How am I placed for INSEAD?

[jsasipriya]

Hi,

I'm an Indian female with production engineering degree. I've 9+ years of work experience in core mechanical engineering field. For the past 3 years I've been a primary liaison between various global offices and Indian office for product engineering. I was recogonised with one of the most prestigiuos awards in the company for being a key figure in bringing global order execution to indian office.
I also have a diploma in leadership program from Henley b-school, UK. I was selected after 3 levels of rigorous assessment and I was one among 25 candidates in a company whose total strength was 8000 employees (including all global offices) then.
Apart from the above, I've also lived and worked in USA for a year. I've also travelled widely to various countries for business meetings.
GMAT - 660 Q49 V31 AWA 4.5. My GPA is 7.5 out of 10.

I'm looking for b-schools with a class average age of 29 or 30. Given my wide global exposure, I thought I should apply for INSEAD. However, I'm not very sure if I would get an admit there. Please evaluate my profile and let me know how well I'm placed. Also, I'm concerned about my verbal score as it is below the min requirement specified by INSEAD... Please review and let me know your comments on what I should do to get place myself better.

Or should I forget INSEAD and focus on other b-schools? I'm also applying for NUS and Nanyang in Singapore. Please guide me.

Thank you!

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear jsasipriya,

While you have positives in your profile, INSEAD is a highly selective school with thousands of applicants each year. Relative to other applicants with similar education and experience, your GMAT is low. Likewise, your GMAT is low for INSEAD relative to its admitted student profile and stated preference. If INSEAD is truly where you want to be, then I highly encourage you to retake the GMAT to try to increase your verbal score and thus your total score. If a GMAT retake is not an option for you, then you can still submit there with the understanding that it is a stretch. I do encourage you to have a mix of schools on your target list, some where your profile is at and above the average. Applying to a mix of reach, reasonable and safety programs will give you the best chance of being in business school.

Good luck,
Lisa

[jsasipriya]

Thank you, Lisa for a prompt and clear response.

Would you say that national university of singapore and nanyang technical university in singapore are a safe bet, given my profile?

[Lisa Anderson]

No, I would not classify NUS or Nanyang as safety programs for you. These schools are probably somewhere between reasonable and reach, depending on how strong your total application package is. The stronger other application pieces are, like essays, recommendations, work experience and interview, the more you will balance any weaknesses like a low GMAT. At the end of the day, you have to make a compelling case to be offered a seat in the class over numerous other applicants regardless of profile. If you can do that effectively, then you have a shot at these two programs.

Regards,
Lisa