Manager
Joined: 30 May 2011
Posts: 68
Concentration: Entrepreneurship, Strategy
GPA: 3.12
Re: Insead vs UCLA/USC
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27 May 2012, 01:29
i was deciding between INSEAD and a us school. i interviewed INSEAD alumni, current students, and even flew to visit the singapore campus. here are my thoughts.
1. INSEAD compares to the top 8 us schools. i met current students accepted into Wharton, Kellogg, Columbia, and MIT and chose INSEAD.
2. If you are going into MC, INSEAD is very well respected in Asia (and worldwide). INSEAD is less know for their finance. As you get further away from strict mba employers, the INSEAD brand significantly diminishes. None of my Asian coworkers, friends, or family knew INSEAD (unless they had an MBA). All my Asian coworkers knew UCLA and, to a lesser extent, USC. This is also true in America.
3. Both would help change careers. INSEAD would give better opportunity in Asia. It's a lot easier to recruit and build your network when you are on the same continent.
4. people who matter will know a ucla/usc/insead mba. hopefully you will not be working for an average joe after an mba.
i ultimately chose a us school because it's hard for me, an american, to find a job in asia since i do not speak/read the language fluently and want ex-pat salary. even in singapore, MC firms want you to fluently know a south east asian language. however, i found plenty of examples of insead folks who did move to korea, japan, or china without knowing the language and are getting paid real well, but i consider this the exception. obviously not an issue in aussie.
insead is an amazing school and i would recommend it to anybody considering a 1 year program, considering MC, and/or considering working in EU/Asia.
ucla and usc seems to be respectable brands in asia as well. more as universities though than as anderson and marshall. i'd look at their employment reports to see where their grads end up.
a free ride (paid by your company) at UCLA or USC sounds pretty sweet though.