Which B school to apply? (UK) - Manchester vs Warwick vs Imperial

Question

Which one should I apply to?

Profile details: 
Indian, male, engineer (23 yrs), GMAT: 730. 
Work ex: 2 years and 3 months in IT (functional testing). Will have 3 by next yr.
Post MBA goal: Want to move into product management (within the technology sector)

I am already applying to Oxford, but I also want to apply to one safe school in UK. I see that Imperial > Manchester > Warwick as per the FT mba rankings. But which school is better considering my profile and post-MBA goals? Also, which one has better placements for international students (% employed) and better international reputation overall?

Besides, would you recommend I look at any other schools (like Cranfield, Cass, Lancaster, Strathclyde etc.)

Please suggest.

PersonalMBACoach · Answer

I would be happy to help out but more information would help. What school did you go to for undergraduate and what was your GPA?

From what I see here, I recommend Cranfield or Cass, though having more experience and also more of a varied role besides testing will help your prospects.

Best,
Scott

Blitz15 · Answer

Thanks. Well, I've done B.Tech in chemical engineering from IIT Madras (one of the top 5 engineering colleges in India), CGPA is 7.6/10.

Any particular reason why you recommend Cranfield or Cass? I was mainly considering Imperial because of the university brand name, and because last year a colleague of mine with a similar profile (1 year lesser work ex.) got into the Imperial MSc management course with just a 315 in GRE.

How would you rank these schools based on international reputation and employment for international students? I'm mainly concerned about finding a job post mba and not being sent back home.

Also, any other schools in the rest of Europe or US you would recommend?

MBAPrepCoach · Answer

Is there anything special about the UK? I think I might recommend st. Gallen

Farrell Dyan Hehn, MBA
Admissions Consultant & Verbal Strategist MBAPrepCoach.com

Blitz15 · Answer

Correct me if I'm wrong but considering the low value of GBP, I think this is a good time to look at the UK due to the low fees and higher employment chances. Also after the Brexit vote, I think it would be better for international students as we will be facing lesser competition from EU students (both for jobs and admission). Moreover, UK has some of the best universities in the world like Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial, Manchester which have a good brand name.

Otherwise, I'm not particular about UK. But I'm mainly looking for shorter duration programs (1 year or 18 months), so europe is also a good option.

As for St. Gallen, I heard on one of the forums that their employment report is highly misleading. A friend of mine was also telling me that getting work permits in Switzerland is very difficult as compared to other countries like Germany.

PersonalMBACoach · Answer

I picked those because of likelihood of getting in with your profile. I will say that employment is far from guaranteed in Europe so I recommend going in with it with the assumption that you will have to do a lot of networking and legwork to make it happen. The work permit situation is not the best. That said, I have many clients who are successful every year, so it just depends!

In the US, I would recommend schools around the 20-25 rank given your background. Good luck and reach out if you want further support.

Best,
Scott

In the US, I would recommend schools around the 20-25 rank given your background. Good luck and reach out if you want further support.

Best,
Scott

Blitz15 · Answer

Thanks. But which is the best school among these for placements and such? I had a few more queries, so I've sent you a PM. Please reply

Which B school to apply? (UK) - Manchester vs Warwick vs Imperial

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards