Hi All, I don’t know if anyone has posted this before, but I thought I’d throw it out there and see if anyone’s been contemplating this. For years the US MBA was the gold standard. No questions. Then subprime happened, and with it, TARP…
Hi All,
I don't know if anyone has posted this before, but I thought I'd throw it out there and see if anyone's been contemplating this.
For years the US MBA was the gold standard. No questions. Then subprime happened, and with it, TARP, TALF and all other fun acronyms that b-school kids had to care about because it meant jobs on the line. At the same time, the non-US b-schools became more well known, got sweet placements, got global recognition, and of course were clear winners on cost. I'm specifically referring to top b-schools, both in the US and otherwise.
So what would you choose between a US and a non-US MBA? Any puys when applying for schools - are you focusing in one region, or the other (or both)?
The way I think about this, at a simple level:
Pros of the US:
- Best brand names (e.g. Harvard, Wharton)
- Best curriculum and alumni network
- Probably the best placements, even in a crap economic climate
Pros of rest:
- Much cheaper, relatively
- Almost as good quality of placements and return.
- Probably the best global exposure at schools such as Insead, IMD, LBS
So this is a question for the applicants, students, alumni - whoever. What considerations did you give to one region or the other? What is/was the biggest reason your #1 school is at that position? For alums - do you think you would have gained by going someplace else?
Anyway, I'm sure this will spawn many more Q&A...; keep em coming.
Visa considerations. That is why I decided to accept the offer from UK.
Tha main difference for me is the type of MBA you are looking at.
A US mba is normally 21 mths MBA. on other hand European mba is 10-12 mth. So European MBA for a career changer is a bit risky.
On other hand a US mba does not make much sense for a person with 10 yrs of exp.
Asian mba again are mostly 2 yrs but then they dont carry that much of weight globally. NUS,NTUMBA, HKUST, CEIBS are the best one.
Our desi IIM's are no less but then to be honest i dont really see IIM's in comparison to other schools. IIM are great place to learn and make frnds with but when it comes to diversity , networking, they fall behind
It boils down to what and how the person is looking to learn.
scorpioguy SaysVisa considerations. That is why I decided to accept the offer from UK.
u hit the nail on the head buddy !
no point in lusting after the crapped out H1 - its not prob worth it anyway
(look at numbers this yr - 20K+ applications yet to come in....)
out of curiosity - which school in UK will you be joining?
-goldenirony
On other hand a US mba does not make much sense for a person with 10 yrs of exp.
Interesting thought. Why do you say that? I've got 7 years of work experience in the States and haven't abandoned the thought of b-school here yet. I think up to 10 years of work ex is not a bad idea for b-school - again, talking about the Harvards and Whartons here.
It seems to me that most non-US schools would also ask atleast that level of experience.
GM00,
If you are looking at global placements, a US degree might still be worth considering. The H1-B cap becomes less relevant in your choice then.
The brand power of many top US schools may also play an important role. For instance, a Kellogg degree may be more recognised in India compared to say an IMD. On the contrary, an INSEAD label will be better than a Kelley on your CV if you are looking for a job in Asia. Just random hypothetical examples here.
Interesting thought. Why do you say that? I've got 7 years of work experience in the States and haven't abandoned the thought of b-school here yet. I think up to 10 years of work ex is not a bad idea for b-school - again, talking about the Harvards and Whartons here.
It seems to me that most non-US schools would also ask atleast that level of experience.
To add to this,NUS and Nanyang look for minimum 2 years work-ex while some of the US B Schools that I came across seek minimum 3 years. It is not uncommon to come across people with 6+ years experience*.
*- Observation based on stats posted in various B school websites.
Interesting thought. Why do you say that? I've got 7 years of work experience in the States and haven't abandoned the thought of b-school here yet. I think up to 10 years of work ex is not a bad idea for b-school - again, talking about the Harvards and Whartons here.
It seems to me that most non-US schools would also ask atleast that level of experience.
My Bad..When i spoke about Us programs i should have mentioned 2 Yr Programs. It still makes very much sense to do an Executive MBA course from US in case you are looking to continue in US.
My believe is more than 10yrs of exp does teach you what you are likely to learn in 2 years about Basic Management. Hence a condensed 1 yr makes sense as you can get back to work earlier. For a career changer 2 Yr will help in sense , the intern opportunity and electives can help justify career change.
When you consider that Avg Wrk ex around most of schools lie in range of 4.5-6 . 10 yrs is a log time.
