Mr. Indian In Cambodia

Hi Indian in Cambodia. This is Deepak Punwani from MBA Exchange. Like your chances at INSEAD. They love those who come from under represented SE Asian countries. And a MBB related short term goal is also right up their alley. If you intend to stay in APAC and are going to go with this goal in your essays, you stand more than an even chance at INSEAD. Also INSEAD is more accepting of a second MBA (thats how schools will look at your integrated degree). Your GMAT is also in range for an Indian candidate. And a trip to Cambodia is an annual affair for every Singapore cohort at INSEAD, so maybe you can lead that trip for your class ! See INSEAD as a great fit provided you execute well on all other aspects of your application. HBS will be more challenging but if you can show some “gold dust” traits on account of your Cambodia experience, HBS may be interested. GSB is a long shot especially since they don’t particularly encourage a second MBA.

Hello Mr. Indian In Cambodia! Thanks for posting. Krista Nannery from mbaMission here.
To be fair, I’ve never met an Indian working in Cambodia before! This is very unique and will help you stand out in this process. Also, I find b-schools love shipping/logistics…it’s such a useful skill and so tangible. BUT…you are on the younger side for a school like INSEAD, where the average years of work experience tends to be 6 to 8 years. I’m not so worried about the MiM for INSEAD because you are up against candidates from countries where it is very common to do a one year Masters immediately after undergrad. I’m more concerned with the overall years of experience you offer. I’m not saying you won’t be successful at INSEAD…I’m just saying you have a non-typical profile in some regards. My suggestion is to broaden your school selection to ensure you have options at the end of this very competitive process. HBS and GSB are not safe options by any means.
You seem geographically open but if you want to stay in the US post-MBA, make sure you understand STEM-certification of MBA programs. It will be easier to get a work permit if you have STEM MBA.
I hope that helps!
Krista

Hi, it’s Jennifer Jackson from Stratus Admissions. I think you have a good chance at INSEAD with your strong supply chain experience and experience living and working in Cambodia, which is definitely unusual for MBA applicants. So while you’re from an over-represented demographic you’re living in a very under-represented country, which I think will more than outweigh it. Make sure to explain why MBB is your ST goal — since so many people say they want to work at one of those, explain why that experience across many functions, industries and geographies will set you up the best for your LT goal. Your solid GMAT will help your case both at INSEAD as well as MBB down the line. I’d like to know more about your extracurriculars but I’m intrigued by the fact that you helped your family out of bankruptcy. Depending on the essay prompts and how much space you have, that could be an interesting and revealing story about who you are with regard to leadership and being compassionate. I think you’ve got a good shot! Good luck!