INSEAD Business School MBA Essays: Sample Answers and Tips

Key Takeaways

• Learn what INSEAD Business School looks for in MBA essays.
• Get tips on how to effectively present your personal and professional experiences.
• Understand the common essay prompts and how to approach them.
• Discover strategies for making your essays unique and memorable.
• Strengthen your overall application by mastering the art of essay writing.

Introduction

Crafting strong essays is a vital part of your MBA application. If you're applying to INSEAD Business School, your INSEAD Business School MBA essays are a key opportunity to showcase your experiences, goals, and fit for the program. This guide offers tips and strategies to help you write compelling essays that stand out in the competitive admissions process.

INSEAD Business School MBA Essays 2023-24

The INSEAD Business School MBA essays are a chance for you to share your story. You can talk about your university projects, the groups you've been a part of, or even your hobbies and volunteering. It's all about showing who you are beyond just your grades. These essays help the admissions team of INSEAD MBA program understand your leadership skills and how you collaborate with others. They're used to describe more about you and what makes you unique.

INSEAD MBA Essay 1: Question

Question: 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. (200 words maximum) *

While answering this question, describe your current or most recent job, emphasizing key responsibilities, achievements, and relevant metrics. Focus on showcasing your impact and contributions to the organization, highlighting any leadership roles, budget management, client interactions, or crucial results achieved.

INSEAD MBA Essay 1: Personalized Tips 

• Provide a brief overview of your position, including the nature of your work and major responsibilities.
• Showcase any significant results or accomplishments, such as successful projects, revenue growth, cost savings, or client satisfaction improvements.
• Try to include quantifiable metrics to demonstrate the scope and scale of your contributions, such as budget size, team size, or specific outcomes achieved.

INSEAD MBA Essay 1: Sample Answer

In December 2022, I got promoted to Vice President at Bright Estates for my efforts in revamping our pay structure and implementing a point-based productivity system. In this role, I oversee a team of 200 professionals, including sales managers, regional heads, and AVPs, all recruited carefully through platforms like LinkedIn.

I also handle the financial aspects of our projects and maintain strong relationships with developers. Additionally, I manage project budgets, with each project totalling over 400 crores and an annual budget of around 14 crores, covering both capital and operational expenses, to ensure project sustainability.

Furthermore, I'm responsible for building partnerships with well-known developers like XYZ and ABC. To drive business growth and enhance our ties with partner developers, I create effective marketing strategies and plan new product launches. I also organize events that attract over 1000 attendees over two days and generate sales exceeding USD 200 million in Gross Transaction Value.

In my role, I've successfully identified numerous business opportunities for Bright Estates in various regions, including Delhi-NCR, Uttarakhand, Lucknow, and Chandigarh, resulting in a net revenue of over INR 90 crores.

INSEAD MBA Essay 2: Question

Question : Please give a full description of your career since graduating from university. Describe your career path with the rationale behind your choices. (300 words maximum) *

Reflecting on your journey since graduation, highlight significant experiences and decisions that have shaped your path. Discuss the motivations behind your choices, showcasing your drive, values, and aspirations. Additionally, emphasize how these experiences have contributed to your personal and professional growth, preparing you for the next stage of your academic and career pursuits.

INSEAD MBA Essay 2: Personalized Tips

• Summarize significant activities or endeavors you've pursued since completing secondary education, showcasing the breadth and depth of your engagement.
• Explain the factors that influenced your decisions and choices during this period, such as personal interests, values, career aspirations, or societal impact.
• Demonstrate how your activities since graduation align with your academic and professional objectives, emphasizing the relevance of your choices to your desired path.
• Highlight how your experiences have contributed to your personal and professional development, illustrating how you've evolved and gained valuable insights since graduation.

INSEAD MBA Essay 2: Sample Answer

While helping with minor accounting tasks for my family's business and hearing about the success of companies like Tesla, I became intrigued by the business world. So, I decided to pursue a minor degree in finance alongside my engineering studies. This allowed me to explore subjects like finance fundamentals and risk management.

To gain practical experience, I interned at a Fintech Company in India. There, I conducted market research and worked on Fintech proof-of-concepts (POCs) for senior management. One notable project was creating a proposal for an employee and client engagement platform called "MetaX," which was well-received.

Additionally, I organized an event called "W Got Talent" to promote corporate culture, where I co-authored a whitepaper on workplace finance. This internship sharpened my research skills and deepened my interest in business and consulting.

