To those familiar with European schools and recruiting experience, which of these schools' MBA (of int'l business) is best received and offers the greatest experience for personal development and exposure to international business?

My list of schools include:

-Vlerick
-Mannheim
-LSE
-SDA Bocconi
-Erasmus
-Durham
-Uni. of Edinburgh
-ESSEC Paris
-International Uni. of Monaco

There are , of course, the IE, Insead, IMD, LBS-schools that I would like to attend however their tuition rates are out of reach. I am keen on programs with more of a "hands on", real-world approach (less theory) and would like to remain in the global business real based overseas once I am done with my studies.

I have a strong professional background with 6+ years of experience, good GMAT scores, and solid references. Where I am short on and want to develop is my international experience and knowledge.

If you care to weigh in on this, please respond to this thread. Happy New Year!

I wouldn't totally rule out the more expensive options, if it is your desire to go to one of those schools. You should look into scholarship and grant options. At IE, for example, they offer a "fellows" program that allows you to take a part-time job in a campus department. If you do that it can cut your tuition in half.

I would try and give you advice on the schools, but I am only familiar with about half of those, and not an expert on any of them! I really only looked at schools in Spain and am planning to attend IE.

Here is the info about the IE fellows program: http://financialaid.blogs.ie.edu/2009/02/02/ie-fellows-program-enhance-your-ie-experience/
They also offer many scholarships that pay up to half of tuition.

Hi,

From your list I would only consider: Bocconi and RSM. LSE does not offer an MBA.

then also consider in Europe: HEC, LBS, Insead, ESADE, IESE. Of these, HEC is the less expensive.

But at the end, the price of the MBA is just a colateral factor. Also, some schools may have a higher fee but more Schoolarships (normally from 30% to 50%) for outstanding candidates and loans schemes that others don`t.

best regards,

But at the end, the price of the MBA is just a colateral factor. Also, some schools may have a higher fee but more Schoolarships (normally from 30% to 50%) for outstanding candidates and loans schemes that others don`t.

I agree with what other people on this board have said. An MBA is an investment and paying a little more upfront can be a great investment if you get a much better job afterwards. You should apply to a bunch of schools and see what scholarships they offer you -- if you get several acceptances then you can play schools off of one another by asking if they'll increase their financial aid package.

Don't make the mistake of going for a slightly cheaper option since it is a false economy. A better school matters much more in the long run. I made the mistake of going to RSM and very much regret it. The quality of the education is very low there, many students on the MBA program can't speak English, and the career centre was a disgrace. Many students from my class still have no jobs and most of the rest ended up in bad jobs. Be very careful about where you go and don't go to RSM.