INSEAD or US EMBA

marshtea

3 6

Posted Jul 08, 2020 12:02

Hi,

I'm a 33 Asian female with US citizenship, and I would appreciate any advise on how to proceed with my MBA quest.

- Prior Education: UTA McCombs (5-yr program incl. BA and MPA), GPA 3.2ish

- GMAT: took it many years ago for the MPA program and got 710; the grade is expired though and I'd need to retake

- Work Experience: 3 years in China (2 in managerial role, head of a department, 9 direct reports); 4 years in Germany (2 in managerial role, director of strategy, reporting directly to CEO, however it is a mid-cap company with very lean overhead, so I have only 1 direct report but would lead cross-functional teams on projects). I decided to give up management position to go to Germany and had to "start over" my climb here; but in both countries I showed pretty fast and consistent career growth. Both companies are in the manufacturing sector, around 4000 people with global locations.

- Volunteer: I worked full time for 6 month for NGOs in Peru a few years ago. Right now I lack committed volunteer activities partially due to language problems in Germany, had some occasional work done online here and there.

- Language: Chinese is the native language, and I'd say I'm near native level in English; conversational level Spanish; very basic German

- Goals post MBA: I would like to return to the US and switch industry.

My question would be first of all does a full-time MBA make sense for me right now given my career goals and my age? Or should I go back to the states directly to find a job and try EMBA later on in my career.

Second, would INSEAD be a good choice? I know in general it's better to go to a US program if that's where I want to be afterwards, but the shorter program time of INSEAD is appealing to me with less opportunity loss. I'm also worried that I'd be "too old" for the US schools. Finally, my husband currently works in EU and going to the Paris campus would put less distance between us.

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Duncan

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Posted Jul 08, 2020 16:19

I think a good option is to find a US executive MBA in Europe, like Temple or NYU partner schools in Paris, Columbia or Chicago in London, Brown-IE, Northwestern WHU etc...

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Duncan

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Posted Jul 09, 2020 08:58

Also, depending on location, the UNC partner in Rotterdam or the Minnesota MBA in Vienna might work. Personally, I think the Northwestern WHU MBA is a great fit.

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marshtea

3 6

Posted Jul 13, 2020 22:17

I think a good option is to find a US executive MBA in Europe, like Temple or NYU partner schools in Paris, Columbia or Chicago in London, Brown-IE, Northwestern WHU etc...

Hi Duncan,

Thanks a lot for your reply! I wasn't aware of those EU-US programs and they seem to be the perfect fit for my needs. I'm researching the programs a bit more on my own. In the meanwhile, do you know why the Kellogg-WHU program is ranked so low when Kellogg is such a great school? (It would have been one of my top choices if I go to the US for MBA). Do EMBA rankings even mean anything? Or as much as MBA rankings? Finally, normally people say EMBA is not the best route for changing industry as most people go back to their old organizations, what's your thoughts on it? Thanks again for your help!

[quote]I think a good option is to find a US executive MBA in Europe, like Temple or NYU partner schools in Paris, Columbia or Chicago in London, Brown-IE, Northwestern WHU etc...  [/quote] Hi Duncan, Thanks a lot for your reply! I wasn't aware of those EU-US programs and they seem to be the perfect fit for my needs. I'm researching the programs a bit more on my own. In the meanwhile, do you know why the Kellogg-WHU program is ranked so low when Kellogg is such a great school? (It would have been one of my top choices if I go to the US for MBA). Do EMBA rankings even mean anything? Or as much as MBA rankings? Finally, normally people say EMBA is not the best route for changing industry as most people go back to their old organizations, what's your thoughts on it? Thanks again for your help!

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Duncan

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Posted Jul 14, 2020 08:28

It's 34th in the world, above Columbia. That's not low.

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Duncan

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Posted Jul 14, 2020 08:31

Rankings reflect outcomes measured by the ranker, so they matter that way.