INSEAD MBA Essay 3: Question

Question : Share your short and long-term career aspirations with a MIM from INSEAD. (Maximum 100 words) * 

Here, explain both short and long-term career goals aligned with your MBA from INSEAD. Focus on the specific industries or roles you aspire to pursue, highlighting how the program will equip you with the necessary skills and network to achieve your ambitions. Emphasize your enthusiasm for making a meaningful impact in your chosen field and your commitment to continuous learning and growth.

INSEAD MBA Essay 3: Personalized Tips

• Clearly outline your desired industries and roles, demonstrating a clear vision for your future career path and explaining about your roles and responsibilities that you will undertake in this desired role.
• Showcase how the MBA program aligns with your career aspirations and how you plan to leverage its resources to achieve your goals.
• Convey your eagerness to excel in your chosen field and your determination to make a positive impact in the long term.

INSEAD MBA Essay 3: Sample Answer

In my career journey post-MBA, I am deeply committed to driving impactful change on a global scale. Initially, I aspire to contribute as a Strategy Consultant at leading firms like PwC, where I aim to guide companies towards sustainability and net-zero emissions through innovative technology.

Furthermore, with a long-term passion for sustainability, I envision establishing a fabric company to revolutionize the fashion industry. By prioritizing sustainable fabrics, I aim to eliminate middlemen, ensuring fair returns for weavers while implementing robust sustainability measures.

INSEAD MBA Essay 4: Question

Question: 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(maximum 400 words). *

In addressing this question, carefully select a proud achievement that demonstrates your skills and perseverance, as well as a failure that taught you valuable lessons. Highlighting these experiences can provide insight into your character and ability to navigate challenges. Reflect on how each experience impacted your relationships with others and what you learned from them.

INSEAD MBA Essay 4: Personalized Tips

Proud Achievement:

• Describe the situation or project you were involved in, including any challenges or obstacles you faced.
• Detail the specific steps you took to address the challenges and achieve success.
• Highlight the outcomes of your efforts, such as exceeding targets, solving a problem, or delivering value.
• Explain why this achievement is meaningful to you and how it showcases your skills and qualities.

Failure Experience:

• Outline the circumstances leading to the failure, including any mistakes or missteps made.
• Discuss how you reacted to the setback, including any actions taken to address the situation and learn from the experience.
• Reflect on the insights gained from the failure and how it contributed to your personal and professional growth.
• Consider how the failure affected your relationships with colleagues or team members, and any changes in communication or collaboration as a result.

You can check tips from INSEAD College Business School itself at - Tips for writing your personal statement!

INSEAD MBA Essay 4: Sample Answer

In 2020, amidst the global pandemic, I took on the challenge of starting an education business in Indonesia for a company. This meant entering a new market while adjusting to remote work.

To overcome language barriers, I learned basic Indonesian and used translation tools to communicate with local peers. I also ran online ads to promote our services, boosting brand visibility by 30%. Using video conferencing, I provided instant feedback to team members. Within three months, we generated significant revenue and I was promoted to General Manager, highlighting the importance of adaptability and communication.

However, I faced a setback while scaling my team to 100 members. Rushing to recruit, I didn't properly evaluate their skills, leading to a lack of cohesion and missed targets. Realizing the importance of empowering team members, I now focus on fostering ownership to build trust and teamwork.

INSEAD MBA Essay 5: Question

Question: 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 (maximum 500 words). *

When drafting the answer of this question, aim to provide a candid and introspective description of yourself, emphasizing both your strengths and weaknesses, as well as the factors that have influenced your personal development.

Start by identifying key personal characteristics that define who you are, and then provide specific examples or anecdotes to illustrate these traits. Additionally, reflect on significant experiences or influences that have shaped your values, beliefs, and goals.

INSEAD MBA Essay 5: Personalized Tips

Personal Characteristics:

• Identify your strengths and weaknesses, such as leadership abilities, communication skills, problem-solving aptitude, or areas for improvement.
• Provide that illustrate these characteristics, demonstrating how they manifest in your daily life or significant experiences.

Factors Influencing Personal Development:

• Reflect on significant life events, relationships, or challenges that have influenced your growth and development.
• Discuss how these factors have shaped your values, beliefs, and aspirations, and how they continue to impact your personal and professional journey.

INSEAD MBA Essay 5: Sample Answer

My journey has been shaped by qualities like resilience and adaptability, which I developed after my mother passed away when I was young. This event left my family in financial turmoil, but my father's determination to overcome adversity inspired me. I sacrificed my spot in a prestigious school to ensure my sister received a good education, demonstrating my adaptability and commitment to family.

