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Kolla_Chandra
Joined: 24 Jun 2023
Last visit: 05 Jan 2025
Posts: 27
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 66
Location: India
Schools: IESE '26 (A) LBS '26 (D) INSEAD Jan'25 intake (A) HEC (A) Oxford Said'25 (D) Judge '25 (D) IMD (D)
GMAT 1: 720 Q50 V38
GPA: 9.07
Schools: IESE '26 (A) LBS '26 (D) INSEAD Jan'25 intake (A) HEC (A) Oxford Said'25 (D) Judge '25 (D) IMD (D)
GMAT 1: 720 Q50 V38
Posts: 27
Kudos:
26
10 May 2024, 20:36
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi,
I am Indian male with 9 years of work experience in Manufacturing & Operations in FMCG sector. Have done my undergraduation at IIT Madras. I currently work in Malaysia
I got admit from INSEAD (Jan-25 intake at Fontainebleau campus, pending scholarship decision) today. I had admit from IESE (Sep-24 intake with 20K scholarship).
My requirements:
1. My post-MBA goal is to remain in industry through Leadership Development Programmes (LDP) leveraging on my past work experience preferably in Consumer goods or Pharma sector but open to other sectors as well.
2. But given the limited no. of opportunities for LDP, I plan to work on Consulting right from start during the course. I have worked with consulting companies before as a client and thus have project execution experience. But I want to do internship to see if it fits for me.
3. I would like to work in Europe or Middle East for 5-6 years.
4. In Long term, would like to return to India or South East Asia.
I have spoken to alumni of both schools, and though they speak highly of their schools, but most are recommending to go with INSEAD.
Key points they spoke:
IESE
1. Academically rigourous with attendance requirements. So, good opportunitites to learn from peers.
2. 8 to 12 week internship opportunity.
3. Closely knitted community. People willing to help each other and grow.
3. Vibrant Barcelona city.
INSEAD
1. Equal opportunities as other schools for LDPs. Feeder school for Consulting Firms. So both bases are covered.
2. 2 month internship opportunity to test my consulting interest as I have admit for D-25 batch.
3. 1 Year MBA may be sufficient to compliment my 9 years of work experience.
4. Vast Alumni network to give edge in getting opportunities anywhere in world when needed.
5. Got very good recognition in India and South east Asia compared to IESE.
Would like to share some context as well - I got emotionally connected to IESE. I paid my initial committment fee, got my loan approved, put my papers at work, prepared all documents for Spain visa. I already put all my plans in place to attend the classes in Aug-24.
Initially I was skeptical about doing MBA in 1 year and pivoting to Consulting.
Is it worth rolling all of these back for the decision of going to INSEAD for the pros I get?
Kindly share your views and also any other points I need to evaluate/consider.
Thank You very much! Appreciate your valuable feedback.
I am Indian male with 9 years of work experience in Manufacturing & Operations in FMCG sector. Have done my undergraduation at IIT Madras. I currently work in Malaysia
I got admit from INSEAD (Jan-25 intake at Fontainebleau campus, pending scholarship decision) today. I had admit from IESE (Sep-24 intake with 20K scholarship).
My requirements:
1. My post-MBA goal is to remain in industry through Leadership Development Programmes (LDP) leveraging on my past work experience preferably in Consumer goods or Pharma sector but open to other sectors as well.
2. But given the limited no. of opportunities for LDP, I plan to work on Consulting right from start during the course. I have worked with consulting companies before as a client and thus have project execution experience. But I want to do internship to see if it fits for me.
3. I would like to work in Europe or Middle East for 5-6 years.
4. In Long term, would like to return to India or South East Asia.
I have spoken to alumni of both schools, and though they speak highly of their schools, but most are recommending to go with INSEAD.
Key points they spoke:
IESE
1. Academically rigourous with attendance requirements. So, good opportunitites to learn from peers.
2. 8 to 12 week internship opportunity.
3. Closely knitted community. People willing to help each other and grow.
3. Vibrant Barcelona city.
INSEAD
1. Equal opportunities as other schools for LDPs. Feeder school for Consulting Firms. So both bases are covered.
2. 2 month internship opportunity to test my consulting interest as I have admit for D-25 batch.
