Hey guys, In an effort to expand the forums information content, I wanted to share a blog I am doing while at HEC School of Management in Paris. When I was researching grad schools I was not able to find much info on the school here or anywhe…
Hey guys,
In an effort to expand the forums information content, I wanted to share a blog I am doing while at HEC School of Management in Paris. When I was researching grad schools I was not able to find much info on the school here or anywhere else. So I hope this helps future MBA aspirants looking to Europe for an MBA. Enjoy!
http://vochaney.blogspot.com/
Victor
Your blog makes for interesting reading...
Looking forward to reading more of your exploits...
Also looking forward to an inside view on the curriculum, employment stats etc
All the best...
I can only say "Thanks":) Very nice blog..few blogs on the American B-schools would have the detail
there are quite a few blogs for US Bschools Vipin...you could start with businessweek online...
mba05 Saysthere are quite a few blogs for US Bschools Vipin...you could start with businessweek online...
Sure..I am a regular visitor of those blogs and just wanted to say that Vochaney's blog has better information than a lot of other blogs.I guess it has also got something to do with " knowing us and our needs" :)..Infact I am also a subscriber of the Businessweek's MBA Insider..thats a treasure trove with updated information on B-school essays, interviews, adcom interviews, school visit videos..worth the $29.99 BW charges.
thank you for the feedback Vipin!....:)
I am glad to here I'm going in the right direction with the blog, just hope I can keep it going that way.
If any of you have any critics please do let me know. And if you have any questions or things you would like to learn about from the program, I would be happy to help in any way I can.
It is tough to keep the blog up to date, but I will do my best to stay on top of it.
Victor
Hi Guys,
Great info on the blog. Would any of you have informaion about Univ. of St. Gallen, Switzerland. I have received admission offer from them. While I have done my bit of research, there is one concern that I have. This univ. seems to be fairly well reputed in german speaking areas of europe and little known outside. Will a non EU, non german background prevent me from taking up a desired job post MBA and long term career enhancement. My GMAT is 700. 8 years of work exeprience in IT with big IT MNCs and large banks in three continents. I m interested for 1 year courses. Awaiting PGPX results as well.
Cheers
Mukul
Hey Mukul,
St. Gallen is a fine choice, the only quam I may have with the program is its short history. I believe it was established 2-3 years ago. You are right to worry about your placements after graduation. Mainly because we have to see how the school establishes itself in the next 5-10 years. Whether the St. Gallen program will fall in the top 10 or top 50 areas compared to the rest of MBA schools.
St. Gallen will be in direct competition with IMD, and most graduates will work for Swiss companies just the same. To directly answer your question....MBA's are still relativley new in German speaking countires, and is still establishing itself. Do not expect to have the ease of finding a job similar to a Wharton. But if you prove your sbilities and excel in the small class size they have then you will be able to find a great job in Europe at least.
I think that the grad school you go to will only take you so far, it truely depends on what you can do with the education which will get you the job of your dreams.
If you are specifically looking for a one year program, and also applying to IMD, INSEAD, PGPX, then you can only wait to see where you get in. Actually, I think you would be one of the inital guinne pigs to test the quality of St. Gallen and show the program to the world, if you went there of course. 😃
Hope the informaiton helped!
Victor
Hi Guys,
Great info on the blog. Would any of you have informaion about Univ. of St. Gallen, Switzerland. I have received admission offer from them. While I have done my bit of research, there is one concern that I have. This univ. seems to be fairly well reputed in german speaking areas of europe and little known outside. Will a non EU, non german background prevent me from taking up a desired job post MBA and long term career enhancement. My GMAT is 700. 8 years of work exeprience in IT with big IT MNCs and large banks in three continents. I m interested for 1 year courses. Awaiting PGPX results as well.
Cheers
Mukul
Hi Victor,
I agree with your comments on St.Gallen. I was also admitted there in 2004. The 1 yr MBA is only about an year old, if I recall correctly, as I was offered an admission for the first batch. I had spoken to a German friend about the value of an MBA in germany/parts of Europe with german influence. Didn't really find anything exciting, although the person I spoke to had launched his own business in Germany and was well versed with the german job market. With 42,000 Swiss francs tuition I wasn't sure of the ROI.
Having said that, St. Gallen has some brand in India as they organize a world famous business case competition, which also includes IIMs. Almost all the IIM alums praise St.Gallen especially if they have been there or have heard of it from friends. For someone with a specific plan to work in the German parts of Europe St. Gallen provides great opportunities.
w.r.t your blog. Have you shared it with the HEC group on yahoo? I am sure there would be lots of people on that group who would like to read and comment. Also, you could add a link for the yahoo group on your blog so blog visitors could join the HEC group and gain from the experience of the members.
vipin and victor,
thanks for your comments. was really helpful. I have just received admission offer from IIMA for PGPX so that makes life a little easier :-). or does it ..because yesterday I almost unexpectedly got a job offer and a kind of role which is almost a dream job for me at this stage of my career. deputy to country manager of a large US based financial services consulting firm taking care of operations in three countries in south asia.
