LBS (London): Calling all Applicants (2016 Intake) Class of 2018!!

In for R1.

In for R1 as well!
When's the app going live again? Any insight on that?

LBS has announced a new master’s program in finance. The new Master’s in Financial Analysis (MFA) will be a 12-month intensive program aimed at recent graduates from quantitatively-focused fields, who want a rigorous grad program that will prepare them for careers in the finance sector.

The first class will begin the new program in the fall of 2016. The MFA curriculum will focus on six areas: Corporate Finance (including M&A and Capital Structure); Asset Management (incorporating topics such as credit markets, practical asset allocation, market efficiency and anomalies, liquidity, long-short investing or slow-moving capital); Accounting (focusing on Accounting and Securities Analysis and Valuations); Financial Markets (financial institutions, personal finance); Financial Econometrics; and Global Markets and World Economy.

Students will also develop their soft skills, such as communication, commitment, and commercial awareness. The program will balance coursework in London with international fieldtrips.

LBS’s Masters in Finance has been ranked number 1 by the Financial Times for five years running. Drawing on the school’s strengths, as well as the manifold advantages of studying in London, the new Masters in Financial Analysis program will provide an intensive, 1-year option for students near the beginning of their careers.




Related Resources:
• London Business School Master's in Finance Application Essay Tips
• Master in Finance: What You Need to Know
• The Facts About Financial Services

This article originally appeared on blog.accepted.com.

Accepted.com's experienced admissions consultants can help you create the most impressive application possible with comprehensive packages, or provide targeted assistance from picking perfect programs to designing a dazzling resume, constructing engaging essays, or preparing for intense interviews…and more! Accepted.com has guided thousands of applicants to acceptances at top programs since 1994 – we know what works and what doesn't, so contact us to get started now!

In for R1, too. I wish the best of luck to everyone...

Dear LBS Applicants,

We are excited to announce that we will have a Live Q&A session with current London business school students.

We are having this chat on coming Thursday. Two LBS Students will participate in the chat. This is your opportunity to learn from their experiences and get insights of LBS' MBA program. You are free to ask them whatever questions you have in mind about LBS.
Event details are given below. Save the date and be ready with your questions.


Date: July 09, 2015. Thursday

Add This Event to your Google Calender

Students Participating in the Chat:

Pawan Kaul - LBS Class of 2016 - Prior experience in Venture Capital and Private Equity in India; Over 7 years of experience in the Indian mid-market private equity space. Investment Manager with Lighthouse Advisors India Private Limited. Previous role as a Senior Manager with KPMG. Graduated from HR College of Commerce and Economics.

Sherene Tan - LBS Class of 2016 - Prior experience in Oil and Energy as a Senior Marketing Analyst at Tenaris while working across Italy, Singapore, USA and Argentina. Currently, Partner at London Business School Consulting team providing high-quality and cost-effective solutions to wide range of clients. Bachelors from National University of Singapore.


Place: GMATClub Chat Room

Timing of the Session: 9.00 AM Pacific Time on July 9th, 2015.

Add This Event to your Google Calender

See you all in chat room in 30 minutes.

I am in for round 1 as well. Wish all the applicant the nest of luck. The chat with LBS students was useful. thank you for setting that up.

I spoke to the admission officer last month and they said the new essay topics should be up in July and application to be available in August.

Thank you everyone who participated in recent chat LBS current students: Pawan Kaul and Sherene Tan. I am posting here select questions and their answers by LBS students. You can download full chat transcript from the end of this post.

Aditya3110: Could you please shed some light on life at LBS in the first and second year in terms of time spent in clubs, class and lecture related activities as well as the amount of time spent on networking. I am trying to get an idea of the life balance and a gauge on the lifestyle led by students at LBS. Thank you

LBS_Sherene: Hi Aditya, there is a good balance of academic, social and club-related activities that give you ample opportunities to network. In the 1st year, we have on average 14 hours of lectures a week and multiple clubs & networking activities almost every evening, you will be spoilt for choice. There are also plenty of speaker series and company-sponsored events


ankushbagwale: There is a myth doing round these days that work visas in UK are super tough? How the students LBS dealing with it?

LBS_Pawan: Well really not a myth but UK has been getting tough on the visa regime due to inflow from migrants from affected eurozone areas. There is no major impact for LBS students as of now. Consulting, Corporate and banks generally sponsor visa.


Abhinay: LBS as a school has a reputation of churning out Investment Bankers... how far behind is Consulting? And from your experience how easy is it for a non EU national to secure a Consulting job in EU/UK

LBS_Pawan: actually placements for investment banking is decreasing. It's a function of the slowly recovering economy as well as folks opting for other areas. Consulting is a big churner for LBS. If you observe the last few years placement there has been an increase in consulting recruitment. The top consulting firms are open to sponsoring visas.
LBS_Sherene: As Pawan mention, most global companies typically sponsor work visas, with the exception of GSK, P&G, J&J


Abhinay: In your experience, typically how good is the conversion rate from an internship to a full time job?
LBS_Pawan: the conversion rate is pretty high at almost 90%.


mib_4ohe56: What were your motivations for selecting LBS?

LBS_Pawan: My main motivations were brand, diversity and the location (London). The school is right in the heart of London and you can meet anyone at a short notice. This helps during recruiting and coffee chats.
LBS_Sherene: The school also has a very strong alumni base, its very easy to get support from them. Also its very accessible to vacations anywhere around Europe, which will be a large part of your MBA life


Narenn: Can you throw some light on admission process of LBS ? GPA, GMAT, Application Essays, Interview, Work Experience, and Extra Curricular. If you asked to arrange these parameters in the order of their importance at LBS – what would it be?

