Best MBA School here and abroad?

[batang uliran]

For those of you looking to get an MBA, where would you want to go - pick a school locally and one overseas. Kaya lang, with the devaluation, it is extremely prohibitive to study in the US - an MBA would cost about P3-P4M over the 2 years!

[Ira]

Harvard and AIM.

[CaRaMBa]

Oo nga eh, super expensive. :(

I'll try all the good schools, who knows, baka maka-chamba. Pero my focus will be on Wharton, Kellogg, NYU and Babson.

[batang uliran]

Caramba:

Not trying for Harvard or Stanford?

And isn't AIM good enough at signficantly less money? I would think if you get accepted to the very best - Wharton, Harvard, Stanford, Northwestern that it would be worth it to go but why spend all that money on a school in the US that may not be better than AIM?

BTW, INSEAD in Europe is right up there also I think.

[Kaboom!]

My bias leads me to prefer Kellogg since I took my undergrad at NU. In the Phil., I'll say AIM since my GF goes there right now. Biased pero good schools pa rin.

I do think that if you plan on working in the Philippines or asia for that matter, AIM or any local MBA program should be your focus as most of the cases tackled will be based on the region. Mas mura pa.

With regard to the tuition prices, the average income of professionals in the states are considerably higher so paying $10,000 a semester can be managable after working and saving up for a few years. But it's only worth it if you plan on staying in the U.S. and working there after graduation.

Peace.

[batang uliran]

Kaboom:

The cost is actually closer to $25k a year if not more.

And while NU may be good academically, nothing beats a huge alumni base and in that HBS and Wharton are tops. In fact in Chicago, UofC probably has a better network than Northwestern.

B.U.
We had trimesters at NU so my estimate is still within range of the actual tuitions.

In my opinion, when it comes to the top 5 or so MBA programs, subjectivity comes into play more. Each has its strengths and weaknesses and it just depends on what the student wants and needs.

Peace.

[This message has been edited by Kaboom! (edited 12-16-1999).]

[tr|n|ty]

Hmmm AIM is good but since you are spending that kind of doe..I'd say aim high..go to harvard, wharton, kellog or stanford... though, i have a deep respect for wharton grads....their reputation has been going down here in the states...so for me, i'd still go for harvard, stanford or kellog..and University of Chicago ..Babson? NYU? hmm....I think fordham is better than those schools pa nga......anyways, to each his own and studying abroad is in itself a great experience.

[Ira]

Don't you think that if you're taking MBA, you should take it in a place where you're going to work in the future? Or do MBA courses have the same curricula the world over? I think one of the unstated but important things about an MBA degree is the network you get to link with in your classes kasi. What's the point of getting a wide Harvard network when you're here in Manila?

[batang uliran]

Ira:

The HBS network is alive and well locally and the current president of the Harvard Club of the Philippines is Jaime Augusto Zobel who finished his undergrad and MBA at Harvard. Same thing with Francisco Licuanan, who also has an MBA from Harvard and Del Lazaro and the list goes on. You can believe these alumni are likely to look nicely on your Harvard MBA and there is at least one newly minted HArvard MBA who recently joined Ayala Corp.

[This message has been edited by batang uliran (edited 12-16-1999).]

[CaRaMBa]

batang uliran, will try, who knows?

Someone reliable tried out AIM before and she said na 'walang kwenta'. I dunno how true.

As for the network, I think it's better if you have a global network. Companies are going global. Also, those schools have networks here too. I attended a talk sponsored by Wharton (yummy food!), and the Wharton Club of the Philippines organized it. Nakaka-impress.

[Ira]

Nyak...didn't realise Licuanan is a Harvard guy!!! He lives a few houses away from me and although I know he has an MBA, I didn't realise Ivy Leaguer pala! Looks are deceiving talaga. :)

About AIM being walang kwenta...I've heard about comments like that too, but wow, the NETWORK!

How about Sofia U in Japan?

[batang uliran]

Caramba:

AIM is an excellent MBA school - consistently ranked among the top 5 in Asia with a pretty respected faculty. And as Ira pointed out, the school has a pretty impressive network locally. I don't disagree Wharton is an excellent school - my best friend in HS got his MBA from there and another HS friend got his undergrad business degree from the Wharton School as well. They both agree that the undergrad training is superior to the MBA training. But oh, the old boy network! My friend told me when he was interviewing for jobs here in the US (he's back in Manila working for Merrill Lynch Securities) people would flat out say the only reason he was being interviewed was because he came from Wharton.

Ira:

Yup, FHLicuanan is a Harvard guy, extremely smart and probably the top manager in Philippine Business today bar none. His wife Vickie has a PhD also from Harvard. And their daughter graduated undergrad from Harvard.

[This message has been edited by batang uliran (edited 12-16-1999).]

[Kamatayan]

BU: Napaka overachievers naman mga friends mo, If I were in your shoes I'd resent them... hehehe

[batang uliran]

Kamats:

Once in a while I wonder if I made the right decision - I actually thought of shifting to law after 2 years of med proper (since that's the only time we get a B.S. degree) but decided against it. Now whenever I see a patient I took care of go out of the ICU doing well I'm reminded of why I became a doctor in the first place. I have many other good friends who have gone on to be very successful in their fields and I'm happy for them - we all still see each other whenever I visit and I hope they refer patients to me when I get back for good :)

[hirohonma]

GMAT FEE - $210.00
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HEEEEEEELP!!!
For inquires (and complaints :)) call Sylvan Prometric, 24/F Pacific Star Bldg. at 811-5985 loc 12.

