Can you tell us more about yourself?
My name is Stephane and I hold a Masters in Communication Science from IHECS. I did a second Masters in Marketing Management, Vlerick Business School. Upon completion of the masters, I joined the Microsoft offices in Belgium as a Management Trainee. I worked there for over five years and became a Senior Account Manager.
What prompted you to apply for an MBA?
I completed two Masters in early on. However, both these Masters were in specialized subjects and did not prepare me for what I really wanted to do, which is innovation and entrepreneurship. After my Masters at Vlerick, I started to work with Microsoft where I had a sales and marketing position in the beginning but slowly managed to move up the ladder to a role resembling that of a consultant. I dreamt of creating my own company. But for that dream to materialize I needed credibility to convince investors to invest in the company and I lacked such knowledge in finance and entrepreneurship. The role of INSEAD would be to fill me in with the knowledge that I needed and lacked as of then.
Apart from this, all the life I’ve lived in Belgium and I wanted to launch a career abroad. Therefore I decided to go for an MBA at INSEAD where I would get the chance to study at both the Singapore and Fontainebleau campuses.
What did you find the most difficult in the application process?
The most difficult part was definitely the GMAT. I prepared on my own the first two times and in the third time, I was lucky enough to meet Dr. Hubert Silly at a fair who advised me to come to visit the MBA Center. Thanks to this collaboration with Dr. Hubert Silly and MBA Center I was able to improve my score by 150 points in three months and I am very grateful.
My problem with the GMAT was that my training before GMAT leaned more towards liberal arts. I was clearly behind in Mathematics. With the help of the MBA Center and Dr. Hubert Silly, I learned to tackle difficult mathematical exercises and managed to get the top score in the GMAT.
What is life like at INSEAD?
I have been accepted by INSEAD and will be joining soon. What I like about INSEAD is the options I will be allowed to have of completing my course from either Fontainebleau or Singapore. This will be a great opportunity for me to build my network in both the European and the South East Asian market. I am looking forward to being a part of the global community of INSEAD alumni.
What would be your advice to someone applying for an MBA program?
The first mistake I made during my preparations would probably be my single-minded focus on getting into INSEAD. I should have been more open to the idea that there were other schools in Europe that could have helped me achieve the same goals. So I strongly advise MBA applicants to make more serious and thorough research because what INSEAD offered can also be the same as the one offered by schools like LBS, IMD, LSE, HEC, etc. moreover these schools would perhaps not need an as high score in GMAT as INSEAD.
The second mistake I made was preparing for the GMAT on my own. There are many resources available online. But the wealth of material is not enough to magically grant you the knowledge, confidence, and motivation that they hold. I gave two attempts on the GMAT and failed to get a good score twice and ended up wasting a year in the process and leading to the postponement of my INSEAD plan by nine months. So what I would suggest is that MBA applicants get help from professional services like Dr. Hubert Silly and his team who can be of great help for candidates, especially those who are very far from the target score.