Arshiya Ratan

Tell us about yourself, where are you from, and where have you previously studied?

My name is Arshiya Ratan and I am originally from India. For the past three years, I have been pursuing my undergraduate from King’s College London in BSc (Hons) Economics & Management and am set to graduate in 2020. 

What kind of career are you headed for?

I would like to pursue a career based in consulting while specialising in consulting issues that deal with social impact. In the present times we are witnessing a more responsible society that appreciates organisations sensitive to social causes.

I would like to work for businesses that have aligned their organisational goals in a manner where profit and social responsibility run parallel to each other. Specifically, I would like to work for organisations that have consciously made efforts to make a social impact.

What made you choose INSEAD?

Intense explorative efforts have directed me towards MIM at INSEAD, a hub of academic excellence. Equipped with an illustrious faculty, personalised attention to students, a strong alumni network, strategic locations and an atmosphere where skills of the learner are whetted in a manner that maximum proficiency in a subject matter is achieved, the MIM at INSEAD is bound to take me a step closer to fulfilling my goals.  

Moreover, at INSEAD, I would be able to develop in-demand skills and gain access to top employers which would enable me to gain a head start and begin my journey at a place which is best suited to my skill sets and develop my career accordingly. 

Share your admission journey with us! Where did it start? Did you attend any events online or onsite? 

I knew that I wanted to pursue higher education after my undergraduate very early on in my student life at university and hence, started my research and planning towards this goal with the advent of my penultimate year at university.

Through extensive research, I honed in on the course I wanted to pursue and which universities I would like to apply to, depending on my future academic as well as professional goals.

I gave my GRE and GMAT exams required to apply for business schools and started working on my applications in September 2019. Planning ahead gave me a competitive edge as well as enough time to work on my application, achieve good scores in both GRE as well as GMAT and the advantage of being one of the earliest applicants. I was lucky to be among the first few to receive the offer of acceptance for INSEAD MIM Class of 2021. 

Did you meet or speak with alumni?

It was not possible for me to track down alumni from the MIM at INSEAD as 2020 was scheduled to be the first batch for the course. However, I did read several testimonials of MBA alumni which painted an accurate picture of the academic requirements and environment I could expect at INSEAD. I further gained clarity about the course and university while asking questions to my interviewer during my admissions interview. 

How long did it take you to write your essays?

I think it took me around two weeks to finalise my essays. I began by breaking down my essays into bullet points of what I would like to include and then working on formulating them into a comprehensive essay format. Once that was done, what followed was days of proofreading and finetuning.

I did get help from my friends and family and asked for their inputs on the essays, however, I made sure that they reflected my true personality and future goals tailored to my interests. It was key to me that the essays were an accurate representation of myself as a MIM candidate. 

Was it easy for you to find information and the support you needed along the way?

The admissions team was very helpful and readily responsive while dealing with doubts and providing support regarding the application. I found myself very comfortable with interacting with the team through email whenever I had a doubt, however, most of the information was easily accessible online through FAQs among other things.    

Any tips for future MIM candidates?

I would recommend future candidates to plan things ahead so that they have enough time to work on the application and give supporting exams such as GRE and GMAT. I understand admissions are a stressful time for any applicant, however, it is imperative that the school is as good a fit for the candidate as the candidate is for the school. 

The candidate must focus on representing themselves in the best light while portraying the most accurate and true version of themselves and their future goals. Apart from this, getting a good GMAT score and impressive letters of recommendation is what will help distinguish your application from the crowd. 

What are you looking most forward to?

I am looking most forward to being on campus and interacting with a widely diverse body of students, with different backgrounds, experience and goals. I am eager to learn from everyone’s skill sets and expand my managerial knowledge.

Moreover, the thing that excites me a lot is being able to tap into the minds of the MBA students as well and get to know their perspective about different industries. The best part about INSEAD is the exposure I would gain both in terms of the people I meet as well as the relevant managerial and academic skills I would gain which would give me a competitive advantage over my peers.