INSEAD Alumni - Q&A on INSEAD Experience and Admission Process

[nittinj]

Hello,


Please recommend suitable MUST apply schools. My brief profile is as under -
1. B.Tech (chemical) - IITB ( top 3 in India) - GPA 6.9/10 == 2.8/4 (2004)
2. Extra curr - school & college - debate, singing, dramatics, essay, direction, script writing - recieved several awards/ prizes including - Organization citation & Cultural citation from IITB hostel.
3. Held several key posts in school & college hostel admin body
4. Good grades in final yr project, course seminar, electives, 3 mnths scholarship + internship at Max Plank Germany ( summer 2003)
5.Aug 04 - March 05 - manager trainee (De Nora India Ltd) - technical aspects of pdt
6. Apr 05 - Mar 06 - Manager tech ser - handling service engineers across India, tech support to customers/ engineers/ distributors
7. Apr 06 - Mar 07 - Mgr tech ser - tech serv + marketing + business development, exensive traveling, recruting new engineers, distributors, meeting customers, particiapating in tenders in public sector. Co size - 40+, Sales - 9 mill USD, my div sales - 1 million USD
8. June 07 - till date - Honeywell, India - Engineer - Sales - S&M, project selling, proposals, traveling, internal sales process of Honeywell, identify new business etc. Co size - 2500 +, Sales - 200 m USD, my div sales - 10 m USD
9. Extra curr after college - mainly passive - novels, blogs, photography, singing, movies, organized a small reunion of schoolmates
10. GAMT on 5th Oct, Age - 28, Married, Indian


My list - Insead, Kellogs, HEC. I want to add 2-3 more b schools from US. Please advice if Rotman/ Cambridge/ Oxford are good choice or rather opt for somethng else in US !!

rgds
nitin

[backbencher]

Hi Nitin,

School selection does not depend only on where you can get in but also on how the school fits in with your long term goal.

I cannot help with your MUST apply schools but as far as INSEAD is concerned, you have a different profile and I dont see why you shouldnt apply.

All the best.

Originally Posted by nittinj

Hello,


Please recommend suitable MUST apply schools. My brief profile is as under -
1. B.Tech (chemical) - IITB ( top 3 in India) - GPA 6.9/10 == 2.8/4 (2004)
2. Extra curr - school & college - debate, singing, dramatics, essay, direction, script writing - recieved several awards/ prizes including - Organization citation & Cultural citation from IITB hostel.
3. Held several key posts in school & college hostel admin body
4. Good grades in final yr project, course seminar, electives, 3 mnths scholarship + internship at Max Plank Germany ( summer 2003)
5.Aug 04 - March 05 - manager trainee (De Nora India Ltd) - technical aspects of pdt
6. Apr 05 - Mar 06 - Manager tech ser - handling service engineers across India, tech support to customers/ engineers/ distributors
7. Apr 06 - Mar 07 - Mgr tech ser - tech serv + marketing + business development, exensive traveling, recruting new engineers, distributors, meeting customers, particiapating in tenders in public sector. Co size - 40+, Sales - 9 mill USD, my div sales - 1 million USD
8. June 07 - till date - Honeywell, India - Engineer - Sales - S&M, project selling, proposals, traveling, internal sales process of Honeywell, identify new business etc. Co size - 2500 +, Sales - 200 m USD, my div sales - 10 m USD
9. Extra curr after college - mainly passive - novels, blogs, photography, singing, movies, organized a small reunion of schoolmates
10. GAMT on 5th Oct, Age - 28, Married, Indian


My list - Insead, Kellogs, HEC. I want to add 2-3 more b schools from US. Please advice if Rotman/ Cambridge/ Oxford are good choice or rather opt for somethng else in US !!

rgds
nitin

[KingCat]

Hi Back Bencher,

Thanks for keeping this thread alive ! And Congrats on ur INSEAD admit !!!
You have made it into MY dream school

I am a Mech Engr from NIT Calicut (2004).
GMAT: 680/5.5
Acads: Nothing to boast about (10th - 84, 12th - 73, B tech - 64%)
Work ex: Was in the steel industry for one year in India, then took up Marketing. Have worked in UAE, Oman and presently in Saudi Arabia.
Working as a Field Manager for Saudi Arabia in an American MNC.
4 engineers directly reporting to me (2 Indians, 2 Arabs).
Responsible for $8.5 million sales.
Extra-curr: Excellent.

