Hello friends,
I know this is an mba forum but as of now I am super tensed and was sure to get some really good advice here, so I would be grateful if anyone would help me out.my background_I am an Indian student and currently hold the following offers_
Warwick for accounting and finance
Durham uni (insurance choice) for accounting and finance
Bocconi uni for economics and finance with scholarship
University of Melbourne (bcom in accounting and finance)
Goals_working in europe/Australia/America (anywhere except for asia).I would probably go in for a masters straight after my undergrad degree.
Other factors that are really important for me_
Quality of students
Reputation of the university
Location
Ease of finding a job after the masters degree.
I was also really confused by the rankings as bocconi and uni of Melbourne oust warwick and Durham in the undergraduate rankings but warwick fares better in the mba rankings.

Thanks.

Why not use the masters in finance ranking? http://rankings.ft.com/businessschoolrankings/masters-in-finance-pre-experience-2013

Thank you Duncan. I am facing some problems with the rankings too, I would be grateful if you could help_the uni of Melbourne is not ranked by the ft, however it seems to have an excellent rep.bocconi seems to be a good uni and I have heard that it places well in the London ibs , plus going by the employment data, it is above warwick, Durham, though I am not sure if companies in Italy or UK for that matter hire Indians. .I feel that warwick is a strong brand name too but it does cost 40k more than bocconi. In your opinion is bocconi an equally strong name as Melbourne , Warwick ?

You need to look at the outcomes for the course, not just the university as a whole. Melbourne is a great university; its masters in finance is just not at the same world class level. The point isn't just the name, but the fact that the different outcomes reflect the quality of the students, career services and alumni networks as well as the brand equity.

Thank you duncan for the prompt reply.its down to warwick and bocconi then.warwick is at 15 and bocconi at 20,so there is not much of a difference in terms of the ranking.bocconi is better for employment according to stats but im still not really convinced if it is viewed as a great school or not in the whole of europe.

The differences between these programmes are small. The employment stats from both schools reflect fairly small response rates, but they are both strong. Warwick has a better outcome and a better ranking as well as a more global reputation. However, the big difference is that one programme os twice as long as the other. Considering your prior study, which of these best reflects your needs?

PS swapping from the joint degree to pure finance, at either school, would also give you a lift.

Thanks Duncan. I have not been able to explain my situation to you properly. I beg your pardon, however I am a high school student and am planning on an undergrad degree first , then an msc from the same school.so among my undergrad options I have shortlisted the warwick and the bocconi program.the prospect of learning a new language and acquiring a degree from a top school are the factors that have attracted me to bocconi.the other program is the warwick one which costs about £40, 000 more but as stated by you , it has a more global reputation. According to you, is warwick worth the extra money? Sorry again for making it all so unclear.

I don't see the advantage of getting the MSc and BSc from the same schools: you could have two languages and two alumni networks. Comparing money and reputation are like apples and oranges. Right now, it looks like Warwick grads earn more money, with one year less study, so that's the best value for money. Of course review the rankings later on, and take your MSc somewhere else if it makes sense.

That makes sense .thank you duncan.if you dont mind my asking,i have been reviewing this forum for a long time and i really respect your advice.however ,i feel that you donot view bocconi as a top grade school.i had come across a post in which you gave someone the advice of pursuing an mba from sp jain rather than misb bocconi.now to be very honest,i feel that by leaving india i am striving for an education that is not imparted by the top institutions here except for maybe iima and iimb.my conversation with some iitians at bocconi and lse also confirmed the fact most intelligent indians too have started looking beyond the iims and that even top students have started recognizing the major flaws in our education system.the two conflicting points(first comparing schools like imt and sp jain to bocconi and second chosing bocconi/lse over iims) are making it very hard for me to make a decision .do you think that it is the right decision to leave india or institutions like sp jain and iim indore (undergrad program) do compete with top european/canadian/aust unis?

That depends on your goals. Placement from IIM A/B/C is clearly more secure than from Harvard or Stanford.

Bocconi's first intake in India is clearly a riskier option than SP Jain, even if it's a better school.

PS Bocconi's a great school, of course, and it's the leading business school in Italy. Its eduniversal ranking shows how respected it is by business school deans. But as a route into employment we have to admit that it's really Italian, and that its placement into global brands is primarily into their Italian branches. And if you're learning Italian from scratch, why not try Spanish, French or German, which have simpler grammar and are more widely spoken?

Hello Guys,
Sorry to jump in, I also was lured by the name bocconi & visited MISB. My view - though the faculty is excellent (they come from Milan to Mumbai) still the school will need min 5 yrs to make its presence felt in Indian job mkt . Their 1 batch will be placed this year..

Aside: Duncan - I am a big admirer of your post & find them sensible & honest. A Big Thank you from Mumbai.

Having said that: Pls evaluate my proflie and suggest me a 1 year or upto 18 months MBA program. Would prefer if i can get a spl in SCM.. i am yet to give a GMAT..

Snapshot: Male - Indian - 29 years (turning 30)
Bachelors of Commerce - 2006 - Mumbai Uni - 54%
Exe Program (IDL based 6 Months) - IIM-C - 2010 B+
Work exp 08 yrs with F500 co like Reliance India, Bharti-Walmart, General Mills Ind with over 5 yrs of managerial exp

Extra Cir: Represented Mumbai city (one of top 5 candidate) across India for a nationwide TV talent hunt..
Won awards individual & team for Bachelor's college.
Captain of school cricket team on district level

Community:
Working with a city based NGO for getting equal employment opportunity for specially abled kids

International Exposure: USA for supply chain project (Have extensively worked on north american network)

I know you get plenty of emails asking for evaluation this is one of them, but I am hoping you reply..

Regards
Sinan Diwan

It's pointless trying to answer without your GMAT.

Read:- GMAT Tiers - strong schools for your GMAT www.find-mba.com/board/27082

Hey Duncan,

I understand but my last scores are no longer valid. Will be giving the test this July again.

To give you an idea my last was 630, and it was not a 100% effort. My practical aim is to hit over 660/670 mark which I feel is achievable..

Anyways will post back once I get thru the test.

Thanks
B/R,
Sinan