LBS vs. St Gallen for MBB

Question

Hello everyone.

I’d like to ask for opinions on whether the Masters in Management at LBS or the Master in Strategy and International Management would be best for starting in MBB.

For some context, I’ve just finished undergrad at Bocconi, don’t speak German, and would prefer starting to work outside of Italy.

From what I’ve heard, the SIM program does super well with placement in Zurich (non-German speakers included), although McKinsey requires German there and would thus not be possible for me (German also required by all in Germany/Austria from what I understand).

LBS has a great name and results, but from what I understand London MBB is very competitive and few non-UK people get it.

Looking forward for your opinion, and thank you.

Answer 1

Hi Alessandro,

Q: I’d like to ask for opinions on whether the Masters in Management at LBS or the Master in Strategy and International Management would be best for starting at MBB.

I would check on LinkedIn as follows:

Identify on LinkedIn the number of alumni of the two masters in MBB in your desired location (you should take into account the language element as you mentioned) and
Adjust for the co-hort size

This should give you a data-driven answer.

Best,

Francesco

Answer 2

Hi Alessandro,

I think this is an interesting question that may be relevant for many people. I would be happy to share my thoughts on it:

First of all, unless you have offers for both master's programs, I would highly advise you not to ponder on the decision if it is unclear whether you will actually have to make one. Instead, I would advise you to apply for both master's programs and see about the results.
If, however, you have offers for both master's programs, I would highly advise you to opt for the option that better aligns with your professional (and maybe even personal) mid- to long-term goals. In order to make an informed decision, I would advise you to do the following:
- Weigh the different criteria that are meaningful to you independently of the current options (e.g., prestige, international exposure, location). After that, score the two options based on your criteria and their weighting, resulting in two scores. This way, you have covered the left-brain perspective.
- Critically assess your initial reaction to the outcome of the scores. For instance, if you feel the urge to tweak the numbers, this is a solid indicator that you do not want this decision to become reality. This way, you have covered the right-brain perspective.
- By doing so, you will be able to integrate both parts of the brain into the decision-making, guaranteeing a higher chance that you will still be happy with it years later.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to address your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Answer 3

Hi Alessandro,

I agree with Andreas - this comes down so much to personal preferences. I highly recommend you speak with people who have done these programs, speak with the school, and look at online stats to make a more informed decision.

Good luck!

Answer 4

Hi there,

both schools & programs are great & will be a plus when applying for MBB. You cannot choose anything wrong here & chose based on academic interest/fit. If at same level I would advise to give preference to the school that sits in the country you want to work in. It will make the recruiting process easier.

Andresa

Answer 5

Both are great. And both will open the doors to consulting in multiple offices. And either London or Germany offices are willing to hire people from abroad.

So your decision criteria has to be based on something else. On where do you want to live during the program, where do you want to work / live after the program, and what program suits you best.

Answer 6

Hi there,

In your specific situation, LBS has an edge over St. Gallen in terms of language, location, and institutional value/reputation.

With an undergrad from Bocconi and a masters from LBS, you should be able to get invited to interviews from a variety of locations (assuming everything else in your CV will allow you to put together a strong application).

Best of luck!

Moritz

Answer 7

Hi there!

Both are great programs.

At the end of the day, they're both what you make out of them.

It depends so much more how you use the network and the resources that you have at your disposal, rather than what the program teaches you formally.

Best,
Cristian

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Answer 8

Plenty of non-Brits go to McKinsey London - the office is interested in getting the right people in and will sort out the visa afterwards. LBS has the much better brand name - and other offices recruit from LBS, not just London. I'd recommend going with the brand name and LBS.