2024-2025 INSEAD MBA Essay Analysis and Tips

With a total of 2,000 words across seven essays, the INSEAD application essays are among the longest of any top-tier business school. And that doesn’t count the two essays that aren’t required.

When you’re just starting out and looking at a blank page, this can be scary. But after working with many applicants we’ve understood that the INSEAD application gives you the best chance to tell your story and make a strong case for yourself than almost any other business school application out there.

There are 2 types of essays that INSEAD asks all the candidates to submit:

1. Career essay
2. Motivation essay

In this article, we have shared tips and analyses for all these essays which are a part of the INSEAD MBA application for the 2025 intake.

Let’s take a look at INSEAD MBA application deadlines

Jan 2025 intake

August 2025 intake

Jan 2026 intake

INSEAD MBA essay analysis

Career Essay 1

Briefly summarize your current (or most recent) job, including the nature of work, major responsibilities, and where relevant, employees under your supervision, size of budget, clients/products and results achieved. (word limit – 200 words)

The goal of this question is to give the reader an idea of where you are in your career right now. Don’t think too much about it, because you’ll have plenty of time in later essays and other parts of your application to go into more detail about your big achievements. 

Make sure to tell us your job title, organization, where you work, and what your main responsibilities are.

Even if you’ve worked at the same company for a long time, it’s best to stay focused on your current role and duties, as directed. Consider that this will serve as the adcom’s introduction to your application, so you may want to give the reader a sense of where you fit in the company’s organizational structure and what you do for a living.

Feel free to list a few accomplishments if there’s room, but don’t list the same one you wrote about in your accomplishments essay again in another part of the application. 

Include leadership and teamwork if they are important, as well as any international projects or work that has an international scope. As much as possible, try to use numbers to convey your impact.

Career Essay 2

What would be your next step in terms of position if you were to remain in the same company instead of going to business school? (200 words max)

The admissions committee seeks to obtain a sense of your present career momentum by focusing on what your next logical move would be in your current firm (i.e. without an MBA). 

You should be able to explain how you plan to take on more responsibility in the future, whether it be in terms of project size and complexity, the number of personnel you manage, or the company’s financial results. 

If applicable, you should also include an idea of when you expect to be promoted to this position. You should be able to provide a thorough response in 100-150 words for this question due to the fact that the information needed is more limited than the other short responses in this section.

But if you don’t have a natural progression in your organization, you may want to take a different method. You’ll have to watch your language and refrain from blaming management for your lack of advancement or sense of stagnation. 

If you don’t think you’ll be able to progress in the same company because of external factors like the company’s size, location requirements if you’d have to switch office headquarters, the skill set required to advance (ideally skills that an MBA would provide), or another existing roadblock, then you should state that you don’t expect that you’ll be able to do so in the future. 

Once you’ve proven that an MBA is a sole key that unlocks the door to the future, you may discuss how an MBA can help you achieve your goals.

Career Essay 3 

Please give a full description of your career since graduating from university. Describe your career path with the rationale behind your choices. (300 words max)

This essay allows you to go beyond your resume and explain why you made the decisions you did. Make sure to give it the attention it deserves as a part of your broader narrative as an application. 

Writing this essay gives you the opportunity to elaborate on aspects of your professional history that might not be immediately apparent from a cursory glance at your resume. 

Remember, the INSEAD adcom is searching for a candidate who can show that their career has progressed in a logical manner and that they have been on an upward trajectory from the beginning. 

Approach this essay prompt chronologically, beginning with your first job and ending with your current position. 

Keep in mind that your resume and a subsequent essay will provide ample opportunity for you to elaborate on your achievements. Insist on showcasing your rise through the ranks at each company, along with notable achievements you’ve had while working there. 

Even if you have substantial job experience or have held multiple different positions, you should save your word count for the most important section of this essay: explaining why you made the decisions you did.

Career Essay 4

Discuss your short and long term career aspirations with an MBA from INSEAD. (100 words max)

Because there are just 100 words to deal with, you’ll need to answer this question both efficiently and effectively. When you’re done with your MBA, what is your immediate post-MBA professional ambition, and where do you envision yourself in 10 to 15 years?

The position you hope to occupy after completing an MBA school should be named, along with 1-2 organizations where you would like to work. Sample company names and suggestions for specific job titles will help you get a better sense of what you’re looking for. Geographic location can be included. Ideally, try to include a few phrases describing why you are so enthusiastic about this career path.

Also discuss your long-term goals for the next 10 to 15  years by describing the role you expect to play, as well as the influence you hope to make in that job. If there is enough room, it would be a good idea to discuss how an MBA could help achieve these goals, and why INSEAD is an excellent choice.

Career Essay 5 (Optional)

If you are currently not working or if you plan to leave your current employer more than 2 months before the programme starts, please explain your activities and occupations between leaving your job and the start of the programme. 

There is no word limit, but we recommend limiting your response to 300 words. INSEAD has added a question that gives people who are unemployed a chance to explain their situation. 

There is also a section for people who plan to take more than two months off between the time they submit their applications and the time they start INSEAD’s program. 

In either case, applicants should show that they are (or will be, if they are taking a leave) actively building skills, making connections, and moving closer to their career goals. 

This essay is a great place to talk about how you plan to make the most of the time between applying to INSEAD and starting the program. 

For example, you could talk about how you plan to do more volunteer work, go to more conferences and professional development workshops, try to get a short-term job before starting the MBA program, or make other plans.

