INSEAD MBA Interview Questions and Tips: Insights from an INSEAD Interviewer and Alumnus

As an INSEAD alumnus, seasoned interviewer, and admissions expert with a 98% success rate, I've guided numerous candidates through the intricate INSEAD interview process. This guide aims to demystify the interview experience, highlighting the nuances between alumni and admissions interviews, and providing actionable tips to help you excel.

🎯 Understanding the INSEAD Interview Format

INSEAD's interview process is distinctive, primarily conducted by alumni rather than admissions staff. Here's what you need to know:

• Alumni Interviews: Typically, candidates undergo two interviews with INSEAD alumni, often in their current city of residence. These interviews are conversational, reflecting the alumni's personal experiences and perspectives.

• Admissions/Faculty Interviews: A common format used by other business schools, interviews are primarily conducted by staff or faculty members. They tend to be more structured, focusing on assessing the candidate's fit with the program's academic rigour and culture.

  
  

Key Differences:

Aspect	Alumni Interview	Admissions/Faculty Interview
Tone	Conversational and personal	Formal and structured
Focus	Personal experiences, motivations, and fit	Academic readiness, career goals, and program fit
Setting	Informal settings like cafes or offices	Formal settings, possibly virtual or on-campus
Variability	High, depends on the alumnus's style and background	Standardized across candidates

🧠 Common INSEAD Interview Questions and How to Tackle Them

While each interview is unique, certain questions frequently arise. Here's how to approach some of the most common INSEAD interview questions:

1. "Walk me through your resume."

Tip: This is not an opportunity for you to tell your whole life story. Think of it as an advertisement, and let the interviewer choose where they want to probe further. Provide a concise narrative highlighting your career progression, key achievements, and transitions. Emphasize decisions that showcase your leadership and adaptability and provide evidence for the qualities INSEAD is looking for (global perspective, leadership potential and force for good).

2. "Why an MBA, and why now?"

Tip: Articulate your short-term and long-term goals, and explain how an MBA at this juncture will bridge your current experience with your aspirations. You have already answered this question as part of the admissions essays, so you do not need to reinvent the wheel. Make sure you reread your application several times before the interview and stick to the same carefully curated points that got you the interview offer in the first place!

3. "Why INSEAD?"

Tip: Demonstrate your understanding of INSEAD's unique offerings—its global campus, diverse cohort, and accelerated program. Relate these to your personal and professional objectives. Take the time to remember the exact names of courses and ideally even the professors you are most keen to work with. Refer to alumni you have spoken to before to show your keenness. Typically interviewers also want to understand if you will be able to handle the fast pace at INSEAD so do provide previous examples of how you have managed well with a high workload.

4. "Describe a challenging team situation and how you handled it."

Tip: Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your response. Spend only a sentence on S and T, and make the bulk of the answer about the actions you took, ensuring you remain the hero of your story. Highlight your ability to understand diverse perspectives and navigate conflicts using your interpersonal skills. Don't forget to include a short and simple positive outcome, ideally something quantifiable.

5. "What are your strengths and weaknesses?"

Tip: Be honest and self-aware. Choose strengths that are key to the MBA experience and ideally the qualities you know INSEAD is looking for. For weaknesses, carefully pick something that is not a neccessity for your line of work or something that the INSEAD program will certainly cover. I always advice the candidates I work with to use what I call the bandage approach. This includes quickly and clearly admitting the weakness and spending the rest of the time demonstrating how you are already actively working to improve it. This reassures them that it is not something for them to worry about while you are at INSEAD.

🌍 Showcasing International Exposure and Cultural Sensitivity

INSEAD values candidates with international experience and cultural adaptability. Even if your professional background is domestic, highlight experiences where you've engaged with diverse cultures or perspectives. Discuss what you learned and how it shaped your worldview.

🎤 Tips for a Successful INSEAD Interview

1. Be Authentic: Interviewers appreciate genuine responses so be ready to share your true motivations and experiences. Adequate preparation is essential to articulately deliver your key messages in a natural flow.

   
   

2. Research Your Interviewers: Google your interviewers' backgrounds and look them up on linked to understand their career history. This can help tailor your responses and establish rapport.

   
   

3. Prepare Thoughtful Questions: At the end of the interview, you'll likely have the opportunity to ask questions. Prepare insightful queries that reflect your interest in the program and your proactive nature. Often people can tell more about you from the questions you ask than from the questions you answer!

   
   

4. Practice, Don't Memorize: Rehearse your responses to common questions, but avoid memorizing them verbatim. Aim for a natural and conversational tone. Prepare bullet points and not paragraphs. This will help you tweak your answer based on the nuance of the question.

   
   

5. Reflect on Your Experiences: Be ready to discuss successes, failures, and learning moments. INSEAD seeks candidates who are introspective and growth-oriented. If you have already learnt an important lesson in life, you are in some ways ahead of the person who is yet to learn it!

   
   

🚀 Final Thoughts

The INSEAD interview is as much about assessing your fit for the program as it is about you evaluating if INSEAD aligns with your goals. Approach it as a two-way conversation. Be prepared, stay authentic, and let your passion for growth and learning shine through.

For a deeper dive into the INSEAD interview process and to learn more about answering tough INSEAD interview questions, watch this recent interview where I share further insights on exactly how to ace the final round of the application process.

If you are ready to setup a mock interview or get 1-1 feedback on any gaps in your interview readiness, do not hesitate to reach out to us for a complimentary call. Candidates who work with me directly increase their chances of getting in to INSEAD by up to 5 times. Why take the risk at this final stage? INSEAD was still the best year of my life and I wish you the very best in getting into your dream business school.