I am a graduate from india with 8 years of work experience. I am looking at pursuing an MBA this year. I have got offers from westminster, royal holloway, and have applied to henley business school,. I am also contemplating applying to Imperial college however the fee and expenses are holding me back. i would like to which amongst the MBA programs should i opt for and why. i would also like your valuable input on other colleges in london or close by with good accreditation and placements.i am looking at staying in london with a relative.

What's your background, and what are your goals?

Generally, most candidates are well advised to get into the best programme that they can, since the additional return is much greater than the additional fees. London has great graduate schools: LBS; Cass; ESCP and even the second tier (Brunel, Kingston etc) are strong. Around London there are also very strong choices: Ashridge, Cambridge, Cranfield, Oxford etc are all around an hour from London.

The best advice I can give you is to get a strong GMAT score, since that maximises your opportunities.

Hi Duncan thank you for your reply. I basically come from a business background. I do not have a Gmat score. I have gotten through all these colleges without a Gmat. I would like to pursue an MBA and work in UK for a few years before I look at getting back. Keeping employment opportunities in mind I would like to know my best bet. Henley, royal Holloway, Westminster. How well do the tier 2 B schools such as Kingston and Greenwich fair in their employment prospects. Do you suggest I apply to imperial as I am getting a Gmat waiver from them.

If you want to work in the UK then you should try to get into one of the ranked schools: LBS, Cass, Imperial, Oxford, Cambridge, Cranfield, Henley. These are large schols with strong career services and powerful alumni networks. They require the GMAT and that is a strong quality sign. I'm not sure about Ashridge and the GMAT, but the careers service there is weak because it's a very small school.

There's a very big difference between the schools with MBA accreditation and those without. Brunel, Kingston, Royal Holloway and Westminster have good, respectable accredited MBAs. However, the employment outcomes are not so well assured, since the MBAs are weak and poorly funded.

Under them, are the schools without AMBA accreditation (generally, the former polytechnics). Don't consider Greenwich, London Met, LSBU, UEL etc.

Then under them are the for-profit schools, which are all weak.

Thank You Duncan. this has really given me a perspective. I am going to be taking my imperial application ahead. Any tips for the video essay, for imperial? Apart from Imperial and henley none of the schools offer a GMAT waiver. i also got through HULT London, which i did not accept. Can you please guide with me with schools with a GMAT waiver.

Also how good is coventry london campus for the MBA?

I think this really depends on your goals. The GMAT is a strong predictor of success, and that's why the MBAs that use the GMAT are the most successful in placing their students with employers. Schools that don't use the GMAT attract students who are scared of the GMAT and, generally, who are selecting themselves out of the more successful outcomes. That's a choice.

So think about where you want to be and then use this approach http://www.find-mba.com/board/33571 to see what the top schools are which best support your goals. And, probably, that will require the GMAT.

Coventry is one of the former polytechnics without accreditation. Not great.

Hi Duncan

One quick question.

You have not included Manchester Business School in your recommended list of schools in the UK to this candidate. Any specific reason? Are you recommending only those schools that are very close to London (distance-wise) or is MBS not a recommended option for this profile/candidate?

Yes, this candidate seems to want to live in London with a relative. That rules out Manchester. If they are independent of location, then they should look to get into the best school they can.

PS Of course, I'd also suggest people look wider than the UK.

Yes, this candidate seems to want to live in London with a relative. That rules out Manchester. If they are independent of location, then they should look to get into the best school they can.

PS Of course, I'd also suggest people look wider than the UK.

Hi Duncan and Mamit. I have got myself a seat at Henley Business school and i am awaiting a reply from Imperial College of London. What i would like to know is which of the two is better for placements and which one would yeild a greater roi.
Thank You.