INSEAD MBA News

Get the latest MBA news from INSEAD.

Published: May 1, 2014

Hello and welcome to Friday From the Frontline, Clear Admit’s weekly perusal of the ponderings of the b-school blogosphere. This week, we welcome a new contributor to the FFF blogging family, and hear updates from current students about exciting campus events and activities. Brian Scott is an American about to embark on the MBA journey at INSEAD Fontainebleau. He's launched a blog to document the experience by giving an interesting and informative account of tips he's learned for INSEADers looking to work in the States, post MBA. JourneyofalowGMATer has a post on additional books to read, in order to enhance the classroom experience. Read more

Published: April 24, 2014

Fridays From The Frontline

Hello and welcome to Friday From the Frontlines, Clear Admit's weekly account of the adventures of the b-school blogosphere. This week marks a lull in applicant updates as most notifications have gone out for R2, and now its a matter of waiting for final decisions, preparing for matriculation, or starting the application process again for next year. Current students however, have taken time to reflect on the quickly approaching end of the MBA journey, as well as discuss the experience of being a veteran at Wharton and give an interesting insight into Harvard Business School's newly launched HBXCORe. Read more

Published: April 3, 2014

Fridays From the Frontline

Hello and welcome to Fridays From the Frontline, Clear Admit's weekly ramble through the ruminations of the b-school blogosphere. This week, our stalwart applicants are continuing to filter their impressions of the application process, while contemplating what comes next. Current students are likewise contemplating how their lives have changed since starting business school, whether this year or last, and are looking forward to welcoming the class of 2016. MBAReapplicant continued his streak of good news with admits from both Tepper and Darden. With a successful end to the reapplication process, MBAReapplicant can finally chose between several exciting options for next year. Timbob, another class of '16 successful applicant to Harvard Business School, took a brief moment away from preparing from his upcoming wedding to share a post-decision publication timeline of events. Much of it involved giddy celebration, and skillful procrastination. Another across-the-pond blogger, Sara'sMBAJourney, continued to share impressions of her trip to the States, including her enjoyable visit to Duke, as well as the terrible state of American roads and the terrible drivers on them. Domontron continued his series on elements of an MBA application by addressing ways to research target schools. He highlights students blogs as an excellent way to get a more direct and unfiltered sense of the school's community and opportunities. Your Fridays From the Frontline editor could not agree more! Read more

Published: March 23, 2014

Fewer Grads from European MBA Programs Are Heading Into Finance

Far fewer MBA students from Europe’s top business schools are choosing careers in finance than they have in the past, opting instead for jobs at Facebook, Amazon and other tech firms, according to a recent report in the Financial News. London Business School (LBS), Cambridge’s Judge Business School, Oxford’s Saïd Business School, INSEAD and HEC Paris all report significant drops in the number of MBAs who have accepted full-time roles and internships at finance firms as the heaviest portion of the annual recruiting season comes to an end. Read more

Published: March 3, 2014

INSEAD to Celebrate Women with a Month Full of Events

To mark Women’s History Month, INSEAD has filled March with a string of events celebrating women and showcasing their achievements on its campuses in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and beyond. INSEAD’s first women’s event is a speaker session entitled, “Women @ Work.” The event will take place later this week, on Thursday, March 3rd on INSEAD’s Asia campus in Singapore. Claudia Zeisberger, academic director of INSEAD’s Global Private Equity Initiative (GPEI) and an affiliate professor of decision sciences and entrepreneurship and family enterprise, will lead the discussion examining women’s journey in the workplace from the sideline to center field. A networking event will follow. Read more

Published: February 5, 2014

INSEAD MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 2 / Alumnus / Off-Campus

First and foremost, this is my first time drafting any MBA related report; this website has helped me out immensely both during the application process and the interviews themselves, hence I thought it’s the least I can do to help others who’ll be in my situation sooner or later 🙂 I applied in round 2 and received the interview decision which I was absolutely ecstactic about. It took some time for the admissions coordinator to locate alumni members in the country I’m in (funny enough there’s 4 or 5 different INSEAD grads at the organization I’m currently at), and initially Read more

Published: February 3, 2014

INSEAD MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 2 / Alumnus / Off-Campus

Writing this report as I have benefited from reading the other reports, hope it’s of some help. I applied in Round 2 and arranged interviews with two contacts provided by AdCom via email; they responded promptly and I booked my ticket to fly to another city (1 is not based locally). At this point I had been through an interview with another school so I didn’t prepare much except familiarising my essays. Two interviews did not differ in nature so I’ll summarise them into one. Both interviewers did their MBA in 200x and are now partners of private equity firms. Read more

Published: January 29, 2014

INSEAD MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 2 / Alumna / Off-Campus

