INSEAD Essay Analysis, Essay Analysis, Essays, INSEAD Application, INSEAD Application Deadlines, INSEAD MBA | General Education

Average GMAT Score: ~700 Application Deadlines Round Jan 11 Intake Sep 11 Intake Jan 12 Intake I II III 28 Jul 2010, 09 Mar 2011, 03 Aug 2011, 10 Mar 2010, 09 Jun 2010, 29 Sep 2010, 01 Dec 2010, 30 Mar 2010, 15 Jun 2011,

Minimum Entry Requirements : MBA

Bachelor's degree or equivalent from a recognised college or university. GMAT: 70th-75th percentile for both the quantitative and verbal sections of the test. (The GRE can be accepted exceptionally if the GMAT is not available in the candidate's country of residence.) Proficiency in English: One of the following English Language Tests Scores: TOEFL: --iTOEFL: 105 --Computer-Based: 260--Paper-Based: 620 --TOEIC (950) -IELTS (7)-- CPE (B) Proficiency in English is must apart from practical knowledge of any second language. Please go through{http://mba.insead.edu/admissions/languages.cfm} for more details.) Second Language Certification (if English is your native language) Professional Experience: An average of six years of work experience (Experience range: 2-10 years) Personal essays Two Reference Letters

Minimum Entry Requirements : GEMBA(Global Executive MBA)

Rich business experience (10 yrs on average, with significant time in management) Recognised achievements Age range: 30's and early 40's

Application Fees 200(non-refundable) INSEAD MBA Application Essay Analysis 2010-11 Word limit in all essays may be extended to +20% Job Essay 1 (Required) 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) Job Essay 1 Analysis The question clearly focuses on your current job, its nature and your responsibilities at work. While answering the question, explain your contribution to your job function. For example, in case of a process which includes A, B and C sections, break-up the para and explain your contribution to each section. Bring out accounts of your skills, your relationship with people at work and your management experience in different domains. Write about the people working with you including number, designation, in what role, how do they assist you and your contribution to their growth Mention your main and relevant projects (in brief) with key clients, budget size and your accomplishments while working in various projects in different geographies highlighting cross cultural experience as well(if any) Highlight any awards or recognition received in your present job. If you make it simple and straight, then you are in for a good start. Try quantifying everything you state . Job Essay 2 (Required) 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 2 Analysis Start with explaining the reason and thought process for choosing a particular career track. Then go on to explaining the career path/ growth story giving significant milestones along with the choices you made therein with appropriate reasoning. Weave the above explanation with your designation and responsibilities, at various stages. Bring out how you have progressively graduated from technical positions to a more managerial position requiring strong leadership skills. The second part of the question is more to do with the role that you would like to take up if you were to stay in your present organization. You can mention a more leadership oriented role briefly explaining your responsibilities or expectations that demonstrates sync with what you aim to do after MBA. Write to the point and approach it with simple and

straight focus. Essay 1 (Required) 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 approximately) Essay 1 Analysis Strengths and Weaknesses (personal and professional) Not more than 3 strengths and 2 weaknesses. This essay reflects YOU. Therefore, with much self-introspection write clearly explaining what defines you as a person, what makes you the person you are, your driving factors, what leads you to achieve or think/believe the way you do With respect to your strengths, avoid being clichd and try syncing it with the requirements for a leader. Also avoid going over the top else you would run the risk of being considered misunderstood. Further, reflect your weakness as an asset at times explaining how you have started working around it in a focussed manner or how do u plan to work around it effectively. Avoid going overboard about it. Keep it plain and simple. There is no harm in even accepting YOU and being fully honest about it. Keep in mind the following things while writing the same:

Give specific examples related to Job experience( team work, handling complex case etc), personal ( your relationship with people) Try quantifying everything you say Avoid making motherhood statements

