US top 20 vs ISB

[gtg617c]

Hey Guys,

I just want to seek inputs on whether it is worth doing an MBA from top 20 schools in US or go to ISB when your ultimate aim is to work in India. Not necessarily right after graduation but say 4-5 years down the road. Also if paying tuition is not a concern.

Thanks

[budugu]

It depends on a lot of other factors if you ask me.
1) How old are you? (if you are in early to mid 20s, you can easily afford to spend 2yrs for education and think of a US mba)
2) Do you have work experience abroad? (if no, i would def.ly suggest a US mba)
3) Do you want to change your career track? (if yes, a 2yr MBA offers better scope.)

And finally, its a totally personal decision on a case-by-case basis. There are not hard rules.
-b

[yepsee]

Hey budugu,

This depends on lot of factors. First being what you want to do post MBA. If you want to go into MC in India then ISB is a good choice. However, if you are targeting one of the global IBanks then US Top 20 wins hands down.

Also, the exposure at a US Bschool is very different compared to ISB. The student body in these schools is truly "diverse" in terms of nationality, background, experiences etc. and you learn much more from such a peer group.

I have been admitted to both ISB and Tuck and I chose Tuck because I wanted to build lasting relationships with a diverse set of people. Having said that ISB has its own advantages - 1 year, less cost etc etc.

Let me know if you have more questions.

Yepsee

[columbia10admit]

I agree with yepsee on this one..

I got ISB but am attending Columbia..its a very subjective decision. i wanted some things from my mba that isb could not give to the same extent: international exposure, great network, global branding..huge network.. its like IIT vs. MIT.. with so many engineers here im sure you'll appreciate the analogy
also like yepsee said its very dependent on the job u want... ive been in ibanking and tend toward staying in it post my MBA.. and which banker can give up a shot at working in manhattan
also, i know a Lot of ppl at isb... alums, students and aplpicants!! i know the school very well because a lot of my seniors from work are from there.. and friends too..but wasnt very keen on the culture..
columbia is a Huge investment for lil ol' me - but its an investment, not an expenditure
but like i said its a very personal and subjective decision. you have to take a lot of factors into consideration.

[gtg617c]

Thanks guys for the input ..I had the same feeling and will be joining Stern as I want to move to Finance. 2 year program is definitely going to help in this regard and also the exp. will be quiet different. The option to back to home will always be open.

[columbia10admit]

Originally Posted by gtg617c

Thanks guys for the input ..I had the same feeling and will be joining Stern as I want to move to Finance. 2 year program is definitely going to help in this regard and also the exp. will be quiet different. The option to back to home will always be open.

oh congrats for stern!! if youre looking at fin - especially banking - stern rocks!! i wdve killed to just attend one class with damodaran
good luck with everything... and i'm going to columbia.. so good to have another PG in new york!