Hello Abhyank,
I have a few major doubts, and it might take some time to go through them, but i would greatly appreciate it if you help me with them.
I recently got the admission to the IE MIM program september intake 2017.
I am very interested in the program and the school. i read many reviews and articles about the pros and cons of the school and the mixed reviews about the placement possibilities and even the teaching format. eg: while some say, it is very practical and hands on and immersive, other say it is too fast and skims over many things instead of focusing in particular. My interest in IE MIM is mainly because of two things :1- its focus on entrepreneurship, and 2- its short span(1year). the added advantage of doing a beyond borders experience or dual specialization is an added bonus. The lack of a compulsory internship requirement is a plus too.
I am awaiting results from ESCP EUROPE as well. What i want to know is, is ESCP Europe relatively much better than IE? is there a very big difference in the recognition and quality. I love the whole study in 3 campuses(3countries) thing. it is a major international opportunity.I heard that ESCP EUROPE is well know in europe but not so much outside europe(because it doesnt have an MBA program). As i am also looking to work in the asian region if European placement donot work for me,this is one of the downsides i feel about the college.The second disadvantage i see is that ESCP MIM is a full time 2 year program where almost all other school are 12-18months tops.. if i add the 6month minimum internship requirement and if i have to take a gap year, it effectively turns into a 3 year program. this is too long for me and given the current internship and job opportunity(and visa) scenario in france, it seems to be difficult to get a confirmed placement there. What attracts me to ESCP is the international nature of studying in 3 countries, its seminars and possibilities to observe policy making discussions and proceedings, and the ranking which is slightly above IE MIM.
The annual fees for Escp is much less than IE, but given the 2 year nature of the program, it will end up being more than IE. added to this the living expenses for two years will be a larger amount. the fees and living expenses is not a major factor for me as funding is not a pressing matter as of now. But return of investment is what i am concerned about.Also the time that i have to invest in this degree.
I know that once in the top 10, the relative grading in the colleges don't matter much unless we compare the best and the 10th best. So at this point i'm comparing the placement opportunities, time requirement, networking possibilities, international mobility and return of investment etc.
Currently i am favouring IE, but escp also looks attractive. Can you please give your suggestion and tell me which would be better in relation to the factors i mentioned above.
For a bit of background, I am a mechanical engineer from NIT in India, 20 months experience as of today. and looking for getting back into the job market soon. I am planning to learn as much as possible the language(to a communicative degree) of which ever country, before i start the program also.
Thanks in advance,
Atul Mohan