Despite financial challenges, I pursued mechanical engineering while teaching students. This experience taught me the value of perseverance and resilience. Today, as a Manager at Green Horizons, leading a team of over 30 people, I credit my success to these qualities.

However, I've also faced setbacks, like when key members of my team left for higher-paying jobs, affecting our project's progress. This experience taught me the importance of managing emotions and seeking guidance. With mentorship, I learned to channel my emotions into constructive actions and became more adaptable and composed. This experience has made me better equipped to handle challenges in the future.

INSEAD MBA Essay 6: Question

Question: 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, etc). How are you enriched by these activities? (maximum 300 words) *

In your response, highlight diverse extracurricular activities you've participated in, such as clubs, sports, music, or arts, emphasizing significant involvement. Showcase how each activity has enriched your personal and professional growth. Here are some of the tips you can follow:

INSEAD MBA Essay 6: Personalized Tips

• Showcase engagement in a variety of extracurricular pursuits, such as clubs, sports, music, arts, etc., to demonstrate versatility and diverse interests.
• Illustrate significant time and commitment invested in each activity, indicating sustained involvement and dedication.
• Discuss how each activity has enriched your personal and professional development, emphasizing skills, values, and insights gained.
• Explain how the experiences and lessons learned from these extracurricular activities align with your aspirations and will contribute to your success in the MIM program and beyond.

INSEAD MBA Essay 6: Sample Answer

I love fine arts and staying updated with the latest advancements. Inspired by my grandma's story about Sudha Chandran, I started dancing at age 7 and later got certified in Bharatnatyam after rigorous training. As the Dance Secretary of the Classical Arts Club in college, I led a team of 17 girls to choreograph performances for events, boosting my confidence and leadership skills.

In grade 8, I discovered throwball and eventually became vice-captain of the campus team in college. Leading this uncommon sport, I took initiatives like online training and creating social media content to promote it within the BITS student community. This helped us conduct workshops for over 40 students, spreading awareness about the sport.

INSEAD MBA Essay 7: Question

Question: Is there anything else that was not covered in your application that you would like to share with the Admissions Committee? (Maximum 300 words) 

While drafting your response, take the opportunity to address any gaps or areas of concern in your application, such as academic underperformance or missing experiences.

Provide context or explanations for any discrepancies, demonstrating self-awareness and a proactive approach to addressing challenges. Additionally, use this space to highlight any achievements, experiences, or personal qualities that further strengthen your candidacy and align with the program's values.

INSEAD MBA Essay 7: Personalized Tips

• If there are any gaps or areas of academic underperformance in your application, use this opportunity to provide context or explanations to the Admissions Committee.
• Highlight any steps you've taken to address these concerns or improve yourself, demonstrating resilience and a proactive attitude.
• Emphasize how your additional experiences or qualities further align with the program's values and objectives, reinforcing your suitability as a candidate.

INSEAD MBA Essay 7: Sample Answer

In the last semester of my undergraduate studies, I encountered unexpected personal challenges that temporarily affected my academic performance. Despite these hurdles, I remained resilient and sought support from professors and peers. Through their guidance and encouragement, I was able to navigate through this tough period and gradually improve my grades.

Following this experience, I reflected on the importance of effective time management and prioritization. I implemented strategies to better manage my commitments and ensure a balanced approach to my studies and personal life. By establishing clear goals and schedules, I regained control over my academic journey and maintained consistent progress.

Moreover, I seized opportunities to further develop my skills and knowledge outside the classroom. I actively pursued internships and extracurricular activities relevant to my interests in business and sustainability. These experiences not only broadened my understanding of various industries but also honed my problem-solving and leadership abilities.

While acknowledging the temporary setback I faced, I am confident that my perseverance and determination have equipped me with the resilience and adaptability necessary to thrive in the dynamic environment of the MBA  program. I am excited about the prospect of embarking on this transformative journey and fulfilling my aspirations of making a meaningful impact in the global business landscape.

Imperial also offers a guide to a standout application, if you are interested in checking.

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Conclusion

The INSEAD business school MBA essays are an integral part of the application process and offer applicants the opportunity to showcase their personal and professional experiences, leadership potential, and career aspirations. Remember to stay true to yourself, be reflective, and showcase your unique experiences and perspectives. INSEAD is one of the top MBA colleges in France.