For instance, if you say that you possess strong leadership qualities then do mention a professional/ personal incident where you demonstrated leadership skills by motivating your team members or by implementing processes in an unstructured environment etc. Do not forget to mention how your efforts impacted your organization and if you won awards / recognition for the same. Essay 2 (Required) Describe what you believe to be your two most substantial accomplishments to date, explaining why you view them as such. (400 words approximately) Essay 2 Analysis These 2 accomplishments need to be REALLY substantial. They should have impacted your life/ progress/ personality/ organisation very significantly. It should be something youd call a milestone in your life which has helped define your career/life path or where youve helped made a difference to the world around you. It could be a small thing but if you consider it substantial and can portray it that way, youll be fine but make sure it is not trivial. It is advisable to select one story from your personal, professional or academic life. Try quantifying everything you say Essay 3 (Required) 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 approximately) Essay 3 Analysis First and foremost, you should understand what your personal objectives are. Keep in mind, INSEAD will follow your thoughts through your essay questions. Therefore, you should not contradict yourself anywhere. Write about an incident(s) in your professional, academic or personal life where you did not achieve the intended objective. Also, with complete integrity do mention how you were affected by the same. This question allows the room for a situation that may have been objectively successful, yet did not meet your personal objectives. Again this instance has to be something substantial to have changed your attitude, beliefs and though process. Introspect well enough! Only when youre convinced that the impact was significant, go ahead and frame the instance. Again it can be a small instance but if you can substantiate its strong impact, youll be fine. But make sure its not trivial. Weave the above with the lessons you learnt and the focussed precautions/actions you have taken to work your way around/ through it. This is very important as it demonstrates your mind frame, ability to manage challenges and your persistence. This helps display mental strength a very important aspect of any leader. It is important that you frame this point very well. Note that this essay is only 250 words. Avoid getting into too much detail. Keep it plain and simple at 50000ft over ground level. Essay 4 (Required) 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 approximately) Essay 4 Analysis The first action point to approach this question is to get your thoughts crystal clear through a lot of introspection and research. The questions to be answered here are

What is your Desired Career Path? Short Term Goals (3-5 years) Long Term (10+ years)

Why MBA Why Now Why INSEAD

The order could be structured the way you want your essay to flow or however it makes logical sense. 1. What is your desired career path? First of all you would need to introspect as to what your preferred career path is going forward. It would be preferable if it is linked to your past experience as you could bring in a justifiable link to sound more convincing. This would also help rationalise as to how your past experience would help you achieve your next desired roles. So you would need to start with what is your desired career path, why you choosing it and how your current experience would help you going forward. Keep it short. Dont go in details. DO NOT describe or explain what all you did in your past professional life but only mention RELEVANT experiences (again NO description but prepares holistic phrases and expressions that represent your experience. Instead of "At PQR company, I lead a team of 10 engineers on a successful mission to moon....." mention "I foresee meticulously leveraging my strong team leading skills, honed in cross cultural environment, to..."). Relevant signifies that you ONLY need to talk about experiences that will help you achieve your role and nothing else. 2. Short Term Goals Short Term Goals should range between the next 3-5 years. What they basically expect is what do you intend to do immediately post-MBA. However, for this you would need to determine your long-term goals and weave your short term goals to ensure you reach your final destination. This shows a very structured flow of thought which is appreciated. Now this again has again has to be well researched to ensure that it is practically possible to achieve what you have in mind. The best way is to get in touch with alumni, present students of INSEAD and find out if someone has similar profile as you have and is pursuing a similar goal. Get in touch with them and, reflect & validate your ideas. It is better to reach out to knowledgeable people for real world information than to mentally invent your career profile. Dont hesitate from putting complete details including but not limited to your desired role, responsibilities, type of organisation, designation, region of work, target clients, line of business, etc. Next you would need justify the short term goals you have chosen as to why you wish to pursue the stated work role after your MBA coursework. The best way to do so would be showing sync between your long term goal, immediate goal after MBA and your past experience. You need to demonstrate a strong and pragmatic alignment between the three. Keep the reasons limited to top 3. 3. Long Term Goals Next you would need to put in your long term goals. Your time horizon is qo years after your MBA. Ensure that whatever you say is well aligned with your immediate goal as mentioned in Essay 1 and also PRACTICALLY ACHIEVEABLE. Avoid making mother hood statements viz. "I will open up a consultancy catering to IT in India" Be focussed and talk about SPECIFIC DETAILS as to what exactly you will do and how. Get into to your desired role, responsibilities, type of organisation, designation, region of work, target clients, line of business, etc. This will demonstrate a clear vision. Next you would need justify the short term goal you have chosen as to why you wish to pursue the stated work role after your MBA coursework. What is the motivation behind where you see yourself more than 10 years down? 4. Why MBA? Next you would need to justify as to how and why an MBA would value-add at this stage of your career. Dont make generic statements but sound very focussed. 5. Why Now? You need to provide appropriate reasons as to why you wish to pursue MBA now. Relate it to your PRESENT professional situation and PRESENT development needs. 6. Why INSEAD? You need to be well educated about resources available at INSEAD to do this. Spend enough time on reading/watching/listening the material is available on the internet about INSEAD that includes INSEAD website, forums, blogs, brochures, events, youtube etc. Inspect the rich list of learning resources at INSEAD below to investigate which electives, professors, projects, internship help you best in achieving your immediate goals. Prepare a quick sheet of top 4-5 reasons (NOT MORE than 4 to 5) as to how INSEAD will help you prepare you to help you achieve your immediate goal. The obvious (cause almost everybody talks about them in their application) attributes of INSEAD are academic excellence, specific segment of academic courses, projects in Finance, Marketing, Strategy etc (look at the list of core and electives courses under section below and zero in upon which ones will be most suitable to help you achieve your immediate goals), people networking opportunities, specific club activity, international cohort. The trick here is to phrase your statements that present your argument in personal, unique and strongest possible manner. It is important to give an individual touch to each reason as this is uniquely your career plan. . Keep in mind:

Stick to the point. Dont hover around. Only if you consider a point extremely relevant to spend your word count, go ahead. Try to quantify everything you say. Dont make generic/ motherhood statements.

Essay 5 (Required) Please choose one of the following two essay topics:


Or

Have you ever experienced culture shock? What did it mean to you? (250 words approximately)

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

Essay 5 Analysis This is indeed a very sensitive question. Boasting of students from 70 different nationalities, INSEAD is very high on cross-cultural sensitivity. Moreover, given that as part of the MBA program, study groups are formed which usually comprise of 6-7 individuals belonging to different nationalities and occupational backgrounds. The core purpose of study groups is to propagate the ability to accept different perspectives, complement the team with individual strengths and bring out the best in each other while achieving teams objectives. Thus, they want to know how tolerant and accommodating you are to fit in the diverse class environment and the global business world. For those of you who intend to opt for question (a), you would need to cite an example from your experience outside your home country wherein you have experienced something very different from your world. It maybe with respect to mindset, relationships, approach to life, business ways, etc. It maybe the smaller things like eating habits, dressing sense, conversational abilities, etc. but you should be able to substantiate well enough. Weave the above with your learning, the change in your attitude and your thought process making you ACCEPT THE DIFFERENCE. This is the key to the answer ACCEPTANCE. Those of you who have never had the experience of travelling abroad can opt for question (b). What is expected is your perspective of your country. They want to see how and in what light do you perceive your country and how precisely you can explain your thought. Keeping in sync with the theme of cross cultural acceptance, it is essential to approach this question with a broad horizon and outlook. Avoid being too negative. Given the limited word count, you could approach this with a theme personal, professional, business ways, mentality, etc or a combination of the above. The tone of the above essays is very much your decision aggressive, deep, humorous, and sentimental, etc. But avoid being extreme with any of them. Whichever question you choose, be honest about the incident you are mentioning. At the same time, INSEAD would like to see your interest and sensitivity towards various cultures. Sometimes, people get shocked by food habits or other customs at work. Be sure to mention about your learning from different situations. Essay 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 approximately) Essay 6 Analysis Though this question is optional, I would advice you to attempt it if you have worthwhile material to write. This is the space to talk about important and positive accomplishments or some important aspect of your life that you think is relevant to your INSEAD application and will support it. It can range from some specific association with community work to exceptional achievements at work or projects.