The first interview was with an older alumna at her house. She first asked me casual questions about how I got there and any difficulties I may have had en route. She then took my resume and asked me the following questions: 1. Tell me about your career to date 2. Why INSEAD? France or Singapore? Why? 3. What do I hope to achieve after my MBA? 4. What other schools have I applied to? 5. What is the toughest conflict I faced and how did I handle it? She was very informative about INSEAD and the Read more

Published: January 26, 2014

Harvard Business School Again Tops Financial Times Global MBA Ranking

Harvard Business School (HBS) appeared at the top of the Financial Times Global MBA annual ranking, released yesterday. It was HBS’ second consecutive claim to the number-one spot and its fifth time topping the rankings since they debuted in 1999. Stanford Graduate School of Business also remained steady this year, reclaiming the number-two spot it held last year. The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania slipped to fourth as London Business School stepped into the number-three spot. Columbia Business School and INSEAD tied for fifth. The FT compiles its annual global MBA rankings based on two surveys of the business schools and their alumni. (For this year rankings, alumni who graduated in 2010 were surveyed.) Based on the responses to these surveys, the MBA programs are measured according to the career progression of their alumni, the school’s idea generation and the diversity of students and faculty. Read more

Published: January 20, 2014

INSEAD MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 1 / Alumni / Off-Campus

I met with 2 alumni in Hong Kong, both entrepreneurs: one American-born Chinese lady, and one Indian man. The woman was very friendly, while the man was more professional and to the point. But both were nice anyway. First interview was in a coffee shop. It was quite short, around 35-40 minutes. Questions were very standard: – why MBA – why INSEAD – short-term professional goals When I told her my goal was to go back to my current industry / company, she looked surprised and asked me why I made this choice. Coming from Read more

Published: January 12, 2014

INSEAD MBA Scholarship for Students from Developing Countries

If you are a Round 2 applicant to INSEAD Business School from a developing country, you could be eligible for a €10,000 (~$16,448) scholarship. The INSEAD MBA ’91 June Endowed Scholarship, created by the Class of 1991 on the occasion of its 20th Class Reunion, will be awarded once a year to a disadvantaged candidate from a developing country who can demonstrate financial need. Applications for the scholarship’s second round open tomorrow, January 14th, and the deadline for submission is January 31st. To be considered, prospective applicants must complete an online scholarship application, which includes providing answers to the following essay questions: Read more

Published: December 18, 2013

INSEAD MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 1 / Alumnus / Off-Campus

I benefited from reading about interview experiences on this blog so I thought I’d contribute. As usual, with INSEAD, I was given the contacts of two alumni interviewers based in my country – one local, one foreigner. Both interviewers were fairly senior and were from my industry (banking/finance). They responded fairly quickly to my email to arrange an interview (within 1-3 days). I sent them copies of my CV and my application. It may be cultural (I’m from Asia and both interviewers are Asian), but the interviewers were polite (but not overly friendly) and to the point. Interviews lasted about Read more

Published: December 3, 2013

INSEAD MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 1 / Alumnus / Off-campus

INSEAD requires two interviews with alumni who live in your country of residence. I had to catch a short flight and managed to do both interviews in the same morning, last week. Here’s my report. The first interview was with a director of a large petrochemical company. The interview took place at his office and was quite informal. He was around 40, quite busy, but very open and friendly. English is not our first language, so we chatted a bit in Portuguese to break the ice and then we started the interview in English. He asked me to talk about Read more

Published: October 3, 2013

INSEAD Appoints Interim Dean Ilian Mihov to Permanent Role

Leading international business school INSEAD this week appointed Professor Ilian Mihov as its official dean. Mihov, who is currently interim dean of the school, will be INSEAD’s first dean to be based in Asia, though he will travel frequently between INSEAD’s three campuses in Fontainebleau, France; Singapore and Abu Dhabi to engage the school’s entire global community. A newly appointed deputy dean and full academic and administrative team will ensure that INSEAD’s presence in Europe – its home for the past 53 years – will remain strong. “We are fortunate that our predecessors foresaw the rise of globalization and established a school destined to be the pioneer in the internationalization of business and education,” Mihov said in a statement. He pledged in his new role to uphold the values of the school’s founders, nurture its intellectual environment, support innovation in teaching and increase the school’s reputation. Read more

Published: September 9, 2013

Shifts in Global Healthcare Increase Intersection between Medicine and the MBA

Entrepreneurship, innovation and cost cutting are increasingly important amid shifts in global healthcare systems, presenting important opportunities for business schools offering healthcare-focused MBA programs, the Financial Times reports. “The healthcare system is about much more than just treating patients,” Steve Chick, head of INSEAD’s Healthcare Management Initiative, told the FT. “The coordination of care is critical and that’s where business schools can play a big role.” Read more

