About INSEAD
“The Business School for the World” is how INSEAD positions itself, and INSEAD MBA class profile lives up to the promise with 80+ nationalities on its MBA program, and an equally diverse faculty and alumni network. International diversity has been part of the school’s DNA since its inception, over 50 years ago, when it pioneered the one-year MBA. Today INSEAD Business School has the largest global MBA program in the world, with over 1,000 students per year, spread across two intakes (one class starts in January and another in September) and across two campuses (Fontainebleau, a small town 70km from Paris, and in Singapore). Those seeking an INSEAD MBA also have the option of taking electives on the school’s Abu Dhabi campus, and exchange to top US schools. The school is also proud of providing an international platform for recruitment, with graduates taking up executive positions in over 50 countries around the world each year. The INSEAD MBA class size regularly exceeds 1,000 students.
The INSEAD MBA program is very much a General Management degree, but has a strong elective offering, enabling students to deepen their knowledge in a wide range of areas. Entrepreneurship is a particularly popular academic area, with 80% of students taking at least one entrepreneurship elective.
Strengths And Specializations
General Management, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Strategy, Impact investing
Incoming Class
MBA Class Size: 500
Course Length: 1 year
Tuition: €92.575
Post-MBA Careers
Sector: Consulting 52%; Finance 14%; Technology, Media & Telecommunications 19%; Corporate Sectors 16%; Starting Own Business 4%
Top Recruiters: McKinsey, BCG, Bain & Co., Amazon, Strategy&, Accenture, Kearney, Roland Berger, Shopee, Deloitte, EY-Parthenon, Microsoft, Hilti Corporation, Restaurant Brands International, Credit Suisse, Eli Lilly & Co., L.E.K. Consulting, Oliver Wyman
Avg Base salary: $113,900
Salary Increase: 93%
Employment in 3 months: 92%
INSEAD Rankings
Admissions
Avg. Age: 29
Avg. GMAT: 706
Int’l Students: 95%
Female Students: 38%
Deadlines for Jan 2023 intake:
R1 – March 1, 2022
R2 – April 19, 2022
R3 – June 14, 2022
R4 – July 26, 2022
Deadlines for Aug 2023 intake:
R1 – Sept 6, 2022
R2 – Nov 15, 2022
R3 – Jan 10, 2023
R4 – Mar 7, 2023
Deadlines for Jan 2024 intake:
R1 – March 7, 2023
R2 – April 18, 2023
R3 – June 27, 2023
R4 – Aug 8, 2023
Sources: INSEAD, BusinessWeek, Financial Times, US News, MBA50
Essays
Career Questions:
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. (no word limit: we suggest approx. 300 words)
2. What would be your next step in terms of position if you were to remain in the same company? (no word limit: we suggest max 100 words)
3. Please give a full description of your career since graduating from university. Describe your career path with the rationale behind your choices. (no word limit: we suggest approx. 300 words)
4. Discuss your short and long term career aspirations with or without an MBA from INSEAD. (no word limit: we suggest approx. 200 words)
(Optional) If you are currently not working or if you plan to leave your current employer more than 2 months before the programme starts, please explain your activities and occupations between leaving your job and the start of the programme.
Motivation Essays:
1. Give a candid description of yourself (who are you as a person), 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. (approx. 500 words)
2. Describe the achievement of which you are most proud and explain why. In addition, describe a situation where you failed. How did these experiences impact your relationships with others? Comment on what you learned. (approx. 400 words)
3. Describe all types of extra-professional activities in which you have been or are still involved for a significant amount of time (clubs, sports, music, arts, politics, etc). How are you enriched by these activities? (approx. 300 words)
(Optional) Is there anything that you have not mentioned in your application that you would like the Admissions Committee to know? (approx. 300 words) This section is optional.
Video Essays:
After submitting the INSEAD MBA application, applicants will receive a link to a video interview. This component is mandatory in order for one’s application to be considered complete. You have one week after the relevant application deadline for the completion of the video portion.
Note from the INSEAD admissions committee: “We are keen on getting to know you better and believe that through a video you can come to life, so be spontaneous, be creative and be yourself! We look forward to virtually meeting you!”
Fortuna Tips & Advice
INSEAD Essays: Tips & Strategy for Conquering All 7 Prompts
Advice for 6 Common Profiles Applying to INSEAD
Everything You Need to Know About the INSEAD MBA Interview (video)
For more stats & insights, request your free copy of our Insider Tips Report for Applying to INSEAD.