You usually study where you want to end up working.

For most candidates with your profile who would want to stay in the UK, it's hard to beat LBS - but a top-ranked US school like Harvard or Stanford might add some more name-brand recognition.

You should also check out LBS' exchange programs, depending on how deep you want your international experience to be. You can study at US schools like Kellogg or Booth; European schools like HEC Paris, or even Melbourne or HKUST. There are a ton of options.

Don't go to LBS if you're in London. Spread your wings. Go to the US or Asia, because that's where the centres are for the world economy. Take a look at http://www.find-mba.com/board/27082

Thanks for the advice. I agree - I'd rather get some international experience than stay in London for an entire MBA program.

Interesting thoughts about the exchange programs, mba hipster. I've been looking at Booth - do you think that an exchange with the school through LBS would be a good move, even if I plan on working in London after I graduate?

PS Exchange places are tightly limited at the top schools. You'll have to be an excellent performer at LBS or Booth to exchange from one top-ten school to another.

I'd agree with Duncan - LBS is a great choice for students who want to transition from one part of the world to the other - in fact, it's rated quite highly for international mobility in the FT, just behind IMD in the most current ranking.

But British students can greatly benefit from leaving the country for their studies, and many do. If you look at many of the top MBA cohorts in the UK, in fact, British students are usually in the minority.

In terms of which schools you should apply to, that's a big question. I'd narrow it down by region (US? Asia? etc.?) And then look at the career statistics to see which schools place in the industries/firms you want to target.

If you want to work in the UK immediately after the MBA, then you'll need to keep a foot in the country. At the very least get out of London, or else you won't really leave your own network. Go to Edinburgh, Manchester, Oxford, or (considering the 720) I think I would recommend Cambridge. Also consider the Warwick-Mannheim tracks for Europe http://www.mannheim-mba.com/full-time-mba/one-program-five-tracks/european-track.html and their Global track http://www.mannheim-mba.com/full-time-mba/one-program-five-tracks/global-track.html

PS I could recommend Edinburgh's (http://www.business-school.ed.ac.uk/mba/full-time/international-options) 16-month MBA or the 18-month programme in Manchester (http://mbs.ac.uk/mba/full-time/structure-and-delivery/international-exchange.aspx) because they both have the option for you to have a semester abroad, on top of a year of solid course work in the UK.

Thanks for all the good advice!

JK - you would really recommend Edinburgh over Chicago Booth? I've been looking closely at that school's MBA program because it seems to have good name recognition, and a large alumni community here in London.

No, I would recommend the Booth MBA over the Edinburgh MBA, but I though you were talking about taking another MBA and then hoping to be selected to go to Booth through its exchange programme. The odds are against you getting your first choice for an exchange programme.

I also got a 720 on the GMAT. I don't want to limit my options to US schools - so what's the best school that I can get into, worldwide?

My background includes an undergraduate degree in business (graduated with honours) and 4.5 years of work experience, mainly in retail distribution.

Read: GMAT Tiers - strong schools for your GMAT www.find-mba.com/board/27082

<blockquote>I also got a 720 on the GMAT. I don't want to limit my options to US schools - so what's the best school that I can get into, worldwide?</blockquote>
Depends on what your career goals are. Maybe look at INSEAD and IE Business school if you're looking at Europe, for example - although INSEAD might be a reach for you based on work experience.

In the US, a reach school could be something like Dartmouth Tuck or Haas; a safety could be UCLA Anderson.

A lot of good schools to look at in Asia too - NUS, HKUST, etc. CEIBS might be a reach school.

Like I said, it depends on your career goals and where you want to end up after graduation but those are a few schools you could start looking at.

Thanks for that. How much work experience would I need at INSEAD? It looks like it's a good school, well respected with high rankings, etc.

I am interested in France. How would you see my chances at HEC Paris and EMLyon?

I think you're an easy admit at EMLyon. EDHEC overtook EMLyon in The Economist ranking, and has better placement so consider that too. I think you're a strong candidate at HEC too, especially if you get your application in early. HEC has a good connection into French retail.

I'm not sure you're the sort of candidate Insead is looking for. They tend to hire people who have been to the companies and schools they already have strong relationships with. Have you been through that ecosystem?

What about LBS vs. INSEAD for somebody with 720 GMAT? I can't make up my mind.

Depends on your goals. LBS alumni get higher salaries, but if you're already in a top strategy consulting firm, and want to stay on that track, then Insead is a great school for the M3B firms as well as Roland Berger and Kearney. Google and Amazon hire there too.

sorry i cant help you. But you can concern your issue with any good specialists.

<blockquote>Depends on your goals. LBS alumni get higher salaries, but if you're already in a top strategy consulting firm, and want to stay on that track, then Insead is a great school for the M3B firms as well as Roland Berger and Kearney. Google and Amazon hire there too. </blockquote>
I'm in a top-50 consulting firm (I won't name it) in the marketing department, but I'd like to switch to the consulting side of the business and don't really want to stay in the firm. I've recently been moved from London to Singapore but I don't want to be in Asia for the long-term.

If you want to change function, firm and continent then a traditional two-year MBA will be best for you. Study where you want to work.

<blockquote>If you want to change function, firm and continent then a traditional two-year MBA will be best for you. Study where you want to work.</blockquote>
So basically, since I want to go back to London, LBS' 21-month option is pretty much my only choice, no? That would make the choice fairly simple.