Hi.

Besides the more obvious MBA programmes (by obvious I mean those ranked in the FT ranking, regardless of position), would there be other MBAs worth the time and money in the UK (or Europe in general)? I'm trying to play it safe. So I will be applying not only for top-ranked MBA programmes, but also for some which might have less strict entry requirements. I've listed (no particular order) below a few which I've been looking into... Can anyone advise whether I'm on the right track?

Aberdeen Business School - RGU
Ashridge Business School
Bristol Business School - UWE
Brunel Business School
Leeds University
Newcastle University
University of East Anglia
Nottingham University
Royal Holloway - University of London School of Management
Salford Business School
University of Southampton
University of Sheffield
Trinity College Dublin
University of Bath
University of Exeter
University of Glasgow
University of Leicester

This really depends on how strong a candidate you are. It would be a bad investment to not get into the best programme that would accept you.

Thanks, JK.

I know it's hard to assess one's potential over a simple post, but here goes an outline of my application:

1. I come from a law background (Brazil).
2. At the moment, 5 years' postgraduate work experience (all in law firms in M&A and Corporate law). I'm about to get promoted to senior associate. I also worked in an international law firm in North America for six months as an international associate. In my job I do a lot of deal coordination, including due diligence, reorganizations, M&A transactions etc.
3. Brazilian grading is different, but my overall average (7.4 out of 10) would add up to a 2:1 degree in the UK grading system. I can get a letter from my school attesting that.
4. 8.5 IELTs.
6. No GMAT so far.
7. Don't have volunteer work or similar to add...

Thanks again for the help.

Your profile looks reasonably ok and you should target FT ranked programs, however before that you need to put efforts on preparing for GMAT and your GMAT score will decide which tier of school you belong to.

I agree with this assessment. I would suggest you start by looking at Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, Wake Forest, SMU, GWU and other US schools which struggle to get international students.

Thank you both!!!

Some good advice here. I'd add that you probably want to focus on schools that would help you meet your career goals.

It's not clear if you want to continue down the law path, but if you did, you might want to look at Cranfield, as it has some interesting relevant curriculum, even including a concentration in international mergers and acquisitions.

If you're interested in US schools, NYU Stern offers a really robust concentration in Law and Business. That's certainly a particularly obvious school though!

It's not clear if you want to continue down the law path, but if you did, you might want to look at Cranfield, as it has some interesting relevant curriculum, even including a concentration in international mergers and acquisitions.