MiM HEC vs ESADE

Hi, I have been admitted to both the MSc in International Management/CEMS at ESADE and to the MiM Grande Ecole at HEC Paris. I have a business background. I am interested in the consulting industry or in a general management position. I am not really interested in the Finance/IB sector. I have basic skills in both French and Spanish and I think that I could gain fluency while studying in the respective country. However, I know that I probably won't be able to work in Spain or France right after graduation, so I would prefer a job in an English- or German-speaking country.

I know that both schools are excellent choices. Right now, I am leaning towards ESADE, since the school seems to fit a little bit better to me personally. I am more comfortable with going to Barcelona. However, HEC's reputation seems to be slightly better than ESADE's and I am not sure if it would be the right decision to walk away from a prestigious school like HEC.

I'd be interested in your opinion.

 

I would say go to HEC, definitely. Being French I know that the school reputation in Europe is very impressive. The program is very well respected and places well in consulting, from what I saw.

I don't have a lot of information on ESADE MSc International Management although I'll probably study in the MSc Finance next year. I still feel that HEC is way more prestigious.

 
Best Response

HEC is the better school by quite a margin. However, you also need to get comfortable with the school. If you haven't visited HEC yet, do it before you accept. It's a very particular setup in a remote location. The quality of education and reputation are very good but if you'll be miserable living/studying there, it's not worth it.

ESADE's reputation is good but not great, I would say. Nonetheless at least in the German speaking region you would probably have a very good chance to get consulting interviews at all the major firms.

Another factor to maybe consider is whether you already know your exchange destination or how it is decided. Wouldn't be great to go to your dream school but then have to take an exchange term you absolutely dislike.

 

I would roll with the cems program if you are not desperate for IB! Barcelona beats out where ever the f*** HEC is (its not paris by the way). HEC does have more prestige but for anything not IB/consulting the difference won't matter...

 

General Management (preferably in Aviation management) would be my primary career goal. At ESADE I got a guaranteed spot in the CEMS program. Thats not the case at HEC...

 

From an international mobility standpoint, ESADE beats out HEC. 90% of the whole MSc class is working abroad. On the other hand, HEC's average starting salary is higher than ESADE's.

 
xMiMx:

From an international mobility standpoint, ESADE beats out HEC. 90% of the whole MSc class is working abroad. On the other hand, HEC's average starting salary is higher than ESADE's.

Does this take into account the internationality of the student body? I would imagine the share of local students is higher at HEC than ESADE. Consequently it wouldn't be a surprise that more people stay in the country, especially since HEC is basically a "guarantee of employment" in France.

I think in every Management master's degree you will have some repetition since you'll usually have another class in strategy, marketing, etc - much like in the CEMS core curriculum.

That said, if ESADE is the better personal fit, then none of these anecdotes should matter.

 
EuroLocust:
xMiMx:

From an international mobility standpoint, ESADE beats out HEC. 90% of the whole MSc class is working abroad. On the other hand, HEC's average starting salary is higher than ESADE's.

Does this take into account the internationality of the student body? I would imagine the share of local students is higher at HEC than ESADE. Consequently it wouldn't be a surprise that more people stay in the country, especially since HEC is basically a "guarantee of employment" in France.

I think in every Management master's degree you will have some repetition since you'll usually have another class in strategy, marketing, etc - much like in the CEMS core curriculum.

That said, if ESADE is the better personal fit, then none of these anecdotes should matter.

At ESADE 80-90% of the MSc students are from outside of Spain. So of course these international mobility stats are a little biased. However, being part of such an international classroom is an intriguing opportunity. Since such a big percentage of ESADE's students go abroad after graduation, their career service is specialized on placing their graduates internationally. That does not mean that HEC is not international. All in all, I think it is, first and foremost, a personal decision.

 

I am very likely deciding for ESADE/Cems since the program fits better to me personally. Moreover, HEC's Grande Ecole program does not require a Bachelor in Business, so the first year would be very repetitive.

 

I know a guy who got accepted at ESADE's MSc in Finance with 650 GMAT and very low grades from a non-target university and with no relevant experience.

I wouldn't go there because they need money and they'd accept almost anyone...

CUNEF, which is not very well known abroad, is a much better option in Spain (the program is bilingual, though).

If I were you, I'd stay away from Spain to be honest. The situation is still really bad here and we'll have elections this year that may change the situation to an even worse.

HEC Paris is a much better option.

 
sirog:

I know a guy who got accepted at ESADE's MSc in Finance with 650 GMAT and very low grades from a non-target university and with no relevant experience.

I wouldn't go there because they need money and they'd accept almost anyone...

CUNEF, which is not very well known abroad, is a much better option in Spain (the program is bilingual, though).

If I were you, I'd stay away from Spain to be honest. The situation is still really bad here and we'll have elections this year that may change the situation to an even worse.

HEC Paris is a much better option.

I am not applying for a Master in Finance. If I wanted to get into IB in London, my decision would be clear. However, I am not sure if the gap is that big between the Master in Management programs at HEC and ESADE. I am not planning to work in either France or Spain, so the bad Spanish economy shouldn't be a big problem. 90% of the grads of ESADE's MSc program leave Spain anyway.

For me ESADE just offers the better overall package. I also want to enjoy my time there and that definitely speaks for ESADE.

The location of HEC's campus is definitely a negative factor. During my undergraduate studies, I could have lived with such a remote location, but for my Master's degree I prefer a more central location.

 

ESADE spends a big percentage of its budget to appear in the first positions of the FT rankings and in order to pay it they have to reduce their requirements and let more people to get into their masters. They even have a "MSc in Innovation and Entrepreneurship"...

I just wanted to let you know that you wouldn't find a very "elitist" group in the class. Of course it's true that some candidates who have a strong background may believe the rankings and still prefer to go to ESADE because Barcelona is a cool city or because of any other reason, but I just wanted to give you my two cents.

Overall, HEC > ESADE.

 

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