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Imperial-Tanaka vs IE..urgent help required
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saneline 
Joined: 02 Jul 2008 Posts: 3 |
Imperial-Tanaka vs IE..urgent help required
Hi folks,Thu Jul 03, 2008 06:46 PM I have admits from Lancaster, Imperial and IE International MBA(English). So now, its a choice between Imperial and IE for me. I'm from an IT(Tech.) background and am keen to continue in the same sector post MBA(Strategy Consulting, Management Consulting, Product management...finally entrepreneurship some day) Please help me evaluate Imperial vs. IE. Imperial-Tanaka: Brand Imperial is world class, has the London edge, great for Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship IE - fares very well in all the global rankings, great in entrepreneurship. I got in touch with IE students and them seem to be highly skeptical of the job opportunities if one is not fluent in Spanish. And international placements(i.e. outside Spain) do not seem to be great. But IE features in top 15 in most of the global rankings..so might have a lot of visibility among recruiters..I'm not sure about it though. Both seem to be great in entrepreneurship. Please do share your views. I need to decide as soon as possible, as I have hardly any time left. [Edited 03 Jul 2008 by saneline] |
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Thomas   Joined: 03 Jun 2008 Posts: 76 |
Imperial-Tanaka vs IE..urgent help required
HI saneline Fri Jul 04, 2008 12:17 AM Both IE and Tanaka business school offers very good business degree for you. However, while the two schools are top business schools in terms of rankings, quality of teachings, international exposure etc, you may want to consider the career prospects after your study. Do you intend to work in Spanish-speaking areas or English-speaking areas? If you plan to work in Spain (or many other spanish-speaking countries), IE will be a top choice. However, if you are not a native speaker, then Tanaka will be more suitable for you. Another question you will need to consider is if you are a EU citizen. What nationality do you have? While it is difficult for foreigners to get a work permit in Spain (but it is still possible), it is relatively easier for one to attain a work permit in London. Good luck. Kind regards, Thomas |
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| lukeh Joined: 24 Oct 2007 Posts: 218 |
Imperial-Tanaka vs IE..urgent help required
Hi,Fri Jul 04, 2008 09:05 AM Well, I think that you have two great schools to pick from. I agree that it very much depends on what language you speak and where you may want to work after wards. However, if it were my decision, I think I would be more inclined to go for IE than Imperial College London. Tanaka only rank 35th in the Financial Times top 100 schools, compared to IE's 8th. However, Thomas is right about the spanish-speaking issue. Another consideration perhaps is the vast expense of living in London while you do your MBA? |
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jkloren
 Joined: 20 Feb 2007 Posts: 12 |
Imperial-Tanaka vs IE..urgent help required
I can definitely relate to your dilemma. I made that exact choice between IE and Imperial about 18 months ago. I have an IT background as well, and was looking for schools that were strong in Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Obviously IE and Imperial ended up at the top of my list. Fri Jul 04, 2008 01:31 PM Here are a couple corrections to the posting above: 1. I don't speak Spanish, and don't plan to work in the Spanish-speaking world (I speak English, French, German, and some obscure languages that are utterly useless from a business perspective). I still chose IE, and about half of my cohort doesn't speak Spanish. The International programs at IE are very, very international ... and will give you a global network and exposure to global practices. Don't worry about the language thing (although with 13 months of living in Madrid you will at least speak rudimentary Spanish by the end of the program). 2. If you get an MBA from IE, then you get "red carpet" treatment when applying for a work permit in the UK. There are 50 schools (10 UK schools, and 40 international schools) that are included in what is called the "MBA Provision." IE is one of them (still listed as "Instituto de Empresa" on that list). See details here www.workpermit.com/uk/hsmp/mba_provision For some reasons Imperial wasn't included among the 10 UK schools, although, in my opinion it is a superior school to some of the UK schools mentioned. Also, it seems that the compilers of the list were keen to get international schools with strong Innovation/Entrepreneurship reputations, as schools like Babson and Vanderbilt are included (and these schools aren't exactly darlings in the general rankings ... but they're superstars in the Entrepreneurship rankings). So I really don't understand why Imperial didn't make the list. Very strange! 3. In the U.S., IE is pretty well-known (but better known in Miami than in San Francisco). I had great difficulty finding anyone who knew Imperial (unless they had lived in the UK or were originally from the UK). Incidentally, it is even harder to find anyone on the west coast of the U.S. who has heard of Babson, even though it is a U.S. school. Babson has wonderful Entrepreneurship programs, but readily admits that it has a long way to go in terms of attracting a diverse international student body. Disclosures: 1. I was looking at Executive MBA programs rather than regular MBA programs. 2. All programs would have allowed me to be based from one of my current residences, so I didn't have the considerations that you have related to moving or related to determining where you'd prefer to live. You really can't go wrong with either school. They both have great faculty, attract top students, and are located in fabulous cities. Congratulations on being accepted to both programs! Good luck with your decision. It's a tough one! All the best, Julian |
