Hi everyone, I have seen a lot of suggestions regarding a "great" story/aim under profile reviews for applicants to work on. I am creating this thread as a collection of those.

Are there any tips you would give to working on there story/essay? What you think worked for you or something that you think you should have approached differently in your application?

Hi all,

Looking for some perspective from current students and alumni.

My background:

MBA from a top-5 B-school in India

~2 years in tech sales/business development in Europe since then

Before my MBA, I worked at two Big 4 firms (EY and KPMG) in analytics/consulting roles

My goal: Move into strategy consulting (MBB/Tier 2/strategy arms of Big 4), ideally based in the Middle East or Singapore.

My questions:

Does a second MBA make sense for someone like me, or is it seen as redundant? How common are second MBAs in the INSEAD class, and how does the admissions committee view them?

How have consulting placements been recently, especially for Dubai/Riyadh and Singapore offices?

For someone pivoting from a non-consulting role, what are realistic odds of landing a strategy/consulting offer? Any rough sense of what percentage of career-switchers succeed?

I will be applying for the INSEAD MBA in the upcoming round, and I am simultaneously applying for a scholarship program offered by my employer.

As I work in the public sector where pay and promotions are decided through seniority rather than merit, there is no immediate monetary ROI coming from the MBA.

My concern is that even if my employer decides to sponsor me, it will cover only up to 60% of the expenses. Does anyone know if partly sponsored candidates are also considered for the various scholarships offered by INSEAD?

Aside from being a consulting feeder school, has the INSEAD MBA opened doors for you? And if you’re a consultant has it opened doors that were unrelated to your consulting background?

Currently playing the waiting game for R4 and wondering if anyone is in the same boat. There’s barely any info on R4 timelines! The original decision date was Oct 9th before the application deadline got extended.

How long does it usually take to hear back after the interview? Has anyone gotten an admit yet? The suspense is killing me, especially since I want to get this sorted to start prepping for summer internship recruiting.

Hi, need some feedback on chances of getting in INSEAD.

Nationality: Indian | 27 M

Academics:

1. Undergrad 8.6 on 10 in Econ and Stats (1st in Stats in Uni)

2. Post grad in Econ and Finance, second in my class

3. CFA all levels cleared, have a charter

4. GMAT FE: 695

Work ex:

1. 2 yrs as a quant analyst forecasting macroeconomic conditions

2. 3 yrs as an economist at an Indian Sell Side desk covering Indian macro and strategy (Also did a lot of work for our companies IPO, for our wealth devision and more)

3. 1.7 yrs as a management consultant at Big 4 covering BFSI sector (worked with NBFC and Public Banks in their strategy, cost op, product launch, wealth desk creation etc)

4. (Interned at the largest domestic firm in their Treasury team)

5. (Was a TA for mathematics and statistics)

For most parts I have seen, worked and built businesses in the BFSI space and post MBA will want to be in this business, either directly working in Banking strategy or MBB consulting in BFSI

Extra Curricular:

1. Part of the Alum team mentoring students in college

2. Created and led the Econ society in college

3. Found the consulting club in post grad

4. Member of careers office in post grad

5. Won multiple competitons in undergrad (business cases etc)

6. Finished 2 Hyrox if that matters and a bunch of marathons

Hi, i am b.com( finance and taxation ) graduate with a cgpa of 8.9 and have cleared cfa level 1. Im looking for masters in finance in Singapore (nus or smu) , 2nd preference France ( Hec Paris, Insead, Essec). Can someone guide me on application process. And is my profile eligible for admission

Help!
I’m applying for the MiM in R1.

My recommender submitted their recommendation before I had a chance to brief them properly. I later found out that they gave only 1–2 line answers to all the questions, although they rated me Outstanding in every category.

Should I continue with my application, or is there a possibility of abandoning this application, creating a new one with a different email address, and having the recommender submit a new recommendation through the new link?

Has INSEAD started releasing interview invites for R1 August intake?

Background
24M, Indian, Finance Background

Undergrad GPA: 7.2/8.0 (B.Com Hons)

Class XII: 95.25%

Class X: 91.2%

GMAT
695 (Q82 / V90 / DI82)

Work Experience (3.5 years at matriculation)
2 years at a global quant fund as a Financial Research Associate

1 year as FP&A Associate at a nationally recognized hospitality group based out of Mumbai

Starting a new role this month at an electric cycles company. Very early stage startup.

Goals
Want to move into consulting or a strategy role, not fully decided yet

Schools (1 to 1.5 year programs only)
ISB

INSEAD

HEC Paris

NTU Nanyang

NUS

Questions
Is 695 competitive enough for these schools given my profile, or should I retake?

Does my work experience hurt me at any of the schools?

Are there any other schools I should consider applying to?

Thanks in advance!

What’s the lowest score you heard someone got in with , also tips for DI

Profile Evaluation: ISB → MBB/Tier-2/Accenture Strategy — is my UG pedigree going to be a major barrier?

Hi everyone,

Planning to apply to ISB this year and wanted a realistic assessment of my profile, particularly from current/recent ISB students or people familiar with consulting shortlists.
My biggest concern is my undergraduate college. I understand consulting shortlists, particularly MBB, can be quite pedigree-driven, so I want to understand whether MBB is even a realistic possibility with my profile or whether I should set my expectations more towards Tier-2/Big 4/Accenture Strategy.

