Posted by - ranabir saha - on 30 September 2013 - 5:56am

• Posted by - Thomas Graf - on 30 September 2013 - 10:41pm

  Hi Ranabir,

  thank you for your question. Let me, first of all, mention that you have a great profile with a lot of experience (e.g. due to your internships), and that a Master in Management will be very valuable for you as you add business knowledge to your engineering expertise.

  "What all colleges should I apply to? I have shortlisted some of the colleges like HEC, ESCP, ESADE, EADA, IE Business School, LBS, LSE, Imperial, St Gallen. You can add any other college which you think that I should apply to."
  I very often receive this question. But the truth is: There is no "should" in my opinion. It all depends on what YOU want. The schools listed above are all renowned schools in Europe. So, if reputation is what you want, here you go. These schools also have international accreditations - so, if accreditations is what you want, here you go. But this is a very broad approach and it follows a very vague understanding of "I think, I should...apply somewhere...".

  If you read through the answers in this Forum you will notice that you try to support the MIM Compass users by offering a different perspective: Try to clarify your personal career goals first and determine what you need from a Master so that you reach these goals. Then start to investigate programs and schools along this "personal" target profile. Weigh this with your resources (test scores, financial resources etc,) and finally apply.

  Example: If your personal career goal is to work for an investment bank, then you can maximize your MIM output by searching for programs where IBs recruit. If you want to become an entrepreneur, then choose a program with entrepreneurship courses and a start-up environment (e.g. business plan competition, venture capitalists on campus etc,).

  Of course, a first approach is pre-selecting programs that have an international accreditation or that are in management education rankings. But I recommend to push further - and the tool HOW you push further is the approach mentioned above.

  "Do I have to apply to CEMS or Double degree right at the beginning of the program or later after joining?"
  There is no universal mode. It depends on the individual CEMS member institution. Some handle it this way, others that way. You can find this information on the CEMS websites of the respective CEMS member, however.

  "Job prospect after the course for an Indian and what is the deal of staying back for 3 months after graduation? Is it possible to stay back in a country for an extended period of 3 months after graduation for job-hunting purpose?"
  This is an important question and the best way to find that out is by contacting the respective school's career office. So, contact the school, ask them their questions or let them bring you in contact with the career office. If they don't reply this may not be a good sign with respect to customer friendliness.

  Here are some more tips: Screen the schools' websites for statistics on students demographics (or again: ask the schools' admissions people). Watch out for programs where people of your nationality studied. This may mean that the school has experience with placing them. Also, ask the school to bring you in contact with current or ex students from India. If the school has no experience with people from your country... maybe not the best school for you.

  "When is the right time to apply for GMAT and what should be my target score considering my profile?"
  The sooner the better. Minimum target score: 600. Ideally 650 or more.

  Best wishes
  Thomas

  by Thomas Graf

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