Hey guys,

I've been accepted to ESADE, Mannheim and Hult, and now I need to make the big decision on where to go very fast. My career goals is either consulting within biotech/pharma, or to work for a biotech/pharma company.

ESADE is ranked higher than the other schools, and appears in FT, BW and the Economist. However this is a very expensive school, 80k USD. Is any school, unless it's INSEAD, Harvard or one of those, worth this much? They do have a very strong program however, but the economy and unemployment in Spain is quite bad at this moment.

Mannheim: Half the tuition, and I might have chances for scholarships. However, I am not sure if my personality is "fit" for working in Germany :P Among the top 20 in the Economist rankings, otherwise it doesn't appear in any rankings. Also, a very good program, and the German economy is strong.

Hult Int'l Business School: Plus points, it has 5 campuses around the world, and the international exposure you get is great. Ranked 61 on FT rankings for 2011. Tuition 55K and good chances for scholarships.

What would you choose and why? How much do you think rankings matter, and how much do you think the decision should be driven my cost?

I will really appreciate your responses.

I suppose it really depends on you. Which program within the MBA are you looking to enroll in? What's your focus? I also don't think rankings are everything - sometimes practicalities about your budget, your work experience and how you apply yourself to your school really matters most. I've heard great things about HULT, so that looks a fair choice in terns of cost and reputation.

Take a look at these articles from this website.

This one is about making decisions:
http://www.find-mba.com/article/506/how-to-pick-a-business-school-narrowing-it-down

This one is about rankings:
http://www.find-mba.com/article/176/rankings-what-they-can-and-cant-tell-you-about-a-business-school

And this one is about German MBAs:
http://www.find-mba.com/article/279/mba-programs-in-germany-dont-let-the-rankings-fool-you

All the best!

The difference in fees is nothing compared to the payback. You have applied to three very different schools: what are you looking for? Other things being equal, get into the best school you can!

Well, to be honest.
If you can afford to pay ESADE, I would recommend doing it.
It is the best international business school, according to all Spanish and French reports, and according to FT and BusinessWeek is among the TOP 5, in the World.
So, definitely, If I were you, I would think of my potential career in the future, and if your backgrounds would be ESADE, you will probably work in a very international and prestigious company/firm.

I've attended Hult IBS in Boston and wanted to say that they have a great program if you'd like to have a career in international business. Student experience is also fantastic since you have 30+ nationalities in one class and and you learn their culture and traditions. However, there are also some minuses - one year program is quite intensive and there is no time for summer internship. Studying and looking for a job at the same time is somewhat difficult, but not impossible.

Thanks a lot guys, this is a really tough decision. I have a life sciences background, and would like to continue in this field.

Now what if the situation has changed a little since last time, and the debate is now ESADE, or the the international track at Mannheim where you spend one semester at EADA, one at Warwick Business School, and the rest at Mannheim. Both UK and Germany are strong in the life sciences area, and Spain isn't as much. But ESADE is still a much higher ranked school. Would you still recommend ESADE?

Appreciate your comments.

You won't learn anything about life sciences at Warwick or EADA. Teaching at Warwick will be better than any of the other schools in the mix, but you still get the Mannheim degree, and I don;t think you get access to recruiters or careers services at other schools on the same basis as the school's own students. ESADE will have a much better cohort.

If Spain doesn't have the life sciences angle, why would you consider it? Just because it's ranked higher doesn't mean it's better for your career. I think you should go with the school that offers the best education for your focus, which is life sciences.

You might also want to consider why you're interested in the European track - with EADA and Warwick. I feel this international perspective suits the needs of those who require the international dimension for their career. Do you really need that for a career in life sciences? What's your focus exactly?

I think ESADE could be the answer because it's a higher-ranked school. Life sciences companies don't hire MBAs because they are life sciences experts, but because they are MBAs. If this person wants to have a life science role, rather than a management role, then they would be looking at a degree in life science or biotechnology. However, if this person wants a general management role in a big pharma then they should aim for the best MBA they can do. That is because large firms tends to recruit from top schools.

If simple proximity to pharma is what counts, then we would all be advicing them to go to Lyon or St Gallen.