LBS vs Yale (UK applicant)

Congratulations. I guess it is a good problem to have.

Tagging bb and billionaire for their inputs.

Thanks - I appreciate any input. I would also value input from European students/alumni at SOM, or others that have faced similar dilemmas (home country programme vs. programme overseas)

Hello football123


First of all congrats on admission to both really great schools


Based on your nick and info provided, should I guess you could be Chelsea fan or Arsenal fan ?

Maybe supporter of some other club from London ?


I would agree with your initial idea, to experience something new, different culture.

No need to explain to you what is LBS, in my book that is the best business school in London and overall in UK, but the same can be said for Yale in America.

It is Ivy league man the best of the best, most prestigious as it can be.


You will become Bones like some US presidents


Once you are there, if you decide to go, you will change perspective, and I would not be so sure you will necessary want to come back to London after that experience.

It just may be you will want to stay and work in US, or go to some other, third place.


In your case, I would vote for Yale, although you are in good position, whatever you choose it will be fine.


Good Luck with your final decision !

If you're thinking about it purely from a "network" in London perspective, LBS would be hard to beat. You could always study abroad while at LBS too. I suppose it would depend on what field you're looking to go into and whether there are enough Yalies in London to help out with recruiting.

Thanks for the insight. Re football - I support Manchester United! As do a lot of other Londoners! And yes, the reputation of Yale (despite perhaps based on its undergrad) is right up there in terms of brand recognition. This is particularly valuable in places like Europe where the MBA league tables are rarely referenced in my opinion!

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Agreed. The LBS network is uniquely powerful in London and Europe generally. I’m due to speak to a few London based Yale alums this week to get some insight into the network and potential limitations. The danger is always going in search for that new experience and then being left without much of a post-MBA network, which I’m sure is one of the big value propositions of an MBA!

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Wondering if bb has any thoughts?

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Yep - I think it comes down to how risk averse you're feeling. If cost is a factor, I'd be concerned about taking on US school debt just to pay it off on a UK salary as well. I think you're doing the right thing by talking to alums. I'm sure the Yale brand halo would also be helpful anywhere in the world (even if SOM isn't as highly thought of as the wider university).

I would also opt for Yale due to the school having such a global brand.

Furthermore, going to the US offers you a different perspective on things.
Even if you will return to London afterwards, it is not like the school is unknown over here in Europe.

Hi. Yale is a great school but it is in New Haven, which is not the per se the most model city in the US so you are not heading to Palm Beach or Santa Barbara. The rule of thumb is that if you are planning to live in UK/London, you should go to school in the same country or continent at least - it is hard to recruit remotely and it takes a toll if you leave your existing friends/family/network only to come back 2 years later.

In your situation, the main reason to pick Yale would be to somehow leverage it for your work experience in the future in a specific way. Broad statements such as "I was in the US" and therefore I am better suited for this global VP of sales usually don't carry weight with recruiters unless it is in a specific role/situation. Believe me, I tried. Are there others? What do you see?

I know life is more complicated than what you can write in a 2 paragraph forum post but seems that's my eval of the 2 P's

Thanks to all for the input! I'm banking on the fact either one will be a great experience. Perhaps, it might be best to mull over this and speak with alums/students that have faced similar propositions

Absolutely - either will be great experiences. Best of luck with your choice!