- I am an international student from Hong Kong. I am working in Singapore now.
- I have +15 years solid sales and marketing experience in Asia region (5 yrs working in HK, 10 years in China and 2 years in Singapore)
- More than 12 years working in fortune 100 company. I am a Head of Marketing for a business unit now.
- My first attempt of GMAT is not quite good, only 540.
- I am going to take IELTS end of this month. My level is about band 6.5 to 7.

The reasons why I decide to study MBA in UK are:

1. I expect that I can stay in UK after completion of my MBA
2. Gain more business strategy and financial knowledge for better job opportunities in UK.

After considering my personal academic background and experience, I have three targets of MBA program:

1. University of KENT
2. University of BATH
3. University of Birmingham.

Do you think my choices are reasonable? Or any other suggestions you can advise basing on my background information.

Thanks a lot

Birmingham stands out because it has the two year option which is aimed at people with low GMAT or IELTS scores. It's a strong school, and I think the urban setting makes it good for job hunting.&nbsp;<br><br>Bath is also good, similar in standing. They will have a new building soon, but placement has not been strong there. It is certainly better than Kent.&nbsp;<br><br>You might want to focus more on specific industries and roles, and see which MBA programmes have the best success in placing there. See the posts on my profile page about LinkedIn and placement.&nbsp;

Ducan,<br><br>Thanks for your comment.&nbsp;<br><br>Besides of Birmingham, any other programs do you suggest?

Ducan,<br><br>If I put Sheffield in my list, how you compare this with Birmingham?

Sheffield has a bigger, better cohort but I am not sure about the placement from there. I assume it's worse.&nbsp;

Can you retake the GMAT so you can target better schools? This tier of school isn't really known for placing international students in UK roles at good salary levels. Do some ROI calculations and see if they would even pay off for you in the long run.&nbsp;

I highly consider the employability rate. Surprisingly, after top 5 business schools, the rate of the other MBA programs like Manchester or Edinburgh is below 50%. Like the programs in Birmingham Kent Bath, the rate is below 25%. I am quite confused now with this number if my goal is to settle down in UK after completion of the course. ????<br>

Better programs have higher placement. See the FT employment data. Not sure where you get your numbers.&nbsp;

See the post linked in my profile page on the best schools for placement. Manchester, for example, is for people changing directions not looking for easy placement&nbsp;

Duncan, thanks for your information.&nbsp;<br><br>After reading more passages in your profile, should i try Edinburgh MBA as well?<br><br>Mature cohort -- similar to my age (40)<br>Relatively high international mobility -- My goal is to work in UK<br>Stay in the same industry (I had worked in 3M for 13 yrs)-- Similar Chemical MNC in UK<br>Fair salary increment -- my current annual salary level is about USD$8XXXX<br><br>Or you think Birmingham MBA is better according to my background?&nbsp;<br>

