Help with choices for b-school

pooikuan82

10 19

Posted Feb 20, 2013 16:43

Hi

Thank you all for all the inputs I have received in my previous threads. Sorry to open another thread as I'm more or less more focus in my choices and hopefully someone else can also benefits from this discussion. I'm hoping now to get more advice in my choices of the following b-schools in the UK:

Bradford, Birmingham, Notthingham, Kingston,

Profile: 4 years in fnancial industry risk management, looking to switch to career in marketing
No GMAT taken
Budget: 15k ( hopefully with scholarship, that will help to stretch till 18k)
Looking for a more diversified cohort (I know Indian students tend to be the majority make-up of the international students and am not trying to be racist or whatsoever but just appreciate a more diverse international student experience, backgrounds and inputs)
Hoping to work in the UK for couple of years ( I know it's getting harder due to visa issues, hence would appreciate a school with good career placement service)

I have received offer from Bradford within 24 hours upon sending my online application. The prompt reply and the loose admission make me questions the quality of the students. Also, didn't get positive vibes and recommendations of the campus location - Bradford. But I appreciate their wide range of elective suites, and value for money.

Kingston - scheduling a phone interview with them tomorrow.
Have a few electives that interests me. Any view of their links with the industries?

BIrmingham - waiting for reply. Their concentrations doesn't seem to fit my career goals but i read recommendations from this forum. And stretching my budget a little. Their MBA coordinator is the most helpful and responsive so far in replying my emails and questions.

Nottingham - Seems to be a very well-structured program. I know notthingham is reknown as a university in general but not sure of their MBA program compared to my other choices.

Many thanks in advance for your insights!

quote

Duncan

14.013 15.475

Posted Feb 20, 2013 17:04

You'll have better choices if you take your GMAT, since the graduates from non-GMAT courses tend to be weaker.

Bradford, Birmingham and Nottingham are all much stronger than Kingston. For marketing *communications*, I think Birmingham is slightly the stronger.

PS Bradford has a great range of marketing electives: http://www.bradford.ac.uk/management/programmes/mba/full-time-mba/mba-in-the-uk/

quote

pooikuan82

10 19

Posted Feb 20, 2013 18:05

You'll have better choices if you take your GMAT, since the graduates from non-GMAT courses tend to be weaker.

Bradford, Birmingham and Nottingham are all much stronger than Kingston. For marketing *communications*, I think Birmingham is slightly the stronger.

PS Bradford has a great range of marketing electives: http://www.bradford.ac.uk/management/programmes/mba/full-time-mba/mba-in-the-uk/

<blockquote>You'll have better choices if you take your GMAT, since the graduates from non-GMAT courses tend to be weaker.

Bradford, Birmingham and Nottingham are all much stronger than Kingston. For marketing *communications*, I think Birmingham is slightly the stronger.

PS Bradford has a great range of marketing electives: http://www.bradford.ac.uk/management/programmes/mba/full-time-mba/mba-in-the-uk/

quote

pooikuan82

10 19

Posted Feb 20, 2013 18:06

Thank you for your reply. Well I have no intention of applying to the top tier schools as I can't afford it and I dont want to be in huge debt. My main motivation is a career switch, not specifically looking for a big juNmp in salary hence could not justified to be in debt. Coincidently the schools within my budget doesn't require GMAT.

Interesting I found Birmingham being recommended couple of times but the elective modules offered is not that appealing, especially with their concentration tracks are on finance, procurement and global leadership.

How would you rank between Bradford, Birmingham and Nottingham? Or any other program within my budget that I might have missed out?

quote

Duncan

14.013 15.475

Posted Feb 20, 2013 19:45

I don't think there's much in it. Bradford stands out as the programme with the more alumni in marketing roles and with a good range of electives in marketing.

