I'm from India and I am interested in entrepreneurship in the sustainability space (manufacturing/exports). I plan to return to India shortly post MBA. I need some college suggestions. Here are my stats:
UG GPA - low (60%)
GMAT - 760
Years of exp - 9
I am trying to find a balance between overall rankings and entrepreneurship rankings. The reason is that while the 1-2 years of entrepreneurship teaching will certainly help, a top ranked MBA can help open doors down the road. While I have shortlisted a couple of T15 US schools, I am trying to find non US universities known for entrepreneurship with a decent ranking (sub 50 worldwide).
Here are a couple of colleges that fit my criteria (sub 50 world rank + entrepreneurship focus):
1. ESADE
2. IE
3. WashU (Olin)
So are there more such colleges? Do colleges such as HEC/IESE/Bocconi fit this list? I'm asking because I had seen a few colleges claim they're pro entrepreneurship but after speaking to students, it turns out that they're not good fit for that purpose!
Need help shortlisting schools!
Posted Sep 03, 2023 21:00
UG GPA - low (60%)
GMAT - 760
Years of exp - 9
I am trying to find a balance between overall rankings and entrepreneurship rankings. The reason is that while the 1-2 years of entrepreneurship teaching will certainly help, a top ranked MBA can help open doors down the road. While I have shortlisted a couple of T15 US schools, I am trying to find non US universities known for entrepreneurship with a decent ranking (sub 50 worldwide).
Here are a couple of colleges that fit my criteria (sub 50 world rank + entrepreneurship focus):
1. ESADE
2. IE
3. WashU (Olin)
So are there more such colleges? Do colleges such as HEC/IESE/Bocconi fit this list? I'm asking because I had seen a few colleges claim they're pro entrepreneurship but after speaking to students, it turns out that they're not good fit for that purpose!
Posted Sep 04, 2023 10:23
This is also useful: https://find-mba.com/lists/top-business-schools-for-entrepreneurs
On the one hand, most avergae to large sized schools have pretty good entrepreneurship teaching these days (especially if they are part of larger universities) but not all have the resources you might be looking for. So, think about what it is you are looking for. Also, there's a big difference between the US and Europe. In the US, it's all about other people's money: MBAs are looking for significant market opportunities and projects that will be loss-making in the medium term, with a cash-out on exit. In Europe, we're often looking for valuable niche opportunities that can get to profitability quickly, allowing the founders to hold on to more or the equity and potentially to have as a long-term project. So, a US school will emphasise business plans and connecting to investors, and a European programme is more likely to get you testing quickly, maybe setting up in an incubator and looking for clients before you sell equity. Some countries (like the UK) even have visa schemes to support entrepreneurs.
Babson, EMLyon, IE and HHL are really founded to support entrepreneurs, so they should be on your list.
Posted Sep 04, 2023 10:47
Because of the emphasis on starting up quick, you'll often see European business schools weaving into their parent universities (or, in France, other schools run by the same chamber of commerce [for grandes ecoles] or regional académies [for state universities and the IAE). At LBS, for example, I took an elective taught by Tom Byers from Stanford, which was opened up to PhDs from University College London working on STEM and biomedical solutions. The school has an incubator and venture capital fund too, and I think that's also the case in other UK universities I have studied at like City, Edinburgh and Manchester.
Posted Sep 04, 2023 13:07
Thank you Duncan for the valuable info! One concerning thing I found was that few schools in US may have a lot of resources for entrepreneurship but when 95% attend there for recruiting into consulting/finance/tech, it gets hard to form a network of like minded people .
Would you also add ESADE to the list or is it not on the same level as Babson, IE etc in the entrepreneurship space?
Posted Sep 04, 2023 13:18
Nowhere is one the same level as Babson: Head and shoulders above the rest as the number one entrepreneurship school. IE and ESADE are a bit different. IE is newer and at the end of a cycle of huge growth, leading to the skyscraper campus. It feels like an edgy, for-profit school (a bit like Hult). ESADE is more corporate friendly and part of society's economic and institutional fabric, while IE is more peripheral and status-hunting. Certainly, ESADE has an excellent infrastructure for entrepreneurship, but the school isn't centred on it.
[Edited by Duncan on Sep 04, 2023]
Posted Sep 04, 2023 13:21
I should also say, as you are returning to India, the SDA Bocconi Asia Campus should be considered if your industrial focus overlaps with it.
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