What You Need To Know To Get Into INSEAD & LBS

INSEAD and London Business School stand out as two of Europe’s most elite business programs. With their impressive ROI and opportunities for global leadership experience, these powerhouse programs continue to attract a strong pool of applications for the international MBA.

If you’re considering an international MBA and are debating INSAD vs. LBS, you may be wondering which is best for you — and how best to position yourself to get admitted. Here I offer an overview of what INSEAD and LBS looking for in MBA candidates, and how can you position your application to stand out.

In this seven-minute video conversation with Poets&Quants Editor-in-Chief John A. Byrne, I discussed the essential things candidates to INSEAD and LBS should know before applying. We review what each school is looking for and then offer advice on how to handle the idiosyncrasies of each school’s application. 

Read on for additional tips on positioning your candidacy, along with the benefits and distinctions of each program.

INSEAD VS LBS: BENEFITS & DISTINCTIONS

Both INSEAD and LBS are looking for future and present leaders with high intellectual and academic capacity and demonstrated international motivation. Each offers unparalleled global exposure, starting with their truly diverse student communities. INSEAD boasts at least 70 nationalities represented in any of its MBA class cohorts, while LBS students represent 63 nationalities.

Yet each has several points of distinction, including course length: INSEAD pioneered the one-year MBA, offering a 10-month format that’s both efficient and cost-effective for those who can handle the pace and intensity. It also has integrated campuses across three countries (Fontainebleau, Singapore and Abu Dhabi), along with a new San Francisco hub. London’s dynamic culture and economy are at the heart of the LBS experience, and its highly flexible MBA offers exit points at 15, 18, and 21 months. 

5 TOP TIPS FOR APPLYING TO LONDON BUSINESS SCHOOL 

1. Convey your passion for LBS.

In this competitive environment, the admissions office is constantly looking for evidence of your commitment to the school. If at all possible, try to visit LBS before you submit your application.

2. Remember that ‘global’ is not just a word, it’s a culture.

It’s no longer enough just to state confidently that you’ve backpacked across Europe. The admissions committee will closely scrutinize your application to see exactly what global flavor you’ll bring to the next LBS class.

3. Communicate your contribution to the program and alumni network.

Admissions will want to understand how you will contribute to the campus community and how you envision playing a role there. The more specific and authentic you can be, the better.

4. Convey a high level of self-awareness and ambition in the MBA essays. 

The very best LBS essays give the admissions committee insight into what has motivated your post-MBA career goals and how an LBS education will help you achieve them. Fortuna’s Emma Bond, former LBS Senior Manager of MBA Admissions, offers detailed advice on how to tackle the LBS essays.

5. Apply in earlier rounds if you can. 

It’s highly preferable to apply in round one or two. While European b-schools have a more even distribution of places across the different rounds compared to the top US programs, later rounds are often used to ensure a diverse incoming cohort. If your career trajectory fits a common profile that tends to be overrepresented applicant pools, it’s even more important it is to apply in the earlier rounds to give yourself the best shot.  

5 TOP TIPS FOR APPLYING TO INSEAD

1. Demonstrate interest beyond your own borders.

Not everyone at INSEAD has extensive international experience. However, you must be able to demonstrate your ability to fit in well in an incredibly diverse environment, with qualities such as openness, flexibility, curiosity about other cultures, interpersonal skills and maturity. All of these traits help.

2. Differentiate a common profile.

If you have a common profile, then you need to be strong across all elements of the application, including your academic profile, professional track record, international experience and activities and achievements outside of work or study. Try to find some element to your profile that will make you stand out from the crowd. For tips, see INSEAD advice for six common profiles by Fortuna’s Caroline Diarte Edwards, former INSEAD director of admissions & financial aid.

3. Career changers need to hit the ground running.

Most INSEAD students are making some significant changes in their careers, but the 10-month program doesn’t afford a lot of time for mulling over infinite options. Be ready to make decisions about your future direction quickly. You will also need to be prepared to juggle an intensive academic schedule with an ongoing and regular investment of time in your job search.

4. Know you may be asked to start on your second-choice campus. 

The Admissions Committee makes decisions blinded to campus choice – i.e., they cannot see whether you have applied to Fontainebleau or Singapore – so the chances are equal. Typically, a handful of students will be asked to start on the campus that was not their stated preference, to enable the school to achieve the right class size and a similarly diverse class across campuses.

5. Embrace the INSEAD essays. 

INSEAD groups their essays into two clusters. The career essays guide you to showcase, in relative depth, the career choices you’ve made leading up to this point and your post-MBA career vision. The motivation essays are intended to tease out the unique personal qualities and experiences that will make you a valuable addition to the class. View my related article for detailed advice on how to conquer all seven INSEAD essays. 

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Cassandra Pittman is an expert coach at MBA admissions coaching firm Fortuna Admissions & a former member of admissions teams at London Business School and INSEAD. She is also a Columbia MBA alumna. For more free advice from Fortuna Admissions in partnership with Poets&Quants, check out these videos and articles. For a candid assessment of your chances of admission success at a top MBA program, sign up for a free consultation.

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