Baptiste Piveteau

Tell us a bit about yourself—how did you get to where you are today? Any highlights, personal or professional?

I am from Lausanne, Switzerland, and I just graduated from high school with a main specialisation in mathematics and physics and a complementary specialisation in economics and law.

For six years, I also participated in a special mathematics course which enabled me to do my first year of a Bachelor's degree in math in high school. This course is offered by EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) and gave me the opportunity to experience the academic world once a week since I was 12.

Beyond academics, I engaged in extracurricular activities. I was a member of the high school's student council, planning some school-wide events. I am also engaged in scouting. I was a participant for ten years, and for two years I have been an assistant troop leader. As part of this, I took a training course that enabled me to become a camp and trekking sports instructor.

Any fun or quirky facts about you?

I took a one-year optional course in beekeeping in high school.

What motivated you to choose the INSEAD Summer School, and how do you think it will align with your future goals, even at this early stage?

I'm now in my first year of a Bachelor's degree in economics. 

I wanted to do this summer school because it would give me the opportunity to discover another related field, which is business. 

It enabled me to understand business's potential and will give me my first academic experience if I want to go further in this field.

How was your experience at ISS? What did a typical day look like?

Those two weeks were incredible. They really managed to combine 'summer' and 'school'. 

A typical day in the first week would start at 8.45 am and finish at 5 pm. The courses may be long, but you don't feel it. In fact, there are so many practical parts that you don't feel the time go by. Just before dinner, we were given a presentation on a subject such as storytelling or how to make a successful presentation.

During the second week, we took part in a business management role-play. The programme changed from day to day, and because it's a role play, you get to choose what you're going to do.

Any memorable moments you’ll carry with you?

The second week was one of the most memorable moments that I’ll remember. You are put with a team of people you can't choose, and you have the obligation to work as a team. 

You’ll learn that nobody works the same way, especially when you have people from all around the world, and trust me, this is when it really starts to get interesting. 

What were your impressions of campus life, your classmates, and the professors? How did you find living in Fontainebleau for two weeks?

Living in Fontainebleau was a great experience. The city is beautiful, and the campus has all the facilities one can think of. The people were great, the students were open and wanted to ensure that the two weeks would be a great experience for everyone. The professors were always available if we needed help and answered all the questions we had.

Could you share a little about your application process and getting to Fontainebleau?

I would strongly advise you to fill in everything, even the optional fields. This will show your dedication and help you to succeed. For example, I created my LinkedIn profile for the occasion. I don't know if it was decisive, but I think it helped. 

To get to the campus, I'd recommend taking a taxi from Paris, although you can also take the train to Fontainebleau. The station is a 45-minute walk away from campus.

Any advice or words of wisdom for someone thinking about joining ISS?

INSEAD is about multicultural diversity, so if you enjoy learning about new cultures and different ways of thinking, you are at the right place. 

That's why I would recommend you highlight in your application your relationship with foreign countries, whether by having lived abroad, travelled or only speaking other languages. Good luck!