With students from ~ 90 nationalities across three campuses, diversity is a strong buzz word at INSEAD. One of the things that make INSEAD truly unique is its international characteristic- there is no dominant nationality in the classroom; the case studies for class discussions are adequately drawn from across the globe; and one of the application essay has a focus on international/cultural experiences.
As a prospective applicant, this might lead you to believe that unless you have your passport filled with visa stamps from exotic countries it might not be a worthwhile effort to apply to INSEAD. However, there are two things you need to consider before making this decision:
- International exposure does not mean international experience: I got into INSEAD without having any international experience. In my application, I wrote about ‘international exposure’ of working remotely with international clients, while running my own online marketing company. This is true for many people from my cohort.
- You can make a case without international experience or exposure:The trick here is to show that you are the right fit for studying in a multicultural environment and are extremely interested in being a part of INSEAD’s extremely international community. There are candidates who get into INSEAD with no international experience or exposure by focusing on their personalities traits that make them a great fit with INSEAD.
Like the old saying goes- there is more than one way to skin a cat- the same holds true for getting into INSEAD. Though, having international exposure is definitely an asset for a school such as INSEAD, however, the lack of it, does not rule you out!