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Hi,

I recently took my first GMAT after roughly a month of light preparation. I took this test as a benchmark before I take another test with better preparation. I am planning to apply to several Business Schools, but the main target is INSEAD. I am curious as to whether I would be competitive enough so I am looking to get some feedback from experts here.

Age: 29, Indonesian, male.

GMAT: 650/Q48/V31/IR4

Current experience: almost 5 years in education in Singapore as secondary school teacher. Due to the nature of my job, I am lacking both managerial and international experience.

Achievement: 2 times Outstanding Achievement award in school, produced really good national exam results (more than twice national average for distinction rate), and guided my CCA to receive National Gold award 3 years in a row.

Undergraduate: Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering @ Nanyang Technological University, specialization in Mechatronics and Minor in Business. GPA: 4.14/5.00. Received full scholarship for duration of study.
Throughout my entire course of study, I was heavily involved in several student bodies, but primarily in International Nonprofit students organization called AIESEC, which provides me with international exposure. I am still involved even until now in the alumni group.

I also have Postgraduate Diploma in Education as one of the requirement to teach in Singapore Education system.

For GMAT, I am aiming to score at least 700 (of course higher is better). I am a bit worried with my working experience since I am lacking managerial and international working experience, which is very important for INSEAD.

Feedback and suggestion on how to improve my application or other more appropriate MBA programs will be most welcomed.

Thank you!

Hi there,

Your GPA is definitely at the high end of the spectrum for INSEAD. Very impressive.
A GMAT score of 650 is not very competitive for INSEAD. I agree with your aim of 700+. I wish you the best of luck with your GMAT.

As mentioned, your previous work experience is lacking managerial responsibilities and a global perspective. However, your experiences from AIESEC might be the most important card on your hand. The organization's focus on international leadership development can be of great benefit, depending on your personal impact and role in the organization.

You are more than welcome to schedule a free consultation with us at MBAitNOW, so we go into further detail on the best strategy for your application.

https://www.mbaitnow.com/contact-bedford/

Thanks for sharing your profile.

You have outstanding accomplishments, and good involvement with extracurricular activities. You can leverage these to show your passion to get involved, and leadership/managerial experiences (as much as possible). The extended period of time involved shows real commitment and makes it more credible.

It will be critical to present post-MBA goals that will leverage on your personal qualities and professional experiences, showing how these plus an MBA from INSEAD will allow you to make a significant impact. You would also want to demonstrate the context of your achievements, working with world class faculty/guiding and mentoring students towards successful career paths, locally and globally. Highlighting the contributions you can bring to the experiences of your peers at INSEAD and as an alumni through stories of your active involvement at AIESEC (including as an alumni now) would also help.

Scoring higher on the GMAT would definitely help with your applications and scholarship chances.

Wish you all the best and please keep us updated!