If you want to move into marketing, why take an MBA? Why not go to a better school, like Columbia, Cranfield or Lancaster and take a masters in marketing?

quote

pooikuan82

10 19

Posted Feb 21, 2013 04:19

I was initially searching for master but been advised to go for MBA instead for experienced students ( I have a total of 6 years working experience) as I can benefit more from the peer rather than studying with students who most probably be fresh grads at masters without any working experience.

quote

pooikuan82

10 19

Posted Feb 21, 2013 08:14

I seem to get the vibes that unless one is earning MBA with the Top Tier schools else it's not worth studying an MBA with the second best schools even if it's accredited. But for someone who is looking for a horizontal move in their career and a career switch, is it not ok to invest in just second tier school? My biggest expectation would be just earning more or less the same salary bracket as my previous job but in a different role that I enjoy more.

quote

Duncan

14.013 15.475

Posted Feb 21, 2013 09:07

The programmes at Colombia, Cranfield and Lancaster are aimed at experienced students. Attending an MSc at these top-100 schools will be much better *for your goal* than attending an MBA at a no-GMAT school. Of course MBAs are better, especially for finance and consulting, but think about the marketing roles you want. What skills would an MBA with four marketing electives not have which an MSc with 12 marketing courses and projects would have... and vice versa.

quote

pooikuan82

10 19

Posted Feb 27, 2013 09:36

The programmes at Colombia, Cranfield and Lancaster are aimed at experienced students. Attending an MSc at these top-100 schools will be much better *for your goal* than attending an MBA at a no-GMAT school. Of course MBAs are better, especially for finance and consulting, but think about the marketing roles you want. What skills would an MBA with four marketing electives not have which an MSc with 12 marketing courses and projects would have... and vice versa.

Thanks for the inputs.
I did have a look at the Msc marketing program at the schools. Yes it does recruit experienced students but within the marketing field.

Also reason why I gear towards marketing is because I know my interest do not lie within finance/consulting space. Marketing seems to tick but I'm not completely shutting other options outside of finance/consulting.Hence an MBA with a more slightly open options and peers around my age group.
And because of my budget of 18k those schools are really the ones I can afford.

<blockquote>The programmes at Colombia, Cranfield and Lancaster are aimed at experienced students. Attending an MSc at these top-100 schools will be much better *for your goal* than attending an MBA at a no-GMAT school. Of course MBAs are better, especially for finance and consulting, but think about the marketing roles you want. What skills would an MBA with four marketing electives not have which an MSc with 12 marketing courses and projects would have... and vice versa.</blockquote>

Thanks for the inputs.
I did have a look at the Msc marketing program at the schools. Yes it does recruit experienced students but within the marketing field.

Also reason why I gear towards marketing is because I know my interest do not lie within finance/consulting space. Marketing seems to tick but I'm not completely shutting other options outside of finance/consulting.Hence an MBA with a more slightly open options and peers around my age group.
And because of my budget of 18k those schools are really the ones I can afford.

quote

Mamit

293 515

Posted Feb 27, 2013 09:59

Hi,
Among these options I would suggest Bradford University, purely because of its wide range of electives in Marketing, and excellent faculties, as i was a part of Bradford University MBA batch 2008-09. I do understand that location is an issue with Bradford, however i can assure that it is among very few places in UK with lowest cost of living, so you can save lot of money in you accommodation. Bradford is located within 1 hour driving distance from Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and other big cities.

Birmingham on the other side is a good B-School and more popular as a university. but what I have realized that here in UK you get job based on what you know rather than which school you have studied.

You can also consider Kent in case you prefer to have more international mix in your cohort, as in Kent MBA have very diversified profile.

quote

Duncan

14.013 15.475

Posted Feb 27, 2013 10:11

I think it's a little simplistic to say that "here in UK you get job based on what you know rather than which school you have studied". Certainly it's a strong point about the UK that employers are very open here, including to foreign talent. However, while MBA graduates from different schools have similar knowledge, their outcomes vary greatly school by school.

That's why the rankings are vital.

As an employer, I certainly see the different in generally quality between schools' graduates and the weak points of candidates tend to cluster by school: the graduates of this school are weak on structured decision making; while the graduates of that school can't network; and the graduates of the other school have poor team working.

Certainly, exceptional people stand out in any context but there's a huge difference in quality, in particular between the accredited and unaccredited business schools. Graduates of 'triple crown' schools might also have weaknesses, but they are unlikely to have several systemic weaknesses.

quote

Martin_82

9 17

Posted Mar 13, 2013 20:36

I have received offer from Bradford within 24 hours upon sending my online application. The prompt reply and the loose admission make me questions the quality of the students. Also, didn't get positive vibes and recommendations of the campus location - Bradford. But I appreciate their wide range of elective suites, and value for money.

I got an offer after 3 months + interview + GMAT. So dont be concerned about that 24hours offer.
ps.: I am EU citizen.

