What was the hardest part of your MBA application process for HEC Paris or INSEAD?

Question

K S Saini · Accepted Answer

Writing the essays for HEC Paris and INSEAD was the hardest part of my application. I had my story, but structuring it clearly and engagingly was frustrating. I kept rewriting, deleting, and second-guessing every word. Some nights, I just stared at my screen, unsure if my essays were strong enough.
For HEC Paris, the challenge was making my career goals sound ambitious but still realistic. I didn&rsquo;t want to sound like I was just saying what they wanted to hear. I rewrote my essay so many times, trying to make it feel natural while also showing why HEC was the right place for me.
With INSEAD, the number of essays felt overwhelming. The &ldquo;failure&rdquo; essay was especially difficult&mdash;I kept questioning if my story was strong enough. Should I write about a big mistake? A small one? Would it make me look bad? Finding the right balance took a lot of time.
Then came INSEAD&rsquo;s video interview. No second chances, no time to overthink. Just a question on the screen and a few seconds to answer. The first few times I practiced, I froze. I had to train myself to stay calm and structure my thoughts quickly.
At times, I wondered if I would even get in. But I kept pushing, rewriting, and practicing. When I finally got my HEC Paris acceptance, all the stress and sleepless nights felt worth it.

S Raghav · Answer

For me, the hardest part of the HEC Paris or INSEAD MBA application process was definitely the essays. Both schools have very specific and personal essay prompts that really push you to dig deep and reflect on your career goals, motivations, and why you want to pursue an MBA in the first place.
I really struggled with nailing down my story. It wasn&rsquo;t just about listing my achievements or talking about why I was interested in business. It was about showing the admissions team why I was the right fit for their program and how their program would help me reach my specific goals. I had to figure out how to express my long-term vision, the skills I wanted to develop, and how the school&rsquo;s values aligned with mine, all in a way that felt authentic but still impressive.
Another challenge was the recommendation letters. For a school like INSEAD, your recommenders need to be people who really know you well and can speak to your leadership potential, but it was hard to get them to understand exactly what the admissions team would be looking for. I spent a lot of time coaching my recommenders on how to best frame my achievements and the qualities that would make me stand out as a candidate.
So, in the end, the hardest part wasn&rsquo;t just about the GMAT or gathering all the documents. It was really about crafting a compelling and authentic story and making sure my application stood out in such a competitive pool.

Ruchika C · Answer

Applying to HEC Paris and INSEAD was honestly quite a ride, but if I had to pick one thing, the essays were definitely the toughest part.
You know, it&rsquo;s easy to underestimate them, thinking they're just basic questions, but they really push you to reflect deeply on your goals, values, and even personal experiences. I remember spending hours just brainstorming stories to find ones that genuinely showed who I am&mdash;not just professionally, but personally too.
Plus, fitting everything I wanted to say into the limited word count felt almost impossible! I had to rewrite those essays multiple times until they felt authentic enough. But hey, in the end, it really helped me clarify why I wanted the MBA in the first place, so totally worth the struggle.