Hello all
I have a spot a local business school in singapore. I applied to the Rotterdam school of management (RSM) for the fun of it and i surprisingly got accepted. Therefore i would like to get some input from you guys about RSM, and whether it would be a better choice in terms of a business education, and job opportunities and placement upon graduation, and of course internships as well.

RSM offers a 3 year programme in intl business, which is something different from the business programmes offered in singapore, which only offers BBA programmes. Apparently RSM is well accredited in it's MBA programmes but little information can be found regarding its bachelor programmes.

Tell me what you guys think! Is it worth it to go to RSM for a business undergrad education?
Any advice or input would be much appreciated! Thanks!

RSM is a great school. Erasmus is on a par with the universities in Singapore, or better. If you're from Singapore, then studying abroad will broaden your horizons. Other things being equal, it's better to study in a new country to improve your cross-cultural skills.

The climate is different, but also research the Dutch culture. You'll find the Dutch students more self-confident and assertive than those in Singapore.

Hey JK Duncan, firstly let me thank you for your reply. Have you had any experience with RSM? I'm particularly concerned about the bachelor programme. Well as i am Singaporean, the chances of me getting a job before i graduate would be quite high if i fulfill my internships well and do well with my exams. Can the same be said about RSM? What kind of opportunities would i be presented with an RSM degree?

Hi Cedric. I'm a business school admissions advisor. I've visted the school and know its portfolio. As it happens, I was admitted to study at RSM but I've tracked the school for a dozen years or so.

However, I think some of the issues you are weighing are are rather generic: what would attending any top European university mean for you? The safe choice is to stay in Singapore, since the economy is growing there and life is simple. Regardless of where you studied, you would have a higher chance of getting work in Singapore than in Rotterdam. Singapore employers are open to graduates of top universities overseas, and you might be able to get internships in Singapore if you are focussed on that. Personally, I think that study at RSM will be a much better preparation for your career than if you were to stay in Singapore.

I think career options will be broadly similar after RSM as as after NUS, NTU or SMU: a rather junior role, or a further year to complete a masters' degree. RSM is the top business school in the Benelux countries, and the outcomes for students will be good. The placement report shows the outcomes for MSc students http://www.rsm.nl/fileadmin/Images_NEW/Sites/Recruitement_survey/Graduate_Placement_Report_v4.pdf and for BSc programmes I'd imagine that the roles will be similar but the salaries will be a few thousand [euros per year] lower.

I think you'd find working or studying in Europe to be a really interesting experience which would add a lot to your value when you return to Singapore.

i've been discouraged by friends due to the fact that RSM is located in netherlands, which isn't as much of a motivation as compared to cities such as london or new york, especially when i am aiming to pursue a degree in business.
however, i am aware that an education overseas would be an entirely different experience, but my doubt lies in RSM as a school that can get me to the places that i want to go. if i were to unfortunately be unable to get any opportunities after my bachelor's degree there, i would have to come back to singapore to get a job, and i would be severely disadvantaged as most of my counterparts would have already secured their jobs before their graduation and have harnessed experience in their internships.
by the way, i have a place in SMU studying business.

What are the places you want to do to? if you want to work in Singapore, then SMU is the safe choice. RSM opens up the door to Europe. Even if you are focussed on Asia, you could still take internships in Singapore and focus both your thesis and your exchange semester on Asia. I don't think you'd struggle to find a job in Singapore with a degree from one of the world's top business schools (according to business school deans, on of the top five in the world http://www.eduniversal-ranking.com/business-school-university-ranking-5palms.html)

If RSM is the only international school you have applied to, then you have to compare it to Singapore and not to London or New York. Holland is the world's eight largest exporter and international students there don't seem to have much trouble finding jobs there. To attend a school of similar standing in London or New York you'd need to at least double your budget.

I don't think you'd be * severely* disadvantaged in Singapore. Singapore has a shortage of talent: that's why SMU exists and why business schools good and bad are growing there.

