INSEAD J22 vs Oxford Said

Question

Hi All,

I've been admitted to Oxford Said and INSEAD for the 2021 Intake and wanted to reach out to the community for advice. I'm facing quite a dilemma.

Background: Consulting, Big 4
Post MBA: Consulting / Tech
Nationality: Indian
Work Authorization: India
Target Post-MBA location: UK or Singapore

I've heard from current students in both programs that the employment prospects over the last year have been dismal. While INSEAD clearly has the upper hand from a brand perspective, I do not have work authorization in Singapore (increasing anti-immigration sentiment) or France / EU. Additionally, we only get 3 months (France) and one year (Singapore) post-graduation to secure sponsorship.

As for Oxford, the new graduate visa system in the UK would give me two years in the UK post-MBA to secure sponsorship.

Is the trade-off worth it?

Thanks a ton!

bb · Answer

Congratulations on your admits! 
Said is a new and a growing program. You can read a few reviews and comments from current students on GMAT Club. It does not have a strong Brandon business. It is not as selective is in Siad and mostly leverages the reputation of the umbrella University.

The brand will always be stronger and more important during the slow times. In case the economy bounces back, graduates of both programs will find a job. If you go Insead, you are covered. However, if there is a recession, significantly more Insead graduates will be employed than those of Said. Again, Insead puts you in a better position.

My biggest concern is that you will have lots of regret if you go to Said.

Posted from my mobile device

AA94 · Answer

bb, thank you for the insights!

goodbyeboy · Answer

What is this?

Every time I see you writing about Said, I see nothing but extremely negative remarks.

Having personal opinion is one thing, (therefore I do agree with your first and second paragraphs, Said is nowhere close from being perfect), but that last sentence puzzles me - you will have lots of regrets?

Where is that coming from? Data? Personal experience? Simple opinions? Guess? Because that is a strong comment coming from someone who founded this website.

Your words and recommendation on this forum have much more weight than you might think. So I'm curious to hear where that last remark came from.

Thanks.

bb · Answer

Thank you for weighing in. I have read your review and would love to hear more about Said experience! I am very open to change my opinion and would love to hear why one would or should choose Said over Insead.

To answer your question, My opinion is not based on attending 2 programs. Nobody has that experience or feedback really. I look at the data and peer schools. I look at the selectivity and stats of people going into Insead vs Said, Insead is more competitive and that’s harder when you don’t have a world famous Oxford name attached to it.

Please do comment about Said. I am only human and have been wrong many times. Would love to hear your thoughts!

Posted from my mobile device

Raffer99 · Answer

Hi Aashay,
I would agree with bb. INSEAD's brand is much higher regarded, especially in Consulting. It is pretty much the top feeder MBA for Consulting in Europe, while Said is a target university but with a much smaller footprint than INSEAD. I work in MBB and the London offices are quite hard to get into, so INSEAD might give you more options: Singapore, London with visa, EU (e.g. Netherlands).

I also visited Oxford for my interviews this year (right before lockdown): The university is breathtaking and you would have a wide variety of peers (seems more focused at INSEAD). I couldn't see myself there esp. during COVID and thus made another application round this year.

Hope this helped.

AA94 · Answer

Raffer99 this is very helpful! Was there any factor in particular that made you realize that the program wasn't the right fit? Or just the overall vibe? Thank you for the feedback

Raffer99 · Answer

Aashay94 Not really, it was gut feeling and another shot at my dream to go to Harvard or Stanford - but that didn't happen

goodbyeboy · Answer

I think pros and cons are quite clear here.

If you definitely want to go for consulting, I think Insead might fit you better, although Said has its own consulting track specifically targeting these firms. Consulting sector has its own thing going on with its own bubbles, so Insead is a clear winner here.

However, if you are worried about the visa situation (3 months, 1 year vs 2 years in the U.K) and are not still sure what you want to do after MBA, or want to try things out for Tech, then Said might suit you better. When I was there we didn't have 2 year period; we only had 6 months to figure things out, but lots of my classmates ended up working in London and elsewhere in Europe.

Said is nowhere close from perfect, but I think school is quite aware of their weak points (alumni strength, career center) and working quite aggressively as far as I know.

Good luck!

AA94 · Answer

Thank you so much! An insider perspective always helps and what you mentioned seems to align with my understanding so far

Posted from my mobile device

INSEAD J22 vs Oxford Said

Insead or Oxford Said

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards