INSEAD VS. Haas

Question

I have a tough decision to make in the next few days and am hoping for some input in making the decision.

I have been accepted at INSEAD for the August 2015 intake and also have been accepted at Haas.

A little about me:
I have 6 years of WE in business dev and engineering in a variety of industries, most recently having spend 3 years in enterprise cloud computing. 
I am married and will build my career in the Silicon Valley after I graduate (my husband is a govt employee with a pension) which is a fantastic place to be both for quality of life and career. 
I am considering continuing my career in high tech or possibly moving into management consulting, I will not be taking out loans for school. Long term I want to work in Executive Management leading international teams in high tech companies. 
I am driven by the quality of an experience and earnings potential - and am not willing to trade off one for another.

Here are the pros and cons I am weighing out for each program-

INSEAD: cost 70k, cost of living 30k
Pros:
- Unparalleled international experience, chance to live abroad again (big plus for me! The experience would be amazing)
- Great Brand
- Opportunity to make a career switch in to MC
- 100% focus on MBA rather than dividing time between work and school
- Ability to take a step back, and make strategic career decisions while taking time off work
- Possibility of studying at Wharton for a period

Cons:
- Not many people know about INSEAD in California, brand recognition is not really there, worried about climbing the ladders and making a post MBA career leap in high tech with a less recognized MBA
- Fear that lack of brand recognition may impede career growth upon return to CA
--------------------------------------------

Haas: Cost 120k
Pros:
- Highly esteemed brand in Silicon Valley
- Great network in California
- Hi tech is a big industry at Haas

Cons:
- Length of program
- Will not have an opportunity to have an international experience for about a decade and a half (when my husband will retire)
- Younger Students (which translates to less experience)
- Limited diversity of perspectives

Any insight is appreciated, I think being in Silicon Valley really puts me in a bubble- salaries are high here (as is the cost of living), and I feel like schools graduation salaries really don't impress me, and I want to be sure I will have a strong ROI.

Thanks for your help!

tj2013 · Answer

That is a really tough call. There is no school quite like Insead for consulting, plus it adds some serious intl experience and an intl network. All MBB know about Insead, as so many of their colleagues go there when they get sponsored. If you really want to do consulting Insead is a stronger choice. However, given the financial, and family strain that Insead represents I would encourage you to first tap your current network to see if a PT Haas enables you to move to consulting.

Delilah777 · Answer

Thanks for the feedback TJ2013, that helps! I wouldn't really say it's a "strain" I can pay for INSEAD out of pocket and my husband is 100% on board with my going there for 10 months, actually he's very excited about the possibility and plans to be there often! My concern is more of an uncertainty regarding the comparative ROI of the two schools when looking to build a career in Silicon Valley.

wmay · Answer

Insead if you want to do MC. But Insead's brand is significantly weaker in the US

angelfire213 · Answer

i would definitely say insead - i don't think you get quite the same thing out of the PT program that you do FT. and if you are that concerned about bran - insead lets you exchange with some great us schools (think wharton is one, but confirm) and u can get that on your resume

Cycle14 · Answer

Two things stood out to me in your post:

I'm going to go out on a limb and say focus on quality of experience. My logic is simply that the individual makes a bigger difference on earnings potential than the school in the long run. My personal calculus is that you'll do your absolutely best work where you are happiest, most challenged and have the best fit. The quality of the work you do and the experiences you gain in school will have the biggest correlation with your earnings potential, more so than the name on your resume, especially with several years work experience.

You mentioned the opportunity to study at Wharton if you went to INSEAD - why not apply to Wharton if that's a draw?

You've some great options either way - congratulations!

Delilah777 · Answer

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I have two weeks to decide and will keep the thread updated as I make my decision.

PTK · Answer

I would say this is not a choice of business school, but a choice of experience. 
I think ROI is higher for Haas. 
In terms of brand name (in US) Haas beats INSEAD.
If you want to stay long-term in Bay - its Haas.

I did not really understand you whether you aim doing consulting or tech long-term? 
I hink being in Europe now is not very appealing since job market is weaker than in US and Euro currency is weakening.

Delilah777 · Answer

Long term my goal is to work in Tech. 
MC really intrigues me, and I think it would be a fascinating area to work in as it allows you to work in a variety of projects. I see MC as a unique and stimulating opportunity to learn about strategy to later make a transition into Tech.
Within the tech firm where I currently work, several of our executive leaders spent several years in MBB before transitioning to Executive Management.

