ESMT Berlin vs Frankfurt School of Finance and Management( FSFM )

Question

Hi all,

I have received admits from both ESMT Berlin and Frankfurt School of Finance and Management( FSFM ).
I am currently speculating the better of the lot.

ESMT 
 1) Placed in Berlin - a startup hub: Lots of networking opportunities to connect
2) As the location is Berlin, it's less of a language barrier

FSFM 
 1) Placed in Frankfurt - a financial hub: Opportunities in financial realms
2) Regionally located

Long term plans: To work in FinTech companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, BCG, Zalando etc.
Since I am currently working as a Project Manager and would like to salvage the technical skillsets, it would be great if you could provide your insights!

Best, 
Xylan

bb · Answer

Congrats! I believe ESMT is better ranked than Frankfurt - is that right? At least I have heard of ESMT... not sure how much it says but pedigree matters in Europe more so than rankings and if ESMT is better known, I would focus on that program.

I would be planning on learning German if you are serious about attending a program in Germany. You should get a head start on German and as far as you can get before you start your program as your time will be slim. Knowing language will be useful when looking for a job and even in basic needs. People will appreciate you attempting to learn their culture and language and will be more open.

Leadership · Answer

Hi Xylan .. Congratulations for the admits. I believe you are planning to settle in Germany after your MBA. Both of the schools are good but ESMT is a better choice. I am sure you know how and who founded ESMT.

As BB suggested, you should pick up the German as soon as possible. Berlin is an international city. English will be fine to survive there but not to get placements and opportunities easier.

XyLan · Answer

Hey  bb ,

Thanks for the response.

In some ranking metrics such as  QS European ranking  - FSFM holds a better place than ESMT. 
However, other  financial rankings  scale things in a different light.

I am also trying to get in touch with alumni of respective universities to get a better understanding in terms of international exposure, academic learning, growth opportunities and ROI.
Looking forward to more inputs!

XyLan · Answer

Hi Leadership , Thank you so much! I do have plans to settle in Germany after the MBA. I'm aware of the founder's aspect and its intricacies of ESMT

. Thus, I do want to leverage and capitalise on this brand equity. Since it would involve not only investment but also time, focus and energy, I am currently contemplating the admits.

sulyeiro · Answer

German here:

ESMT heavily optimizes for rankings but is hardly visible within tier 1/2/3 employers (MBB, BB, Big4, ...) in my personal experience.

Frankfurt is in my opinion a MUCH better choice - no school places better in Banking than FS. For consulting etc WHU/Mannheim would probably be slightly better.

Deciding between those it is a CLEAR choice for FSFM in my opinion.

ESMT Berlin vs Frankfurt School of Finance and Management( FSFM )

Which European MBA program to choose?

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