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| saneline
Joined: 02 Jul 2008 Posts: 3 |
Imperial-Tanaka vs IE..urgent help required
Hi Julian, Lukeh and Thomas..Fri Jul 04, 2008 07:07 PM Thanks for ur responses buddies..I found them very informative.. Lemme share some more details....I'm an Indian...into research and product development for the past 4 years at a reputed American MNC...and as Julian rightly pointed out Imperial and IE turned out to be my top choices owing to their strengths in innovation, technology and entrepreneurship. I'm likely to get a 'close to full' scholarship at Imperial-Tanaka and am in the process of applying for a scholarship at IE. I intend to work in US or London for a few years post MBA and then come back to India and think of an entrepreneurial venture in a long run. I wouldn't mind learning Spanish. But then, I contacted few current Indian students at IE and was told that it's pretty tough to get fluent in Spanish in an year's time. With that, I would probably end up looking for job opportunities outside Spain post IE MBA. Since English is the only non-Indian language I'm good at, my job prospects would probably be limited to UK, US and perhaps India. Correct me if I missed out on any... Some new developments: The MBA provision under HSMP in UK is no more valid. Earlier MBA grads from those 50 schools were directly eligible for the work permit. This provision has been scrapped with effect from 30th June 2008. www.workpermit.com/uk/uk-immigration-tier-system/t… To quote the relevant stuff - "Tier 1 (General) is very similar to the previous HSMP, save for the notable exception of the removal of the MBA provision which allowed those with MBAs from a list of specific universities to claim an automatic 75 points." And in the new system, all the students studying in UK automatically qualify for a work permit of 2 years after they pass out. This has been done to encourage the best lot to study and work in UK. So looks like finding a job in UK would be a hassle free affair post Imperial MBA. I am unable to readily evaluate the ramifications of this change with respect to IE. That said, IE is a highly ranked school. But can I bank on IE to fetch me a great job is US? FT ranks few of the American heavy-weights like Kellog/Mich. Ross/Berkeley/Duke/Cornell/UCLA in late twenties or thirties after IE and some of the UK schools like Lancaster. So I basically wanted to know if an IE grad would be treated on par with these schools in the US market? Or even Imperial for that matter...How much does a rank matter to an employer or recruiter? Is a candidate from a top ten school assessed more favorably than one from a relatively lower ranked school? Would rank make any difference in the way potential employers perceive an Imperial or an IE grad? Would IE's current rank (8 in FT) make my candidature any stronger? I frankly do not know how much of a role rank plays. Please do throw some light based on your experience. I'm sorry for the long post. But then, I wanted to make sure I cover all the factors I'm considering to be able to arrive at a decision. Please do share your views in the light of all these factors. Please do help. Thanks and regards, saneline [Edited 04 Jul 2008 by saneline] |
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| Thomas Joined: 03 Jun 2008 Posts: 76 |
Imperial-Tanaka vs IE..urgent help required
Hi sanelineSat Jul 05, 2008 02:25 AM Thank you for your post. Regarding your question - does top ten business school candidates be assessed more favorably than one from a relatively lower ranked school? The answer is YES. It matters a lot. Not only because of the ranking, but because the school will have very strong alumni contacts with leading firms in US and Europe, which in turn be very useful and relevant to you to look for your ideal jobs after your completion of study. Regarding another question of yours - can one study Spanish in a year? Possible, with hard work and persistent, it is likely that one can speak and write in Spanish confidently. However, should you be able to lead a discussion, or deliver a presentation, or writing a thesis in Spanish would require a high level of the language, which is difficult to achieve in 12 months. I wish you all the best. Kind regards, Thomas thomaswai.blogspot.com |
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| saneline
Joined: 02 Jul 2008 Posts: 3 |
Imperial-Tanaka vs IE..urgent help required
Hei..Thanks Thomas.Sat Jul 05, 2008 04:22 AM So unless as you say, I'm able to lead a discussion, or deliver a presentation in Spanish, would I be competitive in the Spanish market? IE being a top ten school, does it have the same international standing as the other schools which feature in top ten? If yes, my choice would be straight forward. Does brand IE sell better than Imperial even in English speaking countries?[UK/US]. I basically wanted to know which of the two has a better international standing - especially in UK, US and India since fluency in Spanish over a year is not something I can readily bank upon. So its IE vs Imperial in non-Spanish market for me. Please do share your views. [Edited 05 Jul 2008 by saneline] |
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