Alyssa Yu

Could you share a little about why you decided to pursue the MBA, and in particular, the INSEAD MBA? 
 
I decided to get an INSEAD MBA because I wanted to gain the necessary skills and knowledge to be able to create and scale businesses in Southeast Asia.

INSEAD offers a lot of programmes and activities tailored to aspiring entrepreneurs.

There are multiple entrepreneurship elective classes to choose from, and they organise workshops, mentorship programmes, and venture competitions. INSEAD also has a good alumni network that one can leverage on. 

Can you share your thoughts about the class experience, professors, the curriculum so far? 
 
Considering that we only have two months for each period, INSEAD did a very good job in structuring the curriculum. For P1, we started with the core courses (economics, statistics, strategy, etc), which I believe really helped set the foundations for my learning. In class, I enjoy how the professors relate the theoretical concepts to real-world situations. We also do a lot of case studies which gives us an opportunity to apply our learnings and better grasp the material.

The class experience is very interactive where people from different backgrounds share relevant experiences so we learn not only from the professors but from our peers as well. 

Where are you located and what are you most looking forward to during your time on the programme?
 
There are actually a couple of things that I’m looking forward to: first is doing a campus exchange to Singapore (I’m currently in Fontainebleau as this is my home campus). Aside from having a change of scenery, I hope to learn more about the Southeast Asian market while I’m in Singapore. I’m also looking forward to choosing my electives. I have varied interests so aside from taking entrepreneurship electives, I’m also interested in taking classes on negotiations, organisational behaviour, and strategy. 
 
Have you learned any important lessons so far from MBA experience that has been especially useful?
 
Most of the learning comes from outside the classroom so take the time to get to know the people around you! You’d be surprised how much you can learn from them. Also, I don’t think there exists a place as diverse as INSEAD–you’ll meet people from more than 60 countries and from very different backgrounds. So far I’ve met entrepreneurs, lawyers, doctors, architects, engineers, and accountants, and I haven’t even met everybody in our cohort yet!

Any tips for those who are considering an INSEAD MBA? 

Reach out to some alumni and invite them for coffee chats or calls. Listening to the stories of these people about their INSEAD experience and how it helped them will provide you insights as to whether INSEAD would be a good fit for you.

As soon as you’ve decided that you want to apply to INSEAD, start preparing right away!

The motivation essays would require a lot of introspection on your part, so the earlier you start, the more time you’ll have to prepare. Also, take the GMAT before the application period so that it won’t interfere in your applications.