The issue is that I have not made up my mind as to where I should be working post MBA. I have 3 options. And I want to explore these options while doing my MBA. My belief is that if you have already decided where to work and what kind of job you want to do, you will be essentially closing yourselves to the multitudes of oppurtunities that an MBA ( Esp one so international in nature as INSEAD).


I fear whether the adcom will take this in a negative manner - As a person who isnt sure of what he wants to do.

Also, is 680 on a lower side ? I know that I can do better. But will 30-40 points make a big difference ?

Do you have any idea about how long can we stay in France/Sing after finishing the MBA ? And does either one of the campus have any advantages in particular, such as most of the consult cos recruit frm fountainbleau or most of the fin cos recruit frm Sing ?

Do you have any info how much of career shifts happen in Sep intakes ?

Thanks in advance.

[backbencher]

When you talk about long term goals in your essay, it doesnt necessarily have to be about a specific job in a specific location. You could use your past experience to highlight the nature of jobs you have had, what you liked about them and how it has helped you realise your long term goal which could be an extension of those elements. And MBA would be a platform to make your transition.

Your long term goal should have direct links with your passion, your past, your personality etc. Your short term should be about certain kind of experiences (such as senior strategic role in a highly regulated market etc.) which you think will improve your chances of achieving your long term goals. And the bottom line is, at the time of recruitment your interviewer wont be reading your essays to see if you have deviated from your initial plan. These essays are to show clarity of thought and a certain level of business maturity. What you do during or after MBA is entirely in your hands.

680 is on a lower side. Most Indian applicants will have scores of 700 or above. Ideally a score of 700 will keep you safe. Not to say that with 680 you cannot get in. I am in with 660. GMAT is only one part of your application.

I have no idea about how long one could stay in France/ Sgp after graduation. Never really thought about it. I know which region I will be targeting and it aint France/ Sgp.

As far as I know, both campuses are equal in terms of career opportunities offered. Of course due to logistic feasibility, French campus gets lot more European offices of global majors doing their campus presentation. And if you are keen for a career in Europe, French campus would be ideal for networking. But when it comes to jobs available for applying, its the same for INSEAD grads across the board. INSEAD's pitch to recruiters is smart, driven professionals who are capable of working across the globe. With about 70 nationalities represented in each class, recruiters from across the globe come recruiting for their global operations. Of course your fit and skills will come into play when targeting a particular location.

September batch has no internship option and that is the only difference between Jan & Sep promotions. If you are not 100% sure about what kind of job you want post MBA, Jan promotion might suit you better as you can use the internship break to research your options.

All the best.

Originally Posted by KingCat

Hi Back Bencher,

Thanks for keeping this thread alive ! And Congrats on ur INSEAD admit !!!
You have made it into MY dream school

I am a Mech Engr from NIT Calicut (2004).
GMAT: 680/5.5
Acads: Nothing to boast about (10th - 84, 12th - 73, B tech - 64%)
Work ex: Was in the steel industry for one year in India, then took up Marketing. Have worked in UAE, Oman and presently in Saudi Arabia.
Working as a Field Manager for Saudi Arabia in an American MNC.
4 engineers directly reporting to me (2 Indians, 2 Arabs).
Responsible for $8.5 million sales.
Extra-curr: Excellent.

The issue is that I have not made up my mind as to where I should be working post MBA. I have 3 options. And I want to explore these options while doing my MBA. My belief is that if you have already decided where to work and what kind of job you want to do, you will be essentially closing yourselves to the multitudes of oppurtunities that an MBA ( Esp one so international in nature as INSEAD).


I fear whether the adcom will take this in a negative manner - As a person who isnt sure of what he wants to do.

Also, is 680 on a lower side ? I know that I can do better. But will 30-40 points make a big difference ?

