Hello Duncan and co

The last time I posted here was to hear your insights on choosing between ESSEC and ESADE. I was set on ESADE until today morning and would once again love to understand your POV.

I just received a very generous offer from BU (55k) scholarship, which has thrown up a new dilemma since I already have an ESADE admit and have 2 days to make the deposit payment. Sharing some context and what are the pros and cons in my view

Post MBA goal: To work in tech management or VC. I have 8 years of Startup experience but want an MBA to work in a more senior role as a PM or BD lead in a larger tech firm. I also have experience in VC but mostly handle marketing and communication, I want to transition into a more analytical and financial role with an MBA. I'm open to both but I realise that VC is much harder to get into and my best chances are in tech.

Other considerations: Financially speaking I'm the only earning member of my family so debt does play a big role. For ESADE funding I have taken a loan with our home as collateral

Long-term settlement and life: I was set on the EU as a place I want to live in the long term but I realise that if I graduate with a lot of debt, it might be harder and take longer to realise that dream

ESADE Pros

1) I like the program for opportunities like working on projects with CERN and exchange semesters at top B-schools like Booth and Kellog

2) It is more tech-oriented than other EU schools, which matters a lot since I'm not keen on consulting. LinkedIn research shows a strong tech ecosystem too.

3) I have spoken to many alumni and they have nothing but good things to say about the schools and have gone out of the way to help me

4) Barcelona!

ESADE Cons

1) Career prospects that weigh on me are the middish mean salary and the fact I know some ESADE alum who have returned or went to the UAE to work (Don't want to end up there)

2) High cost of tuition and living (I will be spending close to 100k USD)

3) Spain and the EU in general as a career destination. While employment the world over is pretty hard for MBA grads rn, it is extremely difficult in EU at the moment.

BU Pros

1) While it ain't HBS or MIT, it still holds its own on the East Coast as a reputed institution

2) The dual specialisation is something that really appealed to me and the curriculum overall seems very up-to-date

3) The scholarship + post-employment salaries make better sense in terms of ROI

4) Boston is a hub for tech and alum research on LinkedIn shows that a lot do find good roles in tech.

BU Cons

1) Not a very strong brand beyond the Boston or East Coast Area vs ESADE's EU reach

2) USA wasn't my first choice to settle down in

3) I will mostly have to be content with working in T2 consulting or tech firms as a fall back if I don't get my desired companies

I have never faced a tougher decision in my life and would greatly appreciate any kind of guidance from the folks here.

I looked enviously at the Boston dual masters course a few years ago. It was never feasible for me to do an MBA etc in the USA but I did a year long digital transformation leadership course with Boston via EdX.



It looks like the content has indeed been refreshed since then. Between the MBA and MS, you'll develop excellent knowledge across business and technology.



The key question is really where do you want to live/settle down? If it's Europe then you're probably better off studying in Europe and ideally in the country you want to settle down in. If you want to live in the USA then study there.



VC is going through a tricky time at the moment after the fallout last year from the collapse in tech startup valuations and ongoing large amounts of layoffs in the tech sector as a whole. Don't pin your hopes too high on VC, it is a very tough sector to get into at the best of times.

[Edited by aslamo on Feb 22, 2024]

As you and Aslamo say, VC is unlikely - maybe less likely for you from BU than from ESADE - but improbable. Deal volume isn't down that much but the size of funding rounds is much smaller on average and there's not much hunger to hire.



Are you looking at the BU dual-degree MBA+ MS in Digital Technology? That is a STEM degrees which gives you extra time in the US.



Use the compare schools feature in the FT ranking.

- BU is stronger for aims acheived.

- ESADE is stronger for career progress, % employed, international mobility, overall satisfaction and salary.

[Edited by Duncan on Feb 21, 2024]

Thank you for the quick response Duncan and Aslamo.



I will check out FT but I have two concerns with the ranking (I could be wrong)



1) The salary numbers for ESADE differ from the latest employment report shared by the school, for Questrom it is more or less the same. Additionally I think MSDT specialisation will edge the salary closer to ESADE.

2) Yes I'm considering Questrom for its MSDT specialisation. It was the only US school I applied to considering my score and its curriculum which is very appealing to me since I want to be a manager that understands tech on a level that's closer to engineers and CTOs.



WRT VC, I understand where you're coming from. If I have to forge a career in the future it will be built on the back of working in global tech firms and some entrepreneurship.

[Edited by happyheretic on Feb 21, 2024]

The FT data and the school employment reports measure at different times, so I would be surprised if the numbers were the same. Employment reports show salaries in the role after the MBA. The FT looks at salaries two or three years later. ESADE alumni report rather fast salary growth, unlike Questrom alumni.

The MSDT alumni report 4% higher salary than the general MBA alumni. However, I saw this on Numbeo: "You would need around 4,476.5$ (4,140.4€) in Barcelona to maintain the same standard of life that you can have with 8,300.0$ in Boston, MA (assuming you rent in both cities)." Therefore, other things being equal, I would be tempted by ESADE.

[Edited by Duncan on Feb 21, 2024]

As you and Aslamo say, VC is unlikely - maybe less likely for you from BU than from ESADE - but improbable. Deal volume isn't down that much but the size of funding rounds is much smaller on average and there's not much hunger to hire.