Thank you everyone who participated in recent chat LBS current students: Pawan Kaul and Sherene Tan. I am posting here select questions and their answers by LBS students. You can download full chat transcript from the end of this post.
Aditya3110: Could you please shed some light on life at LBS in the first and second year in terms of time spent in clubs, class and lecture related activities as well as the amount of time spent on networking. I am trying to get an idea of the life balance and a gauge on the lifestyle led by students at LBS. Thank you
LBS_Sherene: Hi Aditya, there is a good balance of academic, social and club-related activities that give you ample opportunities to network. In the 1st year, we have on average 14 hours of lectures a week and multiple clubs & networking activities almost every evening, you will be spoilt for choice. There are also plenty of speaker series and company-sponsored events
ankushbagwale: There is a myth doing round these days that work visas in UK are super tough? How the students
LBS dealing with it?
LBS_Pawan: Well really not a myth but UK has been getting tough on the visa regime due to inflow from migrants from affected eurozone areas. There is no major impact for LBS students as of now. Consulting, Corporate and banks generally sponsor visa.
Abhinay: LBS as a school has a reputation of churning out Investment Bankers... how far behind is Consulting? And from your experience how easy is it for a non EU national to secure a Consulting job in EU/UK
LBS_Pawan: actually placements for investment banking is decreasing. It's a function of the slowly recovering economy as well as folks opting for other areas. Consulting is a big churner for LBS. If you observe the last few years placement there has been an increase in consulting recruitment. The top consulting firms are open to sponsoring visas.
LBS_Sherene: As Pawan mention, most global companies typically sponsor work visas, with the exception of GSK, P&G, J&J
Abhinay: In your experience, typically how good is the conversion rate from an internship to a full time job?
LBS_Pawan: the conversion rate is pretty high at almost 90%.
mib_4ohe56: What were your motivations for selecting LBS?
LBS_Pawan: My main motivations were brand, diversity and the location (London). The school is right in the heart of London and you can meet anyone at a short notice. This helps during recruiting and coffee chats.
LBS_Sherene: The school also has a very strong alumni base, its very easy to get support from them. Also its very accessible to vacations anywhere around Europe, which will be a large part of your MBA life
Narenn: Can you throw some light on admission process of LBS ? GPA, GMAT, Application Essays, Interview, Work Experience, and Extra Curricular. If you asked to arrange these parameters in the order of their importance at LBS – what would it be?
LBS_Sherene: In my opinion, in order of importance: Work experience, Essays, GMAT, Extracurricular, Interviews. LBS also values diversity a lot. Interviews are lengthy and detailed, but once you get shortlisted for interview stage, your chances are already more than 60%
LBS_Pawan: The admission process is quite similar to any other bschool. The admission takes place in four rounds. The applicants submit their applications, which include about three to four essays, recommendation, resume and GMAT score. Once the applications are selected it proceeds through various shortlists for interview. I think the most important factor that one needs to highlight for LBS admissions is how are you different from any other candidate. LBS is the most diverse school around and it prides itself on that.
Abhinay: Any particular disadvantages to completing the course in 15 months except for the fact that International Exchange is ruled out if you do 15 months? Any other negative factors?
LBS_Sherene: The only negative I can think of for 15 months is that once you complete the program you have another 3 months to stay within the UK to find a job and then you would have to re-apply for a short term visa. Few people that complete in 15 months are typically either sponsored or have found full time jobs.
mib_4ohe56: What are the classes like? More case studies or traditional? Do you study in groups? Are most jobs after LBS based in London or europe?
LBS_Pawan: Classes are more case studies focused. Yes during the first year there are groups of five to six students from different countries.
LBS_Sherene: Most jobs after LBS are indeed based in London/Europe but there are people who go back to the Middle East, Asia and US etc
mib_4ohe56: Does LBS have scholarships or do they offer any financial aid or do they guarantee student loans?
LBS_Sherene: LBS does not guarantee student loans, but there are a number of scholarships - when you apply, you are automatically considered for the scholarships you would be eligible for, but you would only know the results after accepting your place at LBS. For student loans, you can check out
Prodigy Finance that ties up with LBS.
mib_4ohe56: How important is it to have international work experience outside of your home country?
LBS_Sherene: For LBS I would say it is quite important if you can show that you have a global outlook, so emphasising on international work experience or working for a multinational company would be a plus. However, that said, I do know classmates who have only worked in their home countries and still got into LBS.
mib_4ohe56: What are the best courses & professors at LBS?
LBS_Sherene: You don't get to choose core courses, but there are a number of popular electives such as Negotiations & Bargaining, Brand Management, etc. There are many outstanding professors - Alex Edmans, Randall Peterson, Gillian Ku. Many examples!
mib_4ohe56: Would you say LBS is only good for students looking to get into finance & consulting since I’m interested in startups
LBS_Sherene: LBS is definitely strong in consulting and finance, but they are increasingly focusing on entrepreneurship/start-ups/VC/Tech - there are really good entrepreneurship courses such as New Venture Development and Pathways to Start-up Success. We also have the Entrepreneurship Summer School and LBS Start-up Incubator, very valuable resources
ankushbagwale: Who has made a profound impression during your time LBS & why do you consider it worth mentioning?
LBS_sherene: Alex Edmans; He made corporate finance very interesting
LBS_Pawan: For me it would Gary, Rajesh Chandy, and Alex Edmans.
Chat Transcript
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