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Imperial Business School vs LSE

business school MSc
New answer on Jan 31, 2024
8 Answers
6.0 k Views
Anonymous A asked on Apr 02, 2020

Dear all,

I have received offers from both Imperial and LSE to do MSc Management and I am stuck on which to choose.

LSE is more reputable and will carry a stronger weight when i eventually return to Asia but Imperial does better on rankings (QS/FT) and I like their programme more as they come off as fresher, more revolutionary while LSE seems a little dated, but I don't really have evidence to back this up.

My interest is consulting and MBB. Would going to Imperial significantly reduces my chances? Are they viewed equally in the eyes of recruiters? Thank you!

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Hagen
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Jan 31, 2024
#1 Bain coach | >95% success rate | interviewer for 8+ years | mentor and coach for 7+ years

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the offers!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

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, culture, 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

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Francesco
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replied on Apr 03, 2020
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.000+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success (➡ InterviewOffers.com) | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi there,

I would check the number of alumni of the universities in companies interesting you for recent years and weight for the number of graduates. My hypothesis here is that LSE, having a stronger brand, should have more alumni in consulting, if that’s the case I would go for that as it would be the safer bet.

Best,

Francesco

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Anonymous A on Apr 03, 2020

Interestingly, I found out the MiM (1-year prog) at LSE is only 2 years old. Previously they have been offering a 2-year programme. In that case, do you think the course is still worth going, given the novelty of the course and thus, lower number of graduates from that MSc?

Francesco on Apr 03, 2020

Hi, I would check the results of the last alumni, I would not expect strong differences though if they just decrease the number of courses with the same major

Anonymous B on Aug 08, 2020

Hi there! I am about to graduate from the LSE MiM and just wanted to clarify that both the MiM (1 year) and the GMiM (2 years) are running. In terms of alumni network, you can easily get in touch with anyone from the department of management, not just graduates from your course. I'm a bit late, but I hope this helps!

Axel
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Apr 03, 2020
Bain Consultant | Interviewer for 3 years at Bain |Passionate about coaching |I will make you a case interview Rockstar

Hi!

As the others say I would strongly recommend taking the offer from LSE (not only saying this because I am also an LSE graduate)!

LSE will put you in a great position to get offers from any consulting firm and is also more well know in the business community outside of consulting. In Asia, the LSE brand is also much stronger than Imperial which lends itself more to scientific research.

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Anonymous A on Apr 03, 2020

Hi Axel, do you mind if I message you about your experience in LSE? Thank you

Axel on Apr 03, 2020

Sure please do!

Daniel
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Apr 02, 2020
McKinsey / ex-Interviewer at McKinsey / I will coach you to rock those interviews

I agree with Vlad, I think LSE has a better brand, I would go for LSE.

Best,
Daniel

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Antonello
Expert
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replied on Apr 02, 2020
McKinsey | NASA | top 10 FT MBA professor for consulting interviews | 6+ years of coaching

Hi, congrats for the multiple offers! For management, I would go for LSE. Imperial is more prestigious for scientific courses.

Best,
Antonello

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Vlad
Expert
replied on Apr 02, 2020
McKinsey / Accenture Alum / Got all BIG3 offers / Harvard Business School

Hi,

I was surprised to learn that LSE is better at rankings. But its worth noting that there are many weird rankings where HBS / GSB are not in the first places.

Historically LSE has a better brand. The aspect of being "Revolutionary" I would perceive as very subjective as its just marketing.

Best

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Anonymous A on Apr 02, 2020

Understand the point on the subjectivity of the branding and on the weird rankings. The rankings I have cited are QS/Financial Times so I reckon they carry more weight. My hesitation with LSE is only because it is very theoretical/academic while Imperial offers a more project-based, practical course which I prefer. Not sure if this means anything though.

Yasar on Jun 19, 2020

I strongly agree with your opinion. Programme structure of ICL is more focused on pratical skills whereas LSE offers more academics skills. I also have offers from both universities and pretty confused.

(edited)

Luca
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Apr 03, 2020
BCG |NASA | SDA Bocconi & Cattolica partner | GMAT expert 780/800 score | 200+ students coached

Hello,

First of all congratulations for your results!
LSE has a stronger brand and I would choose it, but also Imperial Business School is a target school for MBB. Don't worry too much, they are both great schhols and you will haveyour chances to get an MBB offer.

Best,
Luca

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Clara
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Apr 03, 2020
McKinsey | Awarded professor at Master in Management @ IE | MBA at MIT |+180 students coached | Integrated FIT Guide aut

Hello hello and congrats on the offers!

Having the chance to choose is a holy problem.

A priori, given the improtance of brands for next steps in your carreer, I would go for LSE. However, and depending on what you want to do next -this is the most important thing at the end of the day-, see which one will give you a better starting point.

For instance, check the number of alumni in the field you want to tackle, etc.

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

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Anonymous A on Apr 03, 2020

Interestingly, I found out the MiM (1-year prog) at LSE is only 2 years old. Previously they have been offering a 2-year programme. In that case, do you think the course is still worth going, given the novelty of the course and thus, lower number of graduates from that MSc? — Anonymous A 0 seconds ago

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