In fact, one of the reasons to leave the corporate world and look at MBA for career enhancement was that I was not able to make that transition into the so to say big league. Though, the fundamental reason to do MBA still remains .... I am looking at cross functional knowledge.
Hell, it gets more and more interesting ...
vipin and victor,
thanks for your comments. was really helpful. I have just received admission offer from IIMA for PGPX so that makes life a little easier :-). or does it ..because yesterday I almost unexpectedly got a job offer and a kind of role which is almost a dream job for me at this stage of my career. deputy to country manager of a large US based financial services consulting firm taking care of operations in three countries in south asia.
In fact, one of the reasons to leave the corporate world and look at MBA for career enhancement was that I was not able to make that transition into the so to say big league. Though, the fundamental reason to do MBA still remains .... I am looking at cross functional knowledge.
Hell, it gets more and more interesting ...
Hmmm..tough call...you are already there were you would like to be in the short term...I guess you should evaluate if an MBA would be essential in the long term. You could get cross functional exposure if your new company is big enough and allows people to rotate between different departments..you might also want to evaluate if you can afford to do an MBA further down the line when it can give you the push to break through the glass ceiling..would you be ready to commit the time and resources for an MBA in the future..are you only considering India for career opportunities..if yes, IIMA is a great brand..If maybe not, you should also consider the fact that this would be the first year for the PGPX and they are yet to perfect the concept like the INSEADs and IMDs have done at a global level.I hope I am not confusing you anymore than what you already would be...let us know how it goes..all the best
Hey guys,
Vipin...great idea on the link to the HEC Yahoo group. I just added it to my blog, so everyone check it out! Also, good input on St. Gallen, I did not know of their link with the IIM's.
Mukul...congrats on getting in to IIMA and on the job offer. It is a tough choice but in the end after all the analysis of what to do, there is only one way to go in direction for you. And the answer always comes to you yourself. No matter what we say here, inside I am sure you already have made a decision and just may not know it yet 😃 .
As Vipin said, if you are planning to stay in India after an MBA then IIMA is the best choice. I you want internationalism then you may want to expand your options. If the job offers good growth in the next 5 years itself then maybe you can just wait and do an Executive MBA later when your older, these are quite popular and seem very interesting.
Regardless of all the choices and the confusion which comes with it, have confidence in what you are able to achieve with or without an MBA. Already you have proven what you're capable of by getting into IIMA and landing a great job offer in a field you may have been looking for. So everything is on the up for you, can there really be a right or wrong choice here? I wonder, because many others on this site would die to be in your shoes right now 😃 .
I know this was not as helpful in the descision process as Vipin's post, but this is more so for you to reflect on where you would be happy for the next year or two. Personal enjoyment is very important too. Would you feel you are missing out on something at IIMA if you took the job instead? And the opposite as well?
hmmmm.....many questions to think about.
Good Luck!!
Victor
hey everyone,
It has been a month since I have updated this thread, and wanted to say I always available for those interested or having questions about HEC Paris, or other MBA schools in Europe. With the blog I try to incorporate the MBA as much as I can, but am sure I am missing some aspect many may be looking to hear about. So please do let me know of any constructive criticism you may have and I will try to accomodate your needs in regards to info about the MBA program at HEC.
Thanks!
Ciao!
Victor
Hi Victor,
I read somewhere that the Grande Ecole is planning to invest "lots of" million Euros to take the HEC- MBA into the world top 10. If this is correct, can you share some of the areas it would focus on ?
Also, what is this thing about Bologna accord ? I got an email telling me that this would make European MBA more stable than an MBA in US. I am not sure what that means. Was the European MBA "unstable" in anyway ? What does stability have to do with Bologna accord ? I thought Bologna accord had some EU employment rules connection but don't know the details.
Also, I heard HEC has jumped 6 places up in the top 50 European MBA rankings. I am sure this is only the beginning and HEC has to go a long long way.
I am writing on this thread as I thought your answer would have interesting information for everyone.
I read somewhere that the Grande Ecole is planning to invest "lots of" million Euros to take the HEC- MBA into the world top 10. If this is correct, can you share some of the areas it would focus on ?
Also, what is this thing about Bologna accord ? I got an email telling me that this would make European MBA more stable than an MBA in US. I am not sure what that means. Was the European MBA "unstable" in anyway ? What does stability have to do with Bologna accord ? I thought Bologna accord had some EU employment rules connection but don't know the details.
Also, I heard HEC has jumped 6 places up in the top 50 European MBA rankings. I am sure this is only the beginning and HEC has to go a long long way.
I am writing on this thread as I thought your answer would have interesting information for everyone.
Hi Vipin & everyone else on PagalGuy,
Sorry I took so long to respond to your query, it has been final exam time the last week and this week before our holiday break. So time has been short for me. But wanted to give you a reply as soon as I could, so this may be brief, I apologize in advance.
1) Question about HEC "Grand Ecole" spending millions on the MBA program to lift it into the top 10 in the world?
