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Judge vs HEC

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Hsalem1122
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HEC Paris MBA vs Cambridge Judge MBA 16 Jun 2023, 02:55
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So I got admitted to HEC Paris and to Cambridge Judge. I’m a GCC National and I have the British passport. My plans post the MBA is to join an MBB at London or the Netherlands. From a financial aspect I have a full ride to both. I don’t speak French at all. One advantage I see for HEC is the exchange term, which would help me expand my network. Also, HEC has a branch in Doha. As for Cambridge, the brand value of Cambridge is higher in the Middle East, if I ever planned to return back home. Which business school do you think is better for me?

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HEC Paris MBA vs Cambridge Judge MBA 18 Jun 2023, 08:15
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Hsalem1122:

Congrats on both acceptances with full rides - wow!

HEC Paris is generally considered the better MBA program. It's very much in-line with INSEAD, arguably one of the best programs in Europe. Cambridge (Judge) is up and coming and considered more or less a Tier II in Europe. Still, excellent, but not quite as strong as HEC Paris at a high level.

Not speaking French shouldn't have an impact on the actual academic MBA experience, but it might frustrate you living in Paris and not being comfortable in the native dialect.

Cambridge as a university may have more prestige in the Middle East, but I don't know if the same can be said of Cambridge Judge. That's similar to Yale vs. Yale SOM in which case the parent university is stronger than the individual school.

Lastly, you will not have an issue recruiting for MBB in London from either school. Both are very strong with strong alumni representation.

All that said, it sounds like Cambridge Judge checks more boxes for you that aren't purely based on the higher ranking/stronger program. There's nothing wrong with making a selection based on x-factors not commonly viewed by others. The ones you have noted are deeply personal, which is great that you have identified them as such. So, we vote Cambridge Judge.

Congrats again and good luck with your decision.
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HEC Paris MBA vs Cambridge Judge MBA 22 Jun 2023, 12:26
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Hsalem1122
So I got admitted to HEC Paris and to Cambridge Judge. I’m a GCC National and I have the British passport. My plans post the MBA is to join an MBB at London or the Netherlands. From a financial aspect I have a full ride to both. I don’t speak French at all. One advantage I see for HEC is the exchange term, which would help me expand my network. Also, HEC has a branch in Doha. As for Cambridge, the brand value of Cambridge is higher in the Middle East, if I ever planned to return back home. Which business school do you think is better for me?

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Hsalem1122 In popular culture, HEC Paris is considered a more global brand than Judge.
Since you have a British passport you should not have any trouble recruiting in either geography (the UK or the GCC region). Please note this definitely puts you in a strong position for recruiting irrespective of the school, even more so for consulting. I would say go with one where you would enjoy the other parts such as the experience, exchanges, diversity etc. MBA is a one-time thing and so you must feel you got your penny's worth (or your time's worth, in your case of a full ride :) ).

There is no wrong choice here :)

Wishing you the best of luck.

Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD alum, ex admissions interviewer)
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HEC Paris MBA vs Cambridge Judge MBA 26 Jun 2023, 12:05
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Hsalem1122
So I got admitted to HEC Paris and to Cambridge Judge. I’m a GCC National and I have the British passport. My plans post the MBA is to join an MBB at London or the Netherlands. From a financial aspect I have a full ride to both. I don’t speak French at all. One advantage I see for HEC is the exchange term, which would help me expand my network. Also, HEC has a branch in Doha. As for Cambridge, the brand value of Cambridge is higher in the Middle East, if I ever planned to return back home. Which business school do you think is better for me?

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Hi Hsalem1122, HEC Paris MBA alum here. I worked in the UAE for some years in consulting post my HEC MBA, so I hope to share my understanding of the Middle East and Europe regions in the context of your question.

Firstly, congrats on the admits and the scholarships - great work: both HEC Paris and Cambridge Judge are great B-schools. To determine which school might be better for you, I would consider these key factors:

1) Location and Language: If you are targeting MBB positions in London or the Netherlands, since both schools have alumni present in these target roles, being closer to those locations could provide easier access to networking events, internships, and potential full-time opportunities. Fluency in English is typically sufficient for MBB roles in these regions. This gives Cambridge a slight (locational) advantage if you don't speak French. Having said that, I didn't (and don't speak) French, and still had a great time at HEC and in France overall. It would have been better had I spoken French well, especially to appreciate the finer nuances of the French culture.

2) Exchange Programs: HEC Paris is known for its strong alumni network and offers an extensive exchange program that allows you to study at reputed partner schools worldwide e.g. Yale, NUS, Kellogg, LBS, etc. This can be great both for expanding your network and gaining access to opportunities in a different geography. For example, you could do an exchange program at a leading UK B-school, which would further easen your access to the London/ Netherlands market. Just comparing the exchange programs, HEC's is better.

3) Brand Value and Regional Relevance: In Qatar, HEC primarily offers the EMBA program (where the class profiles, job opportunities, etc. are quite different from the MBA program), and Cambridge Judge MBA as a brand is not as popular as the parent/ Cambridge in the Middle East. If you plan to return to the Middle East long-term, either school should be good to make that transition, especially since you plan to work in London/ Netherlands, which are typically viewed favorably as international experience by Middle East recruiters.

As there's a tie from the points above, the decision would depend on your personal preference towards learning a new language (or surviving without speaking it, like I did), geographical preference and importantly your "feeling" on which resonates with you more e.g. through alumni interactions, discussions with admissions officers, etc. For your immediate and long-term goals mentioned, either school would facilitate the transition.

Hope this helps, feel free to reach out if you have any questions. All the best! :)

Regards,
Arvind
HEC Paris alum, Admissions interviewer
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