Confused - Help Needed; W vs K vs LBS

[shekmba]

Hi Guys,

Would appreciate any help on this.

My profile is:

Indian Male/28/770/3.95 UG+3.67 PG/4 Yrs work ex/ Family Business + Entrepreneurship

My undergrad was from a prestigious Indian Univ and grad from a top 5 US univ. My family business is in Horticulture/Biotechnology.

I am planning to apply to 4 schools in the 1st round. I have finalized upon Harvard and Stanford but am confused between Wharton, Kellogg and LBS. Need to chose 2 between them. The main considerations are:

1. Program must be strong in GM, Leadership and have a conducive Entrep. environ.
2. Have a close knit community where I can contribute and go away with life long friends and a network.
3. Wife needs to get a job while I am studying. She is a CA in India and is studying for CFA.
4. I should be able to get a consulting job after MBA. I want to work for 2-3 yrs before getting back to family business. Therefore getting a work visa should be easy.

Now, LBS is a good option because visa rules in UK seem to be more sensible and distinguish between more talented individuals and otherwise. For e.g., when I am on a student visa, my wife can work even though she is a dependent! If you know this is not true, please do inform.

Would appreciate any help at all on this issue. I am really confused and need to decide fast as there is not much time left to R1 deadlines.

Regards,
Shekmba

[Stacy Blackman]

Hi shekmba,

In regards to which 2 programs you should apply to (out of Wharton, Kellogg, and LBS), the answer depends on where you are interested in working post-graduation. The network you build will be invaluable, and although the schools you listed are all world-renowned, many of your peers will remain in the same location post-graduation.

If you know you are interested, for example, in moving to New York for work post-graduation, then I would recommend applying to Wharton and Kellogg over LBS. All 3 of those schools provide great opportunities and networks, but strong consideration should be put into the location. For consulting opportunities, the programs you listed are all excellent.

Hope this was of help.

Cheers,

Conrad and the Stacy Blackman Team