Answer - HEC has released word that they will be spending 100 Millions Euros in the next 3-5 years on developing their whole range of higher management education. This includes the MBA, Specialized Master's and Grand Ecole program.
(The Grand Ecole program though is a seperate degree from the MBA and should not be put together. In France, and many other areas of Europe, they do not have a Bachelor's and then Master's degree setup. They have programs where students will study both degree's at the same time essentially, and take 5-6 years to finish the program, including a year off from studies to do interships. In France, this program is called Grand Ecole in the Management sector. And, is catered to the younger and inexperienced group of students. This will be brought up again to answer your next question.)
The benefits for the MBA at HEC from this capital investment will be seen in the expansion of resources available to students on campus. First, construciton will start on a new lecture building for the MBA's, to add to the current buildings in place. The campus is quite big with 250 acers, and a lot of land still left to build on. Further development in research and partnering with schools in Asia, Europe and the US will be expanded also.
2) Bologna Accord, what is it?
This goes back to the Grand Ecole concept. Most countries in Europe have their own degree classifications, and this makes it difficult for companies and schools accross borders to know what degree quallifies for what all the time. The Bologna Accord simplifies and unifies the Europe area in one set pattern which distinguishes between Bachelors and Master's degrees. Giving Europen students the opportunity to finish their undergraduate degree in four years and start working earlier. While also giving the chance to undertake a Master's in seperate study. This is where a more balanced MBA in Europe comes in. Up until now, potential MBA or wanna be MBA students from countries in Europe had different types of undergraduate, or first degree's. The MBA is cattered to those who have a Bachelor's or PhD and want to move towards business. Someone with say a Grand Ecole, or equivalent in other parts of Europe, would be stuck in the middle for what they might get out of the MBA program in Europe or anywhere else. Having maybe studied half the information already, and therefore not wanting to waste more time after the 5-6 years already spent on the First degree.
With this new accord, more students in Europe will finish with a Bachelor's first, and they can then move to an MBA or other master's as they feel necessary. Simplifying the process, and adding to the talent pool of potential MBA participants in Europe and the rest of the world. It stabalizes the European MBA because now a clearer picture of who can and will go for an MBA in Europe can be drawn out, similar to how it is in the US. The US schools have to be aware of this change, as this will affect their applicant pool as well.
This is just brief info, and I am sure many on the forum have looked it up since you posted your question. And for more info, check out this article on the GMAC web site.
http://www.gmac.com/gmac/VirtualLibrary/Publications/GMNews/2005/JanFeb/BolognaAccord.htm
3) HEC ranking?
In the latest FT ranking of European Management Schools ranking...HEC ranked number 6 out of 50 (i think) and the MBA in particular ranked 9 out of the top 50 MBA's in Europe. I think the FT is a little favorite to the UK schools in the MBA rank section, but this is just my personal feeling, and could be wrong.
Having been here for 3 months now...I would say that HEC has some way to go to build on top of a already very strong foundation. And that there is actually not much more to go, it has everything needed in place, it just takes time for the results to show... unfortunatly it cannot happen overnight. But I would say keep a watch on this little school, it might surprise you!
That is all I can give for now, hope that helps and do ask more questions if any. I will try to get to them as soon as I can. After exams though ;-)
Cheers,
Victor
Thanks Victor for the detailed response. I am sure HEC is going to get the first mover's advantage while benefiting from Bologna accord.
When you get time please share your information on the areas HEC-MBA plans to focus on to further improve its brand, apart from the infrastructure, which I assume is already world class. Prospective students like me from India would be especially keen to know more about any new scholarship opportunities/Loan forgiveness programs for students who would like to return back to the developing world/Non profit sector etc.
All the best for your exams.
Hey Victor/Vipin,
Can either of you Gents comment on the following:
1) wrt the ROI would a HEC MBA be worthwhile (@INR20L+sundries) if one plans to work in India after the MBA.....??
2) Corollary to the above... if one takes a loan to support the course fees for the HEC_MBA ; how strong are the chances for this individual to
a) get a job in EU / French Canada / Francophile Africa / Mid East
b) and how soon would this loan be paid off ( ie the start salary, the bottom quartile number for the last year if possible)
3) How strong is the HEC brand in the world outside US?
H.
PS Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi Harsh,
Although I am only an admit for the class of 2008 and Victor can give you a better answer. My $0.02 would be :
1. ROI depends on so many factors that its difficult to predict for any B-school including HEC. You can only make a well informed decision but can't do a DCF or some other model to come to even a close enough figure( I guess Forbes and others are already trying to do some of that).
2. You could also apply for scholarships (which are substantial and growing for deserving candidates) and that should bring your overall costs down. If you get the Eiffel scholarship, meant for students from a few developing countries going for their master's education to France, your overall cost could get halved.
3. Chances of getting employed in India right after HEC should be as good as the top 5-20 B-schools in US as long as you find the foothold in the shape of a network or a referral in your target job. HEC has a very strong reputation within France and french companies spread across the world and that is only going to improve with the additional initiatives being planned.
Happy 2006 to you too !
its really a gud blog dude nice