Do you have any idea about how long can we stay in France/Sing after finishing the MBA ? And does either one of the campus have any advantages in particular, such as most of the consult cos recruit frm fountainbleau or most of the fin cos recruit frm Sing ?

Do you have any info how much of career shifts happen in Sep intakes ?

Thanks in advance.

[paglakahinka]

Hi ppl, I'm applying for Sept 2009 intake in R1. I have a few questions regarding the application process -

a) Can someone confirm the following - The pdf form needs to be filled up and submitted online, and only the academic transcripts and a copy of GMAT score needs to be sent by post.
There is no unique id generated for the INSEAD application. How will the adcom match the transcripts received by post with my online application?

b) My recommenders have already submitted their recommendations, but I didn't get any intimation by email. Do I need to do anything else regarding the recommendations in the pdf form? The 'Show Online Recommendation Links' on pg. 19 of the pdf form had generated the 2 links which I had sent to my recommenders. Does clicking on it a second time after the links are generated change anything, as I might have clicked on it twice?

I would request someone who has gone through this process to please help by answering these queries.

Thanks !

[backbencher]

a) Unique ID is generated when you submit the application. You should receive an email confirming your submission. Your transcripts should go by post and an original copy of GMAT score needs to be submitted to INSEAD directly.

b) Once you submit your application the AdCom will match all relevant documents and confirm if your application file is complete. If you have doubts about your recos, then ask the AdCom. If you have clicked more than once for the links then it would only create additional forms and not affect the links generated earlier. But please confirm with AdCom too.

All the best.

Originally Posted by paglakahinka

Hi ppl, I'm applying for Sept 2009 intake in R1. I have a few questions regarding the application process -

a) Can someone confirm the following - The pdf form needs to be filled up and submitted online, and only the academic transcripts and a copy of GMAT score needs to be sent by post.
There is no unique id generated for the INSEAD application. How will the adcom match the transcripts received by post with my online application?

b) My recommenders have already submitted their recommendations, but I didn't get any intimation by email. Do I need to do anything else regarding the recommendations in the pdf form? The 'Show Online Recommendation Links' on pg. 19 of the pdf form had generated the 2 links which I had sent to my recommenders. Does clicking on it a second time after the links are generated change anything, as I might have clicked on it twice?

I would request someone who has gone through this process to please help by answering these queries.

Thanks !

[paglakahinka]

Thx backbencher!

In the form I do not see a section where I can list my professional awards, or am I missing anything ?
There's just one place where I need to list any awards or honours in the extra curricular activities.

[backbencher]

You are right, there is no separate area for Professional Awards. Perhaps you can use the optional essay to highlight your Professional Awards.

Originally Posted by paglakahinka

Thx backbencher!

In the form I do not see a section where I can list my professional awards, or am I missing anything ?
There's just one place where I need to list any awards or honours in the extra curricular activities.

[nittinj]

Hello Fellas,

Thanks for the valueable inputs...just one last doubt which was put in my mind by IMS people...

According to them - if you want to change your domain and are more interested in consulting/ strategy better go for Jan intake as summer internship helps a lot and BIG 3 gives lotta weightage to ur internship ??

Where in Sep intake your chances of getting into big 3 are slightly lesser, especially if ur not from consulting or related profile !!

Is it correct....???

thnks

[backbencher]

Nitin,

Internship is more important for finance positions than consulting. Consulting is all about your skills and fit. Plus, INSEAD internship does not fit most standard internships offered across Consulting industry due to time factors.

But at the end of the day, its your decision and you should try to maximise your chances in whatever you pursue.

All the best.

Originally Posted by nittinj

Hello Fellas,

Thanks for the valueable inputs...just one last doubt which was put in my mind by IMS people...

According to them - if you want to change your domain and are more interested in consulting/ strategy better go for Jan intake as summer internship helps a lot and BIG 3 gives lotta weightage to ur internship ??

Where in Sep intake your chances of getting into big 3 are slightly lesser, especially if ur not from consulting or related profile !!

Is it correct....???

thnks