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Please review my tips on this essay in the INSEAD MBA Tips section.
Please review my tips on this essay in the INSEAD MBA Tips section.
This goal essay is the heart and soul of your INSEAD application. It tells the admissions committee (ADCOM) the very reasons for which you are willing to invest tons of money and time for the INSEAD EMBA program.
First, articulate your career objectives and show the ADCOM what inspires you to accomplish these goals. Be specific with your reasons. For instance, if you aspire to be a VP in Product Development in an IT company, tell them what inspires you to achieve that role. Have you interacted with anyone who is in a similar role? Have you got a glimpse of the activities that this role would allow you to do? Or do you believe that as a VP, you would get exposure to several activities such as strategy formulation, market positioning, competitor analysis and so on that will boost your future career? Whatever the specific reasons you have in mind, articulate that in detail. But be realistic with what you want to achieve in 5 years. Don’t say things that will sound like building castles in the air.
Next is the billion dollar question – WHY INSEAD EMBA?
Before you start thinking up some common answers that carry phrases such as “top ranked program”, “global faculty and peers”, “alumni network”, “excellent branding” and so on, let me tell you that the proper way to search for an answer to this question is to ask yourself, why not IMD, London Business School, Kellogg or Columbia EMBA programs? These schools will also fit into your common criteria. Now search your soul to find out why INSEAD is your #1 choice and not any other EMBA program.
Show the ADCOM the power of your in-depth research on the program. Network with current students, alumni and the admissions team. Attend any web seminars or admission events in your city and try to visit their campus in order to know as much as possible about the program. Show them how the program fits into your career plan and how it’s going to hone you as a business leader. Don’t just browse their website and talk about “excellent faculty on Strategy”, “three campus location” and so on. That won’t open the door of INSEAD for you.
Finally talk about your other options.
Mention about other EMBA programs that also fit into your requirement. Don’t think that talking about other EMBA programs will diminish your chances of admission to INSEAD. However, in the unlikely situation that INSEAD is the only school you are applying to, please explain why you are putting all your eggs in one basket.
This is one of the golden opportunities to demonstrate your creativity and differentiate yourself from thousands of other applicants. There is no fixed formula on how many strengths and weaknesses you need to pick. Any permutation and combination will work as long as the admissions officers get a vivid picture of your personality. Generally, applicants choose 2~3 strengths and 1~2 weaknesses. One of the best ways to ascertain your strengths and weaknesses is to focus on the feedback that you have received from managers or senior colleagues throughout your career. Some of the applicants are quite well aware of themselves and can readily select the best strengths and relevant areas of improvement. Select strengths that you want the admissions committee to notice you for. Articulate how these qualities influenced your personal development.
A caveat on weaknesses: Be honest without going overboard. Select weaknesses that you can improve upon with the help of a rigorous management curriculum in INSEAD. Otherwise don’t pick that weakness. For instance, don’t say that you lack punctuality. Though INSEAD’s Time Management course teaches you how to manage your time well and maintain work-life balance, it won’t make you more punctual. Choose some quality such as assertiveness, teamwork, the skill of delegation, mentoring, handling personality conflicts and so on that INSEAD can help you improve.
If you need help on deciding your story lines and themes, talk to us!
INSEAD – “the business school of the world” attracts students from more than 80 nationalities and has three campuses in two continents. Ranked # 1 as the most diverse business schools globally, INSEAD wants to know your level of comfort with cultural diversity. Moreover, thanks to globalization, any business leader nowadays needs to do business with people from various parts of the world. Hence, understanding the subtle cross cultural differences is a must for B-school aspirants. Either of these essays provides a great opportunity to showcase any international or cross cultural exposure you have had, whether while traveling outside your home country or dealing with foreigners within your own country.
For Option A, choose an example that is easy to understand, and then spend some time explaining why you felt the culture shock and what it meant to you. But one warning – don’t come up with a stupid and potentially counterproductive account that will ruin your chances.
Some topics to avoid
1. Topics in which you project another nation negatively: All Russians are obstinate, so I was amazed to find one who wasn’t.
2. A situation in which you are the victim: The guy from the Middle East lied to me and as a result I lost the contract to a local business.
Option B allows you to step into a foreigner’s shoes and evaluate your nation’s culture and values and then describe the challenges that he or she has to face. This certainly tests your observation skills and how well you know your nation’s culture.
The bottom line: The crux of this essay is to ensure that you convince the ADCOM that you have the ability to do business with people from all walks of life, that you have the broad mindset to accept people from all ethnicities and nationalities and the ability to bridge the gaps in order to make sustainable business relationships.
Is there any aspect of your profile that has not been covered anywhere in the application? This is the right place to talk about that. In case of any gap in your profile such as a low GMAT score, a layoff and so on, you can address it here.
Keep in mind that attempting the optional essay demonstrates your seriousness to the school. In the cut-throat, globally competitive B-School admissions process, the seriousness of the applicants is one of the most important factors. In case you don’t have a career gap or a low GMAT, this essay is another chance to portray your uniqueness. Select an appropriate story from your life in order to showcase your strengths. But be sure to avoid repetition.
Are you anxious about falling short of the required expectations, and do you try to compensate by resorting to gross exaggerations? When you present yourself as much bigger than you are, you can be sure that it is just a matter of time before you are cut down to size. The members of the adcom are individuals who are highly experienced in assessing candidates, and assertions that don’t ring true will show up sooner or later and put you at a great disadvantage. You should not feel called upon to portray yourself as more than what you are. The adcom understands that we all have shortcomings and, especially, when an essay question demands that you focus on a weakness in you, it is best to be frank and forthcoming. This will project you as a mature and self-aware person, rather than a pretender. Only make certain that you clarify that you are aware of your failing, and that you have already taken steps to overcome it. Of course, you must reveal what these steps are.
Some applicants have the habit of making claims without backing them up. Saying, for instance, that you have always been a great team player without providing concrete examples to corroborate your contention will cut no ice with the adcom. For every quality you say that you possess, you must give illustrative examples to support your statement.
Though the adcom is keen to know you as a person, it definitely has no intention to peek into the intimate details of your personal life. Bringing these up will, in fact, reveal your lack of taste and discretion, and thereby go against you. An exception could be made in the case of, say, a habit that you might have had that prevented you from performing to your potential. Did this affect your undergraduate grades? If so, remember to explain how you have conquered the habit, and how, in consequence, your efficiency has significantly increased.
What the adcom will be especially interested in is what you can bring to the program, and the realistic ways in which you can contribute. Slurring over this point will cost you dear. It would be wonderful if you could come up with very specific plans in this regard. Perhaps you have expertise in an area that is not covered by the school’s clubs. Would you, then, like to open a new club? Once you become an alumnus, how do you propose to retain your connection with the school? Will you mentor students?
It is wise for any candidate to put himself/herself in the adcom’s shoes while negotiating the application process.
Introspect on yourself, on the kind of person you are, and identify traits/habits/activities that make you stand apart from the rest. Otherwise, you risk become just an anonymous face in a surging crowd. It could be you that you are just 5 ft. 3 ins, but that you were the President of your college’s student’s union. That itself will say a lot. Weave anecdotes around it. Make yourself memorable.
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