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
- 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.
- Comment on the candidate’s career progress to date and his/her career focus.
MBA Applywire
I'm a GCC national at MBB in the region. Mostly worked on large-scale government projects, and hoping to continue in government after graduation (also a woman, not sure if that makes a difference but I see fewer women from my country applying to MBAs).
322 GRE (162V 160Q)
3.0 GPA from US T30 school (this one is painful but I had a strong upward trend after switching majors)
5 years experience (boutique + currently MBB)
Hey everyone,
I’d really appreciate an honest profile review and advice on how to best position myself over the next 4–5 years before applying to MBA programs (targeting M7 / T15, ideally with strong scholarship outcomes).
Background:
• 23M, URM (Latino, immigrant background)
• Graduated December 2025 from a non-target state school (Honors College)
• Major: Finance
• GPA: \~3.7–3.8
Work Experience:
Incoming: Management Rotation Program (Audit track) at a large U.S. financial institution (starting mid-2026)
• Rotational program with exposure to risk, capital markets, and enterprise functions
Current: Financial Analyst (Controls / Risk) at a large global tech company (co-op + full-time transition before MRP) not FAANG but similar
Prior internships:
A) 6 months internship Internal Audit – Housing Finance / Mortgage-related institution (Fannie/freddie)
B) 1 year internship and 1 year contract Risk & Compliance – Fixed Income / Debt Issuance organization (~$800B issuance exposure)
Exposure to MBS, capital markets, and financial risk frameworks
C) Summer experience for a regulatory agency (Pcaob, SEC, GAO)
Leadership & Extracurriculars:
• Director of Data Analytics – professional Latino association (2-5K members)
• Committee Member – State CPA Society (content + events)
Certifications / Plans:
Sitting for CFA Level I (May) → plan to complete CFA within ~3–4 years
Planning to complete CPA (150 credits + exams) within ~4–5 years
Short-Term Goal (pre-MBA):
Move from audit → capital markets / risk / transaction-related roles internally
Potentially pivot into roles closer to banking, valuation, or strategy
Long-Term Goal (post-MBA):
Investment Banking (M&A / Capital Markets) or potentially strategy consulting as backup
⸻
Questions:
1. How competitive is this profile today for M7 / T15 (assuming a strong GMAT, targeting 740+)?
2. What matters more in my case over the next few years:
• Internal mobility into capital markets–related roles?
• External jump (e.g., consulting, transaction advisory)?
3. Will CPA + CFA actually help for MBA admissions + IB recruiting, or is that overkill?
4. How can I best differentiate coming from a non-target + audit background?
5. What would you prioritize if you were me for the next 4–5 years?
I am a European 28-years-old engineer (automotive and oil&gas background) preparing my MBA applications. GMAT Focus 695 (97th percentile), IELTS 8/9, ~3 years of work experience.
4.1 GPA from a T10 university in STEM planning on doing entrepreneurship post college during the deferred years.
MBA LiveWire
Waitlisted with no interview.