Hi guys, I have just been to the London MBA fair and met them all. They all seem very suitable but I could not get much out of them in terms of how they differ. From initial investigations, IESE seems to be more case study intensive. IE is more diverse in terms of people but I didn't get the feel that it is not as suitable for non-financial students. I liked the feel of ESADE, very down to earth for such a high ranking school, albeit below the others.

If anyone has any insight, it would be appreciated, such as:
- specialism vs each other
- quality of modules
- quality of teaching case studies approach, eg more practical.

Thanks.

Paddy

Hi paddy

I am currently applying to IESE and ESADE while thinking on applying to IE. To categorize these schools would be difficult as they have their difference, albeit the small similarity of them all being in Spain.

If you go by rankings then IESE tops majority of them, but in the end it depends what you are looking for.

IESE strength lies in General management and it is a longer program than all the other programs. It also has a higher tuition if that is of any consideration. IESE does have world class professors and has strong presence in the consulting and industry sector. Its teaching method is mostly case studies focused like harvard with some lectures.

ESADE's strength on the other side is more in Marketing, Innovation with strong presence in Industry and consulting again. Also, it is well ranked in most of the rankings and tuition is lower compared to IESE. It also provides flexibility to study a 12,15,18 month program. Esade has a mix of case studies and lectures in its way of teaching.

Both offer bilingual courses and have compulsory spanish classes and offer internship opportunities in the 19 and 18 month program respectively.

IE is less comparable to these programs as it is a 13 month program with strength in general management, strategy and entrepreneurship and major recruiters are from the consulting area.

The good thing about all these schools are they provide good financial aids and nice terms on student loans plus they are well recognized in europe and to some extent US.

Depending on your profile and your need each school can be equally practical.

If anyone answering this can add Insead and IMD to the comparison list, I'd appreciate it. I know they're VERY different, but it's hard to truly get a sense for each.

Many thanks Bajargyan. I get that feeling from my investigations also. IESE is more traditionally financial and consulting focused.

To ad to that, I have also heard that IE mainly recruit from Spain and their overseas (UK, Mainland Europe) is not as strong as IESE and ESADE.

Thanks again.

Hi Paddy,

Regarding your questions: the IESE MBA is more like a traditional 2 year program, like many MBAS in the US, while the ESADE MBA has a more flexible format, similar to the European Programs.

I believe that IESE has a more finance speciality for banking (more like LBS) 1 of 3 MBAS, so the salaries are a lot of higher for the bonus system as you may know compared to other sectors. While at ESADE, there is more Industry interest (types of GE, P&G, l?Oreal,?) and also focus in Marketing. Also, note that IESE is like Harvard or Darden and it only uses the Case method, while ESADE is not 100% of cases.

Similarities: both schools have a bilingual track, similar exchange programs, similar MBAS (225 at Iese, 180 at Esade), same location, and similar GMATs scores (but ESE is a bit more selective as it has more Spanish applicants, but it depends of the country/ profile where you come from).

I would apply to both schools and then decide. You may also visit both schools in the same day/week from London.

My strategy: Apply to all three and see if any of them let me in! If they do, I'll make my decision from there :P

IESE and ESADE seem to have longer-standing traditions in Spain. A rep from one school remarked to me on how amazed she was at how much IE has shot up in the rankings in recent years.

I think, within Spain, IESE and ESADE might be a little more well reputed. But, outside of Spain, IESE has the best academic reputation, and IE has the best marketing by far!

At any rate, they're all really good programs. Like someone else said, IESE seems to take a more traditional approach and attracts more finance/banking types. ESADE seems to attract more industry people. And IE is really big on entrepreneurship. At the same time, each school has students focused on each of those areas. And all of them also produce a lot of consultants.

Both ESADE and IE seem to me to be more focused on soft skills.. ESADE has its LEAD program, while IE has something called ACCLERLATE. (they're both funky acronyms). Both programs are meant to build your leaderships skills by evaluating your personality and finding ways to improve.. while IESE seems to focus more on the serious stuff: case studies and more case studies!

Of course, this is too much generalization and based on my perceptions alone. So you'll have to find out more about each school and make a decision based on your own perceptions.