However, I think you'd have both a better education at RSM and a better life experience. If you prefer the US or UK, then apply there.

hmm thanks for your input. i would just like to add that i'll be taking the international business programme in RSM, what does that mean in terms of job placement in the future? i've heard that most students that undergo this programme move on directly to their 1 year of masters, but if i decide not to, will this disadvantage me as compared to students that are under the BBA programme?
in addition, i am also thinking of applying to ESADE business school, and i was just wondering how the undergrad BBA programme there would compare to an undergrad IBA programme in RSM. i would like to go into ibanking in the future, and i've also heard that IBA students are not suited in this field as compared to economics or econometrics students. is this true?

Yes, I was talking about the IBA programme, since the other BSc is in Dutch. Clearly speaking Dutch is an advantage, especially outside IB. The ESADE programme adds a fourth year, and that's useful. If you had four years, then three years at RSM plus an MSc in finance somewhere else would give you an edge on ESADE BBA graduates.

There are not too many graduate entry jobs in European IB. but a quantitative BSc would be effective: maths, engineering, econometrics etc...

is it then safe to say that if i want to enter an IB related field, the IBA will not be very useful as compared to an economics or econometrics degree....unless i continue on with a masters in a quantitative related field ?

IBA VS BBA, which would be more in demand and useful in terms of job prospects? i am aware that the fine print in the curriculum may be different.

is it then safe to say that if i want to enter an IB related field, the IBA will not be very useful as compared to an economics or econometrics degree....unless i continue on with a masters in a quantitative related field ?

IBA VS BBA, which would be more in demand and useful in terms of job prospects? i am aware that the fine print in the curriculum may be different.

haha i would love to, unfortunately there is a lot more cost involved. and i would say that my a level grades are pretty mediocre (BBB), i don't think i would be able to get into any great unis in london.

I think the choice of school is more important. IBA versus BBA is a false choice. At RSM you'd have a BSc, at ESADE a BBA. I don't think employers care that much. But for finance they want to know that you want reason quantitatively. Not all economics or econometrics courses use the software you'd use in IB: often they have a macroeconomic. In practise, look at the courses. I think you'd get a similar training at RSM as at ESADE but, of course, the four year at ESADE will add more.

i've looked up on internship / employment opportunities in rotterdam / amsterdam and it seems to me that they are quite little due to the fact that i do not speak dutch, ie. fluency in dutch is required.

I think that's generally true, but less true in the finance sector. I looked here http://jobs.efinancialcareers.co.uk/Netherlands.htm for example and a minority of the job adverts are in Dutch. That will be even more so in investment banking where you are focussed. Firms like ABM AMRO and ING are very international, and RSM has the biggest alumni network in IB jobs in the NL. That said, Singapore probably has more IB jobs than the Netherlands. NUS and NTU have stronger alumni networks than SMU locally, but I think its still the safer choice.

unfortunately, i've heard that only the top few business grads make it to the IB sector in Singapore. However, i was not aware that Singapore has a bigger IB scene than the Netherlands.

Let's say i decide that i want to venture into the UK or NYC, should my choice still be RSM? How is it's influence outside of the netherlands?

IB is very competitive. RSM is a much more global school than the Singaporean universities but, as a rule of thumb, you should study where you want to work.

i see, i've heard that as well, but i was hoping that the international/global reach of the school could provide me with opportunities for employment outside of the netherlands as well.

Yes, I think any top business school can be a route into international opportunities, especially in the immediate region. But they are stronger at home.

In this respect, the two schools you are looking at are rather similar: three out of every four SMU and RSM graduates are in their domestic market.

RSM has notable alumni networks in the US, UK, Belgium and Germany; SMU has notable networks in North America, France, UK and Greater China (which also reflects the more global spread of the Chinese diaspora).

If you were not from Singapore, I think I'd recommend SMU over RSM because of the greater dynamism of the finance sector in Singapore. But the international experience will be valuable and RSM or another top international business school is a strong asset. If you have any international aspirations, then this is a great opportunity to get out of Singapore.

i guess it will boil down to where i can get a better career in banking/finance? and would that be in Singapore?

I'd also think about what you want to study. If you want to working in finance/banking then why not study finance? One advantage of the three-year programme at RSM is that you would save a year, after which you could do a one-year MSc in finance, perhaps at SMU. That would make you stand out from other Singaporeans with no international experience and just an undergraduate degree.

PS Indeed, even economics might be a better preparation for banking than general management.