Introduction
INSEAD is one of the most prestigious MBA programs in the world. With campuses in Singapore, Abu Dhabi, and Fontainebleau, France, INSEAD attracts a truly global student body. Admission to INSEAD is extremely competitive. While quantitative aspects like your GMAT score and work experience are important factors, the application essays are how you can differentiate yourself as a candidate and help the admissions committee get to know you on a deeper level. In this article, we will explore some INSEAD MBA essay samples to give you an idea of what makes for a strong application.
The INSEAD Essay Questions
INSEAD asks candidates to respond to two essay questions as part of the application. The first question asks about your career goals and motivation for pursuing an INSEAD MBA. The second question is geared towards learning more about you as an individual beyond your resume and test scores. Here are the exact essay prompts:
Describe your career goals over the next 10 years. How will an INSEAD MBA help you achieve them? (500 words max)
Beyond your career goals, share with us your interests, values, and personality. How will you contribute to the INSEAD community? (500 words max)
When crafting your responses, focus on demonstrating leadership potential, global mindset, intellectual curiosity, and passion for continuously learning and challenging yourself. Now let’s examine some strong INSEAD essay samples to see what makes them stand out.
Sample Essay 1: Career Goals
“My goal over the next decade is to transition from a technical role in technology consulting to a more client-facing position as a strategic advisor, with the long term aspiration of one day leading my own boutique strategy consulting firm focused on sustainability and emerging technologies.
I believe an INSEAD MBA will equip me with the cross-functional business skills and global network necessary to make this career transition successful. The program’s strong emphasis on leadership development, experiential learning opportunities like company visits and case competitions, and diverse international student body will help strengthen my strategic thinking, public speaking, and interpersonal abilities. This will make me a more well-rounded adviser who can effectively partner with C-suite clients.
INSEAD’s strengths in sectors like sustainable business and innovation ecosystems also perfectly align with my career interests. I aim to leverage the school’s resources and thought leadership in these areas to deepen my expertise. Ultimately, an INSEAD degree will validate my credentials and accelerate my progression into a strategic role, while also fueling my future entrepreneurial ambitions through the valuable student support and alumni connections I will gain.”
What makes this essay strong:
Clearly articulated 10-year career goal that is ambitious yet realistic
Specific explanation of how INSEAD program strengths directly support stated goals
Focus on acquiring skills/experiences through INSEAD that enable post-MBA career transition
Emphasis on alignment between candidate’s interests and INSEAD strengths/reputation
Vision for longer term entrepreneurship supported by program resources
Sample Essay 2: Interests and Values
“Beyond my professional aspirations, I see myself as a lifelong learner with broad intellectual curiosity. I enjoy reading widely about history, philosophy, science and exploring how different fields intersect. Some of my passions include traveling to experience other cultures, practicing yoga, and volunteering with environmental non-profits.
My worldview has been shaped by living and studying in three different countries so far. This exposed me to diverse perspectives and reinforced my belief in cultural empathy, collaboration, and bringing people together around shared hopes rather than differences. If admitted to INSEAD, I hope to continue fostering compassion and open-mindedness within the student body.
As an INSEAD student, I would highly value opportunities for intellectual debate across disciplines. I also aim to volunteer my skills in marketing or project management for campus environmental initiatives. More broadly, I will strive to promote inclusion and understanding between all nationalities on campus. My diverse background positions me well to build cross-cultural bridges and contribute to INSEAD’s vibrant multicultural community.”
What makes this essay strong:
Conveys genuine interests that reveal candidate’s character and breadth of intellect
Values like cultural empathy, collaboration and inclusion promoted
Experience leveraged for suggested contributions aligning with stated values
Focus on mutually beneficial engagement like debates and volunteering versus just “benefitting from community”
Demonstrates self-awareness of how candidate’s diversity of experiences is an asset
Sample Essay 3: Values in Action
“Environmental stewardship is a core value that has shaped my personal and professional path. After witnessing deforestation’s impacts firsthand in rural Brazil, I pursued a master’s in sustainability to better understand sustainability challenges and solutions.
In my current role with an environmental nonprofit, I lead a team developing open-source tools and data visualizations to make emissions inventories more transparent and actionable for corporations and governments. While fulfilling, I seek an MBA to broaden my business skills and networks for greater impact.
At INSEAD, I plan to use electives in areas like sustainable innovation and social entrepreneurship to identify scalable business models advancing sustainability. I will contribute through campus organizations bridging business and environment, whether presenting corporate case studies, hosting speakers, or volunteering on sustainability initiatives.
Beyond enhancing my abilities as a sustainability leader, an INSEAD education will strengthen competencies like solving open-ended problems, building consensus, and managing complexity – all vital for addressing planetary challenges through viable, equitable solutions. I believe few institutions equip graduates as powerfully as INSEAD to drive positive change on a global stage.”
What makes this essay strong:
Strong lead connecting candidate’s motivating values to present and future path
Specific examples used to demonstrate lived commitment to stated values
Nuanced articulation of how INSEAD experience will both strengthen professional skills and enable greater societal impact aligned with values
Clear plans to engage and contribute value to campus community through passion area
Vision for applying INSEAD learning to address real world problems at large scale
Conclusion
These sample essays demonstrate some tried and true strengths that INSEAD admission officers look for – a clear and compelling 10-year career vision, demonstration of values and character through interests/experiences, and substantive plans to engage with and contribute value to the diverse international community at INSEAD. While no two candidates are alike, deconstructing exemplar responses is useful for developing your own unique essays that effectively market your candidacy and fit the context of INSEAD. With practice articulating your goals, values and fit, you can craft compelling essays to strengthen your application.
Andrew Stroud