Globalization is a force to be reckoned with in business, and is having a significant impact on graduate management education, with most b-schools developing their international offerings. But only INSEAD considers itself the business school for the world. Today’s guest is Virginie Fougea, Director of Admissions at INSEAD. She’s worked there since 1996, and became Associate Director of Admissions in 2012. She just became Director. Welcome!

Can you give us an overview of INSEAD’s full-time MBA program? [2:05]

INSEAD was founded in 1957, with the first class starting in 1959, in Fontainbleau. They wanted to offer an MBA program in Europe – it was very forward looking. From the beginning, the founders wanted it to be international, independent, diverse, entrepreneurial, and close to business. It started as a 1-year program.

In 2000, we opened our Asia campus in Singapore. And in 2010, we opened a campus in Abu Dhabi. We were ranked #1 in the FT this year.

INSEAD considers itself a “business school for the world” – what does that mean for students? [4:05]

There are about 80 nationalities represented in the classroom. We provide a rich learning experience from the entire world.

There are 500 students in the starting class: 300 students in Fontainbleau and 200 in Singapore.

We have over 24,000 alumni in 174 countries – most countries in the world. And in 47 countries, we have over 100 alumni.

Can you study at multiple campuses during your 1 year program? [6:05]

Yes!

We also have partnerships with Wharton in the US and Tsinghua in China.

Do you have tips for applicants considering this global program? [7:00]

Think about where they want to go – where do they want to work 5, 10, 20 years after INSEAD? We offer a lot of options to match people’s interests/profiles.

Should applicants show international experience? [8:20]

They should show open-mindedness and an interest in other cultures. There will be many cultures in the classroom.

We believe that global leaders need multicultural, international exposure.

Applicants don’t need to have traveled the world already – but they should at least have international interest.

How can you fit the full MBA curriculum into a 1-year intensive program? [9:40]

A 1½- or 2-year program usually includes an internship. Our students gain a lot of problem solving skills fast – we want to instill skills in our students.

Students collaborate with each other to get the most out of opportunities.

The pace of the program is similar to the pace of the professional world. You have to set priorities, just like in your professional/personal life.

43% of the class of 2015 was placed in consulting jobs. To what do you attribute this success in placing consultants? [12:09]

We talk to consulting firms about what they’re looking for – adaptability (skills, geography, language), people who have an idea of finance and strategy, etc – and our grads are really a perfect fit. About 29% of our applicants come from consulting pre-MBA, and we send 43% of our grads to consulting positions. We send about another 40% to the corporate sector, and about 15% to finance positions.

At some point, over half of INSEAD grads will start their own company. What does INSEAD offer aspiring entrepreneurs? [13:55]

Entrepreneurship is our biggest area of electiv...