Hey guys!

I have offers from Bath and Edinburgh for their MBA programmes. At the moment I am thinking about which school would be the best option.
I am currently working in the financial services industries, tasks have been M&A Advisory, Project Management and Business Consulting, have an industrial engineering background, 4 1/2 work experience in Germany and aim to switch into consulting (strategy/ management/ inhouse consulting)
I consider to find a job in London or even go back to Germany, but with the long-term goal to work sometime in future abroad.
As I already have received several interview invitations for inhouse consultancies in Germany without a MBA, I am pretty confident that my background is considered strong. Through an MBA I just want to deepen my management knowledge and gain skills in strategy and finance and broaden my overall horizon. I decided to study in UK as I want to have international experience and as I want to study at a "world class" Bsuiness Schools.

Taking this into account, which school should I choose? Which school would best fit to my background and future goals?

I really appreciate your thoughts!

I think both these schools will do that. For consulting, perhaps Bath is better -- but really a school with a higher GMAT will get you a better network inside the consulting firms.

Try: How to use LinkedIn to find the best school www.find-mba.com/board/33571

Hi Duncan

Thanks for this quick response!
I would really much like to have some courses/lectures etc in strategy and finance, I realise that Edinburgh would probably the better option in this case. In terms of finance, Bath ist offering only two courses as far as I can see. Edinburgh in contrast has some more finance related topics - among others they also include NPV, DCF concepts etc... isn`t that be in general an advantage compared to Bath? Do you think this is a "must have" cosidering my goal to work in strategy/management consulting or is it something that can be acquired "on-the-job" when it comes to M&A?
Actually it is also one reason for taking a MBA, as I wanted to receive knowledge in those basic finance topics.

Sure Bath must include DCF and NPV. That is ABC finance, and I cannot imagine that you get accreditation without that. Edinburgh is certainly strong for finance, and the huge range of finance and investment MSc programmes there is great. But, you can get the content in many places. Think about which schools have the best relationships with recruiters. It might not be Edinburgh or Bath...

The other big advantage that Edinburgh has is the longer option to take an exchange programme. That adds a lot more learning, and a second network.

Thank your very much!

it is perfect that you mention this exchange opportunity, as this would be one of the major reasons to go for Edinburgh. I think especially considering the US options, it would be of great value and maybe an advantage when considering a future in the US: What do you think?

Speaking personally, I found my MBA exchange experience in the US was very powerful. I don't know how Edinburgh allocates exchange places, but normally it's on a competitive basis. So, start on the readings now and think about what you can do to hit the ground running and get high marks in classes.

Duncan, throwing in another option. I know someone should get into the best programme he can.
Comparing the Edinburgh MBA with the SDA Bocconi MBA, I guess you would strongly encourage me to go for the Bocconi MBA taking my career goals stated above into account, right?
Do you think there is big gap inbetween those two programmes? Are there areas where both schools are in front of each other?
Bocconi has also an opportunity for an exchange semester, but the costs are far higher. Uni Edinburgh is one of the most renowned universities world wide. To find a job in London (or even USA) I guess Bocconi will be better!?

Would be great to get to know your opinion!

I think you would need to look much more closely at your career goals. For most student it would be a no-brainer. Indeed, Edinburgh is a great university, not only an old and wealthy one, but also a very successful and dynamic one. The business school benefits massively from being tightly embedded in a theoretically-rich college of social sciences. So, it's not a weak choice.

But Bocconi! That is the country's top business school: a country that is more or less the same economically as France or the UK, and you have the very best talent there, both in the class and in the faculty. Just use LinkedIn to compare the sorts of networks you would get in London or Germany. Plus... if you have not spent a year in Italy already it is an experience that will change your life-work balance and your attitude towards yourself.

Bocconi is, for most students, much better value for money because the outcomes are so much better.

Duncan, thank you!
It is a difficult situation. I think I can reach my pure job goals with each of them. Considering salary etc. I do not know whether a Germany Inhouse Consultancy for instance would pay more money because I have a MBA from Bocconi instead of Edinburgh. I also do not know whether it would be easier do get a job in the US, London or elsewhere. Here Bocconi is maybe stronger...

At the moment, I think the combination of edinburgh and perhaps an exchange semester at one of the US-Schools would be equally valuable like a pure MBA from Bocconi (taking into account that an exchange semester at Bocconi is not realistic because of even harder competition)...valuabe for me personally and also for my CV. Moreover, both offer the opportunity of an internship...and in the end it is me who must persuade recruiters, right?

I recommend that you do solid research comparing outcomes. Of course you need to persuade, but there are also the questions are whether one MBA is more likely to get you more attention or not. If you want to work in finance, then Bocconi has a concentration in that instead of the exchange programme, or if you want consulting, then the concentration in innovation and execution is good. I think you'll find it easier to get a great internship from Bocconi, either way.

I'm not sure about competition. It's also about supply and demand. More people will want to go to Bocconi from its 11 US partners than to Edinburgh from its 3 US partners. That means more seats so the competition may be the same or even less. I would ask.