAD play in helping you secure that position?

Kelly: Yes – I am returning to Louis Vuitton post graduation and moving to China March 2012. INSEAD was vital in helping me find this opportunity. I was a so-called “triple switcher” – someone who switched geography, industry and function in my job search, and I can’t imagine doing so easily without the knowledge and access provided through a top-tier global MBA school. The school has a strong brand in consumer luxury and has always been a target school for top luxury brands such as LVMH.

In terms of recruiting, INSEAD does not just offer seminars and presentation events; it offers a number of treks, speaker events, and external lectures through its reputation, alumni network and connections. Take consumer luxury for example, I have classmates who went on treks in Italy for Gucci and Hong Kong for Chanel in the worldwide and regional headquarters, to get a hands-on look and feel of the industry. We even had a chance to attend an external day of lecture through LVMH and cracked brand management cases for companies like Marc Jacobs and Dom Perignon and network with insiders first hand. Needless to say, finishing the day on a glass of Dom Perignon 1992 was an added bonus!

Accepted: Can you tell us about your internship at Louis Vuitton?

Kelly: I have a blog post here about my summer internship experience. Summer in a nutshell was hard-work, fast-learning and fun – just how I enjoy it. I get to experience what it is like to manage a boutique with a sizeable P&L and a large team, and the world of retail is fascinating because unlike a desk job, the environment is dynamic and changes are happening frequently all around you – customers, competitors, products, etc. I am looking forward to my new professional life.

Accepted: Do you have any advice for some of our applicants who will be applying to INSEAD?

Kelly: We have a saying that describes INSEAD life as “Drinking from a fire hydrant.” The school life is intense and can overwhelm you with information if you are not well-planned. Do I want to learn another foreign language, lead a student club, or participate in a techno-venture? You have to use the hours in each day purposefully with priorities in mind.

At the same time, the best advice I have received is remembering that opportunities are present for those who are prepared – and keep in mind, a MBA will open your options and opportunities you have never thought of before might present themselves. Brush up on your basic skills such as strategic thinking, analysis and presentation so you are ready to capture opportunities coming to you. In addition, don’t just absorb what was taught in the classes, the intellectual and international knowledge capital present among your peers is unparalleled, so be prepared to extract the wealth and return as much as you can over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.

Last but not least – have fun and enjoy the social aspects. Work hard and play hard is the culture of INSEAD, and discovering the hidden talents in your classmates (musical, artistic, creative, linguistic, sports…you name it!) bonds you even closer. Besides studying in school and finding a job, I also dashed in a costume run, danced in a Cabaret, helped in co-organizing a National Week, used every single blank visa page in my US passport to explore new and fun destinations, and blogged for “The INSEAD MBA Experience.” I had a wonderfully memorable year with new outlooks and mindsets, new lifelong friendships, a new career direction and new passport pages to fill – no regrets!

Please visit our INSEAD B-School Zone for more INSEAD-specific advice. Still haven’t decided which b-school are best for you? Download our FREE special report, Best MBA Programs: A Guide to Choosing the Right One for You, to help you narrow down your choices and begin your application efforts out on the right foot.

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Tags: INSEAD, MBA Admissions, MBA Student Interviews

Get Your MBA Admission Smarts ON!

Accepted.com — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:00:36 +0000

Are you looking for ways to boost your MBA admissions IQ? Interested in acquiring wisdom that will send you to the head of the class? Want advice that covers every aspect of the MBA admissions process that’s all wrapped up nicely in a single, coherent, and succinct BOOK?

Look no further – the MBA book of all books is here, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools, written by Accepted.com founder, Linda Abraham, and editor Judy Gruen. And now, for a very limited time only (Monday, Dec. 5 – Tuesday, Dec. 6) you can purchase this must-have book for $10 OFF the cover price by using coupon code SMARTIES at checkout. That’s almost 2/3 off the list price!

