Most of us who are hoping of one day doing an MBA spend most of our time in trying to figure out which Institute is the best for us. I have also been having this dilemma. Further, a bigger question that I have been trying to answer is whether getting a degree from an B-school abroad is better than getting an MBA from a B-school in India. I think the best way and easiest way to perform this activity is to perform a SWOT analysis (what else were you thinking?? I am consultant after all 
)
Since we will be looking a schools for the point of view of a prospective student, the definition of SWOT is modified as given below:
Strengths: Strength/USP of the B-school.
Weakness: Drawback of the B-school with respect to others.
Opportunities: The opportunities that the Institute presents for prospective students.
Threats: The possible possible that a student might come across in the B-school.
INSEAD
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STRENGTHS |
WEAKNESSS |
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1. Extremely well-known 2. Excellent International exposure – only 12% of the students at INSEAD are French 3. One of the most well-known consulting Schools in the world. Traditionally INSEAD has been the Consulting Hub for recruiters. 4. Financial Times ranked INSEAD 7th in the 2007 world B-school rankings 5. Exchange programmes with INSEAD Singapore and Wharton School of Business. 6. Cost of doing an MBA at INSEAD is very less as compared to doing an MBA at other schools in Europe and USA. |
1. One year MBA course. This might result in the Schedule being highly cramped up all through the year. 2. The duration of internship possible is just a mere 2 months. 3. Recruitment in Financial Services is not as strong as in Consultancies 4. Being in the outer suburbs of Paris, commuting to the city and hence interaction with companies might be difficult during the quarters |
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OPPORTUNITIES |
THREATS |
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1. Over 70 different nationalities are represented at INSEAD. This permits you to interact not only with individuals speaking different languages but also having different backgrounds and cultures. Inculcates extremely good personality development. 2. Excellent placements in consulting area. Few years ago, McKinsey recruited over 80 students from INSEAD. 3. Placements in Financial Services have been increasing constantly in the past few years. 4. Exchange program in Wharton permits you to apply for campus placements at Wharton as well. |
1. The one-year MBA can be extremely stressful. 2. INSEAD is traditionally a consulting school. Though placements in consulting are excellent, the placements in Finance are not as effective. 3. You will be able to take part in the placements at Wharton only if you go there during their placement cycle and not otherwise. 4. Since the duration of the MBA is short a huge part of the success in the MBA depends on the prior work experience. |
IIM Ahmedabad
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STRENGTHS |
WEAKNESSS |
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1. Ranked as the best B-School in India. 2. Extremely good faculty 3. Students admitted to the Institute are the smartest in India. |
1. IIM Ahmedabad does not figure in the Top 100 B-schools list of Financial Times. 2. Though very well 3. Most students admitted are Indians. 4. Majority of the admitted students do not have any work experience and are straight out of college. |
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OPPORTUNITIES |
THREATS |
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1. Foreign placements have been increasing consistently in the past few years. 2. Placements with in India are very good. 3. Placements in the Financial Services Industry have been increasing consistently. |
1. Placements in Financial Sector are for the position Analysts and not as Associates. 2. Since most students are freshers and from India, there is limited cultural diversity and applicability to practical situations. 3. Networking is limited by the fact that most students are freshers and belong mainly to India. Developing international contacts is not easy. 4. Though very well known in India. IIM A is not that well known abroad. Hence many students from the IIMs are thinking about doing a second MBA from abroad.
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Indian School of Business
It has been a long time since I updated in this page and I think it is a big overdue. I am too lazy to create a table so kindly adjust to the text format. Again this is my opinion of SWOT for students who might pursue and MBA from here. It is based on what I have heard and read about the school. I personally have not attended the school. So, for those who feel i am mistaken kindly enlighten me. 
Strengths:
1. Ranked in FT top 20 in 2008 MBA ratings (though I believe this is flawed)
2. The School is formed by business men. Famously known as the McKinsey school, the presence of industry specialists make the curriculum of the school with respect to the current industry scenario.
Weaknesses
1. New school – just 6 years old.
2. School does not have an established track record. It takes alumni at least 10-15 years to reach the top position in an industry.
3. Relatively weak alumni linkage which would not give you too much leverage to use the it.
Opportunities
1. Since most student there have considerable experience there, you would be in a much more mature environment than at in the IIMs (Yes. I believe that quality experience does matter. Those coming directly from college are generally very theoretical and not aware of the practicalities involved.
2. Course is very practical in nature. One of my friends there once told me that u have only a few hours of class but loads of practical assignments.
