M7 Schools vs INSEAD: Top Key Insights
M7 Schools vs INSEAD- The ultimate battle!
Are you among the applicants waiting to get a final verdict on this?
Confused between choosing M7 schools in the US or INSEAD? This article compares M7 schools vs INSEAD , offering insights into post-MBA goals, ROI, curriculum, advantages, disadvantages, and more to aid your decision-making process.
If you’d like personalized, honest, and in-depth feedback on your profile, feel free to book a 1:1 Profile evaluation with our profile experts (students and alums in the top 10 B-Schools)
Here is the Snapshot of the article:
CURRICULUM – M7 Schools vs INSEAD
One of the most important factors while considering the program is the curriculum. Suppose you are looking for overall subject development where the program focuses on business and strategically improves your core areas in each subject. In that case, a 2-year-long M7 program will best suit you.
Quick fact: Harvard alone offers over 3700 courses.
Despite historical debates, there’s no significant disparity in the quality of education between M7 schools and INSEAD. Our experts assert that INSEAD’s MBA program remains vigilant, continuously seeking avenues for enhancement and embracing calculated challenges.
At the same time, US schools are less likely to take them as they are already established for decades. M7 carries a legacy of top business schools worldwide, while INSEAD is known to bring global perspectives into your education. We will further discuss diversity as we head ahead.
INSEAD’s 10-month program provides a high-quality business education with a focus on broadening horizons and networking efficiently. Offering a wide array of electives covering essential managerial disciplines, it encourages students to pursue individual educational and professional goals. The program’s emphasis on collaborative group work, with culturally diverse teams of 5-6 students, underscores its commitment to fostering a rich and inclusive learning experience.
Quick Fact: INSEAD has two intakes, in January and September, expanding its MBA cohort and awarding more MBA degrees each year.
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You can learn more about the difference between the two intakes here
List and details of all the programs which have January intake
ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS FOR THEIR PROGRAMS – M7 Schools vs INSEAD
M7 schools and INSEAD prioritize leadership development, innovation, problem-solving, risk-taking, and active engagement in decision-making among their MBA students, fostering a commitment to societal impact.
Despite these similarities, the selection criteria for M7 programs starkly differ. Applicants are held to much higher standards, necessitating strong academics (average GMAT 720 and GPA 3.6), exceptional extracurricular involvement, social impact, intellectual acumen, leadership potential, a thirst for learning, and a commitment to community growth.
In contrast to M7 schools, INSEAD emphasizes academics, particularly a strong educational background and test scores. While a good GPA may compensate for a lower GMAT and vice versa, applicants with lower scores are encouraged to apply. INSEAD prioritizes overall profile strength, not just scores, setting it apart in the comparison of M7 schools vs INSEAD.
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How Important is GMAT and How to Overcome a Low GMAT?
How to exhibit leadership experience in your MBA application.
But INSEAD is very particular about other requirements. Let’s say experience; it doesn’t matter if you have 2 years or 8 years of experience; what really matters to them is how positive impact you have created in your company. They look into work experience to assess your potential and to see that you have the leadership capability to contribute to yourself, your team, and your organization. So, you must connect each experiential dot logically and bring “collinearity” to your application.
If you want to know your chances of getting into M7 or INSEAD and desire to get a seat in your dream college, then a piece of expert advice will be as worthful just like your career in these top schools. If you’d like personalized, honest, and in-depth feedback on your profile and essays, feel free to book a 1:1 Profile evaluation with our profile experts (students and alums in the top 10 B-Schools).
AGE – M7 Schools vs INSEAD
If you are in your early-mid 20s and have limited work experience (3-4 years), then you are a better fit for M7 schools as their 2-year programs will give a holistic development in each area so that you can use your learnings (both theoretical and experimental) to get the career leap you expect post MBA.
On the other side, if you have an experience of more than 6-7 years and/or are looking for a major career shift, then INSEAD is a better fit for you as its 10-month program allows you to explore your strengths and widen your knowledge in different domains.
Quick Fact-, Every 4th student in the INSEAD MBA cohort usually joins an MBA program to switch careers, as reported by INSEAD in their employment statistics.
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How to justify your career switch to pursue an MBA.
Should an International Candidate go for INSEAD Round 3?
LOCATION AND DIVERSITY – M7 Schools vs INSEAD
The school’s location significantly influences your MBA experience, life, career prospects, and personal growth. Before applying, discuss relocation considerations with mentors and parents, including legalities, living costs, opportunities, and career advancement.
You don’t just switch cities but also switch culture, morals, values, backgrounds, ideas, perspectives, and a lot more transitions. This is because you interact with a diverse set of people around the globe and share emotions and stories. Whether applying to M7 or INSEAD, you need to showcase how diverse your thought, vision, and motive can bring and enhance the school’s environment.
