SMU or ESSEC singapore

Question

Hi guys, 
I got an admission offer from Singapore management university for masters in applied finance and waiting for an offer from ESSEC Singapore for masters in finance. Which is a better school in terms of reputation and employability? Is ESSEC Singapore as good as ESSEC France? I would like to work in the mergers and acquisitions division of an investment bank. I would also like to finish CFA level 1 and 2 along with the course. I have no work experience. Since I have done a 3 year bachelors degree, the masters program at ESSEC is for 2 years with a 6 months internship.
Any advise would be highly appreciated.

D3N0 · Answer

Hi  lalithaa6

I am guessing that you are of Indian Nationality. So as per My knowledge and understanding. SMU will be better. It is good for finance. The job search will be easier there because of its reputation in the local market. Even if you want to come back to India SMU is well recognized here, in India. I can comment about SMU only because one of my Senior graduated from there and at present working in the banking industry there.

I do not have much knowledge about ESSEC Singapore but yes France one is the best amongst all.

lalithaa6 · Answer

hey  D3N0 
Thank you for your reply. I am a bit skeptical about SMU because it is ranked 45th. I am not sure if I should work for a year and then apply to universities. I have a job offer from Deloitte Global and my gmat score is 710( q-50 , v-36) . My GPA is 9/10( Bachelors in commerce). Since I have no work experience, I feel that I might have a hard time finding for a job in Singapore or any where else in the world. 
Any advice/ experience would be appreciated

D3N0 · Answer

This is more of a personal choice.

You can do two things:
1) Join Finance Masters degree and then try there for placement. Yes having no experience might hurt your chances of job search but it won't stop you from getting a job if you do well at School.

2) GMAT Score is valid for 5 years, so you can join Deloitte and work there for at least 3 years and, If you want, try improving your GMAT and then try for MBA from Good (Finance) Schools around the world.

So finally it comes down to your choice how you want to shape it?
Your GMAT and GPA is in good condition for some good schools out there for MBA you just need to build your work profile, in which Deloitte can certainly help you. with three years of experience, you will be more aware of the options you can choose which attract you. Its all up to you in this case.

In case of SMU, yes it is ranked 45th but i heared it is good in finance. My Senior, which I mentioned, worked in IT for 2-3 years then completed his MBA from SMU. But I do not know much about how he got the job what I know is SMU is well appreciated in Singapore.

I suggest you to search on linkedin some MAsters in Fiannce students from Both Schools and look at where they are from, what they are doing now, where are they now and what is their view about it?

You can find few students here on GMATCLub too. just lookfor SMU Mfin section.

iambizzi · Answer

Hi lalithaa6,

Have you been to any of their info sessions?

I've seen their stats.. here's some that I had written down..

No prior experience required
100% employability within 6 months (70% of their students find jobs through the ESSEC network - ie. career services, alumni and corporate clients)
International study trip and internships (Hong Kong, New York or London.. I think)
Financial times 2018 ranking #1 in Asia, #5 in the world.

Also met this guy.. Siva, a Singaporean.. he was featured on efinancial careers . (I can't post urls here yet, perhaps you could google it yourself?)
efinancial careers essec siva ganapathy

Your GMAT score should be more than sufficient to get into ESSEC.

SMU is a good school as well.. but they're only really well known in Singapore or at most South East Asia, whereas ESSEC has more of a global brand.

If your intention is just to stay in Singapore, both schools are good.. but if you want to excel on the global stage, I'd suggest a global brand..

lalithaa6 · Answer

Thank you for your reply  iambizzi   D3N0 
I got an admission offer from ESSEC with a 50% scholarship. I am thinking if I should change my campus to France. Would language be a problem in finding for a job? This was the only reason why I chose the Singapore campus over the France campus during the application process.

Aved123 · Answer

Hi, I am currently in the MiF program at ESSEC. In France, you will need professional proficiency in French to be able to communicate with clients there. As such if you do not have Any French background, it can be hard to secure a job in France. However, not to worry! ESSEC provides basic French tutoring and your student visa (need to reconfirm this) also gives you up to an additional 9-12 months after your studies to secure a job in France.

Aved123 · Answer

However you can also switch campuses midway during your studies which means you can study at both campuses! So you could choose to start in Singapore and join France in January, or vice versa. Since you were worried about the language barrier in France when it comes to securing a job, I would recommend you to start at the French campus in Cergy, enjoy the culture, and switch campuses to Singapore and job-hunt there. Just my 2-cents.

iambizzi · Answer

wow! congrats on getting the offer and 50% scholarship!

will you be taking it up? seems like a dream come true kinda thing.

and as aved123 said.. you could do the free french tutoring at ESSEC Singapore first before swapping campuses.

or throw yourself right into the french culture by heading straight there..

I would think Singapore would be less of a culture shock and gives you enough time to learn french before heading over to France.

Aved123 · Answer

ESSEC also provides extensive career support and is proactive when it comes to giving students networking and career opportunities. The school pushes its students to attend company visits, apply aggressively, network with professionals in the industry by allocating talks and sessions, and alerting job opportunities to them. The fact that international students have the right to legally work for at least 6 months for a paid position is another attractive feature of studying in France!

SMU or ESSEC singapore

ESSEC singapore or SMU

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