INSEAD Job Essay 1
(Required) Please give a detailed description of your job, including nature of work, major responsibilities; and, where relevant, employees under your supervision, size of budget, number of clients/products and results achieved. (250 words)
INSEAD Job Essay 1 Tips
This INSEAD application question is clear enough and the space short enough to create a simple, strong essay. Answer all seven parts of the question. If you have a technical job profile specify what the job means in a larger context. If possible, bring in your people management responsibilities and (shortly) your achievements thereof.
"Results achieved" should be a key ingredient of this INSEAD Job essay. Have you done a great job or performed superlatively? tell them how. If you present your job achievements convincingly you are on the road to a good INSEAD essay.
INSEAD Job Essay 2
(Required) Please give us a full description of your career since graduating from university. If you were to remain with your present employer, what would be your next step in terms of position? (250 words)
INSEAD Job Essay 2 Tips
Your objective in this INSEAD essay can be to discern and showcase a logical progression in your career path. On the other hand you can simply use this essay as a straight job profiles essay and leave the logical career progression approach to Personal Essay 4. Either way do not forget to mention the basics for each job - designation, company, period, responsibilities, achievements.
INSEAD Personal Essay 1
Give a candid description of yourself, 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. (400 words approx.)
INSEAD Personal Essay 1 Tips
You can use this INSEAD application essay like an introduction plus life story essay ("personal development"), or a strengths and weaknesses encapsulation or an anecdotes driven development and success story. There are umpteen approaches to this essay - choose the one that suits you best. Whichever route you take, the essay should touch upon definite strength areas that you want the INSEAD admissions committee to notice you for and definite weakness areas that, while not debilitating, are not superfluous either.
Clearly the person most qualified to give you clues to this INSEAD essay is the one you see in the mirror. Ask yourself what you consider to be your main strengths and weaknesses. Look at personal and professional situations and find out which characteristics or qualities you most obviously exhibit (or lack). You could refer past performance-appraisal forms and pick some relevant points.
Generally stick to weaknesses you can eradicate or improve upon - after all the purpose of mentioning weaknesses is not to convince the INSEAD admissions committee that you are thoroughly unfit to be a part of the institution! Finally, treat each point in this INSEAD application essay in relation to the rest of the essays and the recos. Your application should be a single unified package - there is no room for internal contradictions.
INSEAD Personal Essay 2
Describe what you believe to be your two most substantial accomplishments to date, explaining why you view them as such. (400 words approx.)
INSEAD Personal Essay 2 Tips
OK, so here INSEAD gives you the opportunity of choosing two stories from your life. The choice should be made based on the general importance of the achievement, the extent of your contribution to its success and what the story tells about you. Your leadership skills, initiative and teamwork are three obvious qualities that the incident could reflect on. The incidents can be from professional, academic or personal spheres of life. The second part of the INSEAD question "why you view them as such" is actually where you must start from, and you will automatically arrive at the first part.
INSEAD Personal Essay 3
Describe a situation taken from school, business, civil or military life, where you did not meet your personal objectives, and discuss briefly the effect. (250 words approx.)
INSEAD Personal Essay 3 Tips
Once more begin your thought process from the second part of the question and the first will be much easier. Think about why you are writing this INSEAD essay (no wisecracks from you on that!). Find a situation that has created a difference in your thought process, behavior or value system. Once you get a substantial "effect" you can go to press with the story.
While INSEAD does say "school" a non-pre-historical incident is definitely preferable.
And never forget that the failure INSEAD essay is in reality meant to be a success story where you learnt, improved and readied yourself for a future success. Let that show.
INSEAD Personal Essay 4
Discuss your career goals. What skills do you expect to gain from studying at INSEAD and how will they contribute to your professional career? (500 words approx.)
INSEAD Personal Essay 4 Tips
INSEAD places great import on your work experience. Try to supplement Job Essays 1 and 2 with a clearly delineated presentation of Pre-INSEAD, INSEAD and Post-INSEAD phases of your career. Find and express a logical, credible link between the three phases. Also uncover other motivations that have made you choose your particular career goal.
"Why INSEAD" is an important part of the question, so handle it with moderation and realism. Be specific, both about the industry and the role you are seeking, and why. If your goals are more than ordinarily ambitious say why specifically you are qualified to make it a reality.
INSEAD Personal Essay 5
Please choose one of the following two essay topics:
a) Have you ever experienced culture shock? What did it mean to you? (250 words approx.)
or b) What would you say to a foreigner moving to your home country? (250 words approx.)
INSEAD Personal Essay 5 Tips
INSEAD has a strong international student mix and has a stronger international focus. Whichever question you choose, your outlook and maturity in cross-cultural interactions forms the core of this INSEAD application essay. Typically, "culture shock" makes for a better story while "home country" allows you greater freedom of subject matter.
INSEAD Optional Essay
Is there anything that you have not mentioned in the above essays that you would like the Admissions Committee to know? (200 words approx.)
INSEAD Optional Essay Tips
As usual an optional essay requires effort even if you don’t write it. The main question in any optional essay is to decide whether you need to write it at all. Attempt the INSEAD optional essay only if you feel that it will improve the factual and material strength of your application.
Do not submit your INSEAD optional essay as an addendum to any of your essays. Do not submit your optional essay because you feel that the quality of your earlier essays is improvable – in that case simply redouble your efforts in those essays and leave the optional essay alone.
Use the INSEAD optional essay to explain shortfalls in your application which you feel are truly detrimental to your candidature. Areas of underperformance (academic or professional or GMAT) or events which stick out (gaps in your resumes or second MBA) can be commented on if you have an explanation that is intelligent, interesting and credible.
One other situation when the INSEAD optional essay is acceptable is when you need to describe at length an extraordinarily positive information that CANNOT be accommodated in the other INSEAD essays ?a VERY strong reason for your INSEAD admit that absolutely requires another essay. In case you find any of the above applicable, note down the options and then consider again if the optional essay is a robust constructive addition to your candidacy. If yes, start working on the INSEAD optional essay.
INSEAD Reapplicant Essay
In case of reapplication, please use this page. Your essay should state any new aspects of professional, international, academic, or personal development since your last application. We would also like you to explain your motivation for re-applying to INSEAD. This essay should not exceed 400 words.
INSEAD Reapplicant Essay Tips
INSEAD's position is blunt but clear. We rejected you last time; so what has changed?
The aim is to present the professional, academic and personal improvements in you that make you a stronger candidate for an INSEAD admission than in your last application. State compelling reasons why you deserve a second chance. What steps have you taken to strengthen your INSEAD application. Stronger work experience, professional achievements, better GMAT, international exposure or academic accomplishments can all find place in the INSEAD reapplicant essay. Proactive INSEAD-specific steps taken by you, perhaps based on direct or indirect feedback from INSEAD, might prove a trump card.
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