Thanks Jumsumtak and Domotron! That was quick - I appreciate it.. its good to know I have some support
And I wish you guys the best of luck in the New Year!
@ Domotron -It might seem weird that I applied to Said and now I don't sound so keen (lol). The thing is I am naturally on the pessimistic side - and although I have respect for Said's programme, which led me to apply (and I am still not AGAINST joining SBS) - I am just trying to make sure that I am not making an insanely bad choice here because:
1. There seems to be a lot of bashing against SBS (inferior biz school on the coat tails of Oxford) on a lot of forums - and that worries me! I don't want to get an MBA and then be judged as a "wannabe" among my peers if and when I break into a consulting practice post-mba.
2. The consensus among most of my friends is that I would be under-achieving if I accepted SBS and should rather try for Fuqua/UCLA/Darden - and I assumed that SBS was a better choice over these (mostly because of the prestige of Oxford brand). Now while I dont need others to make up my mind for me, I do like to listen to as many inputs as possible to make an informed decision. That's also why im throwing this out into this forum.
Great tip - the talking to Derek Walker part! I will do that ASAP! And I am aiming for Tier 2 consulting firms although I cannot help but dream of M/B/B
@Jumsuntak -
1.) Applying to any schools in R2? Duke/Darden/Ross etc. are on a similar tier and place really well in the consulting industry.
- No - for some reason I was drained with all the applications and interviews after R1 and had a lot of personal stuff going on in December
Would a Duke or a Darden MBA be a better choice for consulting?
2.) Are you ok to apply next year? Or rather, is there a pressing need (external circumstances) that you should go to school this fall?
- I would prefer to join this year, as I feel my career is stagnating haha and I am already 28..
3.) Have you talked to any Said MBA internationals on recruitment?
- I have contacted quite a few Indian students via email and Linkedin.. and they admit that the visa issue will always be an obstacle, but a lot of them have managed to tie down offers in firms such as Oliver Wyman or E&Y.
4.) Where do you want to work post MBA? If you are thinking of returning back to India immediately, the Oxford brand may pull it off for you. (for tier 2s and big 4s)
- In the short term I would like to work in the UK if possible - but in the long term I would want to be in Asia (Singapore/India)