Can anyone weigh in on the potential of going to MBB through a PT program? Is there even a sliver of an opportunity?

PTK · Answer

Well, if you see MC in MBB as a way to executive position in then go for it. Otherwise you may regret all your life about not trying that. But not all MBBers become executives. 
Talk to MBB consultants to find out what is behind the shining brand of MBB. It may be fascinating to work on different engagements, but what if you will be scheduled to work on mining projects, which you are not interested in? I dont think you will always be scheduled to tech projects (unless you will work in MBB in Bay Area). 
Age is important for HR hiring in MBB, the younger one is the more he/she are recruitable at MBB.

Romy3580 · Answer

hey guys, not to veer too far from the topic, but...

I am debating between going to UCLA part time mba program or the INSEAD program in France. I have a strong goal to work in consulting after but honestly am not someone that needs to work at a Mckinsey or Bain but is fine working at 2nd tier firm as long as its legit and the pay is relatively in line. My issues are if I go to UCLA part time, will it be challenging for me to network in to consulting? I feel like its definitely been done by many part time students, although it requires a clear commitment and dedication which is fine. The downside to INSEAD is it places very very well into consulting but am worried that it will be much tougher for me to get back to SoCal, and could take a long time. Furthermore, if I go to UCLA I am effectively always long the option to apply to other interesting jobs that may come about, such as roles in technology or potentially other things. Although I think a consulting background would be very good for me for at least a few years. Curious what you think on this subject. I was looking at some stats and UCLA places very well into Deloitte, PWC and KPMG but definitely not top tier at the MBB firms. Thank you. The reality is I'm 99% sure i want to live in US long term and 90% in Southern California.

My background: good work experience at bulge bracket bank in Sales & Trading but mediocre GMAT score, 640. On another note, i should probably retake this right to get a 700 score?

Delilah777 · Answer

UPDATE: I went to INSEAD, here's why~

After careful deliberation, I chose INSEAD and it was an excellent decision. After writing this post, I spoke to several of my mentors who had gone to both Haas and INSEAD (and other schools) and I concluded that INSEAD was a better fit from a practical and cultural perspective.

I strongly believe that each individual student has an MBA that is right for them and that the decision of where to pursue an MBA depends heavily on a student's compatibility with a particular institution. I'll tell you why INSEAD was the best option for me and hopefully that can help others as they decide where to pursue their graduate studies.

On a global scale, INSEAD has an phenomenal brand and is unequivocally a top-tier, elite program. Beyond the school's stellar reputation, I opted to go to INSEAD for three reasons: 1) The diversity of perspectives at INSEAD is unmatched by any other business program 2) Students have an average of 7 years of work experience and I thought that it would be important to have peers with a good amount of experience under their belts 3) Efficiency - INSEAD offers a one year program which allows you to complete a full MBA in half the time of any other program.

Regarding ROI: It was extremely valuable for me to do a one year MBA rather than drag my feet through a multi-year program. The immediate ROI of INSEAD's MBA has proven to be strong. I was concerned about INSEAD's reputation in California, but that has proven to be a non-issue. The people who matter recognize INSEAD's brand and in Silicon Valley, (where MBAs are not always smiled upon) INSEAD's international lean and unique positioning are seen as positives. Upon graduation, I was offered three positions (tech and consulting) in San Francisco, with an average of a 67% increase in total compensation (around 200k). I am an American citizen so work permits were not an issue.

I hope this helps for anyone out there who is fortunate enough to have to make this tough decision! Cheers!

whiteshields1830 · Answer

Delilah - did you already have contacts in San Francisco in those companies you got offers for? Or were they companies that went out looking for mbas (attended career fairs etc) such as Insead? Or did you apply to those companies cold(sending application through and contacting HR)?

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Posted from my mobile device

MBAPrepCoach · Answer

@romy3580 hi Roman. The answers to your questions are found in the employment stats for each school.

I would definitely go there, and figure out if each program will meet your needs. And make sure of course that you look at the stats for Anderson part-time graduates.

I don't see any disadvantage going to INSEAD. It was ranked number one globally by the financial times last year and its brand has only gotten better and better. I really don't think that there's going to be any problem selling that in California.

However you can always look up Insead alumni in Socal, through the school or through LinkedIn, and ask them. I think all the answers to your questions reside in employment statistics for each program and alumni interviews. Which really should be part of your due diligence anyways. Talk to you tomorrow.

Farrell Dyan Hehn, MBA
Admissions Consultant & Verbal Strategist MBAPrepCoach.com

INSEAD VS. Haas

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