INSEAD Singapore vs. Fontainebleau / Fonty

INSEAD Singapore vs. Fontainebleau / Campus comparisons Singa vs. Fonty

When researching INSEAD, there is always the question of “Fonty” vs. “Singapore.” The dual campus structure confuses many prospective applicants, and there is often misinformation on how it actually works. I wrote a long post on INSEAD Singapore to cover those misconceptions. This post is more about my impressions on how they compare – it’s been long overdue.

I started in Singapore, spent 6 months on the Singapore campus, and then moved to Fontainebleau in “P4” (the 4^th of the 5 2-month terms) and will be completing my course here in Fontainebleau (called hereafter as a “Fonty”)

So, getting straight to business, here are my impressions and contrasts based on my personal experience.

Initially setting up
Singapore	Fontainebleau
Super easy, efficient and quick Big, fancy apartments close to school Easy to travel – economical taxis, buses, trains Fantastic airport access 25 minutes from school Really simple initial immigration procedure – you get your entry visa online after filling a simple online form! In a nutshell? Easy.	Painful to find a place – language barrier can be a real hassle for all initial setup work Houses spread all around – big chateaus, quaint and pretty little houses, studios. People stay in Fonty and in villages surrounding Commuting is painful without a car. A car is very necessary to do anything. CDG isn’t a great airport and it’s in Paris Some nationalities need to take a French visa, fill up French forms even in Singapore (!), but it’s not really painful. Takes about a week if you do from Singapore. I’ve read some difficult stories for those applying from elsewhere, but they may be exceptions. Getting a carte-de-sejour is a pain (you can avoid it if you’re staying for less than 6 months) In a nutshell, not easy!
Campus First Impressions
Compact, modern and sleek Not much of a “campus” but more like a well designed exec-center Closed break-out rooms are nicer Lockers are much better INSEAD Singapore photos	Feels like a campus – big Gorgeous especially when the weather is good Bigger, nicer library Crappy little lockers. Change them! INSEAD Fontainebleau Photos
Campus Life
Smaller initial start size on campus means you get to know lot more people City style living – so most people go out together for clubs, bars, events, barbecues – the “whole class” is invited	Much larger so groups get formed Different living style – Chateau parties, small “get- together” events Everything is on a larger scale
Travel
Sunny tropics and beaches! Malaysia, Bali, other Indonesian areas, Micronesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, India, Hong Kong, China	Attractions of Europe (weather permitting, seriously!) – France, UK, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal..
Teaching/Student mix
More than 70% of the class switches campus and does terms on both – student mix is exactly the same. If someone goes around saying something else, they’re misinformed, it’s that simple. Superstar professors in both campuses – many professors switch campuses in terms. Fonty is bigger so more electives. In P5, majority of the class lands up in Fonty for the graduation.
Recruitment
Companies have a greater slant towards positions in Asia Smaller number of companies on campus (keep in mind the number of students in Singapore during recruitment period is also much smaller) Note that jobs are open to students in both campuses – it’s common. But physical presence on campus is less in Singapore	Greater slant towards Europe/UK Bigger career fair, more on-campus events Proximity to London makes it easier for those interested in recruiting for London
Living expenses
Interestingly, it is possible to balance the additional rental expense and eating out in Singapore with the extra living cost in France. For me, the monthly cost in both places remained approximately the same.

Bottom line

The INSEAD experience is incomplete if you do not do both campuses. They’re both very different experiences and both amazing in what you can do in the few months. Think of it this way: It’s like going to another building on campus to study (similar professors, same course, same friends) except that this other building is in another continent. No other school I know has anything like this – and this is not like an exchange program. It’s an experience that is hard to describe but works extremely well.

Oh, BTW, compared to Singapore, the weather in Fonty sucks.
But then, you won't get to walk by the beautiful idyllic riversides in Singapore