Motivation Essay 1

Give a candid description of yourself, stressing the personal characteristics you feel to be your strengths and weaknesses and the main factors which have influenced your personal development, giving examples when necessary. (500 words max)

Motivation Essay 1 Analysis

INSEAD’s “candid description” essay seeks your authenticity and vulnerability as you delve into the enjoyable facets of your life beyond the formal academic and professional dimensions.

Be mindful not to mention hobbies or sports in this segment, as those will be addressed in a subsequent question. Instead, concentrate on delineating your character through 5-6 distinct qualities.

Utilize these traits as foundational pillars to construct an intricate portrait of your identity, interwoven with life events that molded you into this person.

Infuse vibrancy into your portrayal by intermingling self-assessed attributes with vivid anecdotes.

Moreover, delve into the reasons you believe each quality accurately characterizes you. Strive for a balanced overview by incorporating traits that resonate well on both a resume and in an interview, while also revealing your personality beyond professional realms.

How to write INSEAD’s Motivation Essay 1

Tips to write effectively:

Create lists

Craft a list of qualities that aptly define you. Alongside each attribute, create a parallel segment where you can either relate it to an event that highlighted this trait or emphasize its innate nature.

This catalog serves as the foundation upon which to construct your response. For instance, if portraying yourself as outgoing and a people person, expound on your natural affinity for striking up conversations with strangers.

Elaborate on the enrichment you derive from these interactions—learning and sharing insights. Illustrate how this quality intertwines with your community-building pursuits, propelling members to engage in philanthropic local activities, such as cleaning a nearby pond or organizing events for the marginalized.

Rethink strengths and weaknesses

Embrace the concept of ‘weakness’ as a pathway to personal growth. Uncover the reasons behind your ongoing struggle with this facet, narrating your evolving awareness of its significance in your life. Maintain a candid and transparent tone throughout this exploration.

Shifting to your strengths, illuminate the path that led you to perceive these attributes as valuable assets. Elaborate on specific instances where you harnessed these strengths not just for your own benefit, but also to create positive impacts for those around you. Move beyond mere restatements of well-known traits; instead, craft engaging narratives that lend richness to your descriptions. This approach will infuse your portrayals with depth, offering an insightful glimpse into your character.

Framework

1. Start with a confident introduction, listing a couple of strengths and weaknesses that best define you.
2. Elaborate on why you consider these traits to be the most representative of you.
3. Further delve into how these characteristics have impacted your life, either fostering personal growth or presenting challenges.
4. Conclude by briefly outlining your strategies to harness your strengths and address your weaknesses.

Motivation Essay 2

Consider a situation where you failed to achieve your objective(s). How did you handle failure? What did you learn about yourself and/or your interactions with others from this situation? (400 words max)

Motivation Essay 2 Analysis

When approaching the INSEAD MBA admissions essay prompt about handling failure, it’s essential to reflect deeply on a specific experience where you faced setbacks. This prompt not only seeks to understand how you dealt with failure but also aims to uncover your resilience, self-awareness, and ability to learn from difficult situations. Your response should demonstrate personal growth and highlight how the experience shaped your interactions with others and your approach to future challenges.

Tips for Writing the Essay

• Be Specific: Choose a clear, concrete example of failure that had a significant impact on you. Avoid vague statements and focus on a particular incident.
• Show Vulnerability: It’s okay to admit mistakes or shortcomings. Authenticity can resonate with the admissions committee, showcasing your human side.
• Focus on Learning: Highlight what you learned about yourself and others. Discuss how the experience influenced your perspective and future actions.
• Structure Your Response: Use a clear structure to guide the reader through your narrative. This will help maintain clarity and focus.
• Stay Within the Word Limit: Be concise and ensure every word adds value to your narrative. Aim for clarity and precision in your language.

Framework for the Essay

1. Introduction (1-2 sentences)
   • Briefly introduce the situation of failure. Set the context for the reader by mentioning the objective you aimed to achieve and the significance of that goal.
2. Description of the Failure (2-3 sentences)
   • Elaborate on what went wrong. Describe the circumstances surrounding the failure, including your role and any relevant details that provide insight into the situation.
3. Immediate Reaction (2-3 sentences)
   • Discuss your initial feelings and reactions to the failure. Were you disappointed, frustrated, or motivated to change? This section should convey your emotional response.
4. Lessons Learned (3-4 sentences)
   • Reflect on what you learned about yourself and your interactions with others. Consider aspects like resilience, teamwork, communication, or leadership. Highlight any specific insights that emerged from the experience.
5. Application of Lessons (2-3 sentences)
   • Conclude by explaining how you applied these lessons in subsequent situations. Discuss how this experience has shaped your approach to challenges and interactions with others moving forward.

By following this framework, you can craft a compelling narrative that not only addresses the prompt but also showcases your growth and readiness for the challenges of an MBA program.

Optional Motivation Essay

Is there anything else that was not covered in your application that you would like to share with the Admissions Committee? (300 words, maximum)

Applicants are encouraged to contribute any material that they believe is relevant to their application in this openly phrased optional essay (in addition, of course, to explaining extenuating circumstances or acknowledging weaknesses in their applications). Candidates should, however, keep in mind that INSEAD’s essay prompts span a wide range of topics, so it’s a good idea to see if their essay answers any of these questions.

Let us help you get into INSEAD

We will help you write essays that portray your unique strengths and experiences in the most favorable light so that your application shines above the rest. We have helped hundreds of students get into top US and European business schools. Let us help you too.