Best reputation: LSE or UC Berkeley?

I'm not sure if many people outside the US or those who aren't "in the known" are aware of UC Berkeley, it's a wonderful school though! I wouldn't be lying when I say I was rejected for undergrad engineering!

Reply 2

Ozziee

if you are thinking about working in ib type of organisations. then it is definitely UC Berkley. reputation wise it is very difficult to give an unbiased answer :smile:

Reply 3

mmh, do both :wink:

Berkley is fantastic, I have a friend studying there.

I guess reputation wise, they are equal. Berkeley is a lower US ivy and LSE is a top but european school.

If you want to work in the US, then it's berkeley. That's where the difference lies: US labour market vs European one (more difficult access to the US market coming from LSE).

You ll be better off at berkeley for IB as well but let s not forget most people coming from Msc Management end up in IB as well (about a third of the class, easy).

In the end, I don't think it's a big difference anyway. And as your futur class mate i would just tell you come to london, we ll work hard and party hard, get a good job and then go for an MBA in the US in a couple of years.

Reply 4

OP

Yes since I was planning to go for an MBA in Stanford later on anyway, the best choice might be LSE for now to have a more diversified experience. I'll see you both in London and California Octavius :wink:

Reply 5

Good program, count me in :wink:

Reply 6

Aistian

Why not to go to Wharton? It offers best MBA and executive MBA programmes in the world :smile:

Of course its the best if you want to live in USA, I`m not, so I`ll try Oxford/Cambridge/SDA/Empasa/Insead ect :smile:

Reply 7

OP

Because Wharton doesn"t have palm trees and pretty girls playing beach-volley.

Reply 8

Aistian

If its for girls, then I wouldn`t choose USA :biggrin:

(no offence)

Reply 9

Alan Smithee

Berkeley is the third best institution in the world if you listen to those kinds of things.

Reply 10

OP

Oh you have a ranking of universities according to girls' fitness? Who's number one?

Reply 11

lhwjud

MFE at Berkely is a highly respected program and the employment rate has been great!

http://mfe.haas.berkeley.edu/employ_2006.html

LSE Msc in Management, on the other hand, is a general program.

IMO, in term of program, the MFE beats Msc Management easily; there are not even on par. The admission to MFE is highly selective, whereas LSE Msc management is still manageable.

Both LSE and Berkely are highly regarded unis in UK/US, and it would definitely up to the person preference. However, it makes more sense for one to choose Berkely MFE + Stanford MBA rather than LSE Msc Management (which essentially a general management program) + Stanford MBA; if you have the intention to do an MBA in the future, why bother to study for Msc Management? It's just a waste of time.

Reply 12

jeffreyweingard

Platocrates

Berkeley is the third best institution in the world if you listen to those kinds of things.

It is not, if the THES Global University ranking is anything to go by. Cambridge is ranked third after Harvard and MIT this year.

Reply 13

OP

While both programs accept around 60 students, the LSE MSc in Management attracts 600 applications against 250 for MFE so I'm quite surprised when you say it's more selective. It is true that employment opportunities seem better at Berkeley though. I'll let Octavius reply on how much sense it makes to do management + MBA because I have a feeling that he's taken the time to think about it :rolleyes:

Reply 14

yeung3939

Of course UC berkeley, but it is more expensive.

Reply 15

Alan Smithee

jeffreyweingard

It is not, if the THES Global University ranking is anything to go by. Cambridge is ranked third after Harvard and MIT this year.

Ny bad.

Either way though, I was making the point that it's higher than LSE.

Reply 16

Some kids here forget they are comparing completely different degrees. Msc Management is a pre experience degree for 20/21/22 year olds seeking for their first employment after graduation. Those coming from UE countries will understand the importance of a masters degree if you consider working in the UE but outside the UK (where a bachelors degree is enough). In that aspect, and for that kind of profile, MSc Management is the best degree in in its kind in Europe (competing with HEC, Bocconi, ESADE and so on) and in the world since the US ivy's don't accept pre experience peop in their MBA programs, despite what some proclaim). Furthermore, if you look at MBA's class profiles, most students did management studies before attending the course.

MBA/MFE are comparable degrees because they aim similar profiles. That is: people with bachelors (or bachelors+masters) + work experience. YES, work experience ! I can't believe you didn't even bother checking the age average. 29 years old !!!! against what.. 22/23 for the MSc?? the big difference lies in the 5 years of work experience in the middle and that explains 1) the better job prospects 2) the higher wages.

As for the general/specialized degree, that's a crap argument anyway. How specific do you think an MBA at Harvard HBS is? Msc management is general, even if at LSE they try to make it more strategy/consulting oriented. MFE is probably more specialized because finance degrees usually are and when you are 29 and stopped working to take back study, you usually know what you want and general stuff you already know is not on the list. However, it's not a degree as popular as an MBA. MBAs finance oriented like they have at UChicago are far more difficult to get into and that's how you explain a poor 60/290 ratio at MFE Haas.

MFE at Haas is

Profile of MFE 07
Students Applications Received: 243
Number of Admits: 91
Enrolled Students: 59
Women: 15%
Men: 85%
Countries Represented: 16
Average Age at Enrollment: 29
Average Years of Post-University Experience: 3.78
Undergraduate Institutions Represented: 48
Average Undergraduate GPA: 3.65
Graduate Institutions Represented: 43

Reply 17

OP

Octavius85

I can't believe you didn't even bother checking the age average. 29 years old !!!! against what.. 22/23 for the MSc??

I did check the age average just after having seen the job prospects.
I actually didn't expect it to be so at first because Berkeley spontaneaously got in touch with me, knowing that I was 21.

I guess that resolves the issue. Thanks for the help Octavius.

Reply 18

lhwjud

Octavius85

Some kids here forget they are comparing completely different degrees.

You are more of a kid to me, in term of age and experience.

Precisely, those are completely different degrees and thus it make more sense to do something different to gain specialize knowledge, if you intend to pursue MBA later. k.03 has not mentioned anything about his/her age in the post and that's why I suggest MFE+MBA to be a better combination.

Enjoy your Msc management course though.

Reply 19