Many individuals attend college in a foreign country to earn a prestigious degree and experience different cultures. A business degree is a valuable tool to have in today’s tough job market. Graduating from business school can be a life-changing experience that positions you to reimagine and then pursue your dreams, both personal and professional.
How to choose a business school?
Choosing the right business school that will be your partner during this exciting journey is one of the most important and maybe the most difficult decision you must make. The business school you attend will determine your professional and personal development for years to come. Before you choose a business school, it is critical to identify your personal goals and determine your ideal business school.
Why is it important to select a business school?
Before you start with your business school selection process, you should understand why it is important.
The business school selection process should include the following steps:
- Get a clear idea about the program details.
- Make sure the business school aligns with your career goals.
- Speak with graduates of the MBA program to get feedback on the school.
- Understand the costs involved with earning your MBA degree.
- Follow up with recent graduates to learn about post-graduation job prospects.
What are the application requirements to attend business school?
Every business school has unique application requirements and admission processes. From recommendations and essays, it is important to focus on no more than three applications and to do them well. Your business school application must effectively demonstrate your professional experience and skills.
Highlight the qualities that you believe would increase your chances of securing an admit. With more than 2300+ graduate business schools around the world, it becomes even more critical to choose the right MBA program.
A business degree will:
- Teach you skills useful for any career
- Improve your teamwork, time management, problem-solving, and leadership skills
- Give you opportunities to travel
- Prepare you for life
- Help you structure your personal finances
Whether you want to go for a basic accounting degree or pursue an MBA, earning a business degree is never a bad idea.
Earning a degree is a different experience in Europe than in the US. Whereas US applicants are pressured to show uniqueness, European applicants are asked to show why they are interested in a particular subject. Along with standardized test scores, European schools look at leadership skills and motivation. If you mention an extracurricular activity, it better to be related to your intended field of study.
European schools are focused on education – there are no mascots, school colors, or football teams. This “no-frills” approach to learning enables universities to be cheap (sometimes free!). While American professors are easily approachable and viewed as mentors, European professors lecture in great halls while standing on a raised platform. Which school you attend should depend on your personal goals.
Here are the top three business schools in Europe:
#3: Saïd Business School (Oxford, UK)
Here’s a fun fact: just three months after they graduate, the average alumni earn six figures (maybe these are people staying in Europe’s luxury golf resorts later in life)! Oxford’s prestigious business school is known for producing programmers. The school is divided into three sections: Business, Finance, and Management. Graduate students can earn their MBA in one year at SBS. In 2006, SBS launched a series of programs in which students can earn one of three diplomas in just 18 months. In 2013, SBS’s MBA program was ranked 24th in the world, 3rd in the UK, 6th in “The Best International MBA Programs” (Forbes), and 5th in “International Business Schools” (Business Week).
#2: London Business School (London, UK)
LBS is the UK’s top business school. It is consistently ranked as one of the top 10 business schools in the world. A competitive school, LBS offers many different business degrees, including MBAs and PhDs. Sloan Masters in Leadership and Strategy is perhaps the school’s most famous degree. It is a master’s program developed for senior executives and professionals. Most Sloan Fellows have 15 years of experience under their belts before they start the program. The degree is full time and takes one year to complete. LBS also has a campus located in Dubai.
#1: INSEAD (Paris, France)
It’s not easy to get into INSEAD. Students must score 702 or higher on the GMAT (one point higher than the score required to get into LBS). This global graduate school is famous for its MBA program. It also offers a Master of Finance, a Ph.D. in Management, and many other executive programs. Because INSEAD has campuses in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia, students have the unique opportunity to study in three different continents. Alumni have endless opportunities because INSEAD shares career services with Harvard Business School, Stanford Graduate School of Business, and Kellogg School of Management in the US.