<ol class="search-s-facet__list list-style-none mb3" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-bottom: 12px !important; list-style: none !important;"><li class="search-facet__value " style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent;"></li><li class="search-facet__value " style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent;"><font color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.901960784313726)" face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Fira Sans, Ubuntu, Oxygen, Oxygen Sans, Cantarell, Droid Sans, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Lucida Grande, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 16px;">I think your goals are more important than the age of the cohort. See:&nbsp;</span></font><font color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.901960784313726)" face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Fira Sans, Ubuntu, Oxygen, Oxygen Sans, Cantarell, Droid Sans, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Lucida Grande, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">Best MBAs for international students' placement http://www.find-mba.com/board/41143 and&nbsp;</span></font><span style="background-color: transparent;">How to use LinkedIn to find the best school www.find-mba.com/board/33571</span></li><li class="search-facet__value " style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent;"><font color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.901960784313726)" face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Fira Sans, Ubuntu, Oxygen, Oxygen Sans, Cantarell, Droid Sans, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Lucida Grande, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><br></span></font></li><li class="search-facet__value " style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent;"><font color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.901960784313726)" face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Fira Sans, Ubuntu, Oxygen, Oxygen Sans, Cantarell, Droid Sans, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Lucida Grande, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 16px;">If you only want to work in the UK, then you might want to look at major chemicals employers and see where they hire from: e.g&nbsp;</span></font>Johnson Matthey;&nbsp; Croda;&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li class="search-facet__value " style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent;"><font color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.901960784313726)" face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Fira Sans, Ubuntu, Oxygen, Oxygen Sans, Cantarell, Droid Sans, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Lucida Grande, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 16px;">Air Products</span></font>; BOC.</li><li class="search-facet__value " style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent;"><font color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.901960784313726)" face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Fira Sans, Ubuntu, Oxygen, Oxygen Sans, Cantarell, Droid Sans, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Lucida Grande, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><br></span></font></li><li class="search-facet__value " style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent;"><span style="font-size: 16px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, &quot;Fira Sans&quot;, Ubuntu, Oxygen, &quot;Oxygen Sans&quot;, Cantarell, &quot;Droid Sans&quot;, &quot;Apple Color Emoji&quot;, &quot;Segoe UI Emoji&quot;, &quot;Segoe UI Symbol&quot;, &quot;Lucida Grande&quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; background-color: transparent;">In a nutshell, it's not notably from Scottish schools.&nbsp;</span><br></li><li class="search-facet__value " style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent;"><br></li><li class="search-facet__value " style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent;"><font color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.901960784313726)" face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Fira Sans, Ubuntu, Oxygen, Oxygen Sans, Cantarell, Droid Sans, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Lucida Grande, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 16px;">It is more often from:&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></font><font color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.901960784313726)" face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Fira Sans, Ubuntu, Oxygen, Oxygen Sans, Cantarell, Droid Sans, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Lucida Grande, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">Alliance Manchester Business School</span></font><span style="background-color: transparent;">;&nbsp;</span><font color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.901960784313726)" face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Fira Sans, Ubuntu, Oxygen, Oxygen Sans, Cantarell, Droid Sans, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Lucida Grande, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">University of Leeds</span></font><span style="background-color: transparent;">;&nbsp;</span><font color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.901960784313726)" face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Fira Sans, Ubuntu, Oxygen, Oxygen Sans, Cantarell, Droid Sans, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Lucida Grande, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">London Business School</span></font><span style="background-color: transparent;">;&nbsp;</span></li><li class="search-facet__value " style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent;"><font color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.901960784313726)" face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Fira Sans, Ubuntu, Oxygen, Oxygen Sans, Cantarell, Droid Sans, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Lucida Grande, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">University of Birmingham</span></font><span style="background-color: transparent;">;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><font color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.901960784313726)" face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Fira Sans, Ubuntu, Oxygen, Oxygen Sans, Cantarell, Droid Sans, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Lucida Grande, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">INSEAD</span></font><span style="background-color: transparent;">;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><font color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.901960784313726)" face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Fira Sans, Ubuntu, Oxygen, Oxygen Sans, Cantarell, Droid Sans, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Lucida Grande, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">Imperial College London</span></font><span style="background-color: transparent;">; and&nbsp;</span>The Manchester Metropolitan University.</li><li class="search-facet__value " style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent;"><font color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.901960784313726)" face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Fira Sans, Ubuntu, Oxygen, Oxygen Sans, Cantarell, Droid Sans, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Lucida Grande, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><br></span></font></li><li class="search-facet__value " style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent;"><font color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.901960784313726)" face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Fira Sans, Ubuntu, Oxygen, Oxygen Sans, Cantarell, Droid Sans, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Lucida Grande, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 16px;">Obviously, these are schools of varying quality. Better roles will got to people with better schools.&nbsp;</span></font></li><li class="search-facet__value " style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent;"><font color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.901960784313726)" face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Fira Sans, Ubuntu, Oxygen, Oxygen Sans, Cantarell, Droid Sans, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Lucida Grande, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><br></span></font></li><li class="search-facet__value " style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, &quot;Fira Sans&quot;, Ubuntu, Oxygen, &quot;Oxygen Sans&quot;, Cantarell, &quot;Droid Sans&quot;, &quot;Apple Color Emoji&quot;, &quot;Segoe UI Emoji&quot;, &quot;Segoe UI Symbol&quot;, &quot;Lucida Grande&quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent;"><br></li></ol>

Duncan,&nbsp;<br><br>Thanks for your prompt reply. This is very useful.&nbsp;

I got an offer from Kent but Birmingham is still processing my application. Should I wait for Birmingham?&nbsp;

As I see Kent MBA was accredited by AMBA. Do you think it is also a recommended program?

Do the analysis using the LinkedIn approach I used above. Kent does not fit your goals.&nbsp;

Duncan, thanks for your comments. After my serious consideration, I will reject the offer of Kent. In the last few days, I got an offer from Leeds and Birmingham. I am waiting for the interview invitation from Manchester.&nbsp;<br><br>How do you prioritise these choices according to my goals? My preference is Man &gt; Leeds &gt; Burmingham&nbsp;

Manchester is much better but do use the LinkedIn method and identify the best schools.&nbsp;

[quote]Sheffield has a bigger, better cohort but I am not sure about the placement from there. I assume it's worse.&nbsp; [/quote]