Decision time: INSEAD vs. Oxford Said vs. Cambridge Judge

Question

Hi everyone--got some exciting admissions decisions in the last few weeks and now have my work cut out for me.

Profile 
GMAT: 730
Undergrad GPA: 3.5
Nationality: US
Work Experience: 6 years in strategy functions at a big tech company
Post-MBA Career: Technology companies, aiming to live in Europe (preference to EU but open to UK)

More anecdotally, I only applied to European schools because I really want to work in Europe, although eventually (think 3-5 years post grad) want to return to the US. Want to continue building a career in tech, with a strong preference toward big tech. Below are my more personal pros and cons, aside from the obvious data around rankings etc.

Thanks in advance for any input--I've very grateful!

Admitted Schools

INSEAD (Fontainebleau) 
Pros:
*Career services seem to be very strong across the board
*Alumni network is particularly strong and well connected to the alumni networks of a few top schools in the US
*Location for me is a plus--speak French and have lived in France before. Would love to spend more time there.
*Campus exchange--would likely take advantage of this with the US schools
*I've been accepted into the January intake, so that would have the opportunity for an intership

Cons:
*Mostly worried about US employer name recognition down the road
*Reputation as a party school--not my cup of tea

OXFORD SAID 
Pros:
*Brand name
*Very generous scholarship
*Admissions, faculty, and everyone I've talked to has been particularly friendly and helpful
*they take an interdisciplinary approach to the coursework, where students are able to take classes that overlap would other subjects, so I think that would be really fascinating and enriching (although maybe not valuable in a career sense)

Cons:
*I've heard dubious things about their career services, which is a very big con, although it seems to be improving
*Brexit uncertainty
*They seem to mostly feed to the UK, which isn't my first post-MBA location choice

CAMBRIDGE JUDGE 
Pros:
*Brand name
*Proximity to the Silicon Fen in Cambridge town, and overall emphasis on tech (I would want to do the digital transformation focus within the program)
*Supposed to be very experiential learning, lots of interaction with companies and hands on work with real problems

Cons:
*Small class size -- this dilutes the power of the alumni network
*I've heard mixed things about the career services here. Not as weak as Said, not as strong as INSEAD is my takeaway
*Brexit uncertainty
*Also mostly feed to the UK

kiran120680 · Answer

Congrats on your admit in great schools. Alumni network and career service wise INSEAD is one the best in the world. I suggest you go with INSEAD.

GMATin · Answer

Congratulations! My vote is for INSEAD for sure. It is gaining more and more traction every year. The fact that a mid-sized to big tech US firm would not know about INSEAD's brand is a bit unlikely. Besides, by the time you plan to go back to the US, your work ex in Europe will have more weight than the business school you attended. And to get into a notable company post MBA, INSEAD will definitely be the best option. It has a terrific reputation when it comes to consulting, strategy, tech and entrepreneurship. Finance is good only if you are applying for the December class because you get the option of a summer internship in the middle. In the case of Said and Judge, the career services are not as great as you would expect from such notable names. Since the class size in Judge is relatively small, most companies don't visit Cambridge. They either organise an event in London or have a combined event for Oxbridge in Oxford. Even then, these two schools are highly academic in nature and may not give you the experiential learning you will need to enter the tech space.

I do understand the notion of INSEAD being a party school. I honestly have a similar problem with it. But, I think if the students travel/party way more than an average business school candidate, they also work harder. This is primarily due to its short duration and changing campus in between.

I am sure you are already doing this but talk to more INSEAD students, especially about what you can do to fulfil your post-MBA goals.

Btw, I am not a candidate of either but have acquaintances in each school and hence my experience is not first-hand.

I do understand the notion of INSEAD being a party school. I honestly have a similar problem with it. But, I think if the students travel/party way more than an average business school candidate, they also work harder. This is primarily due to its short duration and changing campus in between.

I am sure you are already doing this but talk to more INSEAD students, especially about what you can do to fulfil your post-MBA goals.

Btw, I am not a candidate of either but have acquaintances in each school and hence my experience is not first-hand.

bb · Answer

Wow. Congrats on your admits. You are one of a very few unique applicants here! A US national who applied only to EU schools! I admire your vision and bravery!

However, I do feel you are looking at the values a bit differently from optimal. It almost feels as though you are putting value in 5 (technically 7) years from now. I think INSEAD is the best program here that combines the internship along with a great brand and career services and placement stats. While you may feel everyone in the US knows Oxford, and few know INSEAD, the reality is actually different. 7 years from now, you will not be slapping your resume on the desk and impressing someone with an Oxford brand name but rather you will be leveraging your network to recruit for a job. Whether that's through your last 5 years of work experience or by going to the the alum base in the US... and I can tell you that INSEAD alum base is 10x or 20x that of Oxford or Cambridge MBA in the US. However, I am not sure you will really be using your BSchool brand name all that much 5 years after graduation. Few people will care about it and most will want to know what you have done since. I think INSEAD is an easy choice.

Also consider the difficulty of getting in and selectivity - your classmates at INSEAD will be a greater level of leaders, people driven and focused who will challenge you to be more and learn more. You may be too comfortable at the Judge/Said, on the other hand...

What I have heard is similar to your feedback except that Oxford/Cambridge are not even great about recruiting in the UK (which is really London) and that London is dominated by the LBS. Oxford and Cambridge have the clout of their undergrad institutions. Think about it as John Hopkins MBA. Everyone knows John Hopkins Hospital and Med School but the MBA is not even ranked....

P.S. You speak French - that's fantastic! Otherwise, it's hard to recruit for Germany or France or even Netherlands fresh and without the local language knowledge. You have ability to secure work permits in any of the EU locations? You will get to jump through the hoops all the international applicants jump in the US, though you will likely get more admiration from the EU bureaucrats for the self-inflicted pain

Mo2men · Answer

Another vote for INSEAD. I would not sacrifice this opportunity for Judge or Oxford at any cost (I only consider LBS on par with INSEAD). First, INSEAD is bigger reputation and name in MBA realm. The Brexit is real threat to any one inside the UK besides the career office is not that good compared to INSEAD. Few years from now, your career will be shaped by your experience and you will have less weight on MBA school. Also, I may argue that if you apply to big firms in the US, I bet you will encounter many people who did MBA and came across INSEAD name, even if they hold MBA from American schools. Few years ago, I read an article with that meaning from an employee who recruiters for American companies.

Quote:

P.S. You speak French - that's fantastic! Otherwise, it's hard to recruit for Germany or France or even Netherlands fresh and without the local language knowledge. You have ability to secure work permits in any of the EU locations? You will get to jump through the hoops all the international applicants jump in the US, though you will likely get more admiration from the EU bureaucrats for the self-inflicted pain

Hi bb

I agree with you about France and Germany. I have friends in Germany who took German lessons to find jobs. However, it is totally different in the Netherlands. Many institutions are proud in the Netherlands to speak English. I have many friends who can't speak Dutch and live normally for years. Ironically, I have a friend who opted to learn Dutch. While practicing Ducth in different daily life, some Dutch could not wait and try to speak English to help him and he starts to convince them top speak Dutch to help him

Decision time: INSEAD vs. Oxford Said vs. Cambridge Judge

Which program should I enroll in?

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