3. 1 Year MBA may be sufficient to compliment my 9 years of work experience.
4. Vast Alumni network to give edge in getting opportunities anywhere in world when needed.
5. Got very good recognition in India and South east Asia compared to IESE.
Would like to share some context as well - I got emotionally connected to IESE. I paid my initial committment fee, got my loan approved, put my papers at work, prepared all documents for Spain visa. I already put all my plans in place to attend the classes in Aug-24.
Initially I was skeptical about doing MBA in 1 year and pivoting to Consulting.
Is it worth rolling all of these back for the decision of going to INSEAD for the pros I get?
Kindly share your views and also any other points I need to evaluate/consider.
Thank You very much! Appreciate your valuable feedback.
MBAGuide
Joined: 24 Jul 2019
Last visit: 21 Apr 2026
Posts: 2,358
Given Kudos: 28
Location: India
Concentration: Operations, Marketing
Schools: Insead Sept'18 (A$$) ISB '19 (A)
10 May 2024, 21:11
Kudos
Bookmarks
Kolla_Chandra
Kolla_Chandra Hi, responding as requested, but the opinions are my own, so don't bind me to it
PROS of INSEAD- I like that you have this clarity that you must prepare for consulting. With this, it simply comes down to which school will provide you the best opportunity to recruit into consulting. I don't think there's a school yet in the EU/SGP that can come close to INSEAD in the area of top-tier consulting. Even if the market looks tough right now, it will be easier to get MBB shortlists at or after INSEAD (yes even years after graduating). At other schools, getting the shortlist itself is a big deal.
Some of the best LDPs recruit from INSEAD and in good numbers. I would suggest that you don't miss out on these opportunities.
INSEAD also has a very strong network in the Middle East, Asia and India (I am now based in India). You would be surprised how easily INSEADers find referrals from the alumni network and move between organizations. I am not sure if IESE has the same kind of penetration in these markets but you might want to check and think from a long-term perspective. I tell candidates that they should select schools whose alumni are working as senior leaders in the companies where they want to enter in a few years.
Cons of INSEAD: INSEAD is very rigorous and sometimes you might feel lost if you are not focused because you will have to juggle so many activities. There is so much focus on networking that sometimes you might feel students don't have enough time to forge deep friendships. INSEAD is also very competitive. Just imagine the 500 of you (strong INSEAD profiles) competing for jobs.
IESE: IESE is a great great school and I very much admire its sudden rise through the global ranks in the last few years. It is also a great school for consulting, but it does lag behind INSEAD still. If I put it bluntly, the recruitment opportunities at IESE will be a subset of all the opportunities at INSEAD.
Get a free one to one personalized advice session tailored to your specific situation. We do not cap discussion hours with our applicants.
Best wishes
Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD MBA alum, former INSEAD MBA admissions interviewer)
Founder, MBAGuideConsulting
LinkedIn |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/| Message(WA): +91 9971200927| email- [email protected]
admitStreet
Joined: 14 Mar 2023
Last visit: 21 Apr 2026
Posts: 1,698
Given Kudos: 15
Location: India
Concentration: Strategy, Finance
Schools: HEC Jan 2018 Intake (A$) ISB '19 (A)
WE:Management Consulting (Consulting)
10 May 2024, 21:55
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Bookmarks
Kolla_Chandra
@Kolla_Chandra - thanks for messaging, and congrats on the stellar admits!
The 3 factors that would matter most in your context are: post-MBA opportunities (in consulting and LDP), duration (opportunity cost), and strength of alumni network (particularly in your target geographies). While IESE is definitely catching up fast, INSEAD is still far ahead, in my view.
Having said that, keep in mind that the competition will be much higher at INSEAD, and given the short duration, you'll have to strategically prepare to make the most of it. To that end, I would strongly suggest getting started with your consulting prep as soon as you can i.e. don't wait until you join B-school. This could involve taking up a pre-MBA internship, working on consulting projects, networking with alum in your target companies, gathering deeper insights on recruitment processes, and so on. In the ideal case scenario, which is what you should strive for, you should have consulting interviews lined up soon after join INSEAD.
Hope this helps, all the best!
Regards,
Arvind
Founder, admitStreet | Schedule a free chat
W: https://admitstreet.com | E: [email protected] | LinkedIn