Published: September 4, 2013

Career Services Director Q&A: INSEAD’s Mary Carey

~ A CLEAR ADMIT EXCLUSIVE ~ American-born Mary Carey stepped into her current role as director of the INSEAD Career Development Center in September 2012, but she was not new to INSEAD nor to France. Before last year, she was executive director of INSEAD’s Global Leadership Center, and before that she worked in career development at another leading European business school, HEC. She began her professional career in southern California, working as a CPA with KPMG as well as in financial services before heading back to school to study leadership development and career development. When she had the opportunity to come over to France, she jumped at it because she wanted the international experience. “It really opens your eyes to the world,” she says. That was seven years ago, and she’s still there. Read more

Published: August 7, 2013

GMAC Commissions New Book on Challenges Facing Business Education

The Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC), which owns and administers the GMAT exam, has commissioned a new book examining challenges confronting graduate management education, from technological advancements and globalization to how to measure program quality other than through rankings. Disrupt or Be Disrupted: A Blueprint for Change in Management Education, out this month, contains contributions from leading academics and thinkers such as Harvard Business School Professor Rakesh Khurana and Former INSEAD Dean Dipak Jain on how to reimagine curriculum content and delivery, student engagement, faculty development and more. Read more

Published: April 7, 2013

INSEAD Expands International Reach with New Abu Dhabi Module

INSEAD, with campuses in France and Singapore, boasted a global MBA program well before many other top business schools began to establish satellites for their programs in regions around the world. Having now added a new Abu Dhabi module to its core MBA program, INSEAD is expanding its international reach even farther. The Abu Dhabi location got its start as a research center in 2007 and grew into a full-fledged campus in 2010, offering executive education and executive MBA programs. As part of the new module rolled out this year, students can now spend a week in January, a week in February and a concluding weekend in March as part of the core MBA program, enjoying lectures, guest speakers, field trips to and group projects with local companies, alumni networking and visits to recruiters. Read more

Published: January 28, 2013

INSEAD MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 1/Alumni/Off-Campus

INSEAD conducts two interviews and mostly these are by alumni. My interviewers had not got my essays; all they had is the interview form I was asked by the adcom to send to them. First Interview – Junior Alumnus, early 30s. Duration 45 mins The interview was very relaxed, in a café. It started by the interviewer telling me that she was mainly interested to know what I had done so far, what my career goals are and why INSEAD. I started with my life story and how I had come to become the person I am today. We found Read more

Published: December 19, 2012

INSEAD MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 1/AdCom/Off Campus

A very detail-oriented interview was held. Here are questions: First Interview: Why MBA Why Insead How is your English? How did you learn English? Will you be completely comfortable in an English environment ? What is your greatest strength ? How will you use your experience to contribute to class ? Second Interview: What are your long term goals ? Why do you want to go back to Japan after your MBA ? Are you looking for international work experience ? Have you create a business plan before ? How do you plan to fund your venture ? What are Read more

Published: December 19, 2012

INSEAD MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 2/Alum/Off-Campus

I was interviewed by CEO of an MNC. Interviews were conducted at their respective offices and both interviews lasted 1.5 hours each. Interviewers have to fill a certain feedback form and most of the questions are asked from that form. These were: Why MBA, Why INSEAD, What are your short term and long term goals (geographical location/ industry and skills), What international experiences have you had, How you can add value to classes at INSEAD, Explain your career progression. Read more

Published: December 18, 2012

INSEAD MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 1/ Alumni/ Off-Campus

First Interview: Interviewer had 15 years of experience in his field and he told me that he had studied in INSEAD after reaching the position of VP at his previous employer, which just impressed me a lot and I felt a bit nervous too. But, he was very friendly. He asked general interview questions like why mba, why now, why insead. Why do you want to change fields ? And what was your thinking in choosing the new field- walk me through your decision making process ? The interview was for half an hour. Second Interview: Interviewer was Read more

Published: September 28, 2012

INSEAD MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 2 / Alum / Off Campus

I received interview invite a week before the deadline. I was originally given two different names but they were changed and two new names were provided by the end of the next week. I was to contact them and setup the interview within a month. As we all do, I tried to find information about interviewers. First interviewer was in private equity and second in a top three consultancy firm. As already mentioned elsewhere, both of the interviewers were in some way related to my profile – means they would in a good position to judge my profile. I got Read more

Published: August 22, 2012

Admissions Director Q&A: INSEAD’s Peter Zemsky

A new Masters of Finance degree program and a new Singapore section of the INSEAD Global executive MBA program are among the developments Peter Zemsky chooses to call out in the interview that follows. Zemsky, a professor of strategy with a focus on competitive strategy, industry evolution, value innovation and action learning, is the acting dean and dean of the degree programs and curriculum at INSEAD. He also teaches the core competitive strategy course in the MBA and eMBA program. Zemsky doesn’t waste words in his answers to our questions. Read on for his concise, practical tips on how to make your application to INSEAD stand out. Read more

