Urgent: HEC v.s. INSEAD MBA (Admitted)

Kularrr would have been so great if you could tell me about your background in order to advise you better. But broadly speaking

1. Academic intensity
If you come from arts background, I would definitely recommend taking the finance foundations course or preparing better for the basic accounting before your set your foot on campus. Yes, INSEAD is academically very rigorous in the first 2 periods so prepare yourself to the best of your capabilities. The group work carries a lot of weight too, I can't remember exactly how much though. There are a lot of marks for class participation too, so make sure you balance it all else the P1 P2 grades may shock you.

Do people fail? Well, rarely but some do. INSEAD does not compromise on the academic standards it sets for the students. The P1 P2 results are often a wakeup call and then people work hard to balance the bad finance and accounting scores (if that's not your background) with electives that are more to their liking.

2. Home Campus
No there is no perceived difference between the two campuses. You can recruit for jobs at either campus, even remotely, provided the employers don't ask you to specifically meet or network in person (although it's better to be in proximity to your recruiters).

3. Healthcare
You should be more specific with regards to the opportunities you seek in healthcare. I can say that leading CPG and consulting companies recruit at both campuses. But it would be best if you already know what your top target companies are and where are they primarily based. Decide basis that where would you want to be during the recruitment season. Start reaching out to these companies early to understand their recruitment process.

4. Singapore employment
Yes, Singapore work permit is hard to get for certain demographics. But most people I knew who wanted to work in Singapore were ultimately able to manage that. Many European management consultants who study in Singapore want to live in Singapore for a while in search of warmer climate and low taxes. So, there will be competition for jobs with companies preferring more diversity from European job seekers compared to South Asian counterparts who have already saturated the Singapore job market. All in all, I would say that MBB is the hardest to crack in SGP, but for other jobs it's not as difficult.

5. Consulting
This wasn't exactly a good year to get recruited into consulting. But I think that stands for the B schools all over. I have been told by my past mentees the scene in 2023 wasn't great at HEC or even top US schools like Yale. Its my personal opinion but I know from right sources that the INSEAD brand can get you the consulting interviews much more easily than HEC, even if you want to recruit into MBB a few years after graduating, but what you then exactly do with that opportunity depends on your caliber and capability. Honestly speaking, if you go with INSEAD over HEC, you should know before starting the MBA whether consulting is what you will target. Consulting doesn't usually happen as a byproduct of some other plans that you may have initially. You really would have to put your heart and soul into preparing for it.

Best wishes

Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD alum, former INSEAD admissions interviewer)
MBAGuideConsulting
LinkedIn |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/ | Message: +91 9971200927| email- mbaguideconsulting@gmail.com

Thanks

I have similar goals. Targetting Jan 2025 intake. Not all healthcare firms sponsor for LDPs. I will recommend checking each companies website for requirements. Eli Lilly and J&J have no sponsorship policy. Some allow going back to home country but depends on demand.

Below do sponsor-
Danaher
Siemens
Bayer
Novartis
Roche

IESE places well in this category though.

Posted from my mobile device

 

­Kularrr, you are most welcome.  what did you ultimately choose. I would like to hear that. 

Best wishes
Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD alum, former INSEAD admissions interviewer)
MBAGuideConsulting
LinkedIn | Testimonials and WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/ | Message: +91 9971200927| email- mbaguideconsulting@gmail.com­­

Thanks

Kularrr You should absolutely do what your heart tells you. If you constantly feel intimidated or under pressure during your MBA program, that is no way to get the MBA experience.

I would still like to point out a few positive things after having re-read your professional experience:

1. You come from a consulting background in healthcare/CPG/retail in Asia. You did not mention where in Asia, but if you are from the Chinese demographic/diaspora, you will have certain advantages on the Singapore campus. To be honest, I am quite surprised by the sheer number of opportunities that arise for Mandarin speakers at INSEAD. But again, I just thought adding this here could help you, not knowing where you really come from.
2. You don't need a CPA/CFA to get into your target industry. You will likely do just fine with your background in history because you were able to break into consulting with exactly that. Probably why the adcom feels you have it in you (just my perspective).
3. Regarding P1 & P2 grades, irrespective of whether you go with HEC or INSEAD, take up the accounting fundamentals ahead of time. You don't need to excel in finance courses, you just need to get by. INSEAD does not kick people out after P2, but they will review your performance and advise you better. The curriculum is designed in a manner that you will have the option to pick electives that give you an advantage after P2, and you can easily cross a 2.1. Also, there are plenty of non-finance, non-business background folks at INSEAD. I have seen former kindergarten teachers, HR professionals, artists, frontline soldiers and surgeons at INSEAD  (there was even a monk in one of these batches in the recent past).  If you think you will struggle despite your consulting background, think about how these profiles bring in a growth mindset. 
4. Putting this a little bit later in my post, but I think this is important. If you think you are going to be based anywhere in the world a few years from now, take into consideration the MBA brand recall and the density of the alumni network. The first couple of years after the MBA are usually a mixed bag where graduates are still trying to find the right opportunity, figure out what they want to do, and where they want to be for the next few years. In the 2-10-year horizon post-MBA, your alumni network will be your biggest support if the market experiences a downturn or if you continue to experiment with locations/industries. We would both agree on how hard it can be to get your foot in the door without the right connections. I am not in a position to comment on the HEC alumni network, but I know that INSEAD alums are in the right places should you ever want a strong referral in the EU, Asia, or the Middle East.
   You should not focus on where alums went right after they graduated. You should look at what B schools the leadership comes from in these geographies/ industries of interest. And if you are proactive, the INSEAD network will push the jobs to an alumnus before they consider someone else (there's this kind of cult feeling to the INSEAD alumni network). People will approach you for help and advice on all sorts of subjects because you are from this school , and that I feel is such a good situation to be in a few years down. Why would you not work hard a little bit during your MBA and avail this network capital for the rest of your life? 
   
   Best wishes
   Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD alum, former INSEAD MBA admissions interviewer)
   MBAGuideConsulting
   LinkedIn |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/ | Message: +91 9971200927| email- mbaguideconsulting@gmail.com­

 ­­­­­