This write-up would be particularly useful to those who are in a dilemma over chosing whether to do their MBA in India or abroad. Written with particular reference to software engineers who are thinking of an MBA.
It has been written as an open letter to the reader considering that he is a software engineer with 2+ years of work experience who is thinking of an MBA.
Dear Reader,
When you plan to do an MBA abroad, there are the following things (from the
learning point of view) that we consider:
Concepts - This comes from faculty, books, and better infrastructure.
Exposure - To industry and the latest practices
Peer-to-peer Learning - Self explanatory
Personality building - By making presentations, giving lectures to
juniors/classmates(peers!) (Official ones!!) etc.
- Value addition to your work experience - Self explanatory.
Let us compare between Indian and US universities on each point.
Concepts:
The best B-schools of the world are Harvard and Stanford. Everyone of them is in the US only. Our IIMs are no less, but the point is almost every IIM alumnus is also in the US either teaching or working! So, the quality of faculty is definitely better in the US.
Having studied in India, I can tell you one thing: The quality of faculty in the IIMs is definitely much better than the ones in the other premium institutes across India! But even that IIM faculty is not better than any US univ faculty. Utmost you may say that the IIM faculty is as good as the US univ faculty. So, in this case the faculty is better. Books and infrastructure, without a doubt, is better in US.
Exposure:
Every latest mgmt practice, begins at either of the two countries - US or Japan. Being in one of the countries you have increased the probability of getting to know the latest from 0% to 50% straight! So, again on exposure US wins! But trust me, we in India, come to know of it as quickly if not earlier!! ;-)
Peer-to-peer learning:
I know that work experience is given very high weightage at the US univs for an MBA admission. What happens because of that is, everyone is caught in their own perception of reality. Only the freshers always bring in fresh perspectives. This way the healthy mix of students from freshers to ppl with work ex is excellent
in India. US cannot match this one! Sorry!
Personality Building:
It is the same in both the countries. Probably by talking in english 24/7 in the US, you will develop a better language. So, probably US would be slightly better. But I guess, talking in english is an option we make!
Value addition to your experience:
See you are in the Software industry. IIMC has a course called PGDCM - Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Management. Apart from that there is also a course in one of the IIMs called PGDSEM - Software Enterprise Management. Now, these
kind of specialised courses are very few or non-existent to my knowledge in the US. These courses will help you leverage on your experience in a big way. Once you do such courses, backed with your experience you might land up a job as Project Manager, Business consultant, Business Analyst etc etc in any of the big software
companies.
See, this way the balance hangs even steven. So, the next consideration comes to ’’Cost-Benefit’’ analysis.
CBA of US MBA
Cost:
Very high tution fees
Staying away from family and friends. (Really away!)
Benefits:
Exposure
A job in the US (Will keep you away from everybody even more!)
CBA of Indian MBA
Cost:
- Slower rate of exposure
Benefits:
Fresh points of view towards a situation
Nearer to family
May get a job in the US from here too! (IIMs have a very good
foreign placement record)
My recommendation:
Doing an MBA in India, for a person like you, is the best thing that can happen. Chuck the idea of doing MBA in the US. It’s not worth the money and effort!
Additonal Note on preliminary preparation for CAT:
Studying for CAT/XAT is a tricky process. IMS Material by far is the best I have ever laid my hands on. but its also too high fundu. For you, who is not been in touch with algebra and arithmetic, you will run away the minute you touch the first booklet of IMS Material. You can take IMS material once you have done your preliminary brushing up of basics. To do that brushing up, take up any tenth std ICSE/CBSE
text book and work out the entire book. That should help a lot! Trust me!
Regards,
Aditya.