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IESE vs Booth vs IE

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IESE vs Booth vs IE

by nagano98 » Fri Mar 18, 2011 1:34 am
Hi Stacy,

I have been accepted into Booth (with $$), IE (with $$) and IESE (Shortlisted for a scholarship but won't find out until June). I am currently trying to decided where I should go and would love any opinions about the quality of the schools and their ability to open doors for me upon graduation.

My profile is as follows:

I am an Australian Environmental Engineer working on natural resource development projects for 4 years (almost 5 at Matriculation). I was working for a top mining company for 2 years and now work in a team leader role for a major, World Bank funded, hydro-electric project in Laos. I have worked in natural resource development on projects on 4 continents.

I want to pursue an MBA to develop my business evaluation skills to a level where I can work as an analyst that assesses the financial, social and environmental viability of natural resource development projects in either Private Equity, VC or Banking. Ideally long term , I want to work back in Australia, Asia, Latin America or Africa following the MBA.

Any advice would be appreciated!

Thanks,

Nagano
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by Lisa Anderson » Mon Mar 21, 2011 9:16 am
Dear Nagano,

Congratulations on your outstanding admission offers! It seems you can't make a wrong decision, but need to determine which school might be the best fit for you. There are differences between these 3 programs on many variables and only you can determine the priority of those variables for you. For example, the length of the program, the location of the program, and the industry connections of the program. All 3 will provide a solid business education and strong network of peers; however, you might find one of these programs to be best suited for your post-MBA career goals. Since you desire to work in a developing region post-MBA, perhaps research the programs to determine if one has a stronger tie to firms in those countries? or more specifically, if one program has stronger ties to the PE/VC/banking firms you are targeting post-MBA?

Best of luck to you as you embark on your MBA journey!
Lisa
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by nagano98 » Wed Mar 23, 2011 11:44 pm
Thanks for the response Lisa,

I have basically whittled the decision down to IESE and Booth and have the following observations, do you think that they are fair?

1. They are both very well regarded MBA programs. Chicago probably has the edge in this regard, but as I cannot see myself working in the USA long Term this advantage is somewhat diminished. Although Booth is probably slightly better known in Australasia and Asia
2. IESE is held in very high regard in both Europe and in Latin America (The ability to be fluent in Spanish by the end is also a plus).
3. Life style-hands down to Barcelona
4. Academic Quality - From what I can tell Booth has a superior faculty
5. IESE has a very diverse student body (65 odd countries and only 15-20% Spanish) and smaller class size (290 ppl) making it more intimate. Chicago is 70% American and a class size of about 1000.
6. $40,000 scholarship @ Chicago isn't a game changer-but it is nice to have and gives me a better financial buffer (Still have a decent chance of landing a scholarship for IESE)
7. IESE is more focused on the People approach whereas Chicago on quantitative approach. IESE better for general management - Chicago better for finance.
8. IESE has a more developed "Ethical management approach"

Nagano
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by Lisa Anderson » Fri Mar 25, 2011 7:37 pm
Dear Nagano,

I think your observations are fair and valid points in your evaluation. I could see a different person having the opposite opinion on a few points, but this is your decision with your perspective that is important. IESE and Booth are significantly different programs on many dimensions. Perhaps one feels more comfortable to you? or is a better match for your goals?

Good luck,
Lisa
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