Hi,

I am an Indian female with six years of experience, currently working as an Operations Manager in a consumer goods company in India. I’ve received admission offers from Ivey, RSM, ESMT, and SMU for their full-time MBA programs, starting in January/Spring 2025.

My career goal is to transition into consulting, specifically focusing on operational excellence. My work experience spans finance, project management, and operations, making my professional background quite diverse. While this diversity was manageable during the application/admissions process, I’m concerned about how it might affect my job search post-MBA, especially in securing high-paying roles. I assume employers prefer to hire MBA grads with extensive expertise in a single domain.

From my research and conversations with alumni, I understand that each school has its strengths and challenges:

Ivey: The school is strong in consulting, but I’ve learned that only a small percentage of students secure top-tier consulting roles. Considering the high cost of the program, I’m concerned about the return on investment, especially given the adverse job market in Canada.
ESMT: Feedback suggests that German employers tend to favor graduates from other top German schools, and there are concerns about the effectiveness of the career services at ESMT. Only about 60% of the school's MBA graduates find jobs within 3 months post graduation and the career services don't help much said some.
RSM: Similar concerns have been raised about the career services at RSM, and I’ve also heard about challenges faced by international students, particularly those from Asia, in their treatment specially from the faculty's end. There seems to be bare minimum to no support from the caeer services department of the school.
SMU: Most SMU MBA graduates seem to get into banking. I’ve been informed that consulting opportunities might be more limited, and the market may favor candidates with tech backgrounds.

I’ve also heard that most employers in these countries tend to favor international candidates with engineering or tech backgrounds for post-MBA roles. Is that accurate? Given my non-tech background, I’m concerned about how this might impact my job prospects.
Another thing I've noticed is that employment outcomes post MBA seem to be inflated and exaggerated by the schools considering what alumni have to say about the same.

Language barriers in Germany and the Netherlands also pose a challenge, although I’m actively learning both languages, hoping to initially secure an English-speaking role before transitioning into a more local context.

Given these insights, I’m finding it difficult to justify the significant financial investment required for an MBA, especially with the challenges in securing high-paying jobs in these regions. I would greatly appreciate any insights or advice from those familiar with these programs or who have navigated similar decisions.

Thank you for your time and assistance.

You might want to explore MBA programs in other countries known for consulting, such as the US or UK. Why have you selected these schools rather than only 'the usual suspects'? https://find-mba.com/lists/top-business-schools-for-consulting

PS When you say SMU, I assume you mean SMU in Singapore rather than SMU in Texas.

[Edited by Duncan on Aug 29, 2024]

Yes, I'm sorry about the confusion. I am indeed referring to SMU in Singapore. The reason I selected these schools is that I was aiming to apply for the nearest intake that offered alternative test options/test waiver, as I didn’t have a GMAT score at the time. Due to some personal circumstances, I’m unable to push my MBA plans to the next cycle (fall '25), so I focused on the best available options under these constraints.
I appreciate your input and would be grateful for any further advice you might have.

Take a look at https://find-mba.com/board/general-forum/best-mbas-for-international-students-placement-35651

Given your preferences, I recommend taking the GMAT or GRE urgently and applying to better schools. Insead and HEC come to mind. With your current options, Ivey is probably your best option.

Given your preferences, I recommend taking the GMAT or GRE urgently and applying to better schools. Insead and HEC come to mind. With your current options, Ivey is probably your best option.

[Edited by brianna on Aug 30, 2024]

The IE school is a sleek business. I am not fully convinced. I have taken mooc courses by IE professors and they are very very good.

Check this out

https://poetsandquants.com/2018/01/28/why-ie-business-school-lost-its-ft-ranking/

If you want quality education you will get it. If you want job, not speaking Espanol is a real challenge

I can't delay my MBA plans to Fall '25; otherwise, I would have targeted better schools.

My main concern is that most well-placed international alumni from the schools I've mentioned (and even some from other top business schools) seem to have pre-MBA backgrounds in the tech sector.

The IE school is a sleek business. I am not fully convinced. I have taken mooc courses by IE professors and they are very very good.

Check this out

https://poetsandquants.com/2018/01/28/why-ie-business-school-lost-its-ft-ranking/

If you want quality education you will get it. If you want job, not speaking Espanol is a real challenge

I can't delay my MBA plans to Fall '25; otherwise, I would have targeted better schools.

Did someone suggest you delay until Fall 25? I recommended INSEAD and HEC Paris because they have January start dates.

My main concern is that most well-placed international alumni from the schools I've mentioned (and even some from other top business schools) seem to have pre-MBA backgrounds in the tech sector.

I suggest you look at placement and employment reports, because your perception is mistaken. At HEC, for example, 16% of the cohort starts off in tech but 37% ends up in consulting. Therefore, most people in consulting do not come from tech.

The FT placement data also track employers. These are audited by KPMG. I think schools are generally careful with their reporting.