Published: June 27, 2012

INSEAD MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 1 / Alum / Off Campus

Hi. I’m giving back to this forum that helped me a lot. Here are my 2 cents. I received my 2 interviewers’ details a day before the deadline. I contacted them right away. I had to travel to Vancouver (British Columbia) for one and Calgary (Alberta) for the other. One interviewer dropped out in the middle, and the adcom assigned me a new one. One was a director at a Real Estate company and the other one was a CEO of an Energy company. You can read the other interviews to get an idea of how it happens. However, I Read more

INSEAD

Class Size: 486

Avg. GMAT: 700

Nationalities: 73

Women: 42%

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MBA Applywire

December 21, 2024 12:13pm ET

Applying: Dartmouth / Tuck, Northwestern / Kellogg, UPenn / Wharton, UT Austin / McCombs, UVA / Darden

Intake Year: 2025

Pre-MBA Career: Military/Corporate Logistics

Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting Companies: Bain , BCG , McKinsey

GRE: 302

GPA: 3.63

Years of Work Experience: 9

Notes:

Submitting for R2, but retaking GRE after application deadline. Military Vet with Corporate experience.

December 20, 2024 5:17pm ET

Applying: Columbia, Duke / Fuqua, Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, Northwestern / Kellogg, Stanford GSB, U. Chicago Booth, UPenn / Wharton

Intake Year: 2025

Pre-MBA Career: Healthcare

Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting Companies: Bain , BCG

GRE: 332

GPA: 3.5

Years of Work Experience: 3

Location: Florida

Post MBA Location: Consulting

Notes:

25F, lgbtq, 3 years as a registered nurse. also have started working for an early stage VC in the past several months.

December 19, 2024 4:44pm ET

Applying: Berkeley / Haas, Stanford GSB

Intake Year: 2025

Pre-MBA Career: Insurance

Post-MBA Target Industry: Entrepreneurship

GRE: 318

GPA: 3.59

Years of Work Experience: 3.5

Location: Georgia

Post MBA Location: Southeast

Notes:

Looking to launch a tech startup post MBA, without any background in tech. Come from a quant heavy background and undergraduate coursework. I regularly attended admissions events, in person and online at my schools. I hope that focusing energy on my few top schools and spending a lot of time on essays will help me overcome the less than average test score (164 quant 154 verbal) and GPA.

Serial entrepreneur with a history of profitable small businesses. Was promoted twice in 3.5 years. Involved in many extracurricular activities in and outside of work. My background is very centered around financial services/insurance, is this a red flag for a pivot to Tech Entrepreneurship?

Transferred between two state schools in the southeast. School I graduated from is a top 25 undergrad business program. Obtained a few professionals designations post grad.

December 18, 2024 11:38am ET

Applying: Michigan / Ross, UNC Kenan-Flagler, Vanderbilt / Owen

Intake Year: 2025

Pre-MBA Career: Held various positions in Finance and Accounting in a healthcare institution

Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting, Other Companies: BCG , Deloitte , Other

GPA: 3.0

Years of Work Experience: 11

Location: International

Notes:

I am passionate about healthcare enhancing patient quality care. So exploring in that field is what I would love. Got a 72k scholarship from Vandy and named Forte Fellow. UNC 50k. I'm having a hard time deciding though my heart is leaning towards Owen

December 18, 2024 10:23am ET

Applying: Arizona State / W.P. Carey, Indiana / Kelley, Ohio State / Fisher

Intake Year: 2025

Pre-MBA Career: Facility management

Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting

GRE: 309

GPA: 2.8

Years of Work Experience: 3

Notes:

Graduate GPA -3.869

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MBA LiveWire

December 21, 2024 8:37am ET

Accepted to Duke / Fuqua

Round: Round 1

Received via phone on December 11, 2024

GMAT: 675

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: Consulting

December 21, 2024 2:38am ET

Waitlisted at Duke / Fuqua

Round: Round 1

Received via phone on December 10, 2024

GPA: 3.27

GMAT: 760

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: Finance

Application Location: CA

December 20, 2024 11:16pm ET

Accepted to Babson / Olin

Round: Round 1

Received via email on December 17, 2024

GPA: 3.9

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: Consulting

Application Location: South Asia

December 20, 2024 7:50pm ET

Accepted to Columbia

Round: Round 1

Received via portal on December 10, 2024

GMAT: 750

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Application Location: India

Note:

$100k scholarship

December 20, 2024 3:21pm ET

Accepted to Yale SOM

Round: Round 1

Received via email December 20, 2024

GPA: 4.0

GMAT: 750

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Note:

100% scholarship

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