3. Good placement profiles because of the large number of experience candidates.
Threats
1. Costly school. I think 20 lakh is too much for an Indian B-School.
2. ROI is is lower since most placements are in India and payment is in INR.
After doing a background check on INSEAD, I feel that the point on multicultural experience is well established but I wonder as to what level will the interactions be possible if I recall my frnds inputs on the hectic schedule of 1 year MBA at ISB.
Moreover looking at the resume of Profs, they dont seem as gr8 as I would have expected them to be. Interacting with world renowed profs is the key at MBA programmes because they are then ones who have contacts to get you placed.
All in all, seems like a good alternative if you cant get across to USA. The probability of placements in Europe/ US need to be checked. I heard it is tough to get citizenship in Europe.
By: Vikram on August 3, 2007
at 7:51 pm
Good points Vikram. I have interacted with a few INSEAD alumni and this what they had to say:
1. the course is super hectic. you will be doing a 2 year course in 1 year. further, networking is the most important part in the mba. this happens during parties and career fairs. ordinarily u wont get time for these, but u need to get out time if u want to do networking.
2. It’s not the profs contacts that get you placed. Profs teach u the basics – accounting, finance, marketing and stuff. Its the contacts that u develop in parties, meets , etc. that get you placed. Most of these contacts are alumni of INSEAD
3. Getting work permit in Europe is much more easier than the US. US laws are very strict nowadays, while european laws to get a work are little relaxed. anyways, that wont be a problem if u graduate from INSEAD since its world renowned.
4. INSEAD is not the place to go if you are looking for a definite placement in the US. its mainly for those who would prefer to stay in Europe/UK after their MBA. So, if u want to work in the US, don’t bother applying here. its better to go to a lower ranked US B-school in such a scenario.
By: ubiquitary on August 4, 2007
at 2:40 am
Another thing that wanted to add was that it seems to be a gr8 place if you want to go for Entrepreneurship as you would meet a lot of ppl (rich ppl) from diffrnt countries and thus make contacts. Moreover the separate department for family business and entrepreneurship seems a gr8 place to be.
Besides, Probably we should compare their MBA with ISB in terms of content etc. I still feel that Profs make a lot of difference as can be seen from ISB with no alumni has been able to suceed because of profs and the kind of environment they have created for first time in India
By: Vikram on August 5, 2007
at 1:58 pm
Yes Vikram. Very good point. I will do a SWOT analysis for ISB as well.
Along with what you said u need to keep in mind a couple of other points as well:
1. It is backed by McKinsey, which does make a huge difference.
2. It is one of the very few schools in India which places great importance of prior work-ex. Thus the companies that come there, come to pick students with lots of work ex. Hence they also offer senior positions in the company.
By: ubiquitary on August 6, 2007
at 10:50 am
Hi dear frends, i m doing mba
From dcte jaipur
Just i want 2 knw that wat r the scopes 4 me . N which specilatn
I should in my 3rd sem.
Basicly i m frm bio. Background.
By: Anonymous on September 13, 2007
at 9:41 am
Hey ubiquitary Could you post your version of swot analysis of ISB ? Thanks
By: Jz on September 21, 2007
at 3:45 pm
Stumbled on this today. I thought I should clarify a few points that are either incorrect or sort of mis-representated.
1. Your opportunity/threat analysis for IIM-A is all kind of messed up and isn’t what a SWOT analysis really should talk about
2. Point on INSEAD profs not well known? It’s funny you say that. The world’s 2 of the top strategy professors are from INSEAD (look for Chan Kim and Rene Mabourgne – Blue Ocean Strategy), some of the other professors (manfred de Vries, Karel Cool etc.) are world renowned, remember each schools has 1 or 2 world-known star professors. In recent years finance from INSEAD is about 31% compared to 33% in consulting, so they’re pretty much even! Diversity plays in your every-day life and is a huge part of the INSEAD experience. You “live” in it, so you don’t need to do million things to feel it. Once you graduate, your classmates are all over the world and are from all over the world.
By: pyrocrustacean on January 6, 2008
at 7:53 pm
I really liked the SWOT analysis done above and I would be really grateful if I can get a similar analysis between top international B schools and IIMs considering finally I want to settle in India
By: Deepak on December 26, 2008
at 10:31 pm
Hey guys,
Just wrote my GMAT.. got 710 (Q49,V37)..anyways, is it worth applying to INSEAD..i am asking just on the basis of score..
-gsb
By: Anonymous on March 24, 2009
at 12:50 pm