In @ Insead & Yale, nnm help...

Just get the call...The lady said they just started to call applicants. Letters will be out next Monday

GMAT 750 / 5.0, T 113.  W/E 4 yrs in banking in HK, London and New Yok.

Applied R3 -_-! (am a very slow person) Interviewed with a lady on 5th April.

Thinking about going into management consulting after B-school. Maybe hedge fund. Sigh, actually I don’t know. Thinking about going back to HK – am currently in the states.

So really want to know what CDers are thinking about these two choices. Thanks in advance!!!

AND GOOD LUCK EVERYONE

Ranking: Insead. By most ranks, Insead is top 10 globally. However, Yale is not deemed as top 10 in US.

Career:

If you want to go consulting: Both OK.But Insead is a little better. Both could guarantee you  enough interview opportunities. But Insead have more alumni in consulting.

If you want to go hedge fund: Both a little harder. Since both are not traditional finance schools.Maybe Insead is better,because there are fewer top b-schools in Europe.

Your personal situation: Yale. Your are pretty young and seem to be uncertain about your careers. The US 2 year program (with a Summer Intern) may suit you better.

Current market: Hard to say. Market should not pick up from 2009 and you should expect hardship when graduate in 2009 (after the one year program in Insead). However, US seems to gradually lose its position and the job market in US is more uncertain than anywhere else.

To sum up, you have to consider the pros and cons.

Good luck.

Given your experience and career goal, INSEAD is a better choice.

Some of the Chinese applicants choose US school against INSEAD mainly because of the following two reasons:

1. They want to land a job in US after MBA; or

2. They want  to stay longer in overseas before they come back to China for work. Many of them come directly from China and have limited international experience.

But your situation is neither of the above. INSEAD can benefit you more in the following two aspects:

1. You already have US experience, therefore, INSEAD can diversify your international experience.

2. Your career goal is management consulting in Hong Kong, INSEAD has a much larger alumni base in all leading consulting firms in Greater China, compmared to Yale MBA. They are very valuable resources for your job serach.

Lullaby is a good example

the thrid reason that lots of chinese chose US schools is the money/loan issue

good luck LZ

Haha, it seems that LZ trusted in you more than in me.

I almost made up my mind about Insead so I went out for dinner with my friends tonight and I am confused again -_-!

All of them vote against Insead, many haven’t even heard about it. (they are bankers in various investment banks, accounting firms, all Chinese from main land except for a HK girl. No MC guys)

Here are the reasons:

1. Branding: Insead is less known in HK / China /US (very different from the previous posts – can someone give more color on this?? )

2. No internship. (How big an impact this is for the Insead September intake in switching career?)

3. Both will provide similar interview oportunities, but the “Yale” name will help me for the rest of my life. Job should not be a major concern for pick-and-choose, but should have a long-term view.

So what are people’s take on that?

hi, i got ur msg, very hard to give a unbiased unswer here. When people taking about Yale, they always think about the whole school, for sure Yale got larger size and better brand name. But as Lullaby said, if your career goal is MC,INSEAD has one of the largest MBA alumni networks ( definitly larger than Yale) especially in Asia.

For HF, really depends. However, INSEAD got numerous graduates working in Alternative Investment sector ( many in Singapore and HK). You might heard about CAIA ( Chartered Alternative Investment Association -- an chartered association like CFA) which was founded by several INSEADers, inspiringly more and more HF and PE houses are taking it as an standard professional certification.

Personally i got 2 interviews with small HF based in Singapore all through INSEAD network. Overall, i vote INSEAD for its relative cheaper tuition and unbeaten shorter period.

1. Brand: INSEAD has very different brand recognition among different segment. Generally speaking, it has a very good reputation among all recruiters and top executives while it is not well known in mass market. The reputation also varies by geography and by industry.

So I suggest you do the brand survey among your target segments.

2. No impact on consulting at all. Impact on banking job to some extent. But got a full-time banking job without internship is impossible. Actually, there are several instances here on this discussion board.

3. In terms of the long term impact of the brand name to your career, I have to say, in the short term, you may benefit from the name of the school, but in the long term, yourself become the brand, not the school.

That being said, in the short term, which school would help you more realize your career goal? Check the career data of both school for students with similar background as you. How many INSEAD / Yale SOM alumni are now working in your target companies / industries? 

It is up to you personal preference. Both schools could not be a wrong decision.