IIMA (PGPX) v/s ISB

I was travelling when I got the news from INSEAD about my ding. The interview shortlist results were expected to be out by around 24th Nov. Never guessed I would be out though ! While lounging in Munich airport I chanced to check my mail and bingo, I am out !!

I wondered if I should ask for feedback; finally I decided to, for whatever its worth !
They have accepted my request for feedback and I spoke to their associate admissions director Johanna Hellborg. She told me that due to large and highly competitive Indian pool of applicants, my application got an unfavourable look. Specifcally, she cited average acads & gmat as things that have let me down. She added that my quality of work-ex and career progression made it difficult for them to reject me( she had to say something good as well, ;) ). Finally she said the greatest disadvantage is in being an Indian male engineer, lost on the diversity factor !Heck, most of us Indians are engineers !! But now that's a bygone story and I am looking forward to more positive things !

That brings me back to the IIMA (PGPX) v/s ISB debate. I have been mentally somehow hooked to the PGPX essentially because of the class profile. It's simply amazing !!

But some well wishers have been suggesting me not to write off ISB ( not that I have an admit in hand, but just in case). Hence it was compelling enough for me to continue investigating suitability of ISB to me. One of the deterrents I felt was the class profile, with a fairly young class.

http://www.isb.edu/pgp/visit/Class_2007_profile.htm

ISB's average age of a student in the current bath is 27-28 with about 5 years of work-ex. They also admit some exceptional freshers. The profile of students is similar to those in US B schools for two year programmes. I would say schools like INSEAD have more experienced class profiles. Of course with schools such as IMD, experience is the buzzword!
On the other hand PGPX average age of next year's admits is 32 with about 10 years of work ex.
I some how feel that learning for experienced people would be equally if not more from peer group vis-a-vis that from faculty. Its is where PGPX perhaps scores over ISB.

I reckon the international faculty at ISB is a huge draw. But with so much dependence of ISB on visiting faculty who may not have their loyalties to ISB, what would be the access students may have to such faculty, when they move after the term is over?

Also I have to compare the international immersion programme at IIMA with exchange programme at ISB. I am very keen on this aspect as this will allow me to acquire an exposure I am looking for. While IIMA calls it the international immersion programme, essentially a consulting type project assignment in a group of 3-5 students, at a foreign company, ISB 's version is more traditional. One gets to study a term or two at foreign schools and has openings to placements in some of these places.

ISB : http://www.isb.edu/OutboundExchange/index.html
IIMA:http://www.iimahd.ernet.in/pgpx


ISB has few lateral job openings coming up during placements whereas I am told, increasingly recruiters are recognising the experience the ISB grads have compared to the traditional two year MBAs in India. IIMA's PGPX placements would be completed only by end Feb and hence no body has any clue on how it is will be received by Industry.

Pros of IIMA:
1.IIMA's Commitment: IIMA is apparently leaving no stone unturned to establish PGPX. I have managed to establish contact with an existing PGP (flagship) student and asked him if the traditional step motherly thing seen is IITs/RECs between B.Techs and M.Techs comes out. He said there is no such thing, at least for now; infact IIMA is putting in a lot energy of into the prog.

2.Focus and clarity on prog objectives: IIMA has positioned this prog for execs and they want to distinguish this from the traditional PGP. This has been consistently followed in the prog design (which included an international project for 5 weeks), placement (lateral jobs not entry level). IIMA is hoping to leverage it partnerships and reputation with many good co,s to open discussions and hope the students on their merit will qualify for these top jobs.

3.Brand IIMA: If this brand can be leveraged, in the form of alumni network and placements it would be a bonus in the short term (2-3 years).In the long term, I think it depends on the how the PGPX students perform in the industry.

4.Exceptional Peer group quality: Purely, going by the profile of people coming, I think PGPX has an edge. The experience and profile of people is amazing. The 50% engineering admits almost come from IITs/RECs. The balance are CA rankers, and other professionals. No.of years of work-ex ranges from 7-15 years in leadership roles. High analytical skills - in the form of GPA and GMAT scores. I am sure all this will mean learning from each other in addition to from Profs. I guess in terms of work-ex, the environment would be similar to IMD/INSEAD, although diversity and other factors might be missing.

Cons of IIMA:
1.What's the USP- PGP or PGPX: There is not a single school in the world which is known for both its one year and two year progs. back home IITs are known for their B.Tech prog not for M.Techs. Infact for MS/M.Tech, IISc. (which teaches only post grad progs)is rated ahead of IITs. So there seems to something that eventually becomes the USP for the school. History seems to say everybody cannot master everything.IIMA has got to pinnacles of exellence with its PGP in 40 years. Can it and even if it can, how long will it take to create another excellent prog ?

2.Method of education: IIMA has mastered teaching bright nerds, management education. It is a different cup of tea dealing 30+ execs.

3.Teething problems: As the prog is new, I understand there are teething problems with scheduling of courses and finding international projects. IIMA says these will be licked by next year.

Investment in management education is huge- money wise, time wise, timing wise(at 32, I am not getting younger by the day) & effort wise. It would be an intense one year and would define my subsequent career progression. Hence this outcome of this debate is critical and would need to clearly align to my long term goals.

In the end, the paradox is tantalisingly poised with the promise ISB holds and the legacy IIMA earned over the years. My decision over the next couple of weeks will essentially be a choice of one over the other.