Ritesh Bhavnani: The Scoop on INSEAD

If you've gotten this far, you deserve a summary of the inside scoop on INSEAD. I hope this is everything you would ever need to know about doing an MBA at INSEAD. If, after reading this, you still need more, feel free to e-mail me at riteshbhavnani@google.com and ask away.

GENERAL

Is ten months long enough to do an MBA?
I think ten months is too short a time for an MBA. A 14- or 16-month program would have been perfect. To survive a 10-month program, you pretty much cram all that you can in your head, regurgitate it during the finals, and then wipe your brain clean to prepare yourself for the next set of classes.

It's binge studying, and you never get the chance to actually get depth in a subject that might be of interest to you. Personally, I would have preferred a slightly longer program, but I know several people who were extremely happy with the format as it is -- in part, perhaps, because they factored in the costs of the extra time in a longer program. (More time costs more money, which leads to more indebtedness, which can cause sadness.)

Is it worth the money?
As I said in a previous MBA Journal, there's no easy answer. Personally, I think 43,000 euros is a lot of money to pay for one year's tuition. And it's still less than what I would have paid at a two-year program.

Was it worth one year of my time? Well, compared to my alternatives, which were all two-year programs, it seems like a good deal, because I saved myself a year. Then again, all that means is that I start working sooner.

How hard is it?
Aside from a couple of classes, none of the material you will encounter is particularly difficult to comprehend. However, there is a lot of it. The hard part is balancing and prioritizing the work you have to do and trying to fit in some sort of a social life as well (if you want to).

A hint: You're never going to be able (or want) to do all your readings, so don't even try.

What are the professors like?
As so with all places, there are some outstanding professors and some average ones. Unfortunately, my experience led me to believe that you tend to get most of your subpar professors in the core curriculum (your first two periods). After that, you have the right to choose your classes, and hence the professors you want to learn from.

In general, however, I found most professors to be really easy to approach, diligent in their preparation for classes, and genuine in their desire to teach.

SINGAPORE VS. FONTAINEBLEAU

What's the difference between the two campuses?
I would counsel almost everyone to try to attend both campuses and get a feel for both Singapore and Fontainebleau. They're very different and equally fun, but each has its pros and cons.

Singapore is the smaller and newer of the two campuses. This means that the facilities are nicer: more cubicles, telephones in each cubicle, free phone calls within Singapore, study rooms, better Wi-Fi coverage, etc. You have fewer classmates, which enables you to get to know the other students much better. There also is less competition for the popular classes and more intimacy in the classroom with greater opportunity for more involved discussions. The administration at Singapore is also much more efficient than that in France. And a lot friendlier.

Fontainebleau is still the INSEAD mother ship, and it feels like it. Everything is bigger: the number of students, the number of professors, the number of classes offered per period. You meet more people, and can actually choose ones you want to be friends with. On the flip side, it's harder to find an empty cubicle, and you end up competing a lot more for classes that you really want to take.

What's the lifestyle like in each campus?
Fontainebleau is in the middle of a forest in France. Hence a majority of the people live in beautiful little houses in the villages that surround Fontainebleau. "Fonty" social life revolves around dinners and National Week parties. Dinners are usually held at people's houses during the week. National Week parties are on Fridays and are usually held in a nearby chateau rented for the occasion (yes, the famed INSEAD chateau parties do exist!). Saturdays are for going to Paris or hanging out in Fonty and attending the occasional chateau party. Things you will remember about social life at Fonty are lots of drunken revelry at chateau parties and far too much driving through the forests hoping you don't bump into a boar.

The majority of the people in Singapore live in two apartment complexes close to campus -- Heritage and Dover. The complexes themselves are fairly nice, with swimming pools and assorted facilities, but the apartments and the size of the rooms are nothing compared to what you could get in Fonty. You don't really need a car in Singapore, especially since taxis are plentiful and cheap (by Euro standards). Social life in Singapore is based around barbecues by the poolside at the apartment complexes and going to Velvet and Lola, two clubs in Singapore. (Author's note: Lola, alas, has shut down since the time of writing this.)

Do I need a car at INSEAD?
In Fontainebleau, it is almost essential to have a car. Even if you happen to live close to campus or in Fontainebleau, you'll be invited to parties at people's houses who don't live close by.

I have a partner (a spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend) who is going to be living with me at INSEAD. Which campus should I choose?If you have a partner, you should definitely live in Singapore. In Fonty, there is absolutely nothing for your partner to do except to hang out in the bar area on campus with all the other partners, which can get boring pretty quickly.

Singapore, by contrast, is a large cosmopolitan city -- with taxis and plenty of diversions. At worst, your partner can spend all his or her time shopping.

How does the transfer system work between campuses?
It depends. At INSEAD, you have to spend your first two periods (each period being two months in duration) at your "home" campus and then transfer back and forth if you wish. But I would highly recommend talking to INSEAD staff about the finer details of the transfer policy.

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