July 2009 Archives

I received an email from Alex Gladstone, INSEAD Class of July 2010, regarding the INSEAD language requirements which some incoming students may be slightly concerned about.

Some already know 3 or more languages - think of the Europeans, especially the Swiss. But there are others who don’t know a 3rd language yet - think of the Americans :P Let me put it this way: P1 and P2 will be hectic and by P4-P5 you’re likely to be busy getting a job. You should really get the 3rd language requirement out of the way so you don’t receive a blank scroll at the graduation ceremony (that’s what I heard they give you if you haven’t met all the requirements yet!).

I’ve copied Alex’s message below. It is mainly for admits from the US and Canada, whose second or third language is likely to be Spanish.

If you are an American or Canadian INSEAD admit that needs certification in Spanish you basically have 3 options. The first is to fly to France and take the language test in Fontainebleau with FL&C language school, but I wouldn’t suggest that unless you are already pretty close to fluent.

The second option is to study independently or with a school familiar with the DELE exam, but this is fairly difficult since the DELE exam is only given twice per year. Regardless of whether you are in a January or July start and when you might get your acceptance letter, you will be in a situation where you’ll only have one shot to take the test. The DELE takes a very long time to return your results (up to two months?) so while you wait you’ll have to keep studying hard in case your fallback is to take the FL&C test instead.

The third and IMHO the best option is to take classes with tradfax.com to prepare for the FIDESCU D.I.E. (I know its a terrible acronym for an exam but don’t worry) which is also accepted at INSEAD. Tradfax is the first (and right now the only) school and examcenter_ in North America that is associated with FIDESCU.

Tradfax is physically in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Its run by Francis Guinazu who has been teaching Spanish, Portuguese, and English as a foreign language for over 25 years. He’ll assess your skills and if necessary set you up with an intensive course of study (say, 8 hr/week or so) to help prepare you for the exam, and you can do it in person via skype or even by phone. You can take the test with tradfax directly rather than having to fly to Spain or elsewhere.

I’m plugging them because I personally used their services and went from a very basic level of Spanish to the required level in just a few months while working a full-time job by using their intensive course.

Check them out at http://www.tradfax.com And good luck to you all!

Thanks Alex for helping out your fellow classmates, in true INSEAD spirit.

If anyone else has any feedback on language schools, just post a comment here. Or, continue the conversation on the INSEAD MBA intranet when your online account has been activated.

Today’s a big day. I have make a decision that’s very important to me.

There has been too much conflicting information floating around and I hope to get some things clarified. This will impact what I do for the next couple of years, at least. If things do not work out then I know which way I have to turn, MBA in hand.

May the power of Horacio fall upon me!!!

The INSEAD administration just emailed my class of July 2009 to inform us that we now have full access to the alumni website, and that we can activate our alumni email addresses.

We were also given a trial membership before deciding whether to join the alumni club of a specific country.

And over the next few weeks, I’ll be meeting up with fellow graduates who are still in Singapore.

Ah, the life of a new INSEAD alumnus.

I am now an INSEAD graduate and alumnus. It feels strange. For the past 10 months, we were running a race. We began unbelievably quickly, lunging down the racetrack, at times feeling like we were going to fall on our faces. Then as we got to the top of the hill, gasping for breath, we saw the beautiful horizon in front of us. We kept on at it, knowing the end was near. Finally as we passed the finishing line, our legs still felt like running - but now we’re back in a different type of race, in another paradigm.

Just 2 months ago I was only just settling down in France, apprehensive of driving a manual car on the other side of the road and speaking as far as possible in French.

Soon I figured my way around and didn’t need the GPS all the time. I got used to cooking food using French ingredients, enjoying bread, cheese and wine. I loved having long conversations and evening walks with my housemate after dinner. We made bold weekend driving trips to distant parts of France. And now I’m happy making dinner reservations in French and not relying on the phrase ‘Parlez vous anglais?’ so often anymore.

Just 10 months ago, I started my first term at the INSEAD campus in Singapore. Being Singaporean, I felt obliged to help classmates settle down. Then I was voted into the Students’ Council which resulted in me getting to know the administration better. Club work took up the rest of my time - the most scarce resource in the early months at INSEAD. My mind was spinning, not just with the new concepts we had to learn, but with meeting people from all parts of the world with backgrounds very different from mine.

Just 1 year ago, I was in London, meeting up with some new classmates at a chic wine bar. We were curious, asking lots of questions about each other. The perennial question was, “Fonty or Singy?” which means, “Are you starting in Fontainebleau or Singapore?” The financial crisis had yet to explode, and we were young, optimistic and ambitious.

1 year later we are slightly less young, but still optimistic and ambitious - even if we have to wait a bit longer for opportunities to come our way. There will be reunions and many gatherings as I know people are planning to return to Singapore to work, or look for work.

So, life will go on. But life will never be the same, after INSEAD.

Even as I contemplate my own future, I’d like to know what readers want for this blog after I graduate later today. Thank you for the support and the encouraging notes!

I receive questions or comments every 1-2 weeks on average and it is heartening to know that some of you appreciate the hands-on information I’ve shared.

Of course, INSEAD’s almost over for me, and my main plan thereafter is to post a link to point visitors (who usually find this blog via search engines) back to my main blog. Archives of my INSEAD blog posts will still be available.

However, I may update this blog periodically with some INSEAD news - most likely from the Alumni side as I intend to pay my dues and join the club. Like I said before, this is only the beginning, not the end! And it may give would-be applicants a good idea of life after the MBA, as part of the growing INSEAD family.

Post a comment to let me know your thoughts, if any.