<blockquote>
I have received offer from Bradford within 24 hours upon sending my online application. The prompt reply and the loose admission make me questions the quality of the students. Also, didn't get positive vibes and recommendations of the campus location - Bradford. But I appreciate their wide range of elective suites, and value for money.
</blockquote>

I got an offer after 3 months + interview + GMAT. So dont be concerned about that 24hours offer.
ps.: I am EU citizen.

quote

pooikuan82

10 19

Posted Mar 14, 2013 11:23

I have received offer from Bradford within 24 hours upon sending my online application. The prompt reply and the loose admission make me questions the quality of the students. Also, didn't get positive vibes and recommendations of the campus location - Bradford. But I appreciate their wide range of elective suites, and value for money.

I got an offer after 3 months + interview + GMAT. So dont be concerned about that 24hours offer.
ps.: I am EU citizen.

Thanks. Noted that it was conditional offer, so yes have to go through couple of more verification rounds.
Are you enrolled for Sept 2013 or an alumni? If latter, would you care to share your experience with the school?

<blockquote><blockquote>
I have received offer from Bradford within 24 hours upon sending my online application. The prompt reply and the loose admission make me questions the quality of the students. Also, didn't get positive vibes and recommendations of the campus location - Bradford. But I appreciate their wide range of elective suites, and value for money.
</blockquote>

I got an offer after 3 months + interview + GMAT. So dont be concerned about that 24hours offer.
ps.: I am EU citizen.</blockquote>

Thanks. Noted that it was conditional offer, so yes have to go through couple of more verification rounds.
Are you enrolled for Sept 2013 or an alumni? If latter, would you care to share your experience with the school?

quote

Martin_82

9 17

Posted Mar 19, 2013 12:46

I have received offer from Bradford within 24 hours upon sending my online application. The prompt reply and the loose admission make me questions the quality of the students. Also, didn't get positive vibes and recommendations of the campus location - Bradford. But I appreciate their wide range of elective suites, and value for money.

I got an offer after 3 months + interview + GMAT. So dont be concerned about that 24hours offer.
ps.: I am EU citizen.

Thanks. Noted that it was conditional offer, so yes have to go through couple of more verification rounds.
Are you enrolled for Sept 2013 or an alumni? If latter, would you care to share your experience with the school?

Hi,

Yeah. The curriculum is really nice. Especially choosing 5 electives. And I m doing them abroad at partner b.schools. There is also a possibility to join a month-long course in Toulouse b.school with some MBA students from the US. The lecturer are good, really experienced. However, 1-2 core courses are really boring, but all other are really interesting and helps me, especially the finance related courses. A lot of case studies, presentations. But the course assessments are quite academic based. But overall, I like it. And it is really stressful.
Bradford itself is okay, not the biggest city but okay. Leeds is just 20 minutes away and Manchester 1hour.
But the best thing is the career service. They are doing a really good job. And every week there are guest lectures and socializing events.
I am a current student.

Hope this helps

<blockquote><blockquote><blockquote>
I have received offer from Bradford within 24 hours upon sending my online application. The prompt reply and the loose admission make me questions the quality of the students. Also, didn't get positive vibes and recommendations of the campus location - Bradford. But I appreciate their wide range of elective suites, and value for money.
</blockquote>

I got an offer after 3 months + interview + GMAT. So dont be concerned about that 24hours offer.
ps.: I am EU citizen.</blockquote>

Thanks. Noted that it was conditional offer, so yes have to go through couple of more verification rounds.
Are you enrolled for Sept 2013 or an alumni? If latter, would you care to share your experience with the school?

</blockquote>

Hi,

Yeah. The curriculum is really nice. Especially choosing 5 electives. And I m doing them abroad at partner b.schools. There is also a possibility to join a month-long course in Toulouse b.school with some MBA students from the US. The lecturer are good, really experienced. However, 1-2 core courses are really boring, but all other are really interesting and helps me, especially the finance related courses. A lot of case studies, presentations. But the course assessments are quite academic based. But overall, I like it. And it is really stressful.
Bradford itself is okay, not the biggest city but okay. Leeds is just 20 minutes away and Manchester 1hour.
But the best thing is the career service. They are doing a really good job. And every week there are guest lectures and socializing events.
I am a current student.

Hope this helps

quote

Mamit

293 515

Posted Mar 22, 2013 10:16

I have received offer from Bradford within 24 hours upon sending my online application. The prompt reply and the loose admission make me questions the quality of the students. Also, didn't get positive vibes and recommendations of the campus location - Bradford. But I appreciate their wide range of elective suites, and value for money.