EMBA is much better choice. That's my personal opinion. I may be immature in saying this.
I'd like to discuss it on three levels: Indian MBA , non-US International MBA and the US MBA. I feel that it's a personal choice and depends on what u want to get out of ur MBA experience.
If you want to get an MBA soon after ur undergrad, desi MBA may make sense. You lose on all diversity: cultural, professional etc, but if you choose the right brand and make the most of the experience, chances are that you'd do good, especially if ur career goals are in India. Also, the courses are relatively affordable.
US B-schools: provide you everything that you'd look for in an MBA: diversity, network, updated curriculum, best profs and great resources on which you can lay the foundations of a great career. Only issue is that all of this comes at a heavy price and not everyone of us can afford it. The gud news is that with right research, you can locate some schol-rich schools; also the availability of loans is better as compared to other options. Even if you need to compromise a bit on brand (Let us say schools in range 16-40), the experience would still be worth it.
Non-US Int'l schools: There are a few big brands here: INSEAD, LBS etc. If you can make it to these and also afford these, nothing like that. (As far as I have found, loans and schols are relatively harder to come by as compared to US schools) If you have set your eyes on a particular country, you may stick to a particular school-set. (for ex: NUS, NTU for singapore) But other than these, I'd suggest you to look at comparative US schools.
@Quizophobic : Well Said
All the best for ur next 2 yrs at Emory
Your blog has been a great inspiration.I would recommend everybody to go through quizophobic's blog . This forms important part of R&D; on MBA
What are your opinions on Oxford / Cambridge v. Dartmouth or USC
How would you describe the cambridge, oxford, and dartmouth locations?
What is your opinion on Oxford / Cambridge v. Dartmouth?
MBA at Cranfield University - Class of 2010
u hit the nail on the head buddy !
no point in lusting after the crapped out H1 - its not prob worth it anyway
(look at numbers this yr - 20K+ applications yet to come in....)
out of curiosity - which school in UK will you be joining?
-goldenirony
scorpioguy SaysMBA at Cranfield University - Class of 2010
good decison mate! thats one of the schools that i have on my list too....
all the best - and do keep in touch, would love to keep hearing from you on your experiences.....
-goldenirony
What are your opinions on Oxford / Cambridge v. Dartmouth or USC
How would you describe the cambridge, oxford, and dartmouth locations?
What is your opinion on Oxford / Cambridge v. Dartmouth?
Calpolytech:
It would help if you explain what you are trying to compare between these options. Is it the education, the quality of professors, the student mix, your chances of getting admitted, brandname, the location, the post-MBA placements...or all of the above and possibly more?
The answers to each of these pointws would vary accordingly.
Hi,
I met some education consultants to know about higher studies in UK , they said its very easy getting a seat in UK for an MBA and it would cost somewhere around 10-15 lakhs , couse is for only 12 months , we get work visa for 2 yrs.... we need to write only IELTS exam.
I was wondering what is the difference in goin for MBA in US and UK?? Where in US we need to shell out more than 20to 30 lakhs..
Couldn't agree with that response more. Be very careful with over-the-top promises and an easy route to fame and fortune.
I agree with u but if you are an average profile guy then getting seat in top 15 will be a nightmare.. Also fees for top colleges are more than 20-30 lakhs... and wouldn't it be risky taking such a huge loan... please advice..
As for the UK, if you are shelling out twenty to thirty lakhs for the top five programs, it's fine. After all these schools are selective about whom they admit. So, if you are good enough to get into these schools, you are going to be able to pay back your loan post-MBA.
As regards consultants, they are helpful if you have an average profile. Just make sure the school you are going to is AMBA recognised. You should not shell more than 15 lakhs for such schools including the cost of living. Best of luck 😃
Thanks Nothing1954,ansh for ur valuable advice. Watever info I have gathered till now suggests that in order to get into one of the top AMBA B-schools in U.K, we must have 3+ years experience at management level. I do have 3+ experience, but as a software developer.
My Profile:
10th- 87%
12th-75%
B.E - 65%
Work ex - 3+ (s/w developer)
Co-curricular - decent
My doubts are-
- Is it realistically possible for me to get into one of the AMBA schools?
- What is the gmat score required to be in the race for the top 15 b-schools.
- Being an IT guy, are there any courses related to IT management or something where I can leverage my prior experience.
- Considering US, are there good (top 10-30)colleges which offer MBA for