Hi, thinking about an MBA at Henley and from there a move into consulting. A couple of year IB exp behind me, but like the generalist flavour of theHenly programme (not like LBS or City which seem to want teach you to be a CFO ...) Any insights welcome.

Can't comment on Henley, but it would be a mistake to dismiss "London" (LBS to the rest of us) as too finance focussed.They do have a finance-specific courses and indeed, leveraging the home city, a truly world class finance faculty and courses.But it is entirely possible to do the MBA with just Finance 1, Management Accounting, and a bit of Decision Science. Or you could fill your electives with Finance, Accounting and IB courses.I would choose London if you can get in / afford it -the two year model, range of courses, quality of people and faculty, and of course reputation is unrivalled in the UK.

Only comment on Henley: coleague did the EMBA there and a lot of his assignments got A's when to me they actually seemed quite poor.

Maybe that says more about you than the college / course!!!Unless of course you are a subject expert!AFAIK the Henley EMBA is in the top 5 worldwide. Isn't Henley also Europes longest established MBA school?

Depends on what sort of consulting really. For McKinsey and the like I would imagine very little as it is just not on the radar. Big 4 and boutiques maybe some more hope, but who actually goes to recruit there?i would forget things like individual courses and focus on getting into the best school you can get into.Disclaimer - went to LBS, now in "strategy" consulting. We don't recruit from henley at all

Thanks for the info. But does the last posters advice apply to MBB and emba also I.e do the MBB's have a view on someone prepared to do the work in their spare time? Reason I ask is I could have gone to one of the higher ranked full time schools but couldn't afford the year out so chose the Henley emba instead as it seemed to be one of the better ranked pt/dl's. Want to move into consulting and wonder how I can make the move and if it's possible from emba!Great site btw - found some great advice so far.

Hi Bonzer,It's the combination of your MBA and your professional experience that most employers will look at.This is because you'll be expected to apply the theory you pick up during an MBA with your real-world experiences.You'll also be doing a LOT of work, whether full or part-time, so I'd suggest you also want to look at how particular courses are delivered - they vary massively.Would thus recommend you ask yourself 4 questions to help narrow down the options:1. How will an MBA complement your real-world work experience?2. What method(s) of learning do you prefer? (teamwork, dissertations, case studies, theoretical or practical, projects for clients, etc)3. Where would you like to be 5 years after completing your MBA?This should help narrow down your choices (think there are over 100 "MBA" courses in the UK - be very careful about who you look at as some of these may not be accredited under one or more of the 3 MBA accrediting bodies)& finally4. what reputation do my 3 or 4 courses on my MBA shortlist have?- because you won't be spoon-fed on any of these courses, and forever afterwards you'll be an alumni of XXXX MBA - with all the networks and reputations that your particular course will have.Best of luck!ChogeyPS: incidentally, I considered Henley as one of my backup options, but decided against because it seemed too rigid / theoretical, not enough variety of options, and having to do a dissertation during my 1st real job afterwards. This was in 1995 and things may have changed since - it's very much a personal choice.

In response to the specific question re MBB and EMBAs:If I understand correctly, you are inferring that doing the MBA part-time will make you a more attractive candidate as you will be "prepared to do the work in your part-time".I would argue the opposite, that it will make you less attractive as you are hedging your bets. The top firms want to hire people with the best pedigrees who really want to work there. So they recruit at a handful of top business schools targeting people that have left the workforce and taken on the financial burden to get their top MBA and their shot at whatever firm they want to join. They presume that these people, in general, are highly ambitious and motivated, and they pretty much recruit everyone they need from these schools. - it is an easily accessible talent pool and it is financially sensible to restrict that pool to a handful of schools.Someone that says they 'couldn't afford to take a year out' was just not as prepared to take the risk, the financial burden, to borrow the tuition fees, didn't want it as much for whatever reason and therefore, irrespective of other skills/qualifications, may be viewed as a less attractive candidate. Virtually everyone that gets in is/has1) Educated at top universities2) Excellent pre-MBA work experience3) A top MBA4) Highly motivatedIf any of those are in doubt in your application you will face an uphill battle. And, based on my limited understanding of your situation, your application may cause concerns in the last two of the four that will stop you getting interviews at the top firmsJust my two cents

