What Made Me Choose INSEAD?

School starts soon and I am getting more and more excited by the minute!

Rewinding to 12 months back, I remember being in an introspective phase of trying to figure out what I want my MBA experience to look like and what I want to do after school. The INSEAD application journey has been one of the most thought-provoking experiences for me. It doesn't always happen that you take time out to introspect and learn more about yourself and I am grateful that the INSEAD application helped me achieve exactly that.  

Why did I choose INSEAD?

I knew that I wanted to study in an international school which is known for its diversity, for its strong alumni network back in India and most importantly, for its supportive culture. I spent time getting to know alums and read a lot about how INSEAD is as a school. Everyone I met has been super approachable and that eased things out for me. Both my interviewers further strengthened my belief that there is a collaborative and open culture at INSEAD and that I want to be a part of it.

By the end of it, I was pretty sure that this is the place where I want to spend my time learning and honing my skills. 

With close to six years of experience, it’s been a personal decision to choose a 1-year format over a 2-year format. With INSEAD, I know that I can get to exactly where I want to be within just a year.  

What impresses me here?

I don't think one can imagine as well the kind of international school that INSEAD is. It's one thing to read that there are students from over 94 nationalities in class, and it’s a whole other thing to meet such diverse people and create relationships for life!

I am so impressed with the kind of people that I get to share class with and also humbled to be a part of such an intellectually strong yet grounded community. I’ve gotten to meet some amazing people and luckily, I now have a very long list of potential names for my kids!  

How I prepped before starting school

I wanted a calm start and chose to take a few months off from work to travel and learn a new language. I started my 1.5 month travel with a World Cup match at Russia, and then hopped to Europe to explore Germany and Czech Republic. Later, I went to Washington, Chicago and New York right before an epic pre-mba trip with my batchmates at Bali!

Travelling gave me so much exposure to different cultures, which helped me widen my perspective and open my mind to what’s coming up. My suggestion is to come in as relaxed and as open-minded as you can to make the most of your limited time here.  

Evolving at INSEAD...

Not everyone knows what they want to do and how they can get there - it’s normal.

INSEAD gives a superb push to introspect and really know where you want to be after your MBA.

With an on-point focus on creating the right career path and strengthening leadership skills, INSEAD students get a head start to further understand themselves and to hone their skills early on.

This insight coupled with campus exchanges and a customised curriculum gets me excited to see what I will be like after 10 months!