One tip, though: Don't soley base your perception of a school on what you heard from just one representative you met at a fair. Try to find some alumni to talk to as well.. you might get a very different feel for the school from different people.

I was wondering something in my quest to cut from -lets say- 15 universities to only those that i am going to apply.

All 3 programmes IESE,IE,ESADE, are supposed to be the best in spain.But how can someone reach to a conclusion about which one is ''the best fit for him''.

For example from the posts above IESE is thought to be good if someone wants to work afterwards in finance,whereas ESADE in industry...how can someone say that?

Anyone can guess that there is a difference between living in chicago and living in barcelona...even if you have never been to any of those places,you can get plenty information easily...

I am just asking a question,this is not a critique ,because it is essential for everybody to choose the right place for him from all aspects,classes and life.All the posts above are really helpful but how can someone gather this information?

thank you in advance

without traveling to the universities, it's a pretty tough thing to do. You pretty much have to rely on the marketing materials from the schools as well as generalizations made by others :P

Here are some more of my thoughts/observations:

From what I gather, IESE models themselves after Harvard. Their university seems very traditional, and takes itself very seriously. They are part of the Universidad de Navarra, which is renowed for many subjects outside of business, as well. (There could be some advantages to being part of a larger network of colleges) It's a Catholic school.. The wiki article on the university is helpful: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Navarre

ESADE is similar in that it takes a traditional academic approach, and it's a catholic school. However, it is a stand alone business school that is not part of a larger university network. They seem to try to market themselves as being a school places importance on soft skills and leadership development. Their program is smaller than the other two.. I think there are only something like 200 people in each class, compared to around 500 at both IE and IESE. So, if you like more personal attention, this could be a good program for you. CORRECTION: ESADE is part of Universitat Ramon Lull in Barceloina, a large, well-respected university with a long tradition in Spain.

IE is the youngest of the three schools, and it has no religious affiliation. They pride themselves on having instructors with recent practical business experience. They don't have any tenured professors. The really promote entrepreneurship and say that something like a quarter of their graduates go on to start their own businesses within 5 years after graduation. This seems to be the least like a traditional American MBA program.

So, while I tried to list the differences I could gather, at the same time, it seems these programs might be more similar than they are different. So, if you need to narrow down your list, maybe you should just do it by location or price, or some more easy to define criteria!

You might try attending online information sessions for each of the schools so you can ask your own questions. Or you could just e-mail/call an admissions representative.

PS you said "For example from the posts above IESE is thought to be good if someone wants to work afterwards in finance,whereas ESADE in industry...how can someone say that?"

What do you mean? Those are generalizations based on the current student populations.

It's a fact that IESE has more students who end up working in finance (30 some percent, it's on their brochure), and ESADE has more in industry (they had info on their brochure, too, but i don't remember the percentage). It probably has something to do with the companies that traditionally do their recruiting at those schools. It doesn't neccessarily mean that IESE is better at teaching finance, just that more people go into finance careers, so you'd be in the company o fa lot of future investment bankers.

I came across this interesting comment on the BusinessWeek message boards:

* rom: MBAEuro
* Posted: 4/1/08

I recently had the opportunity to interview w/ IESE and IE, tour their campuses, and meet some of their current students. This helped me get a feel for each organization (I did the same w/ HEC and Insead, but that's a different story). I contacted MC & I-Bank recruiters located in LDN, Dubai and N. America to discuss recruitment at each school. I also couldn?t help but consult the increasingly important (maybe too important) MBA rankings. I will say that today (2008), the debate should not lie on whether IESE or IE offers a better MBA, but whether a 1yr or a 2yr program is a better fit for a given candidate. However, for the sake of this thread I?ll offer my comparison of the two schools, objective or otherwise.

Obvious points: IESE offers a 21 mth (2yr) MBA and IE offers the same over ~1 year. If your business knowledge/experience is light, then the IESE program might be a better fit. Those with business backgrounds usually gravitate to one year programs, ie. IE, Insead, & IMD.

IESE fans will note that IESE?s two yr program includes a summer corporate internship. IE also allows for a similar opportunity over the summer months. I personally do not place much value on the ?internship?, with compensation (or lack thereof) for interns being my chief consideration. If an internship is important to you, IESE obviously has the edge but you should also look @ LBS, which has a very good internship program.

