As one of the world’s leading business schools, INSEAD Paris is committed to transforming educational standards in the field of business and management. The institution receives a significant number of applications each year from over 90+ countries across the globe. The most popular and sought after program is the world class MBA program, with more than 1,700 applicants in recent years. Presently, 500+ participants are admitted in the INSEAD MBA program, thus bringing the acceptance rate to about 30%, which is higher than institutes of similar reputation.
A highly selective acceptance rate suggests that only the students with excellent academic background can get admission at INSEAD. While students with outstanding academic qualifications have an invaluable edge over other candidates, INSEAD also considers leadership potential, motivation and ability to contribute as salient features at the time of assessing the applicants.
Insead offers a plethora of courses to the incoming students including 6 master’s programs, 1 business foundation certificate program, several executive education programs and 1 phD program. INSEAD gives a head to head competition to Harvard Business School, often dethroning it as the Best Business School in the World according to various ranking surveys. Insead is renowned for its 10 month MBA program as opposed to the traditional 2 year MBA. To get admission at INSEAD, the applicants need to submit GMAT scores typically in the range of 670-750. In addition to that, English language proficiency test scores such as TOEFL IBT and IELTS are essential for admission of international students.
INSEAD Admission Highlights
| Application portal | MBA application portal, MIM application portal, GEMBA application portal. |
| Application fee (non refundable) | MBA- 250 euros, MIM- 180 euros, GEMBA- 250 euros |
| Acceptance rate | 30% |
| Average GMAT score | 670-750 |
| Average TOEFL iBT score | 103 |
| Average IELTS score | 7.5 |
| Mode of payment | Credit card |
| Number of countries | 150+ |
| Employment rate after 3 months | 89% |
| Academic calendar | Term based |
| Number of rounds | 4 |
| Work experience | 5.6 years |
INSEAD Paris Top Courses: Deadlines and Test Scores
INSEAD invites applications for 2 intake seasons with 5 deadlines per year within each round and it is overall a staged admission process. It must be noted that INSEAD does not follow open admissions policy.
Thus, it doesn’t accept applicants after the mentioned deadlines. Students are advised to start their application two months before the procedure. The earlier a candidate starts, the more and better chances they have to secure financial issues and housing.
INSEAD is globally renowned for its MBA program which lasts for a duration of 10 months as opposed to the 2 year MBA in other business schools, thus helping the candidates achieve an early degree. The MBA program is ranked the best in the world by various surveys. Apart from it, Master in Management and Global executive programs are well pursued programs from INSEAD.
Some of the popular courses and their deadlines for the academic year 2021-22 and test scores are as follows:
| Programs | Application deadline | Test score requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Master in Management | 2 June 2021 | GMAT- 620-730 GRE- 80% percentile TOEFL- 103 IELTS- 7.5 PTE- 70 |
| MBA | 30 July 2021 | GMAT- 670-750 (70-75th percentile) GRE- 80% percentile TOEFL iBT- 105 TOEFL CBT- 260 TOEFL PBT- 620 IELTS- 7.5 PTE- 72 |
| Global Executive MBA | 11 July 2021 | TOEFL iBT- 103 PTE- 70 IELTS- 7.5 |
| Executive Master in Finance | 1 July 2021 | GMAT- 70% percentile GRE- 80% percentile TOEFL iBT- 103 PTE- 70 IELTS- 7.5 |
| Executive Master in Change | 7-10 September 2021 | TOEFL iBT- 103 PTE- 70 IELTS- 7.5 |
INSEAD MBA Admission Deadlines
Insead accepts applications on a rolling basis and has 5 deadlines each year within each round. After sending an application, an interview round is conducted and a final decision notification is released. The new application round opens 2 months before the application start date and students are advised to apply at the earliest so that they can secure financial issues and housing.
The MBA admission deadlines for the January 2022 intake are as follows:
| Rounds | Deadline for complete application | Interview decision notification | Final decision notification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | 5 March 2021 | 9 April 2021 | 14 May 2021 |
| Round 2 | 23 April 2021 | 28 May 2021 | 2 July 2021 |
| Round 3 | 18 June 2021 | 23 July 2021 | 3 September 2021 |
| Round 4 | 30 July 2021 | 27 August 2021 | 24 September 2021 |
INSEAD Admission Requirements for International Students
International students must meet the general entry requirements and have a minimum average GPA, GRE/GMAT scores, english proficiency test scores such as IELTS/TOEFL, recommendations, personal statement, health insurance and financial support for one entire academic year.
The following documents are needed while applying for admission as an international student to INSEAD:
- Official academic transcripts from each college or university attended along with their English or French translations.
- Academic transcripts from secondary/higher secondary education centres/institutions.
- GRE/GMAT scores.
- GMAT score range is typically within 670-750 and GRE is above 80% percentile.
- English proficiency test scores.
- TOEFL iBT score of 105,
- IELTS- 7.5
- PTE- 72 are required for MBA admission.
- Letters of recommendation.
- CV/Resume
- Video interviews
- Passport size photograph
- Job description questions
- Motivation essays
- Medical records
- Health insurance
- Work experience (recommended)
- Statement of purpose (optional)
Application portal: MBA application portal, MIM application portal, GEMBA application portal.
