IESE vs HEC Paris for MBA

Question

Hi everyone, I have secured admits from IESE and HEC Paris for MBA and need some help in making the decision.

I am from Asia and have 5 years of experience in management consulting (MBB) and wish to move outside of Asia post-MBA. Language and costs are not of any concern.

Which school is better perceived for consulting, offers a holistic experience, and provides good networking opportunities?

Answer 1

Hi,

I think these 2 MBAs are at the top in EU. You should also consider other factors such as the country you want to go, the culture you prefer, etc.

Cheers,

Alexandre

Answer 2

Hi there,

Congrats on both offers!

Given costs are not a concern, I definitely recommend hiring an MBA advisor/coach to talk through both schools in a session. I know a few good ones I'd be happy to recommend.

Make sure to talk to people from these schools as well as read online to figure out which one best fits your goals!

I personally would pick HEC, but that's me based on my preferences.

Also, do not discount either the importance of the city/country itself!

Answer 3

Hey there,

I would say they're on par regarding their perception in the consulting world. I have MBB consulting friends from both programs and they're among the elite MBAs in Europe together with IMD, IS, and ESADE.

The best school by far, however, which trumps all others in terms of consulting, is of course INSEAD. It's a consultant producing MACHINE but has some drawbacks as well in other regards.

I myself did my MBA at ESADE, which is a great school but does NOT produce consultants en mass. I was the only one from my cohort landing an offer from McKinsey, for example. However, it's amazing in other regards.

Between the two offers you have, you can't go wrong with either. In my opinion, Barcelona beats Paris so I'd go with IESE ;)

Best of luck!

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Answer 4

Hi!

They're both amazing.

I've helped people get into both and also coached candidates from both schools. Honestly, I would find it hard to decide between the schools myself.

I recommend you to get in touch with students who study there at the moment and have a conversation with them. The point would be to understand where you would best fit in and what would help you the most.

Good luck!
Cristian

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Answer 5

Congratulations on the admits!

In terms of helping you decide, you will need to answer a few questions first.

1. Do you see yourself staying in Europe or moving back to Asia or maybe even a new country like US? I would choose the school that has the most clout in that region

2. Which school has more alumni in companies you want to work at?

3. Which school has peers you will learn most from?

There is no clear answer as to why HEC is better than IESE etc. In Europe, INSEAD and maybe LBS are the best options for global branding, the rest you will need to do more research based on your preferences in the medium to long run.

Best,

Udayan

Answer 6

Hi there,

Q: I have secured admits from IESE and HEC Paris. Which school is better perceived for consulting?

I would recommend checking the past performance of the MBA in terms of placement to understand it.

You can check it as follows:

Go to LinkedIn
Add the universities as "School", one by one (if possible, target the MBA only)
Filter by each MBB/target company as “Current company” for your target geography
Check how many school alumni joined your target firms
Normalize for the size of the MBA intake (if available)

Best,

Francesco

Answer 7

IESE is supposed to be a notch above, and is more international. But your changes of getting a job in the “local” country are higher if you take the French option vs. the Spanish one.

Answer 8

Barcelona has better climate, whereas Paris has more stuff going on.

Answer 9

Hi! Sorry to hear the interviews didn't go according to your expectations, but also don't read too much into them - i... (read entire answer)

Hi! Sorry to hear the interviews didn't go according to your expectations, but also don't read too much into them - it often happens that candidates are harsher with their self-... (read entire answer)

Answer 10

Hi, Great question. Sharing my perspective having considered exits at various stages. I would say it all depends on... (read entire answer)

Hi, Great question. Sharing my perspective having considered exits at various stages. I would say it all depends on what your exit goals / outcomes are. I would characterize op... (read entire answer)

Answer 11

Hi! I wouldn't worry about them reneging on the offer. Through the background check, they rather want to understand... (read entire answer)

Hi! I wouldn't worry about them reneging on the offer. Through the background check, they rather want to understand whether you purposefully tried to hide something or lie in t... (read entire answer)