Thanks for the reply. Its interesting to get your viewpoint.I'm not sure why 'hedging your bets' would be seen as a bad thing - isn't a huge part of business about exploring options, using leverage, weighing up possibilities etc. How many business schools teach you to 'bet the house' on an if or maybe?I guess its like most things - there is a story and it just matters how you tell it. For example..My current situation is that I am a well paid manager in a technical consultancy field (no 2 firm worldwide). I have a family and a mortgage etc which dictates and influences the choice of full time/part time. Would I be seen as a good decision maker if i packed in the job and remortgaged the house to do a cours full time that I coud do part time?I started the MBA with a view to moving up in my current firm. Mid way through, I have become more and more interested in general business and am exploring the idea of changing career, with a view to using the knowledge that I have built up in a more varied setting.So by doing the MBA part time I have covered the same (or similar) academic ground, shown a certain amount of dedication by sacrificing 'personal' time and have also gained an additional 2-3 years management and leadership experience. i think I'll take my chances......Back to the OP's point, I have enquired at Henley re BBB etc and they regularly have requests for Cv's and are currently running recruitment ads on the college board. I guess that it might be more beneficial to pay set up costs to visit a few schools but it seems like these clever BBB guys dont ignore the 2nd tier schools totally!Also , it was mentioned to me that a large % of Henley students are employer sponsored compared to LBS etc. and as aresult Henley wont give out their CV's without employer permission. This might also be a factor.

Ok, with a bit more background, I would agree that nobody could/should criticse your choice. You have a young family.It is not that hedging is a bad thing in general, it is just the combination of the part-time course along with a non-core school that, in my opinion, will make it much more difficult to get into the likes of MBB. It sends a message, rightly or wrongly, that you are not as serious or 'high-pedigree' as your equivalent at Harvard.It sounds like you are relatively senior and perhaps have something more to offer than the standard MBA candidate - I don't know. If that is the case then it is a matter of differentiating yourself somehow. There are plenty of people from technical consulting backgrounds at LBS and INSEAD and the top US schools, and they will have a lot more interaction with the likes of MBB than a posting on a job board - for instance at LBS there were interview training days at the firm's offices, and assorted other coaching and networking events/dinners. This just makes the process, which is a complete crapshoot, so much easier and biased towards the few schools that I still believe it is an uphill battle coming from a non-core school. Equally, while job postings is one stat, number of offers is a more revealing one. Check the school alumni database for numbers of people within the firms you are interested in.Personally, if I had a young family I wouldn't go within a hundred miles of those firms btw, but again that is just my personal choice.Wrt the op, he/she is in a different situation with a couple of years experience in a bank. This puts them right in the most competitive set of applicants. Will be very difficult to stand out in any way without going to one of the very best schools, or being an olympic athlete etc

I did my MBA with the family along... With two young kids it is a lot to think about. |I chose to do a FT MBA which I do not regret at all! I chose one intense year and than straight back to work. It was not hard to get a job but be aware at moment most consultancy companies have got many candidates to choose from. If you intend to change career be advised that your previous work experience and that it is linked to the field you would like to work within is key. I have applied to a few very senior positions in UK top tier firms and not been selected. I went back to industry and secured a number of positions right away. During the last week three job offers but not luck in consulting right now. Did the MBA in Lancaster which is good for practical consulting skills! However limited networking possibilities during the academic year but that can be picked up afterwards. I have considered Henley for DBA but opt for a PhD in London instead.Bet of luck while selecting, the application process takes time :) / Fredrik

Since this thread is since 2006 your MBA should be ready by now. Any feedback and what was your choice? I wrote previous tread as a generic reply for you all especially with families... / Fredrik