I got an offer after 3 months + interview + GMAT. So dont be concerned about that 24hours offer.
ps.: I am EU citizen.

Thanks. Noted that it was conditional offer, so yes have to go through couple of more verification rounds.
Are you enrolled for Sept 2013 or an alumni? If latter, would you care to share your experience with the school?

Bradford Normally issue the offer letter based on your work ex and other academic details, however they would still need to look into your GMAT / IELTS scores. In case you are unable to take GMAT they would ask you to take Bradford Online test, as an alternate option.
since you have budget constrains you would need to see how much scholarship is being offered by each university and what net tuition fees you would need to pay. Please keep living expenses in mind. London is considered to be more expensive than Birmingham. and Birmingham is more expensive than Bradford.

<blockquote><blockquote><blockquote>
I have received offer from Bradford within 24 hours upon sending my online application. The prompt reply and the loose admission make me questions the quality of the students. Also, didn't get positive vibes and recommendations of the campus location - Bradford. But I appreciate their wide range of elective suites, and value for money.
</blockquote>

I got an offer after 3 months + interview + GMAT. So dont be concerned about that 24hours offer.
ps.: I am EU citizen.</blockquote>

Thanks. Noted that it was conditional offer, so yes have to go through couple of more verification rounds.
Are you enrolled for Sept 2013 or an alumni? If latter, would you care to share your experience with the school?

</blockquote>

Bradford Normally issue the offer letter based on your work ex and other academic details, however they would still need to look into your GMAT / IELTS scores. In case you are unable to take GMAT they would ask you to take Bradford Online test, as an alternate option.
since you have budget constrains you would need to see how much scholarship is being offered by each university and what net tuition fees you would need to pay. Please keep living expenses in mind. London is considered to be more expensive than Birmingham. and Birmingham is more expensive than Bradford.

quote

tanvisingh...

2 3

Posted Nov 05, 2014 11:47

Hi I am going to give my commerce boards exams aiming for a good 90%. I have started looking for B-schools as it is quite an extensive process to get into a good college. I am mainly looking for colleges USA as my extended family is from USA also even though my family would be able to afford my BBA but I would like to do some part time jobs as well as I want to fund some part of my education myself. Can someone please suggest me some good B- schools in USA? Also how is Australia and Singapore for BBA?

[quote][/quote]
Hi I am going to give my commerce boards exams aiming for a good 90%. I have started looking for B-schools as it is quite an extensive process to get into a good college. I am mainly looking for colleges USA as my extended family is from USA also even though my family would be able to afford my BBA but I would like to do some part time jobs as well as I want to fund some part of my education myself. Can someone please suggest me some good B- schools in USA? Also how is Australia and Singapore for BBA?

quote

nikhil88

3 6

Posted Nov 05, 2014 11:49

USA has many good B-schools such as Columbia University, Stern, Yale school of management etc. Personally I feel Singapore and Australia would be better places to study as they offer sixteen hours of work permit whereas USA provides very less work permit. Practically speaking, studying abroad gets very expensive and hence having a sixteen hour work permit per week would help you a lot in managing your finance.

[quote][/quote]
USA has many good B-schools such as Columbia University, Stern, Yale school of management etc. Personally I feel Singapore and Australia would be better places to study as they offer sixteen hours of work permit whereas USA provides very less work permit. Practically speaking, studying abroad gets very expensive and hence having a sixteen hour work permit per week would help you a lot in managing your finance.

quote

tanvisingh...

2 3

Posted Nov 05, 2014 11:50

But I have my family in USA and so I was trying for USA itself.

[quote][/quote]
But I have my family in USA and so I was trying for USA itself.

quote

nikhil88

3 6

Posted Nov 05, 2014 11:51

I feel staying away from your family and studying makes one more independent and confident. You would get to learn about different people and cultures. In fact Australia and Singapore are one of the major business hubs hence there will be a lot of exposure. There are good B-schools as well in Australia and Singapore such as Nanyang, Melbourne School of business, etc.

[Edited by nikhil88 on Nov 07, 2014]

[quote][/quote]
I feel staying away from your family and studying makes one more independent and confident. You would get to learn about different people and cultures. In fact Australia and Singapore are one of the major business hubs hence there will be a lot of exposure. There are good B-schools as well in Australia and Singapore such as Nanyang, Melbourne School of business, etc.

quote

tanvisingh...

2 3

Posted Nov 05, 2014 11:55