The Challenge
Christina was targeting the top five schools in the US and INSEAD, but had a 3.4 GPA from a non-prestigious university. In addition, she was a Chinese national working in the consulting industry.
Possible Approaches
There were two possible approaches:
- Position Christina as a diverse and culturally adaptable candidate. She grew up in China, studied in US and Canada, worked in male dominated industries (financial services, oil and gas), and lived in Alberta where there is little racial diversity.
- Position Christina as an entrepreneurial candidate who has taken many initiatives throughout her life. She left her small village to attend a prestigious foreign language school at 13, volunteered in Ghana during college, attended a college exchange program in the US, transferred to a university in Canada, and started a marketing analytics firm while working full-time.
The Admissionado Approach
We decided to combine the two approaches to position Christina as an accomplished leader who possessed an amazing entrepreneurial spirit and ability to adapt to diverse cultures. The purpose was to differentiate Christina from all the other Chinese nationals with consulting backgrounds by emphasizing not only her leadership successes, but focus on who she is as a person. She has great ambitions and is not afraid to do what it takes, including challenging the status quo, to pursue her goals.
The Result
Christina was admitted to, and chose, INSEAD where she was given a 10,000 Euro scholarship.
Personal Shoutout
Christina is one of the most ambitious and driven applicants we’ve ever worked with. She knows exactly what she wants and we have no doubt that she will accomplish her goals in record time.