Admissions - MBA Programme

Please check our Admissions Deadlines.

If you choose to delay submission of your application until the following round of the same intake, your application form details will be saved automatically. Note that access to your form will be temporarily disabled at 23:59pm (French Time) on the day of the deadline, as the system will shut down for about 4 days. Access to your form will resume once the temporary shutdown period ends, so you can continue editing it.

Please bear in mind that if you miss all 4 rounds of a particular intake, the majority of the application content is transferred if/when you open a new application form.

To be included in a specific round, complete applications must be submitted by 23:59pm Central European Time (CET / French Time) on the day of the deadline.
Applications will not be evaluated until all supporting documents and the online portions of the application are received.

Applications for both campuses are processed in Fontainebleau and all correspondence should be with your designated Admissions Officer in Fontainebleau. For any queries after submitting your application, please write to [email protected], until you receive the name of your designated Admissions Officer via e-mail.

Campus choice is not taken into account when evaluating whether to accept or decline candidates. We will strive to accommodate your campus choice, but if your preferred campus is full, you will be offered the choice of either a place on the other campus or a place on the waitlist for your preferred campus.

Due to the confidentiality of the Admissions Committee deliberations, we regret that feedback on rejected applications will not be provided.
We do not encourage applications from previously rejected candidates unless there has been a substantial change in the profile of the applicant.

Please rest assured, each application is carefully evaluated regardless of the volume of applications received.

You must record your answers to 4 questions. Questions always vary from one applicant to another. You have 45 seconds to prepare each answer and 60 seconds to record your answer.

You can practise an unlimited number of times. The practice session has several questions available and you can do as many practice sessions as you need to feel comfortable with the video interviewing. You do not need to complete everything in one go. You can create an account and come back later.

No, the practice questions are available for you to prepare, learn and improve. You can replay them and see how you performed and/or check if the sound and image are satisfactory.

You will need an internet connection, a desktop or laptop, a camera and a microphone. You can test your devices before starting the exercise. For optimal user experience, we recommend that you use Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Safari or Chrome to record your Kira videos (Internet Explorer is not supported). Please note that mobile devices, smartphones and tablets are not supported in Kira at this time.

If you experience technological issues with the video (practice questions, device set up, etc.), please check the following technical support webpage https://www.kiratalent.com/support/. You can either e-mail, phone or chat with the Kira technicians.

The unique link to the video interview is available within an hour of submitting your application. An e-mail message containing the link is sent to you by Kira Academic. The link is also available on the dashboard of the online application system.

Please complete your video interviews at your earliest convenience and by the deadline to which you are applying. We strongly recommend however that you complete this step before the final date to allow yourself some time to prepare for this exercise.

• GMAT and GRE scores are valid for 5 years prior to application deadline.
• English language certifications are valid for 2 years prior to application deadline.

In general we do not grant deferrals. You should apply for the intake in which you intend to enroll.

If you choose to delay submission of your application until the following round of the same intake, your application form details will be saved automatically. Note that access to your form will be temporarily disabled at 23:59pm (French Time) on the day of the deadline, as the system will shutdown for about four days. Access to your form will resume once the temporary shut down period ends, so you can continue editing it. 

Please bear in mind that if you miss all four rounds of a particular intake, your application form and its entire contents will expire. At this point, you will be required to complete a new application from scratch, for the next intake.

To be included in a specific round, applications must be completed and submitted by 23:59pm French Time on the day of the deadline. A complete application includes the online application to which supporting documents have been attached. Please refer to the Application Requirements for more details.

In order to avoid any last minute difficulties, we strongly advise applicants to submit their completed application one to two weeks before the application deadline. Do note that your recommenders can send in their letters of recommendation by the stated deadline or before you submit your application.

Due to European Data Protection laws and our own confidentiality policy, we are unable to give any information about applications over the phone. Furthermore, if you contact INSEAD, it will not be possible to confirm receipt of your application given the volume of applications received. An email notification will be sent to you within one week of submitting your application to confirm the reception of your application and give you some information on the next steps.

You can either attach your supporting documents to your application or send them by post in advance of the set deadline. This is because your application will only be evaluated once it is complete. If your application is completed after the deadline, it will be reviewed for the next round or for the following intake (for last round applicants).

Due to the large number of applications we receive for each intake and the confidentiality of the deliberations of the Admissions Committee, we are unable to provide individual detailed feedback on rejected applications.

When completing the online application form, you will be asked to select your home campus preference; if you choose the value “Both campuses”, this choice means that you are totally indifferent about starting your INSEAD MBA on either of our campuses. Please note that home campus choice does not influence final admissions decisions, as it is not taken into account when your file is presented to the Admissions Committee. Therefore, you do not have a higher chance of being accepted by selecting "both campuses" in your application form. However, once we have allocated you a campus upon admission, it is very difficult to change. INSEAD will endeavour to accommodate your choice of home campus but if you have the slightest preference for one campus or the other, you should select that choice before submitting your application form. Whilst we will strive to accommodate your campus choice, if your preferred campus is full, you will be offered the choice of either a place on the alternative campus or a place on the wait list for your preferred campus.

Unsuccessful applicants may reapply for a later intake. Please exercise your own judgement in deciding if you have any significant changes in your new profile since your first application that will make a difference with the Admissions Committee. All re-applicants are requested to submit a new online application, unless otherwise indicated.

INSEAD does not have an absolute requirement for years of work experience, although at least two years is strongly encouraged. Participants in our current class have an average of 5.5 years work experience, with the range being between two and ten. However, applicants with less experience who demonstrate exceptional maturity and outstanding leadership through their professional and personal experiences will also be considered.

There is no typical profile at INSEAD. We have an extremely diverse student body in terms of age, professional experience, education and culture. Check the latest class profile.

Your campus selection has no impact on the admissions decision. In fact, the Admissions Committee, which makes all final admission decisions, does not have access to information about candidates' campus preferences.

There is no age limit for entry. However, the MBA is aimed at those who are at an early stage in their career. INSEAD participants in the current class have a range of between two and ten years of post-graduate work experience. If you have more than ten years of work experience, we encourage you to consider one of INSEAD's Executive MBA Programmes, where you will have the opportunity to learn with a more experienced and mature peer group.

Can I Apply Without a GMAT, GRE, or TOEFL?

For INSEAD Master Programmes, if you submit your application without a test, it will remain incomplete and will not be reviewed until we receive your test results.

GMAT Online Exam

Candidates have the option to take the GMAT exam online or at a test center. The GMAT online exam is available in most locations, with the exception of: Mainland China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Sudan due to regulatory and local data privacy rules.

For more information about the GMAT Online exam, including registration instructions, please visit the GMAC website.

GRE at Home

GRE Test at Home can now be taken anywhere in the world with the exception of Mainland China and Iran.

To register for at-home testing, please visit the GRE website.

TOEFL at Home

ETS is offering the TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition test. To register for at-home testing, please visit the TOEFL website.

TOEFL has also launched an exclusive testing solution for Mainland China with registrations opening 15 May 2020.