Hi,

I am a 30 yo male from India.

I'm an electrical engineer and have 8 years WE in consultative sales with a German Multinational in India.

After rejections from INSEAD and HEC for Jan 23, my application to IESE early admit round for Sep 23 is rejected as well.

I'm now considering IE and Esade but at this point I'm confused if my school selection is wrong.

What other schools can I add to the list, with decent post degree placement stats, considering I'd like to start in September 23. ? Thanks in advance

My profile:

GMAT 720 (Q48, V40)
Multiple promotions at work.
Haven't worked overseas but deal with international clientele.
Have volunteered with NGOs in education and rehabilitation of visually challenged.
Have played semi professional football at district level.

Post MBA goals: Pivoting into consulting/ back up- Getting into corporate leadership programs.

Possible handicap: not having worked abroad/ lack of knowing the local language to the country I'm applying to (which I think I can try and catch up given the time I'd have between now and completion of the program)

What schools can I consider applying to?

I'm considering ESADE, IE and Boconni for Sep 23.
RSM for Jan 24.

My only criteria is landing a job post the program and I am okay with choosing a school where the odds of getting a job are better.

Should I add schools to this list?

Thanks in advance.

You are mistaken to think that you would pick up the local language to a professional level while working in an English-speaking bubble. How many expats in India can speak Hindi? 

Take a look at:
GMAT Tiers - strong schools for your GMAT www.find-mba.com/board/27082

Best MBAs for international students' placement http://www.find-mba.com/board/41143
Do you need to speak the local language? www.find-mba.com/board/34713

Hi Duncan, I know it's a stretch but since I have time on my hands I'm being optimistic about what best I can do to bridge this gap. However, I'm still cognizant of the fact that it's a handicap in my profile. Please correct me if I'm wrong, your suggestion is that I'd be better off applying to a school located in a country that has English as the official language of business correspondence?

[Edited by ssathyajith13 on Oct 10, 2022]

If you can learn a foreign language to a professional level under those circumstances then you should open a language school franchise with your extraordinary technique. When I visit MBAs, most international students were still ordering coffee in English. 

Take the advice on the post about languages: Start your MBA in a country where you have already learned the language to a professional level. It;s not just business *writing* - how can you be a consulant when you cannot speak to clients in their language? 

Thanks Duncan, I'll limit my prospective schools to the UK and NL for now. 

Do you think Dutch businesses work in English? I would swap the Netherlands for Ireland. 

Based on my discussion with RSM alum, NL did not pose much of a challenge on the language front. I'll add Ireland to the list. 

Yes, most international companies in Amsterdam work in English. 

I think it's worth read threads here about RSM. As Andy says, international business in Amsterdam work in English but most businesses in the Netherlands are Dutch. Furthermore in customer facing roles (and consulting is a customer facing role) the local language is a huge asset. Just look at the profile of the people who work for the major consulting firms there: most speak Dutch or other Saxon-rooted languages, which allows them to hit the ground running in Dutch.  

RSM MBA alumni here.

Few things:

1) You will NOT be able to learn dutch while studying 1 year international MBA program.
There is zero support on that from the program, and the study is quite intense.

2) I did get quite a lot of rejections, also from consulting jobs, motivated by me not being able to speak dutch. By that time i had B2 level of dutch with exam passed. The rejection was due to "their business requiring native level of proficiency in dutch". I was explained by people working in consulting, that even if the official language of the company is english, senior executives who represent clients of consulting companies still prefer to talk dutch and are uncomfortable speaking english, especially when it is about problems.

3) A lot of people from my class did find jobs at the end, but many had to go back to their countries.A background in Engineering, and a prior experience in European company might be a big boost to your profile.

I think it's worth read threads here about RSM. As Andy says, international business in Amsterdam work in English but most businesses in the Netherlands are Dutch. Furthermore in customer facing roles (and consulting is a customer facing role) the local language is a huge asset. Just look at the profile of the people who work for the major consulting firms there: most speak Dutch or other Saxon-rooted languages, which allows them to hit the ground running in Dutch.  

[Edited by ssathyajith13 on Nov 22, 2022]

If you search the board there is a post from me discussing the declining ability of CBS to place non-Danish speaking students. You may know the Danish market better than me, but I can't recommend it on the basis of my limited knowledge. In particular, I don't know that you speak Danish.  

Yes but @duncan not being a native speaker in Spanish is a deal killer in Spain. Knowledge of English is much lower in southern Europe... 
I would also decline IE for CBS without a hesitation

[Edited by Andy800 on Nov 23, 2022]

I'd decline them both for a university's intensive language school. Fluency in the language will build your employability much more than an MBA taught in English. 

See: Do you need to speak the local language? www.find-mba.com/board/34713

Always the right advice @duncan.