Great post xenok +1. I'm all for IMD's industry focus in terms of what a business school should be about (I even mention that in my last post). But, I dont control what the overwhelming majority wants a b-school for. After the crisis most of us have wondered about the higher purpose of a business school. But, whether rightly or wrongly, an elite contemporary business school is expected to have a certain qualities. If you consider all other ultra elite schools (H/S/W/K/B/M/C/LBS/Insead) they all share certain common traits. Class size and diverse placements are two of those qualities. Lumping IMD in this category just doesn't quite work for me.
But lets not be too hung up on IMD's status. IMD is a top school and if you go there, you will get an oustanding education; and no one will deny that (least of all me). What about some opinions on some of the other schools ? Am I being fair ? Do all the spanish schools deserve there Elite status ? Does the concept of Regional Elites work ?
xenok wrote:
I am actually quite puzzled by the lack of love/respect (maybe both) that IMD gets in this forum. Perhaps it is the age issue, since IMD does look for MUCH more experience than most places.
IMD is a fantastic school. It is a school built by businesses, and it is a school for businesses. Note, IMD is NOT a school built by banks or consulting firm, it's a school built by BUSINESSES. What is your definition of an UE b-school? IMD qualifies in any definition that comes to my mind, that's why I don't see how it doesn't belong in the UE category.
I understand where bsd_lover is coming from but let me try to address his concerns.
1) Class size. Would you rather have a larger network that you know loosely or a much smaller but much more intimate network? Additionally, it is not the size of the network that matters, but the "value" of the network. IMD selects some of the most accomplished applicants from the world. In terms of accomplishment, I think IMD alums rank up there with the very best.
2) Finance and MC. Yes, these two industries offer some of the most competitive starting salaries coming out of b-school, however we are talking about BUSINESS schools, not banking or consulting schools. I don't necessarily even view this as a negative. As long as the placement stats are among the best, why should the industry matter that much? If IMD consistently places its graduates in fantastic companies with great compensation, should it matter what industries they are in if we're trying to compare UEs vs Es? Remember, we are trying to rank the very best BUSINESS schools, not just schools for banking and consulting.
Yes, IMD may not be the right school for the less experienced, nor for those wanting to make a career switch (note, this is for career switchers) into banking, nor for those who want to switch into consulting. However, it is an extremely competitive school to get into, it does offer a world-class education, it is academically rigorous and demanding, and it does offer an international network of amazingly successful alumni. In what area is IMD lacking that stops it from being classified as a UE? Some superficial like class size? Surely not!