Hi folks,

I have admits from Lancaster, Imperial and IE International MBA(English). So now, its a choice between Imperial and IE for me. I'm from an IT(Tech.) background and am keen to continue in the same sector post MBA(Strategy Consulting, Management Consulting, Product management...finally entrepreneurship some day) Please help me evaluate Imperial vs. IE.

Imperial-Tanaka: Brand Imperial is world class, has the London edge, great for Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship

IE - fares very well in all the global rankings, great in entrepreneurship.

I got in touch with IE students and them seem to be highly skeptical of the job opportunities if one is not fluent in Spanish. And international placements(i.e. outside Spain) do not seem to be great. But IE features in top 15 in most of the global rankings..so might have a lot of visibility among recruiters..I'm not sure about it though.

Both seem to be great in entrepreneurship.
Please do share your views. I need to decide as soon as possible, as I have hardly any time left.

HI saneline

Both IE and Tanaka business school offers very good business degree for you.

However, while the two schools are top business schools in terms of rankings, quality of teachings, international exposure etc, you may want to consider the career prospects after your study.

Do you intend to work in Spanish-speaking areas or English-speaking areas? If you plan to work in Spain (or many other spanish-speaking countries), IE will be a top choice. However, if you are not a native speaker, then Tanaka will be more suitable for you.

Another question you will need to consider is if you are a EU citizen. What nationality do you have? While it is difficult for foreigners to get a work permit in Spain (but it is still possible), it is relatively easier for one to attain a work permit in London.

Good luck.

Kind regards,
Thomas

Hi,

Well, I think that you have two great schools to pick from.

I agree that it very much depends on what language you speak and where you may want to work after wards.

However, if it were my decision, I think I would be more inclined to go for IE than Imperial College London. Tanaka only rank 35th in the Financial Times top 100 schools, compared to IE's 8th. However, Thomas is right about the spanish-speaking issue. Another consideration perhaps is the vast expense of living in London while you do your MBA?

Hi Julian, Lukeh and Thomas..

Thanks for ur responses buddies..I found them very informative..
Lemme share some more details....I'm an Indian...into research and product development for the past 4 years at a reputed American MNC...and as Julian rightly pointed out Imperial and IE turned out to be my top choices owing to their strengths in innovation, technology and entrepreneurship. I'm likely to get a 'close to full' scholarship at Imperial-Tanaka and am in the process of applying for a scholarship at IE. I intend to work in US or London for a few years post MBA and then come back to India and think of an entrepreneurial venture in a long run. I wouldn't mind learning Spanish. But then, I contacted few current Indian students at IE and was told that it's pretty tough to get fluent in Spanish in an year's time. With that, I would probably end up looking for job opportunities outside Spain post IE MBA. Since English is the only non-Indian language I'm good at, my job prospects would probably be limited to UK, US and perhaps India. Correct me if I missed out on any...

Some new developments: The MBA provision under HSMP in UK is no more valid. Earlier MBA grads from those 50 schools were directly eligible for the work permit. This provision has been scrapped with effect from 30th June 2008.
http://www.workpermit.com/uk/uk-immigration-tier-system/tier-1/general-highly-skilled-migrants.htm

To quote the relevant stuff -
"Tier 1 (General) is very similar to the previous HSMP, save for the notable exception of the removal of the MBA provision which allowed those with MBAs from a list of specific universities to claim an automatic 75 points."

And in the new system, all the students studying in UK automatically qualify for a work permit of 2 years after they pass out. This has been done to encourage the best lot to study and work in UK.

So looks like finding a job in UK would be a hassle free affair post Imperial MBA. I am unable to readily evaluate the ramifications of this change with respect to IE.

That said, IE is a highly ranked school. But can I bank on IE to fetch me

a great job is US? FT ranks few of the American heavy-weights like Kellog/Mich. Ross/Berkeley/Duke/Cornell/UCLA in late twenties or thirties after IE and some of the UK schools like Lancaster. So I basically wanted to know if an IE grad would be treated on par with these schools in the US market? Or even Imperial for that matter...How much does a rank matter to an employer or recruiter? Is a candidate from a top ten school assessed more favorably than one from a relatively lower ranked school? Would rank make any difference in the way potential employers perceive an Imperial or an IE grad?
Would IE's current rank (8 in FT) make my candidature any stronger? I frankly do not know how much of a role rank plays. Please do throw some light based on your experience.

I'm sorry for the long post. But then, I wanted to make sure I cover all the factors I'm considering to be able to arrive at a decision. Please do share your views in the light of all these factors. Please do help.

Thanks and regards,
saneline

Hi saneline

Thank you for your post.

Regarding your question - does top ten business school candidates be assessed more favorably than one from a relatively lower ranked school?

The answer is YES. It matters a lot. Not only because of the ranking, but because the school will have very strong alumni contacts with leading firms in US and Europe, which in turn be very useful and relevant to you to look for your ideal jobs after your completion of study.

Regarding another question of yours - can one study Spanish in a year?

Possible, with hard work and persistent, it is likely that one can speak and write in Spanish confidently. However, should you be able to lead a discussion, or deliver a presentation, or writing a thesis in Spanish would require a high level of the language, which is difficult to achieve in 12 months.

I wish you all the best.

Kind regards,
Thomas
thomaswai.blogspot.com

Hei..Thanks Thomas.

So unless as you say, I'm able to lead a discussion, or deliver a presentation in Spanish, would I be competitive in the Spanish market?

IE being a top ten school, does it have the same international standing as the other schools which feature in top ten?
If yes, my choice would be straight forward. Does brand IE sell better than Imperial even in English speaking countries?[UK/US]. I basically wanted to know which of the two has a better international standing - especially in UK, US and India since fluency in Spanish over a year is not something I can readily bank upon.
So its IE vs Imperial in non-Spanish market for me.
Please do share your views.