Other points, IE also is world renowned for its entrepreneurial slant, which makes this debate immediately moot for any mini-Richard Bransons out there. IESE is known for its research and academics.

Recruitment: Today, IESE and IE are both respected by recruiters and you won?t be short of job opportunities at either school. IESE (~2yr MBA) benefits from higher placement ratios right out of school since students have more time to find a job, but IE?s placements are not far behind, which speaks to its recruitment.

I have spoken with MC and I-Bank recruiters (my target industries) from Dubai, London, and in N. America. IESE seems to have better recognition in N. Amer., but they would ?like to see applicants from IE?. The firms I spoke to in London and Dubai were all well aware of both schools.

At any rate, you would have to be very unlucky not to secure a good job from either school if you have a good profile (i.e. good experience, higher class placement, strong interview skills, etc.).

Rankings: The schools both rank very well (see ft.com & economist). It definitely should be noted that IE has done well to rise through the ranks so quickly considering it is a much newer program, this was, oddly enough, drawn to my attention by an IESE student who called IE one the rankings? ?rising stars?.

If there ever was a real difference in reputation and recruitment between IE and IESE, it has significantly evaporated. Today, any base decision between IE & IESE should really come down to whether one wants to pursue a 1yr vs. a 2 yr MBA. Again, I strongly suggest that you visit both schools if you are serious about a Spanish MBA. Good luck in your search!

Here's the original source: http://forums.businessweek.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?msg=14311.21&nav=messages&webtag=bw-bschools

The discussion goes all the way back to 2001! They talk about ESADE as well.

The more I read, it definitely seems that within Spain, IESE is considered the "Best" program; and ESADE is arguably number 2. But, IE has a very good international reputation, and some argue that it should be looked at on par with IESE.

without traveling to the universities, it's a pretty tough thing to do. You pretty much have to rely on the marketing materials from the schools as well as generalizations made by others :P

Here are some more of my thoughts/observations:

From what I gather, IESE models themselves after Harvard. Their university seems very traditional, and takes itself very seriously. They are part of the Universidad de Navarra, which is renowed for many subjects outside of business, as well. (There could be some advantages to being part of a larger network of colleges) It's a Catholic school.. The wiki article on the university is helpful: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Navarre

ESADE is similar in that it takes a traditional academic approach, and it's a catholic school. However, it is a stand alone business school that is not part of a larger university network. They seem to try to market themselves as being a school places importance on soft skills and leadership development. Their program is smaller than the other two.. I think there are only something like 200 people in each class, compared to around 500 at both IE and IESE. So, if you like more personal attention, this could be a good program for you.

IE is the youngest of the three schools, and it has no religious affiliation. They pride themselves on having instructors with recent practical business experience. They don't have any tenured professors. The really promote entrepreneurship and say that something like a quarter of their graduates go on to start their own businesses within 5 years after graduation. This seems to be the least like a traditional American MBA program.

So, while I tried to list the differences I could gather, at the same time, it seems these programs might be more similar than they are different. So, if you need to narrow down your list, maybe you should just do it by location or price, or some more easy to define criteria!

You might try attending online information sessions for each of the schools so you can ask your own questions. Or you could just e-mail/call an admissions representative.

Yes you are right. IE, too, is part of a larger school. In 2007, IE aquired SEK University in Segovia. They renamed it "IE University". Here is some basic info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IE_University
So IE now offers a range of bachelor's and master's degrees in various diciplines.

The original post I wrote mostly on my impressions from things I saw and read online. Since then I have interviewed with all three schools and have learned a bit more about them.

I put a correction about ESADE in my previous post.

Hi guys, I just found a post that might help at
http://myesademba.com/2010/01/24/esade-vs-iese-vs-others-my-choice/

It is somewhat biased as the person who posted it attends ESADE, but it is nice to hear diferent opinions.

"According to my blog statistics the comparison and choice between ESADE and IESE has be one of the main interests of my readers. Therefore I decided to dedicate an article to my choice of ESADE over IESE.

