16 July 2009
Boston, USA
This started quite a while ago. First, I heard about a business school in Barcelona. Classes in English. 300 days of sunshine a year.
Globalization? People from all over the world? Another language? Or two?
I applied and got in.
"...yes I said yes I will Yes."
So that was the beginning, and anyone who has any inquiries about about that decision or applying to b school is welcome to email me (laws@alum.mit.edu), but the short of it is this. For me, along with the actual coursework, the greatest gain from business school will be international exposure and learning another language. Among top schools, coursework disparities are dwarves compared to becoming bilingual and expanding my international friendships and understanding. I wanted a two-year program because to allow for another professional experience (internship during the intervening summer) and because I feel that, as far as both forming lasting relationships and learning Spanish, two years is much preferable to two.
How did I decide what schools to apply to? Do the math:
+ Top 20 International B School
- English-speaking locales
+ 2-year program
_______________
= IESE + ESADE + CEIBS*
That is the correct math, but at the time of my decision, I had assumed China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) was a 1-year program, so I thought the answer was IESE + ESADE. (Currently I'm hoping to do a term abroad (fall 2010) at CEIBS, which is in Shanghai. I want to see what 1.3B people are talking about.)
So, I applied to IESE and ESADE. I was caught off guard - and a bit amused - during my IESE interview when asked, "IESE and ESADE? Why would you be applying to two schools that are so different?"
The main reason I chose IESE in the end was the case study method - I'm all in. Textbook smextbook. I want to learn more about communicating and working in teams, not note-taking and rote mastery. I prefer myriad industries by example. I'm keen management consulting and think case study curricula are good training. Mostly, though, I want to hear my classmates give their opinion from their background --- from having worked in a different industry --- marketing, IT, consulting, pr, manufacturing, banking, anything --- in a different part of the world --- Europe, other parts of America, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and sure, Oceania. You get the point. At our open day visit, Cham chimed in with exception to a comment minimalizing Southeast Asia with his Cambodian perspective. I was hooked. (This reminded me of revisiting Groton, my high school, when I was in seventh grade. Hoyt Taylor's science class blew my mind. My parents got the play-by-play all the way back to Memphis.)
This was followed up by dinner with an Italian, two Germans, an Israeli, and this very Cambodian. Just plain fun. Laughing and American-loud fun. New. Not in Kansas anymore. We did show a weakness in our ability to quickly acclimatize to Barna hours, however, as our clubbing experience was very lonely from 1 am to 3 am, when we left right as Barcelona started showing up.
ESADE
In case some day someone considering ESADE finds this blog, here are some further thoughts. Before visiting these two schools, I thought IESE did not have an equal in ESADE. After visiting and learning more, I changed my mind. As of interview week, I had no preference (though I had misunderstood ESADE's percentage of case study, which is 30%, and for me that was important.)
The other hand?
1. Nosce Te Ipsum. Know Yourself.
ESADE is all about professional development coaching. They make it a priority --- it is included in your program. HUGE. Until I experienced it, professional development coaching sounded as appealing as a trip to the dentist. I had taken Myers-Briggs but didn't know how to use my results until Linda Bailey led a workshop with the real estate investment company I worked for in Memphis. The two-day workshop was just the beginning, but it was enough to sell me on its importance.
2. Job Placement.
Camila de Wit convinced me that ESADE's job placement is on par.
3. International Experience
This is obviously true at both schools, but there were a string of little things that gave me the impression that ESADE would stretch me a little farther out of my comfort zone. In a good way. It does not feel like a Harvard missionary's creation. In a good way.
Anyway, I think the schools have a lot in common, and I also was surprised by their ignoring aspect towards one another. I can't help but think these two schools will rise together or not. In real estate, competitors often benefit from proximal locations. It's more likely to catch the eye of someone visiting schools that adding a jaunt to Barcelona will give them two great schools to see. Also, it seems cooperation could be an opportunity to mitigate one downside of both of them: the small size and thus alumni body along with the relative lack of alumni structure. This, I think, is up to us. Jan and Avi made an ESADE/IESE facebook group; hopefully this will take root in a meaningful way.
Saddle up, boys. This is gonna be fun.