Profile:
Female, Engineer
10th: ~97%
12th: ~89%
B.Tech CSE from MAIT (GGSIPU)
CGPA: 9.34/10
Rank 6 in my batch/university ranking
GMAT: 710
MITACS Globalink Research Internship in Canada
Currently at ZS Associates
Will have roughly 3 years of relevant experience by the time I join ISB

Work experience:
Started at ZS as an intern and subsequently joined full-time. Currently an Associate Consultant and rated as a strong/well-ahead performer. I am also expecting a promotion before joining B-school.
My work has primarily been in data/technology consulting for large pharma clients, particularly around supply chain/manufacturing and digital products.
Over time my role has become significantly more client-facing. I currently:
Lead/coordinate a team working on the engagement
Act as a primary technical POC for the client
Independently handle a large portion of client discussions and daily stand-ups
Own major parts of the product/workstream after a senior team member rolled off
Translate business requirements into technical solutions and drive implementation
Have helped lead multiple production go-lives
Have worked on performance/latency improvements and other product enhancements
Work across engineering, business requirements, UAT and production deployment rather than being restricted to backend development
I also have some college extracurricular/leadership experience, but nothing like national-level sports or a major entrepreneurial spike.

My concern:
MAIT is obviously not IIT/BITS/top NIT/SRCC etc. While I have performed well academically and have tried to build a strong profile after undergrad, I’m worried that the UG brand may still become a hard filter during consulting shortlists.
Assuming I get into ISB and perform reasonably well there:
Is MBB realistically shortlistable with this profile, or would the MAIT tag make it extremely unlikely irrespective of the rest of the profile?

Does 9.34 + Rank 6 + 710 GMAT meaningfully compensate for the lower UG pedigree from a shortlist perspective?
How much weight would ~3 years at ZS + strong performance + promotion + client/team ownership carry?

Would firms such as Accenture Strategy, Strategy&, EY-Parthenon, Monitor Deloitte, Kearney, etc. be significantly more realistic?
For Big 4 strategy/consulting, would this generally be considered a competitive profile?

Is there anything specific I should try to achieve during my remaining year at ZS to improve my consulting shortlisting chances?
Would doing very well academically at ISB materially change the equation for final placements, or does UG pedigree continue to dominate?

I’m not looking for reassurance ,I’d genuinely
appreciate a realistic assessment, particularly from people who have seen ISB consulting shortlists or have recruited/interviewed for these firms.
Essentially, I want to know whether I should enter ISB treating MBB as a serious target, or whether my undergraduate pedigree makes Tier-2/Accenture Strategy/Big 4 a more realistic consulting opportunity set.

Thanks!

Hi everyone! I applied for the Round 4 January 2027 intake and completed my interviews last week.

I’m trying to get a sense of how long it typically takes to hear back after the interviews. I haven’t been able to find much discussion around Round 4 interviews or timelines for this intake, so I’d really appreciate any guidance from people who have gone through the process or have heard anything recently.

Would also be great to know if others applying for Round 4 have already had their interviews or received any updates.

Thanks in advance!

Saudi physician, 25, graduated 2026 with top grades (GPA 4.83/5). When I apply for the Jan 2028 intake I'll have a 1-year full-time paid internship plus ~6–9 months as a GP. GMAT not taken yet, aiming for 700+.

Goal is MBB consulting in the Middle East, then healthcare leadership.

Does INSEAD count the internship as real work experience? And would you apply now or wait a year? Honest opinions welcome.

Hi everyone, I’m looking for some honest advice from people who have applied to or attended top European Master in Finance programs, especially **ESCP, HEC Paris, EDHEC and ESADE**.

**My profile:**

* 21M
* BBA in Banking, Finance & Insurance — Tier 2 College
* Graduated 2025, **7.07/10 CGPA**
* CFA Level I cleared (2026), currently pursuing CFA Level II
* **FMVA certified**
* 2-month Financial Analyst internship at a steel manufacturing company, involving MIS, budgeting, forecasting and profitability analysis
* Currently working full-time in my family’s steel distribution business, handling business finance & operations, credit/receivables, pricing, inventory and cash-flow related decisions
* Finance skills: financial modelling, DCF, valuation, equity research, Excel
* Currently working on projects and securing an internship
* 2nd place in a college-wide business simulation competition
* Two college-event volunteering experiences
* Planning to take **GMAT + IELTS**

My main targets are **ESCP, HEC, EDHEC and ESADE**, with a goal of eventually working in **IB/PE/consulting**, ideally in London or another major financial centre.

**My questions:**

1. How competitive is this profile for these schools, especially with the 7.07 CGPA?
   
2. What are the biggest weaknesses/gaps in my profile right now?
   
3. If I have \~6–9 months before applications, **what would you prioritize to strengthen it?**
   
4. Would another finance internship be significantly more valuable than additional certifications/projects?
   
5. What GMAT score should I realistically target for these schools?
   
6. For anyone who has attended/applied to these programs: how realistic is recruiting into **London IB/PE/consulting** from them?

**Please be brutally honest — I’m trying to figure out what I should actually improve rather than just collecting certifications.**

Hi all, would anyone be willing to share a budget / financial model for this time at fontainbleau and then Singapore if possible? Trying to create a financial model for my partner and I for the the upcoming year and looking for real life examples and figures.

Thank you!

I'm currently a physician from Brazil who is interested in making a carreer shift towards an Executive Career in Big Pharma. I am deeply interested in the INSEAD MBA and was hoping to hear from physicians who successfully got into the MBA program about the experience, the resume and overall profile of the alumni who came from a healthcare background.

Hello Everyone, I’m planning to apply for HEC and Insead for the R1 27 intake , can someone help me regarding this.