Hello everybody,

I got accepted to HSG (St. Gallen), WHU (Otto Beisheim), RSM (Erasmus).

Background:
EU citizenship, BSc/MSc Engineering, 4 years of experience in Purchasing, manufacturing industry.
MBA Goals:
1) change geography (Switzerland, Germany or Netherlands); 2) change industry (consumer goods, technology, telecommunications) 3) go up one level (Procurement Manager/Sr. Manager).

What BS is best and why, pros/cons, ROI, post avg salary, geography?
Would you potentially aim to any other school (in Europe)?

Thank you.

Wow. Congratulations on getting admitted to HSG. That is tough! 
Do you speak better Dutch, German or French? 

Wow. Congratulations on getting admitted to HSG. That is tough! 
Do you speak better Dutch, German or French? 

[Edited by +vibes on Jun 04, 2020]

I'd go for HSG unless you are LGBT. It's easier to learn German there than in Düsseldorf, and your French might be more useful to a Swiss company. Plus, IMHO, HSG is very picky and if they want you then they think their target employers will want you more. I think HSG, especially with older managers, has real cachet.  

But it's a small town. 

[Edited by Duncan on Jun 04, 2020]

I'd go for HSG unless you are LGBT. It's easier to learn German there than in Düsseldorf, and your French might be more useful to a Swiss company. Plus, IMHO, HSG is very picky and if they want you then they think their target employers will want you more. I think HSG, especially with older managers, has real cachet.  

But it's a small town. 

Swiss firms seem very open to foreign talent. HSG has a tiny MBA and they pick their candidates well. The thing about Düsseldorf is that, like Frankfurt and Berlin, it's full of foreigners who don't really integrate so you don't have to learn German if you are lazy. I'm St Galen, of course you will use Hochdeutche and people will reply to you in it, with a Swiss accent, not in Swiss German, in the same way that no-one in Munch speaker Bayerische to foreigners. 

WHU is well discussed on other threads. 

Swiss firms seem very open to foreign talent. HSG has a tiny MBA and they pick their candidates well. The thing about Düsseldorf is that, like Frankfurt and Berlin, it's full of foreigners who don't really integrate so you don't have to learn German if you are lazy. I'm St Galen, of course you will use Hochdeutche and people will reply to you in it, with a Swiss accent, not in Swiss German, in the same way that no-one in Munch speaker Bayerische to foreigners. 

This seems to be one post from 2014 and another about the same post. But, yeah, if you don't speak German roles are limited in the German speaking region. 

If you are not planning to learn the local business language, then this is also an issue in every country. Nothing special about HSG.

If you are not planning to learn the local business language, then this is also an issue in every country. Nothing special about HSG.

I think you are mistaken to equate brand with rankings. The rankings serve the global markets for business schools that advertise and candidates who read. HSG is higher because of the success of its MSc. In terms of the MBA and EMBA there's no difference between HSG and WHU. But HSG is really Swiss. WHU is around 40 years old. It's not a *very* new brand. 

The critical thing here is that you can't work in German. In that context, HSG makes no sense at all. WHU is the better option. 

I think you are mistaken to equate brand with rankings. The rankings serve the global markets for business schools that advertise and candidates who read. HSG is higher because of the success of its MSc. In terms of the MBA and EMBA there's no difference between HSG and WHU. But HSG is really Swiss. WHU is around 40 years old. It's not a *very* new brand. 

The critical thing here is that you can't work in German. In that context, HSG makes no sense at all. WHU is the better option. 

Given that you don't speak German, you must have been a very interesting candidate to get accepted by HSG. 

Given that you don't speak German, you must have been a very interesting candidate to get accepted by HSG. 

If you are looking for work in the country, you don't want to spend a lot of time abroad