How got into INSEAD: in 10 steps

During one of those slow weekend afternoons in 2014, I was contemplating which business schools I should pursue. I was going through articles & YouTube videos to learn more about the schools and how their alumni felt about the MBA experience. INSEAD was one of the schools which I kept hearing about for a long time but I was kind of daunted by the prospect.

What chance did I have of getting into one of the top & elite schools in the world?

But hey, you miss all the shots you don’t take, right? So, I had to give it a shot. And I followed the method I always do. The method of eating an elephant, one bite at a time.

Step 01: Finding what is stopping me from getting to my goal

I started by doing online research: What does INSEAD look for in candidates. It was fairly easy to find 4 qualities: a) Ability to contribute b) International Motivation c) Academic Capacity and d) Leadership.

Step 02: Doing a gap analysis

The admission committee was looking for the 4 qualities mentioned above. In addition, they would also have to like the candidate on paper and during interviews. So ultimately, I would have to show that I possessed the qualities through my application and eventual interview.

Given my background in marketing ( ATL, BTL & Digital) and product management in Bangladesh (my home country) and relatively faster growth in my career, I felt I was in a good position with my ability to contribute to overall INSEAD and classroom experiences. Also, I spent my adolescent years in a semi-military boarding school (Mirzapur Cadet College) where I was a prefect in my final year. Starting from that stint at an early age to eventually becoming Category Manager in a large corporate, I also had solid leadership experiences.

But, the gaps were clear:

a) I performed below expectation in some quantitative courses in my undergrad. I had to prove that I recovered from that. I needed to show that I had the academic capacity to take on INSEAD’s courses & experience

b) I had very little international experience and exposure. My exposure mostly came from some visits to the regional office in India and traveling. So I needed to either take up international assignments to make up for it (which was not an option) or show my motivation with the limited exposure I had.

Step 03: Improving in gap areas

Most b-schools require GMAT scores from MBA applicants. In GMAT you can show your level in quantitative. I was yet to sit for GMAT and it was an opportunity to show that I am good with numbers and the scores in undergrad were an anomaly. Or you could say that I have worked on my weaknesses and improved myself. Either way, doing well in GMAT became imperative.

In addition, I enrolled myself in data analysis courses and did a short project which allowed me to grow in quant space as well.

Step 04: Preparing for GMAT & TOEFL

I registered for the GMAT a couple of months before the exam. Usually, with registration, MBA.com provides 2 free tests. You might know that GMAT is an adaptive test so taking a paper-based practice test will not replicate the final experience. These 2 free tests are closest to what the real test will look like. So, they were precious! In addition, I purchased 2 more tests from MBA.com. If I remember correctly, that’s the most I could purchase.

I will not bore you with preparation details but will mention how I used the tests. Before taking any preparation, I completed one of the tests to see where I stood. From there I identified my improvement areas and used another practice test after a month. I kept the last two for the final week.

When the day of the exam came, although I felt ready, I, unfortunately, had some poor experience in the center. After the exam went on for an hour, due to a problem in one of the computers, the test was stopped for almost an hour. The center attendants called someone in the US office where it was quite late then. Eventually, after almost an hour, the test could be resumed. This additional stress didn’t derail me much but it was problematic.

TOEFL was fairly straightforward. I was aiming for a 100+ score out of 120 and comfortably crossed the mark.

Step 05: Applying to another school to get familiar with the process

Although I targeted INSEAD, I didn’t want it to be the first school I applied to. In a way, I wanted to get familiar with the whole process so I applied to another school in January 2015. It made me realize that the application essays are different ball games altogether.

It was also interesting to find out that gaps I identified came up during the interview. So this was also an indication that I was assessing myself properly.

Step 06: Getting the final application ready

The application is a summation of who you are and what you want to tell the admission team. While a lot of candidates would perform strongly in all four qualities but there’s no way for the admission committee to know that other than from the application. So it was key for me to tell my story, cover my gaps, and answer any potential questions in the application.

For example, GMAT, certifications, CV, etc. would cover academic capacity and ability to contribute. But for leadership, it’s better to use one of the essays.

INSEAD’s application also had a few open-ended questions where I could add more information.

I started by creating a table to note which document/question was answering which question or talking about which quality. I realized what I needed to cover in my essays and open-ended questions to avoid repetition of the same information and share my story covering all required points.

This table was key. I strongly recommend using a methodical approach while applying.

Step 07: Budgeting time

Although it is not a sequential step, I am mentioning it here as I was running out of time in the end and submitted it very close to the date.

Step 08: Preparing for an interview

Within a month or so, I received the heartbeat-stopping pre-selection email which invited me to attend two interviews. My interviews took place within 25–30 days of receiving the mail.

For interviews, I prepared by going through some common questions like sharing my story, my plans, why INSEAD, why MBA, etc. Additionally, I asked some of my friends to interview me and go off-script. That also made me aware of some potential questions.

Step 09: Applying for scholarships

I also submitted additional applications for the scholarship, as the scholarship deadline was before my interviews. It’s important to check the scholarship application deadline and not wait till the final acceptance. I know of a friend who didn’t check when to apply and missed the scholarship window.

Step 10: Interview

INSEAD tried to find alums in Dhaka who would interview my but no one was available then. So they scheduled interviews in KL, Malaysia. Interestingly, I have been to KL quite a few times before that so I felt comfortable about it. Both my interviews were on the same day. As one of those was in a restaurant in KLCC Shopping Mall, I checked out the restaurant a day earlier to see where it is. Given how large the mall was, it saved time for me on the final day.

One amazing part of the INSEAD recruitment is the interviews.

These interviews are conducted by alums who have obviously gone through the same process. In my case, both of them were inspiring professionals & individuals; one of them was working for an Oil & Gas company and the other was with a consulting firm. They made me feel so comfortable in the process that it felt like a friendly chat over coffee in the end. I am quite glad and thankful for this part of the step.

During the chats, I made sure to talk about my weaknesses or apparent gaps in the application, even before I was asked about them explicitly. I remember one of the interviewers appreciating the initiatives I took in previous years to improve myself.

And after 10 days, I got the email I was waiting for! :)

“On behalf of the admissions committee, it is my great pleasure to offer you a place in the INSEAD MBA…..”

(INSEAD also calls with the news but somehow I missed it. Probably because they called my home number and I was out during that time)

With that, the journey that started 1.5 years back, entered the next step.

What did I do next?

More on that later :)