Application fees- MBA- 250 EUR, Master of Finance- 180 EUR, Global Executive MBA- 250 EUR
English Proficiency Test Scores
International Students must demonstrate proficiency in English language to be considered for admission at INSEAD. There is no French proficiency required, but candidates are recommended to learn some basic French to be able to communicate better. ELP scores vary for different programs offered at INSEAD. The English language proficiency requirements for MBA applicants are as follows:
All other programs also require english proficiency but they are slightly relaxed compared to MBA. The english proficiency test scores for programs like Master in Management, Global Executive MBA are as follows:
| Test | Minimum required score |
|---|---|
| TOEFL IBT | 103 |
| IELTS | 7.5 |
| PTE | 70 |
French Visa Process for International Students
International students applying to Insead, Paris have the option of obtaining a short stay or a long stay visa depending upon their course of study. For executive programs the duration is usually shorter, and students who plan to apply for a short stay visa can stay in France for up to 3 months. After completing the application with adequate details, Campus France will give the candidate an appointment date for an academic interview. The student must arrive with all the essential documents and their photocopies to the interview. Finally, the visa applicants will have to go to the selected VFS centres to register their biometric data to complete the procedure.
The following documents are required for the generation of Visa:
- A valid passport.
- Cover letter.
- Proof of funding in the form of bank statement or sponsorship letter.
- Proof of accommodation.
- Health insurance
- Proof that the student will return to their home country upon completion of course usually in the form of a flight ticket.
INSEAD, Paris Postgraduate Admissions
INSEAD scrutinizes each application based on all the documents provided by the students. Almost all the courses require official transcripts, resumes and video interviews to be considered for admission. The following are required for admission in the popular courses:
| Requirements | Master in Management | MBA | Global Executive MBA | Executive Master in Finance | Executive Master in Change | phD in Management |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application portal | MIM Admission portal | MBA application portal | GEMBA application portal | EMFIN application portal | EMC application portal | phD application portal |
| Application fee | 180 EUR | 250 EUR | 250 EUR | 250 EUR | 250 EUR | 50 EUR |
| Official transcripts | Required | Required | Required, but can be waived in exceptional circumstances | Required | Required | Required |
| GRE/GMAT | Required | Required | Required, but EA or insead assessment scores can be provided instead as well. | Required, can be substituted with EA | Not required | Required |
| CV/Resume | Required | Required | Required | Not required | Required | Required |
| Recommendation letters | 2, required | 2, required | 2, required | 2, required | 2, required | Maximum 3, required |
| Video interview | Required | Required | Not required | Not required | Phone conversation instead of video interviews | One way interview required. |
| Statement of integrity | Not required | Not required | Not required | Not required | Not required | Required |
INSEAD usually takes 3-6 weeks to confirm a decision after submission of application. After selection, the candidates are summoned for an online or face to face interview and upon clearing that, they are officially accepted into the university. INSEAD takes into account professional work experience in most courses from the applicants since it provides higher education at advanced programs. With a plethora of academic options, an incredibly reputed 1 year MBA program and other master’s programs, commendable campus facilities and cherishable intercultural bonding experiences, Insead has undoubtedly set a benchmark of its own.
FAQs
Ques. What are the differences between September and January intakes at the MBA program at Insead?
Ans. The curriculum, course structure, class size and composition, and campus exchange opportunities are identical for the September and January intakes. The primary difference is that if a student chooses to begin in September, they will complete their MBA in ten consecutive months. If they choose to begin in January they will have a two-month summer break during which they can pursue an internship or other endeavours.
Ques. How many years of work experience is required for the MBA program at Insead?
Ans. INSEAD does not have an absolute requirement for years of work experience, although at least two years is strongly encouraged. Participants in Insead’s current class have an average of 5.5 years work experience, with the range being between two and ten. However, applicants with less experience who demonstrate exceptional maturity and outstanding leadership through their professional and personal experiences will also be considered.
Ques. Is there an age limit for entry into the MBA program at Insead?
Ans. There is no age limit for entry. However, the MBA is aimed at those who are at an early stage in their career. INSEAD participants in the current class have a range of between two and ten years of post-graduate work experience. If someone has more than ten years of work experience, Insead encourages them to consider one of INSEAD's Executive MBA Programmes, where they will have the opportunity to learn with a more experienced and mature peer group.
Ques. What degree is required to get into Insead?
Ans. Insead requires an undergraduate degree (Bachelor degree or equivalent) from a recognised college or university or that the student has completed 180 ECTS. The Admissions Committee values the guarantee that a reputable institution may provide.
Ques. What is the minimum GMAT/GRE score to get into the phD program at Insead?
Ans. There's no cut-off point for either exam and there is a wide range for accepted scores. The selection of applicants is based on the applicant's general profile and overall academic background, and faculty preferences; and test scores are only one component of the many factors considered. Perfect scores do not guarantee admission and lower than average scores will not invalidate someone’s candidacy. Thus, Insead encourages all interested prospects to submit their application, regardless of the standardised test score attained.
Ques. Does INSEAD offer Financial aid to international students?
Ans. INSEAD offers over 100 types of scholarship to the incoming students and a total worth of 5.7 million euros are spent on scholarships each year. The average scholarship amount offered is 18,700 EUR to a student. There are need based and merit based scholarships as well as scholarships exclusively for women, for candidates possessing incredible leadership skills and students who have a strong passion for social entrepreneurship. All types of available scholarships can be checked on the university’s official website.
