What INSEAD Has to Offer: A Deep Insight into INSEAD’s MBA

There’s no denying that Insead MBA program business school is one of the most popular program in business schools across the globe. Every year, thousands of students graduate with MBA degrees from Insead MBA programs and secure the highest-paying jobs in different fields. As per Financial Times’ recent report, Insead MBA holds the #1 position in the list of top 100 business schools for 2021.

Thanks to Insead MBA’s unique curriculum and extensive placement opportunities, many candidates seek the Insead MBA program. As of now, the Insead business school hosts nearly 4,000 placement drives every year. Due to the Insead business school’s remarkable career opportunities, it’s no surprise that Insead MBA is the first choice for many aspiring candidates. 

In today’s article, we will discuss different factors related to What is INSEAD MBA program and how pursuing an Insead MBA can transform your career. 

We’ll also discuss the step-by-step guide to apply for the Insead MBA at INSEAD business school and the Insead MBA deadlines for its application submission. 

So, without any further ado, let’s get started.

Insead MBA Program- All You Need to Know to Ace Your Application for Insead Business School

1. Highest Number of Graduates- Only in Insead Business school

Every year, INSEAD business school outranks all the other top business schools regarding the number of graduates. For example, in 2020, 1017 MBA students graduated from the INSEAD MBA program, which was comparatively higher than any other business school in the country. One of the primary reasons behind the higher graduation rate of INSEAD MBA, apart from its immense popularity, is the dual intake. 

Every year, the INSEAD business school hosts two different intakes – one in January and the other in September – where aspiring Insead MBA candidates could submit their applications. Due to this dual intake, the overall strength of the Insead MBA cohort increases, and that’s why the school hands out more MBA degrees every year. You can learn more about the difference between the two intakes here.    

However, the higher strength doesn’t affect the education quality at the INSEAD MBA curriculum at all. To offer state-of-the-art education to every student, INSEAD business school divides each cohort into sub-sections (with 60-70) students, further subdivided into small study groups. 

Where do INSEAD graduates work?

2. Cultural Diversity

Cultural diversity is another reason why INSEAD MBA is the most sought-after MBA program right now. Insead business school is “the world’s business school” and accepts applicants from different parts of the world, including India, China, Brazil, America, etc. However, India and China are the top two countries that contribute to most of the Insead MBA cohort at all the three INSEAD business school campuses. For example, while 15.1% of the students who graduated from Insead business school in 2023 were Indians, 10.4% were from China. 

In addition to India and China, the 2023 Insead MBA cohort at INSEAD included 85 different countries, making INSEAD business school a culturally diverse business school in the world. Due to such diversity, students can communicate with different personalities and get a better understanding of the real world. Furthermore, this cultural diversity also prepares them for their future, should they decide to move to a different country for work. 

3. Unique Curriculum in Insead MBA program & Insead MBA duration

How long is Insead MBA?

Unlike other business schools, INSEAD business school only offers a 10-month MBA program divided into five different periods (each lasting for eight weeks). The entire course of the Insead MBA program comprises 14 core courses and 75 Insead electives that students can choose during each split (according to their preferences). 

In an accelerated MBA program, the students need to be highly focused throughout their course, especially if they want to secure a well-paying job at the end. Though the Insead  MBA program curriculum may seem a bit intense at first, INSEAD MBA offers many perks like diverse teaching methods, lively classrooms, and campus exchange opportunities which makes the whole MBA experience very unique.. 

These elements including Insead electives make the INSEAD MBA program extraordinarily engaging and provide a completely new learning experience.

4. Career Switching is Easier

It’s safe to say that students usually join an MBA program to switch their careers and secure a financially stable job. At INSEAD business school, the career switching rate for graduates is significantly higher than other schools. 

If you analyze the 2023 graduate batch of the INSEAD MBA cohort, nearly 3 in every four students switched their careers or moved to a different country to join a more stable job. And, since the INSEAD MBA program only has a 10-months duration, one can switch careers more quickly without waiting for two years. 

Read this article to know more: Top INSEAD Employment Opportunities

5. Insead Singapore MBA placements and Salaries Packages

Now, when calculating the initial salaries for MBA graduates and comparing them with other top business schools, there’s a significant loophole that makes the process extremely challenging. Due to the cultural diversity of INSEAD business school, not all the Insead MBA placements would work in the same country. 

A large portion of Insead alumni decides to move back to their country. Now, if the candidate’s home country has a low economy, they won’t get the same salary as a Harvard graduate working in the US at the same position. And hence this creates a discrepancy in showing the true picture for INSEAD singapore MBA placements. This is one of the reasons why there’s a massive difference between the initial salaries of INSEAD MBA graduates and graduates from other business schools. 

