walkriver55 wrote:
Hi everyone, very grateful to receive admits from LBS and Fuqua. I have scholarship from Fuqua and awaiting scholarship decisions from LBS. I wanted advice on which school would be ideal for me.
Few things about me:
1. I am an overrepresented international applicant. I would ideally like to explore recruiting options in Venture Capital/Tech, but given my lack of experience in this domain, considering consulting as a back up option.
2. I want to stay in US big cities/London post-MBA and don’t want to explore international geographies like Singapore and Middle East.
3. I want to be able to quickly earn well and cover the cost of my MBA but at the same time work life balance is very important for me.
4. Scholarships aren’t much of a consideration for me as I believe in investing in my education.
5. I am worried about the visa issues in US particularly with H1B. In my home country, T15 schools don’t have as much of a brand recall so finding a job, if I am forced to go back might be challenging.
6. I am concerned about the overall economic situation in UK and my ability to get a well paying job there based on what I am hearing from people there.
Happy to hear your thoughts!
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walkriver55 Many many congratulation on the impressive admits. Hope I can share my 2 cents
1. I am an overrepresented international applicant. I would ideally like to explore recruiting options in Venture Capital/Tech, but given my lack of experience in this domain, considering consulting as a back up option.
In the US, it will be very difficult to enter the venture capital industry in the current market without prior venture capital experience. I would have liked to know more about your background to better advise you, but all I can say is that it's better to be practical and not get your very high in the current market. Tech and consulting seem like great options when the market is hopefully better in 2 years.
However, in the UK, LBS has a very unique positioning if you want to venture into startups and VC areas, although you still need to push through, but I think the LBS network will help you with that. Even for the backup option in consulting, LBS is a very strong brand, but so is Fuqua.2. I want to stay in US big cities/London post-MBA and don’t want to explore international geographies like Singapore and Middle East.
I fully understand what you are trying to say. But perspectives change over time with experience. During my MBA college (at INSEAD), I realized how desperate people were to move to Singapore and the Middle East from Western countries because these are tax havens. You may aspire to something today and not want it tomorrow. So keep an open mind.3. I want to be able to quickly earn well and cover the cost of my MBA but at the same time work life balance is very important for me.
Dont we all want this!
In the first few years after the MBA, focus on building your skills and your name in the industry you want to work in. If that's not your focus, an MBA may not be right for you. Once you have established that credibility, you can prioritise the areas that are important to you at this stage of your life.4. Scholarships aren’t much of a consideration for me as I believe in investing in my education.
That is good for you. But if you take out an education loan, ideally you want to be debt free as soon as possible after your MBA. Your career decisions will depend on it.5. I am worried about the visa issues in US particularly with H1B. In my home country, T15 schools don’t have as much of a brand recall so finding a job, if I am forced to go back might be challenging.
Yes this is a real challenge. Also why I suggested to keep an open mind for the Middle East and Singapore. Also because start ups and venture capital are thriving6. I am concerned about the overall economic situation in UK and my ability to get a well paying job there based on what I am hearing from people there.
The market is difficult everywhere at the moment. But hopefully it will get better by the time you graduate.
You need to determine your recruitment strategy for these two schools now so you can evaluate which one makes more sense for you. Talk to recruiters. Ask whether they would want to hire you. Be brutal to yourself to learn where you stand. Talk to as many students and alumni as you can and get your own impression of all the options.Best wishes
Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD MBA alum, former INSEAD MBA admissions interviewer)Founder, MBAGuideConsulting (former MBA admissions consultant at top global firm)
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