If you intend to apply for the 1-year MBA January 2019 intake at INSEAD, this will be the right time to start the process.
The School follows a staged admissions process, with four deadlines for each of the two intakes per year. Competition for each of the rounds is equal, but the earlier you gain admission, the more time you have to secure financing and arrange logistics. The online application form typically opens two months before each application deadline.
While the application deadline for Round 1 is over, you could still apply in Round 2 for which the deadline is on May 2. The interview decision notification is on June 8 and final decision notification on July 13.
For Round 1, the application deadline was on March 14, interview decision notification on April 20 and final decision notification on May 25.
Round 3 application deadline is on June 20, interview decision on July 27 and the final decision on September 7. Round 4 application deadline is August 1, interview decision on August 31 and the final decision on September 28.
You will be able to complete the entire application process using the school’s online application system. Processing of the application takes ten weeks.
Once you complete the registration, you will access the Dashboard of the online application system. You can edit your login details and set your alert notifications. You are also required to upload a photograph of yourself. To optimise the image, the photo should be 200 pixels wide and 200 pixels high. It should be in JPEG or GIF format.
In Section 2-10, fill in the profile information, similar to a detailed resume. You can save a PDF copy of these pages at any time by clicking on the printer icon on the top of your screen. Note that not all fields are mandatory, so if one does not apply to you, leave it blank.
The Application fee of €250 must be paid online with a credit card once you have submitted your application form. This application fee is non-refundable.
Section 11&12 comprise job description questions. Pages 13&14 will have motivation essays (three compulsory, one optional).
The school describes this portion as a critical part of the evaluation process. “As such, we advise you to spend a significant amount of time on your application essays. Your responses provide the best opportunity to be creative and tell us about yourself,” it says.
“We would like to get to know you and to find out what motivates you. The essay questions are not meant to be academic articles or business memos, but rather your personal stories,” it adds.
You can fill in the essay questions online or copy/paste your answers in the text boxes directly within the application.
The Application fee of €250 must be paid online with a credit card once you have submitted your application form. This application fee is non-refundable.
The GMAT scores should be submitted through Pearson Vue directly to INSEAD (code DL3-S8-89). You can take the GMAT up until the day of the application deadline, in this case, a copy of your unofficial score report (to be uploaded under “supporting documents” before you submit your application form) is sufficient to begin evaluating your file.
GMAT scores are valid for five years prior to the application deadline to which you are applying. In countries where the GMAT test is not offered, GRE test scores are accepted. It is also acceptable for prospective students looking to follow the Dual Degree path. The ETS code for the GRE is 0970.
English language certification is needed for those for whom English is not the native language. TOEFL, TOEIC, IELTS, Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic and the Certificate of Proficiency in English test are accepted. You can also demonstrate fluency in English with a university degree (a minimum of one full-time academic year with a diploma received from that host university) where all courses were taught exclusively in English.
Two professional recommendation letters are required, providing information about your leadership and management potential. As such, at least one recommendation should come from your workplace; your current supervisor or manager is usually a good choice.
The other recommendation should be from someone who has had a chance to evaluate you in a professional setting, for example, a client, a former supervisor or a colleague from your community service or extracurricular activities.
Academic recommendations are acceptable but they are less likely to help in assessing your ability to work with and manage others as well as your potential for senior management. If you feel it would add value to your application, you may also upload an optional third letter of recommendation as part of the supporting documents.
The recommenders can submit their online letters after receiving their links, but no later than 48 hours after the application deadline.
Your curriculum vitae can either be in a free format or follow the format of the INSEAD official CV e-book. Scanned copies of transcripts and diploma and any other documents could also be attached.
Upon submission of your application form, you will receive a message requesting you to record your video interviews through Kira Talent. You will also be able to access it from your online application dashboard. The video interviews are to be submitted no later than 48 hours after the deadline to which you are applying.