IESE simply was never an option to me!!! It never made it to my radar. ESADE?s reputation was being the school with great people and culture and that reputation had reached me. Nothing alike about IESE. So i never considered IESE to be quite honest.

I met many of the schools at the MBA fair in London in 2008 and I based my choice simply on gut-feeling at the end of the day! LBS for example had some students present and the contact with them was terrible. After seeing how they were reacting to each other, talking to applicants, it was clear that I had no interest whatsoever in applying to them!

Another very important factor to me is the teamwork! I love teamwork and team focus and don?t like the cut-throat mentality of many other schools. When you have a school with a bell-curve grading system I assure you that you will feel enormous horizontal pressure. ESADE students are competitve but we are teams at the end of the day and not competitors. The feeling I got from IE, INSEAD and LBS namely showed me the exact opposite.

But at the end of the day you have to make the choice that feels right. you should definitely look beyond rankings though and consider the soft factors as well. I example only applied to HKUST, RSM and ESADE because these are the ones I had the best feeling about!! it is not only about ranks for me but about whether it feels right?

One last thing that I can recommend is that you ask to attend some of the classes when you visit the schools. And speak as intensively with students while on campus as possible!!! Keep asking and asking and asking!!! The responses and the way people respond will tell you a lot!

Overall i can say that I am very happy, I amazed with the selection of colleagues and definitely enjoy the experience!

I hope that helped you a little with your choice and let?s stay in touch!! Good luck with your applications!"

Sally so after visiting the three school what are your impressions? to wich school are you going? I am doing some reasearch to start my masters in 2011. IE seems better ranked in previous years, is it due to all the marketing, how does it compare to ESADE and IESE now?

IE is definately better than any of those schools given the current situation. I would suggest that you go to the IE, if you can get into it. It is the rising star. In fact, I finished my MBA at the Haas, which is one of the best schools in the world. But if I had the option of IE in my hand at that time, then it would have been a so difficult decision even for me.

Canica --

I actually did not visit any of the schools. I only met with admissions representatives in the US, talked to some alumni, and did more online research.

Anyway, like I've said before... I think all three are great programs. I actually think that locally, ESADE and IESE have better brands within Spain. IESE especially is considered one of the best schools in Europe, and places a lot of people in IB in London.. .

Anyway, I ended up deciding to go to IE (as i've talked about in other parts of this forum). I just thought it seemed like the best fit for me, someone with a non-traditional business background interested in business as an "art" more than a "science." I like the emphasis they put on entrepreneurship and on leadership training. I also just like the overall vibe I got from the school. A big part of my decision also had to do with IE's location in Madrid. I just felt like it was a better place for me, personally, first because Spanish is the only official language there (unlike Barcelona where most locals speak Catalan.) I am a student of Spanish, and that is one of my main goals studying in Spain. Another reason I thought Madrid was perferable is because my fiance will be joining me and it just seemed like there was more opportunities for programs he could apply to there. Oh, another reason was financial aid... as an American female, there were more scholarships for me to apply to at IE than either ESADE or IESE, and that was a major factor. I was actually able to get a decent sized "fellowship" offer from IE already, and am waiting to hear back about some other awards I applied to. I would look at the scholarship options at each school and see which offers the most money to people of your particular background. ESADE and IESE offer a lot of scholarships as well, but as an American I was not eligible for as many compared to IE.

Sally.

KayChris --

As a Haas alumni, what has been your experience with IE or the other Spanish schools? I think your statement is pretty strong... obviously, it's impossible to predict the future. IE has definitely grown a lot in recent years, and raised in its reputation. But who knows what direction is will go in the future? One could argue that IESE and ESADE are safer bets because they have been around for a longer time and have a more consistent reputation. But, anyway, I don't know about 5 to 10 years from now. But, today at least, all three schools offer good opportunities, I believe.

Sally.

Hey Sally,

I don't think ESADE has a better brand in Spain than IE. IESE perhaps, but not ESADE.

Don't you think that IE's location gives and edge to the school? Madrid has far more economic power in Spain than Barcelona, and IE is the only one top school in the city. At the end, it will have a big alumni network there.

I'd love to hear your opinions about IE now that you are already studying there.

Thanks!