LBS_Sherene: In my opinion, in order of importance: Work experience, Essays, GMAT, Extracurricular, Interviews. LBS also values diversity a lot. Interviews are lengthy and detailed, but once you get shortlisted for interview stage, your chances are already more than 60%
LBS_Pawan: The admission process is quite similar to any other bschool. The admission takes place in four rounds. The applicants submit their applications, which include about three to four essays, recommendation, resume and GMAT score. Once the applications are selected it proceeds through various shortlists for interview. I think the most important factor that one needs to highlight for LBS admissions is how are you different from any other candidate. LBS is the most diverse school around and it prides itself on that.


Abhinay: Any particular disadvantages to completing the course in 15 months except for the fact that International Exchange is ruled out if you do 15 months? Any other negative factors?

LBS_Sherene: The only negative I can think of for 15 months is that once you complete the program you have another 3 months to stay within the UK to find a job and then you would have to re-apply for a short term visa. Few people that complete in 15 months are typically either sponsored or have found full time jobs.


mib_4ohe56: What are the classes like? More case studies or traditional? Do you study in groups? Are most jobs after LBS based in London or europe?

LBS_Pawan: Classes are more case studies focused. Yes during the first year there are groups of five to six students from different countries.
LBS_Sherene: Most jobs after LBS are indeed based in London/Europe but there are people who go back to the Middle East, Asia and US etc


mib_4ohe56: Does LBS have scholarships or do they offer any financial aid or do they guarantee student loans?

LBS_Sherene: LBS does not guarantee student loans, but there are a number of scholarships - when you apply, you are automatically considered for the scholarships you would be eligible for, but you would only know the results after accepting your place at LBS. For student loans, you can check out Prodigy Finance that ties up with LBS.


mib_4ohe56: How important is it to have international work experience outside of your home country?

LBS_Sherene: For LBS I would say it is quite important if you can show that you have a global outlook, so emphasising on international work experience or working for a multinational company would be a plus. However, that said, I do know classmates who have only worked in their home countries and still got into LBS.


mib_4ohe56: What are the best courses & professors at LBS?

LBS_Sherene: You don't get to choose core courses, but there are a number of popular electives such as Negotiations & Bargaining, Brand Management, etc. There are many outstanding professors - Alex Edmans, Randall Peterson, Gillian Ku. Many examples!


mib_4ohe56: Would you say LBS is only good for students looking to get into finance & consulting since I’m interested in startups

LBS_Sherene: LBS is definitely strong in consulting and finance, but they are increasingly focusing on entrepreneurship/start-ups/VC/Tech - there are really good entrepreneurship courses such as New Venture Development and Pathways to Start-up Success. We also have the Entrepreneurship Summer School and LBS Start-up Incubator, very valuable resources


ankushbagwale: Who has made a profound impression during your time LBS & why do you consider it worth mentioning?

LBS_sherene: Alex Edmans; He made corporate finance very interesting
LBS_Pawan: For me it would Gary, Rajesh Chandy, and Alex Edmans.


Chat Transcript

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London Business School has posted the MBA application deadlines for the 2015-2016 admissions season.

Stage  1
Application deadline: September 25, 2015
Interview decision: October 21, 2015
Admission decision: December 2, 2015

Stage  2
Application deadline: January 5, 2016
Interview decision: February 3, 2016
Admission decision: March 23, 2016

Stage  3
Application deadline: February 25, 2016
Interview decision: March 30, 2016
Admission decision: May 11, 2016

Stage  4
Application deadline: April 21, 2016
Interview decision: May 18, 2016
Admission decision: June 22, 2016

All application deadlines are 17:00 GMT. All decisions are communicated via email and may go out at different times on the decision dates, often in the evening.

For more information, please visit the LBS admissions website.

***

If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, Stacy Blackman Consulting can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Contact us to learn more. Visit the website for Stacy Blackman Reviews, and check out the company’s e-publications for more in depth school-by-school guidance.

Just wondering if the questions on the lbs website are the updated questions for the upcoming admission calendar?

Doesn't seem like it. Still says it is for class of 2017.

Does anyone know if the application for 2018 has still not opened? The website says it will open in august but since the application is due 9/25 I would have thought it would open by now.

I am guessing that August 17th is when they open the applications. It says that on the website. It does seem that 5 weeks to submit the application once it has been released is giving majority of applicants a tough time in submitting for Round1

This is the email I got from the adcom at LBS yesterday.
Below are the essays for the Class of 2018

"Dear Aditya

Thank you for your email. The new online application for the 2016 entry will open by mid August. The first deadline is 25th September.

New essays: (you can start preparing the essays in Word for when the application opens)
Q1 What are your post MBA plans and how will your past experience and the LBS programme contribute? (500 words)

Q2) What specific areas of London Business School life are you most excited about getting involved in and where will you add value? (300 words)

Q3) OPTIONAL: Is there any other information you believe the Admissions Committee should know about you and your application to London Business School? (300 words)

The third question is optional and candidates can choose whether to complete it. I would strongly encourage you to use it to highlight any achievements/information you would like the Admissions Committee to take into consideration when making their decision.

The very best of luck with the application. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of any assistance during the application process.

Kind regards"

FROM LBS Admissions Blog: Two questions to consider when applying to Business Schools

Often people ask me how to stand out from the crowd. It’s a question that gets thrown about with huge demand for a specific answer. It’s a question that can apply to all walks of life and in many different scenarios. In truth there is no definitive answer. When put into context of […] Read the rest of this entry...