As of now, for Insead Singapore MBA placements, the average initial salary for an INSEAD MBA graduate is around $113,700, which is relatively lower than the average salary of a Harvard graduate, i.e., $150,0000. However, the good news is that INSEAD has witnessed a 96% salary percentage increase in the last year, with the highest weighted salary, around $188,000. 

6. Consulting is the Most Lucrative Career Choice for INSEAD MBA Graduates

Though it may seem a bit surprising at first, most INSEAD MBA graduates join consulting firms after getting their degrees. Consulting is the most lucrative career choice for MBA graduates at INSEAD business school.

The primary reason behind this is that different consulting firms sponsor many students at the INSEAD MBA program. This way, the firms don’t have to wait for two years to hire the candidate, and the candidate has the job assurance from a top firm – a win-win situation for everybody.  

After consulting, the Financial Services and Corporate sector are the subsequent two preferences for INSEAD MBA graduates with First-Year Pays around $132,556 and $119,149. In saying that, however, the highest-paid Insead MBA graduate in 2020 didn’t join consulting, Financial Services, or the Corporate sector. Instead, the Media and Entertainment industry took the lead by offering $220,000 as first-year pay.

7. INSEAD MBA locations- Three Different Locations

INSEAD business school has campuses in three different locations, i.e., INSEAD MBA Paris, France, Singapore, and UAE. All these INSEAD MBA locations offer premium services like lecture halls, restaurants, bars, and gyms. In INSEAD MBA locations in France and Singapore, you could also choose from a wide variety of on-campus accommodations such as studio apartments, dorms, and dedicated flats. 

Now, even though the INSEAD MBA location of UAE  doesn’t offer any on-campus accommodation yet, the authorities have signed contracts with nearby hotels to accommodate students. So a candidate applying for the INSEAD MBA program can choose between any of these three locations and complete their 10-months course without any hassle.  

8. Insead MBA Tuition

The Tuition fees for the August 2024 Intake: €99,500, Tuition fees for the January 2025 Intake: €103,500. However, tuition isn’t the only expense you’ll have to deal with while pursuing your 10-month course at INSEAD business school. There are several other expenses such as accommodation and transportation that can increase the overall expenditure of Insead MBA tuition. 

As compared to its peers, INSEAD MBA tuition is relatively higher. However, due to the extensive placement opportunities, the INSEAD MBA program has a better ROI than several other business schools. It’s also worth noting that INSEAD business school offers a wide range of scholarships to candidates, which might help you cut down the overall expenditure by a huge margin

Read this article to know more: All you need to know about INSEAD MBA Fees!

How to Apply for the Insead MBA Program? What are the Insead MBA Requirements

Now that you’re familiar with the different factors that make INSEAD business school one of the most sought-after business schools globally, let’s see how you can apply for the INSEAD MBA 2024 and 2025 program. As mentioned earlier, INSEAD business school follows a dual intake model, which means you can submit your application either in January or September. 

For the January 2025 intake, the Insead MBA deadlines are as follows:

ROUND	INSEAD MBA deadlines	RESULT
Round 1	March 12, 2024	May 17, 2024
Round 2	April 23, 2024	July 5, 2024
Round 3	June 18, 2024	August 23, 2024
Round 4	August 06, 2024	October 11, 2024

If you want to apply for the January intake, you can submit your Insead MBA application by August 06, 2024, which will be the last round for the first intake of 2025. For the 2025 intake, INSEAD business school follows its traditional 5-step process. 

How to get admission to INSEAD for MBA?

Here’s how you can apply for the INSEAD MBA program and complete your Insead MBA student profile. First, ensure that you have checked boxes for these Insead MBA requirements.

Step 1 – Start by filling the online application form at INSEAD business schools’ official website and submit it along with the required documents. 

Step 2 – Keep following the on-screen instructions in your Dashboard, and you’ll receive an email from Kira talent with a separate link. Follow the link to submit your video interviews. 

Step 3 – Within one week after submitting the video interviews, you’ll receive an email from the insead business school regarding whether you’re qualified for the further process or not. 

Step 4 – In the next step, INSEAD MBA alumni will interview you (usually in two different stages) and send the feedback to dedicated admission offices. 

Step 5 – As per Insead MBA alumnis’ feedback, they will present your application to the Insead MBA Admission Committee that’ll further decide whether they should accept it or not. The admission committee contains faculty members and the school’s alumni.

Once the process of the Insead MBA application completes, you’ll receive a confirmation email on the registered email ID.

So, that concludes our guide on why INSEAD business school is the most popular business school in the world. But, if you’re also planning to pursue the Insead MBA program but have certain gaps in the Insead MBA student profile/ Insead MBA requirements or are not sure of your chances to Insead business school, we are here for you! We have been there where you are today and understand your perspective. Know how our experts are taking MBA aspirants to a unique journey of the application process and get your chances gauged by us!