In MBA Admission for Smarties you will learn how to:

Determine “fit” with a program.
Establish your post-MBA goals and present them in a compelling goals essay.
Write dazzling, memorable application essays.
Secure winning letters of recommendation.
Optimize your MBA application resume.

…and much, much more!

So what are you waiting for?

Be smart. Buy MBA Admission for Smarties now!

(Non-U.S. residents should buy MBA Admission for Smarties from Amazon.com where international shipping is available. Sorry – no coupon available to ship outside the U.S.)

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Tags: 2011 Executive MBA Admissions, Accepted Positioning System, Chicago Booth, CMU Tepper, Columbia Business School, Columbia EMBA, Cornell Johnson, Dartmouth Tuck, Duke Cross-Continent, Duke Fuqua, Emory Goizueta, Georgetown McDonough, goals essay, Harvard Business School, Harvard HBS, Indian School of Business, Indiana Kelley, INSEAD, Langone, London Business School, MBA Admissions, MBA career goals, MBA essay, MBA Interview, MBA Student Interviews, MBA Waitlist, Mendoza, Michigan Ross, MIT Sloan, MIT Sloan EMBA, MIT Sloan Fellows, Northwestern Kellogg, Notre Dame Mendoza, NYU Stern, Stanford GSB, Stanford Sloan Masters, UC Berkeley Haas, UCLA Anderson, UNC Kenan-Flagler, USC Marshall, UT McCombs, UVA Darden, UVA Law, Wharton, Yale SOM

INSEAD MBA Admissions Q&A This Week: Go International!

Accepted.com — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 17:00:37 +0000

Are you seeking a global MBA experience that only an international MBA program can provide? Do you want to interact with a diverse student body and faculty? Are you interested in spending a year studying amidst the foliage of the Fontainebleau Forest or in the vibrant heart of Singapore? If you answered “yes” to any of these, then you’ll probably want to consider the top international MBA program at INSEAD. Find out more about INSEAD’s international business education program by joining us for an interactive Q&A on Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 10:00 AM PT/1:00 PM ET/6:00 PM GMT. Kara Keenan, Assistant Director of Marketing, will be fielding questions on topics such as international perspectives, student life, admissions policies, and curriculum. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to discover “The Business School for the World”!

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Tags: INSEAD, MBA Admissions, Q&A

MIT Sloan Fellows 2012 Application Questions, Deadlines, Tips

Linda Abraham — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 01:19:44 +0000

MIT Sloan Fellows 2012 Essay Questions

Statement of Objectives: What are your immediate and ultimate professional objectives for attending the program. Specifically, please indicate how your objectives fit with the purposes of the MIT Sloan Fellows Program in Innovation and Global Leadership and indicate what you would contribute to the Sloan Fellows community. (500 words or less, limited to one page)

Translation: What do you want to do immediately after attending the Sloan Fellows program and farther into the future that requires you to attend the Sloan Fellows Program in Innovation and Global Leadership?

Clearly you will need to know about the Sloan Fellows Program’s goals and objectives. Realize that the long name is there for a reason. It reveals the program’s purpose. Do you need to know about “Innovation and Global Leadership”? You should be able to demonstrate that you need those skills to achieve your goals.

For further insight into the MIT Sloan Fellows Program in Innovation and Global Leadership, please see my 2010 interview with Stephen Sacca, Director of the MIT Sloan Fellows Program.

Essay 1: Discuss a defining experience in your development as a leader. How did this experience demonstrate your strengths and weaknesses? (500 words or less, limited to one page)

Choose your crowning leadership example and briefly provide some of the challenges you faced, how you handled them, and the impact of your leadership. Make sure you answer the last part of the question. Focus on the strengths, but please show the maturity and self-awareness to honestly reveal a weakness — one that the Sloan Fellows Program may actually help you address.

Essay 2: Discuss a time when you made an unpopular decision. What did you learn from the experience? (500 words or less, limited to one page)

Leadership and innovation frequently cause the person in charge to take an unpopular position. Advocating change (innovating) is frequently opposed. When have you faced such flack? What did you learn that will improve your ability to spearhead in the face of human headwinds?

