INSEAD Recommendation Questions

The recommendation questions for the MBA program at INSEAD are available below. Two recommendation letters are required, and should ideally come from the workplace in order to say something about your leadership and management potential. Current supervisors or managers are preferred, but alternatively, it can be from someone who has had an opportunity to evaluate you in a professional setting, such as a client, a former supervisor, or a colleague from your community service or extracurricular activities.

INSEAD allows a third recommendation if you feel it will add value to your profile. There is no imposed format for this additional reference, and you can choose to upload it in your supporting documents section of the application or email it.

2025-2026 INSEAD MBA Recommendation Questions

Relationship to Candidate

After some personal identifying information, the form proceeds to inquire about the recommender’s relationship to the applicant.

Please, specify your relationship to candidate:

• Professional
• Educational
• Personal

How long have you known the candidate? Define your relationship with the candidate and the circumstances whereby you met.

Candidate Rating

How do you rate the candidate on the following criteria? (Using the following scale: Outstanding (top 2%), Very Good (top 10%), Above Average (top 25%), Average (top 50%), Below Average (bottom 50%), Unobserved

• Competence in his/her field
• Professionalism
• Focus on the task at hand
• Readiness to use opportunities for achievement
• Creativity and resourcefulness
• Intellectual curiosity
• Energy and drive
• Personal integrity
• Ability to work in a team
• Organizational ability
• Oral communication skills
• Written communication skills

How do you rate the candidate’s potential for becoming a responsible and successful manager in international business compared with other students or employees whom you have known in a similar capacity?

• Excellent (top 2%)
• Very good (top 10%)
• Above average (top 25%)
• Average (top 50%)
• Below average (bottom 50%)

Recommender Questions

Please give your answers to each of the following questions.

1. Comment on the candidate’s career progress to date and his/her career focus.
2. What do you consider to be the candidate’s major strengths? Comment on the factors that distinguish the candidate from other individuals at his/her level.
3. What do you consider to be the candidate’s major areas for development/improvement?
4. Comment on the candidate’s potential for management. Do you see him/her as a future leader?
5. Describe the candidate as a person. Comment on his/her ability to establish and maintain relationships, sensitivity to others, self-confidence, attitude, etc. Specifically comment on the candidate’s behaviour or skills in a group setting/team environment.