| Interview Date / Submission Date: |
1.1.2010 / 2.25.2010 |
Applicant Data
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Email: |
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Anonymous |
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Age / Gender: |
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25-29
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Male |
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Ethnic Background: |
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Area of Study: |
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General Management |
Interview Data
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School Name: |
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INSEAD |
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Date of Interview: |
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1/1/2010
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Type of Program: |
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MBA |
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Part Time Program Type: |
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How long were the interviews?: |
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about 90 minutes each |
Interview Logistics
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Were you given options for the date of the
interview?: |
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Yes - The overall time limit for scheduling the interviews was about 3 weeks. Since both interviewes were senior managers I didn't mean to test whether they would adjust to my timetable and accepted their proposals. |
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Could you choose the interview's location?: |
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No - I had both of my interviews with alumni and carried them out in my country of residence. Both interviewers proposed a location which I kindly accepted since it was close to my hometown. INSEAD will try to choose interviewers that live and/or work close to you.
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How many interviews were scheduled?: |
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2 - |
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Who were the interviewers?: |
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Alumni |
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Did you receive a tour?: |
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No - I arrange a campus tour for myself before and I did not regret it. |
Interview Content
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What was the most difficult question?: |
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Why do you think INSEAD is better than [a specific other b-school]? I faced non of the really hard questions I prepared for. |
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What was the most interesting question?: |
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What will you do on your first 3 days at INSEAD?
Actually the most interesting point was, that both interviewers were not what I had prepared for. Yes, they were senior managers and I would even consider them charismatic role models. Nevertheless I was expecting to be ripped apart by a storm of mean questions. But I just had a nice chat.
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Did you receive any feedback at the end?: |
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Yes - I think you can ask for feedback depending on your interviewers. Since both of my interviewers seemed to look for a very self-assure guy I did not ask. One gave me feedback while he walked me out. |
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Any other questions you remember?: |
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Why MBA, Why now, Why INSEAD?
Walk me through your cv? (About 4/5 of the interview time)
More questions focussing on cv details.
Did you ever fail to achieve a goal? Why did this happen? What did you learn? |
Applicant Reaction
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Did you feel prepared?: |
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How did you prepare?: |
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books, personal interview training
My advice: Forget all the standard answers. The interviewers are experienced and will look through your perfect disguise immediately. THEN you will have to face hard questions. Just act natural and have a nice talk. Convince them you are a nice guy/girl: somebody they would like to study with. Your essays already showed you are an experienced high potential, otherwise you would not be sitting there.
So: Forget the standard replies, only remeber the banana skins and try not to step on one of them. |
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What was your opinion of the Faculty?: |
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- |
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What was your opinion of the Alumni?: |
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- |
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What was your opinion of the Students?: |
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- |
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What was your opinion of the Office Personnel?: |
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- |
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What was most impressive?: |
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The faculty buildings, the library, the visit of a lecture, huge recreational facilities, beautiful town of Fontainbleu.
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What was least impressive?: |
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Poor parking lot. ;) |
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Did anything change your opinion of the school?: |
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Yes - The personality and the success of my interviewers convinced me even more, I want to study there. |
Applicant Suggestions
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Was there something you wish you had known ahead of
time?: |
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No - |
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Suggestions for travel to the school?: |
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To Paris via plane (Charles de Gaule) or TGV, use the metro (RER) to get to Fontainbleu. The town is small so you can reach the campus on foot. |
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What other advice can you offer future intervewees?: |
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