Please answer only ONE of the next two essays.

First of wall which of these options should you choose? The one that allows you to write most easily and with the most enthusiasm; the one that will produce an essay that complements the other essays and information found in your application. You want your each essay to add value.

Essay 3: Please give an example of when you were part of a high or low performing team. Describe your position in the team and how you contributed to making it successful, or if low performing, what actions you did take (or, in retrospect, would have taken) to improve the performance. (500 words or less, limited to one page)

This question is about impact in a team setting. Whether the team was performing well or poorly, describe the story of your team. What challenges did it face? How did you help it meet those challenges? Or, what should you have done?

Essay 4: Please give an example of a significant innovation (product or process) that you developed for your organization. (500 words or less, limited to one page)

This is a pretty straightforward question and actually gives you a little room to go in a direction of your choosing, as long as you reveal how you innovated for your organization. You could start with the innovation or with the problem that propelled an innovative solution. Discuss some of the challenges you faced, how you resolved them, and ultimately the impact of your innovation.

MIT Sloan Fellows 2012 Deadlines

The application deadlines for the next MIT Sloan Fellows class are:

November 15, for non-U.S. citizens and U.S. citizens currently residing outside of the United States.
January 16, for U.S. citizens currently residing in the United States.

Admissions decisions will be announced before March 31, 2012.

If you would like help with your MIT Sloan Fellows application, please consider Accepted’s EMBA essay editing and EMBA admissions consulting or our MIT Sloan Fellows Packages, which include advising, editing, interview coaching, and a resume edit for the MIT Sloan Fellows application.

By Linda Abraham, President and Founder of Accepted.com.

Check out more 2012 EMBA application tips!

Tags: 2012 Executive MBA Application, 2012 MBA Application, deadlines, EMBA, INSEAD, London Business School, MBA Admissions, MIT Sloan, MIT Sloan Fellows, Stanford GSB

INSEAD 2012 MBA Application Questions, Deadlines, Tips.

Jennifer Bloom — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 21:02:28 +0000

This INSEAD 2012 MBA Application tip post is one of a series of posts providing MBA application and essay advice for applicants to top MBA programs around the world. Check out the entire 2012 MBA Application Tips series for more valuable MBA essay advice.

INSEAD 2012 MBA Essay Questions

JOB DESCRIPTION ESSAYS

The key to strong job descriptions is “results achieved.” Definitely provide the other requested elements, but the differentiator is going to be those results. Quantifying impact usually brings out their significance.

2. Please give 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)

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)

This is pretty self-explanatory. Show that you aren’t waiting for the phone to ring. How are you improving yourself in the interim? How are you improving your community?

ESSAYS

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 could have a strong essay. (See the video in the update below for more on this idea.) Don’t forget to discuss how these qualities influenced your personal development.

3. Describe a situation taken from your personal or professional life where you failed.
Discuss what you learned. (400 words maximum)

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)

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),

b) Describe the ways in which a foreigner in your country might experience culture
shock. (250 words maximum)

Choose the option that is easiest for you to answer and allows you to bring out an aspect of your experience not found elsewhere. Keep it short, real short.

6. (Optional) Is there anything that you have not mentioned in the above essays that you would like the Admissions Committee to know? (350 words maximum)

7. (Reapplicant) 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)

Historically, INSEAD was tough on MBA reapplicants. Hopefully this questions signals a greater openness to reapplication.

INSEAD Application Deadlines

Jan 2012 Application Deadlines: 30 March 2011; 15 June 2011; 3 August 2011

Sept 2012 Application Deadlines: 28 September 2011; 7 December 2011; 21 March 2012

Jan 2013 Application Deadlines: 11 April 2012; 20 June 2012; 16 August 2012

*To be included in a specific round, applications must be complete and submitted by midnight (23.59) Central European Time on the day of deadline.

