Ask mbaMission

Hi there,

Thanks for your post.

The first thing that jumps out at me is the fact that you are looking to get your 2nd MBA degree. You have addressed that in your post in terms of reasons you are interested in the degree from LBS or INSEAD, but please know that many admissions committees and business schools are hesitant to accept candidates who already hold an MBA degree. It is so competitive at top programs, and there are so many candidates who apply who are also well qualified but don't have an MBA and truly NEED it to reach their next steps... so it's difficult to make the case that someone with an MBA degree already should be admitted over those candidates, for example. Some b-school admissions officers have told us they've never admitted a 2nd MBA candidate. However there have been occasional stories of 2nd MBA candidates being accepted to specific schools, with extremely strong profiles. I would suggest getting in touch with LBS and INSEAD and asking them if you are eligible for sure, and if there are any current students or recent alum from their program with a 2nd MBA that you could get in touch with to ask questions (admissions offices are generally willing to help you get in touch with students of similar profiles). LBS also offers an initial resume review opportunity I would encourage you to make use of.

Looking at your profile beyond the 2nd MBA factor, your quant score on the GMAT is great, but I would consider re-taking to see if you can increase your verbal in order to get over 700 or so. No, re-taking will not hurt you, schools take the highest score and re-takes are common.

In terms of other areas that you would want to illustrate within your profile, I would like to see (if I were making an admissions decision) examples of leadership, teamwork, results achieve, impact made, and also some involvement and interests outside the work place.

In terms of skills vs international experience, I'm not sure of the rationale behind the question but both are valued, and certainly making an impact in your role and demonstrating leadership, in addition to straightforward skills, would be first and foremost, and international experience is also greatly valued at both programs you mention.

Good luck on your decisions!