thesavdawg wrote:
Hi everyone,
I am in the very fortunate position of having been admitted to these schools which were my targets. Honestly I did not expect to necessarily be spoiled with choice here but am now determining which option I should move forward with and would greatly appreciate some opinions on this forum.. I know people discuss LBS vs. INSEAD all the time but I'll add some context/questions here:
- I'm an American citizen and so one question is whether either school will have an edge should I decide to return to the states
- I am fully aware that salaries in UK/Europe are substantially lower, and for that reason I'd be interested in exploring opportunities in more lucrative areas -- therefore I wonder whether INSEAD truly has a stronger reputation throughout Europe/Middle East than LBS? Is it that much of a difference vs LBS?
- I have some personal ties to London that make me more inclined to be there, but given the relative proximity to the UK, it is not a dealbreaker and I'm curious (if INSEAD is a better choice) whether it's so much better that it's worth foregoing LBS
- How easy/feasible is it to move to the UK after completing INSEAD?
I do feel more drawn to LBS but I'd love to gather some opinions on this and would really appreciate any input
Thank you.
thesavdawg Congrats on the impressive admits!It would have been great if you had mentioned a bit about your prior experience and your target sector post-MBA, but since it's kind of a black box for me, I will try to be as elaborate as I can.
- If you ever plan to return to the USA and are targeting consulting, you will have great entry options from both INSEAD and LBS. Since both programs are target programs for top-tier consulting jobs, I don't think it would be a challenge to get internal referrals for MBB or other offices, even if you don't pursue consulting in the first few years post-MBA but want to do it at a later stage.
- I have known quite a few American folks from my class of 2019 who moved back to the USA right after and into the roles of their choice. Here two groups stood out in terms of relevance - Consulting and Tech entrepreneurship. As I mentioned earlier, consulting opportunities give a lot of mobility to INSEADers (And to LBS alums I guess). Some folks also ventured into tech entrepreneurship in the Bay Area, which now also hosts INSEAD San Francisco Hub for Business Innovation, a strategic move for INSEAD to tap into opportunities in the Bay Area and increase its network there. I am not aware if LBS has something similar in the region.
Both schools have exchange programs with Top US B schools. LBS has partnership with many more schools while I think INSEAD mostly has exchange with Wharton and Kellogg. You could take advantage of these opportunities to build your networks across. - After INSEAD, it may not be very easy to move to the UK unless it's for consulting or you have deep connects within the region, in which case, the Middle East (great nevertheless), which has a thriving INSEAD community, becomes a fallback option unless you want to return to the USA immidiately . If you have it clear that you would want to work in the UK for a bit, LBS, in my opinion, would be a very safe option for the short term.
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Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD alum, former INSEAD admissions interviewer)Founder, MBAGuideConsulting
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