By Linda Abraham, President and Founder of Accepted.com.

Tags: 2012 MBA Application, Admissions Consulting, AIGAC, career goals, INSEAD, INSEAD, leadership, MBA Admissions, optional essay, reapplication, video

Pick the MBA Fair That’s Right for You

Linda Abraham — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 14:00:28 +0000

I came across this excellent post about MBA Fairs by MBA Podcaster and asked permission to publish as a guest post on the Accepted Admissions Blog. MBA Podcaster said “yes” so here it is.

MBA Tour season is officially here. There are some fantastic events happening all around the world and online so there’s no excuse to not chat one-on-one with your top schools. Here’s a summary of the top tours happening now.

What: ACCESS MBA TOUR
Why We Like It: You pick the schools you want to meet with, your resume will be pre-screened by the school and Access MBA and if you’re a fit you will be selected to sit down one-on-one with admission’s reps from the schools you pick. Very well represented by international schools.
Where: All across Europe, Middle East, Asia and South America
Cost: Free
When: September through December
Etc: Access MBA events also offer prospective MBA students personalized services such as one-to-one meetings and workshops with the world’s best MBA programs, interactive panel discussions with school representative, individual MBA consulting sessions and GMAT advising.

What: The Economist’s Which MBA? MBA Fair
Why We Like It: This is the best virtual MBA Fair available. The Economist has put together an interactive web platform that’s easy and fun to use and where you can virtually chat one-on-one with admission’s reps.
Where: At your nearest computer
Cost: Free
When: 48 hours from September 7th – 8th 2011
Etc: Talk to admissions officers one-on-one and in chat sessions, broaden your perspective and learn more about diverse MBA programs, gain insight into the MBA experience from webinars, videos and downloads. You could win a FREE iPad 2 when you log in and visit 5+ school booths

What: FORTE FORUMS
Why We Like It: Intended for women, this forum is a great way to network with high profilers from top schools and make an impression in a less crowded environment. Also, the events are well attended by alumnae who are now working at top companies across the country so it’s a chance to also make a connection for a summer internship.
Where: All across the United States plus London
Cost: Free for pre-registrants
When: September 13 – October 4th, 2011
Etc: As a special offer to MBA Podcaster users, Forte Foundation is offering half-off Premium Membership to those who register for a Forum, a $25 value. Upon registering, you’ll be sent a link to sign up for discounted membership along with the promotion code.

What: THE MBA TOUR
Why We Like It: You’ll find the largest number of schools, and the most top ranked schools, in a traditional tour environment. Walk the floor, shake hands with the full time admission staff members present and discuss your questions or application.
Where: All over the world, upcoming tours are in Latin America, Asia, India, Europe and Canada
Cost: Free for pre-registrants
When: Now – ongoing
Etc: Schools include Columbia, Cornell, University of Chicago, INSEAD, HEC, IE, Kellogg, Michigan – Ross, University of Maryland, Schulich, McGill, UBC and many others.

What: KAPLAN’S ROAD TO BUSINESS SCHOOL
Why We Like It: Kaplan has done an impressive job of breaking into the MBA touring world. They’ve put together an impressive list of schools including Stanford, Chicago Booth, Haas, Kellogg, Tuck, Duke Fuqua, IMD, INSEAD and many others.
Where: Across the United States
Cost: Free for pre-registrants
When: Ends August 23, 2011
Etc: Events include breakout sessions for GMAT training, admissions strategy and happy hours hosted by various schools.

By MBA Podcaster, which delivers relevant information and advice through excellent biweekly audio and video segments for those planning to apply for a Master in Business Administration.

Tags: Chicago Booth, Duke Fuqua, Forte, Forte, GMAT, INSEAD, MBA Admissions, MBA fair, MBA tour, video

2011 IMD Admissions Director Interview Posted

Linda Abraham — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 23:00:13 +0000

If you attended our recent conversation with IMD’s Lisa Piguet, Associate Director of MBA Admissions and Marketing, then you know what a success it was. You can review the Q&A by reading the whole IMD Q&A transcript, by listening to the full audio clip online, or by subscribing to our podcast in iTunes and catch as many of the MBA Admissions Q&As as you want.

