Canadian vs US MBA

Question

Hi Paul/Linda,
 I have got an admit from Queen's school of business and i am waiting for he results from US universities.what in your opinion is the advantages/disadvantages of going for an MBA from canada vs US and 1yr vs 2yr.Thanks in Advance.

Regards,
Sankar

PaulBodine · Answer

Sankar,

The advantages and disadvantages of a Canadian vs. U.S. MBA primarily center on placement after the degree. That is, a Canadian MBA will help you get jobs in Canada, and a U.S. MBA will help you in the U.S. Some schools have sufficient reputation to give you a cross-border benefit. Most of these schools are in the U.S. Queen's is one of the Canadian B-schools with an international ranking and reputation. As for the 1-year vs. 2-year difference, on the positive side the 1-year MBA will interrupt your career less dramatically and lower your opportunity cost. On the negative side, it won't give you an internship, which can be important for those seeking the MBA to make a career switch -- the people who generally benefit most from 2-year programs. You may want to see  Canadian Business's latest rankings of Canadian programs. They discuss some of the changes in Canadian B-schools' approaches.

sankar_mit · Answer

Thanks a Lot Paul.

Which ranking range would Queens fit in when compared to US b-schools?.

Thanks,
Sankar

PaulBodine · Answer

Good question. I looked into it, and actually Financial Times -- which does rank U.S. and non-U.S. programs together -- ranks Queen's 87th! Business Week ranks it No. 1 among non-U.S. schools so we have a discrepancy here. If you look at its average GMAT -- in the 650-660 range -- that would only place it on a par with U.S. schools like Purdue, which is on the edge of the top 25 U.S. schools. So perhaps I overstated Queen's international cachet. Certainly a great program if your goal is working in Canada ...

sankar_mit · Answer

Thanks Paul.Could you give me some leads on where to look out for loans for international students without an US co-signer?.I have been in US for 10 months(till April 2006) but havent built a good credit history. Thanks

Regards,
Sankar

PaulBodine · Answer

Sankar, 

Sorry but I'm not really a financial aid expert. I think you should just email some schools' financial aid offices and ask them flat out. I'm sure some will help you if they can.

Good luck,

sankar_mit · Answer

Thanks Paul.Shall do that

Regards,
Sankar

tehcalvin · Answer

Paul, I wonder what should applicants do in case of such a discrepancy. Other rankings (WSJ, for example) focus on region-wise rankings and specifically on US schools. One ranking system rates the program as #1 among non-US schools (above INSEAD and LBS), and the other rates it as #87 in the combined ranking (if you take out all the US schools in FT ranking, still the program will stand at 20+ position). There are multiple factors that each ranking system focuses on - but a huge discrepancy in the overall ranking is confusing for applicants.

Would you have any information on where Queen's MBA stands in terms of its reputation in the North American region? What about when compared to other schools like Richard Ivey (which is now a 1-year program) and Rotman? Thanks

PaulBodine · Answer

tehcalvin,

When faced with such a discrepancy, applicants should discard rankings and look at the specific ways in which the school will or will not address their learning and post-MBA goals. What kinds of companies recruit at the school? Is the school strong in your area of specialization? What is the employment rate of its MBAs and their average starting salary versus other schools?

According to Financial Times, whose rankings (along with U.S. News's) I trust the most, York, Rotman, Ivey, McGill, and UBC Sauder are all stronger schools than Queen's. I have no reason to doubt their estimate, but I recommend you begin answering the kinds of questions I posed above when determining whether Queen's is right for you. The answers to them can all be found in Business Week's school data section.

Good luck,

sankar_mit · Answer

Hi Paul,
 I got into Georgetown(McDonough) with scholarship.Whats your take on Georgetown vs Queens? Thanks in advance

Regards,
Sankar

PaulBodine · Answer

Sankar, 

It depends on where you want to work after the MBA. If it's in the U.S., then you should take Georgetown, which is an up-and-coming program. I think Georgetown's top ten recruiters is a more impressive list than Queen's. If it were me, I would take Georgetown, especially with the scholarship. Congratulations!

Good luck,

sankar_mit · Answer

Thanks Paul.Iam still evaluating my options.The scholarship at georgetown makes the deal all the more lucrative

Regards,
Sankar

PaulBodine · Answer

Indeed. Good luck choosing.

sankar_mit · Answer

Hi Paul,
 I got an admit from purdue with a schol of 4000$.I am interested in moving into strategy consulting post MBA.in such a case which school would be a better choice for me? which one of these schools do the consulting recruiters hold in high regard and the opportunities for switching over to consulting is high(i have 3.5 yrs experience in the information technology industry)? Thanks in Advance.

Regards,
Sankar

PaulBodine · Answer

Sankar, 

Sorry for the delayed response. Queen's sends 28% of its MBAs into consulting, Georgetown sends 25%, and Purdue sends 19%. But in terms of each school's top ten recruiting companies, Georgetown seems stronger than Queen's in consulting IMO. 

Good luck,

sankar_mit · Answer

Thanks Paul

PaulBodine · Answer

You're welcome.

sankar_mit · Answer

Hi Paul,
I need some inputs in choosing between McCombs and Georgetown. I have got a $25000 scholarship from georgetown for each year (totalling to $50000). However McCombs seems to be better suited w.r.t my career goals (strategy consulting than Georgetown. It also is ranked consistently in the top 20's. Georgetown has come up in the last few years and has a good potential to break into the top 20's. It is also not a bad school as for as strategy and management consulting goes.
Under these circumstances, will it be a good idea to take georgetown because of the $$ considering that it is not far behind McCombs or will McCombs anyday be a better option to take?
Please suggest. Any personal experiences is also greatly welcome.

Regards,
Sankar

PaulBodine · Answer

Sankar,

I assume Texas offered you no money? Given that the schools are fairly close in the rankings and that Georgetown can also help you achieve your strategy/MC goals, I personally would take Georgetown and their money. Go to BW MBA online and compare average salaries for Georgetown vs. Texas and top recruiting firms. If you think the difference is big enough to walk way from Georgetown's money then go for it. A strong student at Georgetown should have no trouble matching the career opportunities of the average student at Texas. I also think there's an East Coast advantage, but perhaps you want to live and work in Texas?

Good luck,

sankar_mit · Answer

Hi Paul,
 Thanks for your valuable inputs.I am not too particular about the location i want to work in.I compared the average salary,recruiting firms and found that both the schools are on an equal footing.But as far as Technology firms are concerned UT-Austin seems to have an edge.

Regards,
Sankar

Canadian vs US MBA

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards