Monday, December 18, 2006

It's really not easy!

I never knew choices could kill!
Bound in a situation where I need to choose one from three options – IIMA/ISB/Cranfield, I am troubling my grey cells like I never did before.

To ease my perspective I tried to list down positives and negatives of both IIMA-PGPX and ISB-PGP. I ignored Cranfield as I am not too keen to leave India despite the award of 50% scholarship.

IIM-PGPX (the new one-year MBA)
Positives:
Strong 60+ years’ history and a reputed brand;
Unmatched resident faculty;
Focused target on senior management positions post PGPX;
Built in mandatory exchange program at no extra cost;
Clear monetary advantage of 6lacs (including the exchange programme);
Strong alumni (but will PGP alumni gel with PGPX is a question).

Negatives:
Untested;
Comparison with PGP inevitable – may happen on 7 Jan;
The confusion for a PlaceCom strategy for PGPX vis-à-vis PGP will continue for initial few years;
Too academic;
With all students coming after 7+ work-ex, the mind sets are rigid and it may take some time before our thoughts, beliefs are shaken and reshaped. Initial few months could be very tough owing to ego clashes etc.;
I am told that for PGPX-1 the institute could not arrange a faculty for finance.


ISB-PGP
Positives:
Sans the “X”;
Pursues only one course PGP so efforts are well directed & coordinated;
On the high growth path;
Chance to interact with international faculty;
We old dogs get to learn new tricks with more of younger population around which also means lesser ego clashes;
More of student initiated activities;
I am awarded a fee waiver of Rs.2 lacs;
I stand to save Rs.3 lacs if I get 50% scholarship, and a Rs.10 lacs if I get 100% scholarship.


Negatives:
Too diverse a student profile – work-ex ranging from 2 years to over 15 years;
Point (a) must create confusion among recruiters;
Expensive and too royal;
International faculty is not resident leaving students to fend for themselves after they’re gone;
Nothing known about the resident faculty. Seems the school relies more on visiting faculty;
Alumni support not strong;
Despite the fee waiver, I may suffer a financial loss of Rs.3 lacs if I don’t get the scholarship.

DO I LOOK CONFUSED? You can bet!

3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Negatives:
Untested(not post 7 Jan)
Comparison with PGP inevitable – may happen on 7 Jan(highly unlikely)
The confusion for a PlaceCom strategy for PGPX vis-à-vis PGP will continue for initial few years(placecom is seprate hwo do u feel confusion may exist?)
Too academic(hmmm- did not know that was BAD)
With all students coming after 7+ work-ex, the mind sets are rigid and it may take some time before our thoughts, beliefs are shaken and reshaped. Initial few months could be very tough owing to ego clashes etc.(ego clashes are good- u always learn from them)
I am told that for PGPX-1 the institute could not arrange a faculty for finance(r u sure, I think it is highly unlikely)

SS

19 December, 2006 13:14  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Dear Tejbir,
Its not the time to create confusion.Only way u can B+ve
is to according to ur resources and the brand value in the future where u can give the weightage and draw conclusin proactively.
Anyway its great,well done and B+ve.

21 December, 2006 16:06  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

One of the criteria for choice a of school, IMO is what are we looking to do after an MBA.This is in terms of the recruiters on the campus, the jobs on offer etc.

Yes, for PGPX it may be sometime before this information is available.

I have based my pull out apps from other schools, and opt for PGPX based on the process IIM-A has been adopting PGPX. I will send a mail to you on some of the things I am referring here.

All the best in whatever you choose to do.

23 December, 2006 21:16  

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