[KuyaDanny]

For US-based MBA programs, there are two schools of thought (pardon the pun).

You could go to an "old-line" business school, one which has been consistently ranked in the Top 10 or 20 for the last 30 years or so. That would be the Harvards, Stanfords, Whartons, Kelloggs, or Chicagos of this world. You'd get an outstanding education from excellent faculty which has been turning out quality graduates year in and year out ever since you were born, probably. You'll be part of a great alumni network and carry a degree from a prestigious school known throughout the world.

Or, you can choose to go to a "rising star" school, either an "ex-top 10 on the rebound" or one whose programs (and re****tions)have been improving steadily for the last ten years or so. That would be schools like Darden, Duke, Berkeley, Rice, Texas, or Purdue. You'll still get the good education, but maybe the alumni network and recruitment won't match those of the "old-line" schools. But typically, these schools are being run by young and aggressive deans who have recently been funded and told to build up theis programs. These guys are driven and want to prove something. So there's usually nowhere to go but up.

I got my MBA from an old-line school, but if I had to do it over again, I'd probably go to a rising star. A "developing" school is an exciting place to be in, and there's no better time in one's life than this do take a little calculated risk with a high potential payoff.

[KuyaDanny]

The cussword filters on this board are really strict.

The asterisks on my above post should be replaced by p.u.t.a to spell r.e.p.u.t.a.t.i.o.n.s

[tr|n|ty]

hey KuyaDanny! wow idol..u went to the good schools..kaka inggit! i'm really working hard with my undergrad and getting as much work experience in my field as possible..do you think while i do my 2 to 3 year work experience requirement before grad school, i should also get my CFA?

[batang uliran]

If you can do both why not? I have an uncle who has both an MBA from one of the traditional US schools and he is a CFA as well. He is doing very well and is tops in his field in the US.

[CaRaMBa]

BU: What are the good European schools? Preferably in English-speaking countries?

[KuyaDanny]

tr|n|ty, one nice thing about doing your CFA is that it helps restore your "studying" skills which you will need in the MBA program. So, if you have the time and patience, go for it!

To make your tuition money go a long way, though, you'll probably not want to load up on the finance courses in B-school, because your CFA should take care of that. Choose electives in other fields, to broaden your exposure.

And, if I may add, when it comes to work experience, more is better than less. So if you can afford to push back your application by 1-2 years, you'll get more out of your MBA.

[KuyaDanny]

CaRaMBa, you might want to take a look at IMEDE, IESE, and the London Business School.

There's also INSEAD (but they require French and English). INSEAD now has a satellite campus in Singapore.

[tr|n|ty]

thanks, BU. I was thinking of getting my CFA within my first year of work, if all things fall into place. Hopefully, the US economy doesn't loose steam before i graduate (aackk....hintayin nalang until may 2001 :)). And yes, it is indeed more than a bundle to go to college/grad school here in the states, but they always say it's an investment that will come back ten-fold..thanks for the insight!

[tr|n|ty]

KuyaDanny-thanks so much for your valuable advice :) i'm taking my undergrad in finance and econ at a jesuit school in the east coast and my professors are all telling me to take this special 5 year BS/MBA program in my school..where i get my bachelors degree and MBA in 5 years..but i declined. I didn't want to go into my MBA without work experience, I wanted to aim higher and get the most out of my MBA in the future in a top business school, hopefully (keeping all my fingers and toes crossed, of course! :)). Well as for taking a lot of finance oriented subjects..i need them for my major anyways :) but i'm taking a lot of BS like beatnik poetry and movies and the american experience as electives to free my mind out of that business-oriented rut :D Enihu, a lot of my friends who are already deep into the finance field tell me to take my CFA in the first few years of my career so the CFA oriented topics are still fresh in my head from undergrad..i was just wondering if i'll work myself up the wall. But my long term goal is to get my MBA by 28..is that too young? I'm 21 right now and i'm graduating next year.

[KuyaDanny]

Hi, tr|n|ty!

I don't think 28 is too young. I got mine at 27, although I might add that age at admission at most business schools has steadily risen since I graduated. The schools want them older now (so they make more money after graduation).

I'm seriously considering taking my CFA, too (at the ripe old age of 41). Not that I need it. But I have enough time on my hands and less pressure now, so maybe I can actually learn something. :)

[tr|n|ty]

KuyaDanny-good luck on ur CFAs! I'm sure with your experience, the CFAs would just be a matter of getting back in the groove of things. I actually heard that the average age of MBA students have shot up to 32 or something. But i just want to get it out of the way because until i get my MBA, i cannot seriously think about marriage and family (nyek! not that i'm really looking forward to it hehe :)).

[mparaz]

hmm always an interesting discussion, anyway I'm not sure if I want to get an MBA, or what; I don't think I can stop working... not sure if I need MBA or what.

maybe you can share what your MBAs were good for?

[ChicagoPinoy]

KELLOGG GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT
(NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY)
here in Evanston - near Chicago :)