Learn more about your target schools’ values, culture, and community.
If you want a life where you can work in an international setup, then we suggest INSEAD (the school has campuses in three different locations, i.e., INSEAD MBA Paris, France, Singapore, and UAE) and will offer you the best environment that will suit you. They have a very strong reason for being referred to as the ‘business school of the world’- ‘Diversity’. It is the heart of the school as they proudly stand when it comes to the most diverse class.
Our campus buzzes with the unique energy of students and faculty from over 90 nations. We celebrate a melting pot of cultures, languages, and diverse perspectives in every class.
However, when we compare it to M7 diversity, the school culture is dominated by the domestic community. The acceptance rate of different nationalities is less compared to INSEAD. So, beyond the cost of living, goals, and other factors- if global networking is one of your goals, then INSEAD will be a much better fit for you.
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POST-MBA GOALS
Another important factor that both schools want to know is where you want to head after your MBA. Your application should reflect how feasible your goals are for the career you mentioned in your essays. Every school’s curriculum is different, and so are its goals.
Achieve real-world experience in the business arena with M7’s expert guidance to illuminate your path. Ensure your intentions and dreams are clear for the journey ahead. Benefit from our faculty’s vast corporate experience and strong networks tailored to your ambitions.
For those eyeing a career in Europe, an INSEAD MBA is logical, though it doesn’t carry the universal acclaim of M7 degrees. While INSEAD excels in campus hires, M7 credentials boost your chances with Europe’s elite employers, thanks to the enduring allure of top-tier US education.
But if you are planning to work in the US, then there are various factors you should consider. During employment post MBA, employers will have some biases in the selection of a candidate
SUITABILITY
Assessing your fit for a business school involves weighing factors like your age, test scores, values, and aspirations. Our in-depth discussion should help you decide where you belong – among the elite M7 or at INSEAD.
Understanding the differences between M7 schools and INSEAD is crucial. While INSEAD values international experience and a global perspective, M7 schools prioritize strong academics and quantifiable impact in work experience. Your candidacy hinges on effectively communicating your fit through various facets, including academics, work experience, international exposure, extracurriculars, post-MBA goals, and personality, within the context of M7 schools vs INSEAD.
To help you create a strong application, be a part of our coffee chat which we do every alternate week, where you can have a chance to talk to alums of top B-schools and clear all your doubts and know your future classmates!
Quick Fact
For INSEAD, applicants must have the potential to create a global impact through their endeavors, and it should reflect in your MBA application. Also, INSEAD believes in and follows the foundation they have established in giving back to the community.
Demonstrating your contribution to their community and showcasing international experience beyond mere visits, such as cultural immersion, language skills, and interaction with foreign workforces, strengthens your candidacy at INSEAD.
Suggested Reading
How to demonstrate your fit to your target business school?
Anatomy of the INSEAD MBA ESSAYS 2022
What do Business Schools mean by ‘International Experience
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Monetary Value and ROI
Now, let’s discuss the financials! Both schools are in different regions with different costs of living. So, according to spending capacity and opportunities to avail, an applicant should decide which direction to go.
While the INSEAD MBA offers a condensed 10-month program perfect for those seeking a quick boost in knowledge and network, the cost reflects its prestige. For the August 2024 intake, tuition is €99,500 (roughly $110,230). Remember, this doesn’t include living expenses, which can push the total cost to around $140,000. However, INSEAD offers over 100 scholarships averaging $22,300 to help ease the financial burden.
Click here to learn about INSEAD MBA Fees!
Now, talking about M7, here is the list of tuition fees and average salary.
| M7 Business School | Tuition Fees | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Harvard School of Business | $152,304 | $210,000 |
| Stanford Graduate School of Business | $151,329 | $222,000 |
| Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania | $168,832 | $211,000 |
| University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business | $148,800 | $191,679 |
| MIT Sloan School of Management | $159,770 | $197,177 |
| Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management | $152,336 | $141,576 |
| Columbia Business School | $160,227 | $202,238 |
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How to measure the ROI of your dream MBA program?
Top INSEAD Employment Opportunities
With this, we end this article, quite a long one, right? But very insightful! We have covered almost everything (also provided needful links) so that you can differentiate M7 schools vs INSEAD. But we suggest you do your due diligence to understand yourself and the business schools you are targeting, keeping the factors that we mentioned in mind, and make a logical decision.
We offer a limited number of complimentary profile evaluations each week to maximize your chances. We match you with the students and alums of top B-Schools according to your background and target schools. In this call, the experts will try to dig out your USP for top B-schools and provide you with honest feedback on your profile and chances to your target schools
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