Tiffany Tang

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

My name is Ting-Yin Tang, but my friends call me Tiffany. I was born and raised in Taiwan. I made two major switches in my academic life: from general high school to theater and from theater to business.

In 2014, I enrolled in the National Taiwan University of Arts with a specialisation in drama due to my curiosity in performing arts and my motivation to inspire people through acting and public speaking.

After a few years, I realised that there are other ways to be influential: strategy and marketing (I noticed this though organising marketing events for stage performances). Thus, I went on an exchange programme at Kingston University London in 2016 to gain more insights on marketing and landed my first job in banking after graduation from university.

What kind of career are you headed for?

After nearly two years of rotations and project experiences in banking, I noticed that I am most motivated when there is a new challenge that requires me to think innovatively and critically. Thus, I have targeted strategy-related positions in industry and opportunities in consulting for my first shot after graduating from INSEAD.

Meanwhile, I would prefer to keep my options open given that I would possibly be exposed to unexpected fields once the programme starts, especially when the class is formed by such diverse cohort. 

What made you choose INSEAD?

Global exposure was a decisive factor when I was considering different offers. INSEAD offers me a chance to study in global campuses, to learn with students from global backgrounds and to seek career opportunities globally—making it hard to say no to this amazing programme!

Aside from this, the student body is truly diverse: our newly-formed groups for MIM’21 admits are consisted of students with a wide range of nationalities, professional backgrounds and interests.

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

I didn’t plan to apply for INSEAD until I attended an online webinar for the first Master in Management batch in June 2019. As soon as I heard about the programme structure—three periods in Fonty and two periods in Singy, I became curious about this school and started my research.

INSEAD actually changed my impression of top tier business schools: it’s not always about academic performances like GPA or GMAT; personal characteristics and motivation count as well. If you read through the INSEAD MIM webpage, you will understand that there are many factors the school takes into consideration during the application processes.

Did you meet or speak with alumni?

Yes, after being admitted though. I did not speak with alumni during the application processes because I was able to find most information I needed for essays and interviews on INSEAD’s website, LinkedIn and YouTube channels (also because there were no previous batch students to ask).

However, I reached out to MBA alumni and current students when I started planning out my future life at INSEAD and gained quite a lot of insights on recruitment, housing and school life!

How long did it take you to write your essays?

I spent about a month completing the essays. Since INSEAD was the first school I applied to and I was working full-time, it took a bit longer. However, this doesn’t include the time of researching and networking.

I started writing knowing fully well the reasons why I applied to this programme, and spent most of the time instead working on my connections with INSEAD and the stories of my academic and professional experiences. 

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

A big yes! I was surprised that INSEAD had a whole package of information ready given that it was the first batch. (I would suggest candidates interested in this programme to do the research first because it should answer most of your questions.) Moreover, the admissions team was also very willing to lend a helping hand during the application process. 

Any tips for future MIM candidates?

INSEAD MIM is looking for diverse students and a competitive candidate should meet the criteria of strong academic performance, ability to contribute and international motivation. It’s normal that a candidate has a somewhat imbalanced performance for each category, including me, so there is no need to hold back because of that.

Additionally, it should help you stand out to include your selling points that differentiate yourself from fellow candidates. Therefore, I would suggest you to spend enough time figuring out why this programme is a great fit for you and why you should be admitted when there are other excellent candidates on the pool. This will make it easier when you start working on the essays.

Lastly, be confident! You are the one that understands yourself and your motivations most, so feel confident to show it to the admission team.

What are you looking most forward to?

The people! I have had conversations with some of the classmates and I really look forward to meet and get to know each of the students on campus. I have been working on a team basis for years in theater and business, during which I truly enjoyed the connections during collaborations, thus I cannot wait for future team work with my fellow classmates and, of course, the extracurricular life as well.