Yes, a full time program at a great school in the country where you want to work will normally be better for changing industry.

Rankings reflect outcomes measured by the ranker, so they matter that way.  Yes, a full time program at a great school in the country where you want to work will normally be better for changing industry.

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marshtea

3 6

Posted Jul 14, 2020 09:44

It's 34th in the world, above Columbia. That's not low.

True, perhaps to rephrase my question, Kellogg is ranked #2 on the FT EMBA list, where as WHU is 34, why the disparity? Would Kellogg-WHU be viewed closer to the #2 or the #34? Sorry for the maybe insignificant fixation on ranking, but UTA was a decent program with an alumni base I can tap into in the US, and I'm was hoping my MBA/EMBA program would be of another league.

[quote]It's 34th in the world, above Columbia. That's not low.  [/quote] True, perhaps to rephrase my question, Kellogg is ranked #2 on the FT EMBA list, where as WHU is 34, why the disparity? Would Kellogg-WHU be viewed closer to the #2 or the #34? Sorry for the maybe insignificant fixation on ranking, but UTA was a decent program with an alumni base I can tap into in the US, and I'm was hoping my MBA/EMBA program would be of another league.

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Duncan

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Posted Jul 14, 2020 15:37

Kellog WHU is #34. Open up the two programmes and compare the scores. Obviously, pay differentials are much smaller in Germany than in the US. Few WHU-Kellogg MBAs use the US network, because they are in Europe.

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marshtea

3 6

Posted Jul 23, 2020 15:33

Kellog WHU is #34. Open up the two programmes and compare the scores. Obviously, pay differentials are much smaller in Germany than in the US. Few WHU-Kellogg MBAs use the US network, because they are in Europe.

Hi Duncan,

With more research I've come across some 1-yr programs in the US which could be a compromise between cost & personal commitment vs. post-school job prospects in USA. For example, the sloan fellowship program at MIT seems very attractive. However, my work experience will not fulfill their minimum requirement of 10 years. Do you know how firm are they on this point? For example, if I can show career growth and my current job is usually for people at least 10 years my senior, would they waive this? Thanks again for your help.

[quote]Kellog WHU is #34. Open up the two programmes and compare the scores. Obviously, pay differentials are much smaller in Germany than in the US. Few WHU-Kellogg MBAs use the US network, because they are in Europe.  [/quote] Hi Duncan, With more research I've come across some 1-yr programs in the US which could be a compromise between cost & personal commitment vs. post-school job prospects in USA. For example, the sloan fellowship program at MIT seems very attractive. However, my work experience will not fulfill their minimum requirement of 10 years. Do you know how firm are they on this point? For example, if I can show career growth and my current job is usually for people at least 10 years my senior, would they waive this? Thanks again for your help.

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Duncan

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Posted Jul 23, 2020 16:14

The average experience is around 15 years, and many of those are sponsored by the school's partners.

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marshtea

3 6

Posted Jul 25, 2020 16:41

The average experience is around 15 years, and many of those are sponsored by the school's partners.

Hi Duncan,

Thanks again for the short and insightful comment, which really differentiates you from many other consultants I come across. I looked at your paid service information a bit and just have a couple questions. Would I be able to speak to you or is it with a team of experts? At this point, I just want a good overview of the schools and which option might best suit my needs, is this a valid/good question to request service?

[quote]The average experience is around 15 years, and many of those are sponsored by the school's partners.  [/quote] Hi Duncan, Thanks again for the short and insightful comment, which really differentiates you from many other consultants I come across. I looked at your paid service information a bit and just have a couple questions. Would I be able to speak to you or is it with a team of experts? At this point, I just want a good overview of the schools and which option might best suit my needs, is this a valid/good question to request service?

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Duncan

14.013 15.475

Posted Jul 25, 2020 20:34

I'll send you a message in your mailbox but, yes, that is exactly what I can help with the best.

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