Here is a particularly noteworthy clip from the IMD Q&A about the focus on entrepreneurship at IMD:

Linda Abraham: I know IMD is a general management program, and we’ve talked a lot about graduates going into either consulting or industry, mainly industry. What about entrepreneurship?

Lisa Piguet: That is one of the things I didn’t mention in the first part of the program in terms of our offering. We have a very strong entrepreneurship stream that lasts about four and a half months. Benoît F. Leleux runs that program. He is a specialist in the private equity, venture capital world with start-ups. And we know that a lot of people studying for general management programs are not necessarily going to have a start-up someday, but what we have found is that what you learn in an entrepreneur situation happens a lot in the corporate world. In a business unit for example, oftentimes you have loose variables — you don’t have much budget, you don’t have much people — and you still have to figure out how to get the project working and functioning. So that is what the whole stream actually teaches you.

IMD sits physically right next to a big school which is similar to MIT. And here between Lausanne and Geneva is the third largest area in the world for venture capital and private equity. The first is Silicon Valley, the second is Cambridge, and the third is here. We have a lot of biotech, we have a lot of clean energy, and we have all kinds of things happening around here. There are sixteen projects, and they are chosen from around this area because we want the entrepreneur to be with the MBAs. They physically need to meet with them and work on their projects. So if we can, the projects actually come from this area. Oftentimes, they help them validate their business plan. Oftentimes, they actually help them go and raise money for their projects. Oftentimes, they have to shut their door because the project is not viable after doing all the industry analysis, the company analysis. So it’s very interesting for the MBAs to work on that. And occasionally we have people who actually go work for that start-up. And we do have probably two or three MBAs each year when they graduate who start their own company.

Linda Abraham: Out of ninety students, that is not much different than schools which are much more outwardly entrepreneurially focused.

Lisa Piguet: Benoît F. Leleux actually taught at Babson for a long time. As you know, that is a big entrepreneur school. And then he did his PhD at INSEAD, and taught there for a while. But most of our professors are actually industry based, so they come from some sort of industry related to what they are teaching. A lot of them come from consulting. Benoît F. Leleux in this case is venture capital, private equity. He was working in Asia for years on different projects. So they are very practical and very hands on.

And here’s another exchange that focuses on IMD’s International Consulting Project:

Linda Abraham: Is there a required international component? By that I mean study outside of Switzerland. Or is the program just too intense and too short to allow for that?

Lisa Piguet: We have some very interesting things built into the program. I know a lot of schools now are doing exchanges. But in eleven months, that’s really hard to do. So what we have done in the program is we have something called the International Consulting Project, which is actually one of the MBAs favorite projects of the year. That is basically working with top multi-national companies out there. They are actually paying us for the MBAs to consult for them. And these projects are based all over the world. So last year when I was in China, I ran into a group in Shanghai. When I was in Brazil, I ran into a group there; they were underground in a mine. I ran into a group in New York; they were doing a water project. So they get to spend time outside of IMD quite often actually.

There is another project that is built into the program called the Discovery Expedition. And for the last three years, we’ve been going to South Africa because when you look at South Africa, you can actually find literally everything. And they’ve been working with small and medium sized businesses to try to change the entire process in Johannesburg. That is for two weeks. You have the International Consulting Projects plus the Discovery Expedition, and so that is what we would equate to an exchange. You are not sitting down in class and learning accounting, but it’s a very hands-on exchange.

View the full IMD Q&A transcript or listen to the mp3 recording of the event now or subscribe to the Apple iTunes MBA Admissions Podcast. If you like the podcast, please leave a 5-star review.

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Tags: Accepted Podcast, entrepreneurship, IMD, INSEAD, MBA Admissions, Podcast