Lawyer to MBA in Finance. LBS vs M7?

Hey everyone,

I am a qualified lawyer from Europe with a master's in Pol.Sci. I have OK grades (top 30% in class) and a 730 GMAT. I will be applying in round 1 2020 to LBS + several of the M7s (incl. HSW).

I know I want to end up in London one way or another, but I am also craving the US experience, where the quality of the curriculum and the student body is regarded as superior. Also, I see the MBA more as a way to study and re-skill myself and less as a 2-year party bonanza. For example, this is why I feel attracted to the alleged culture of MIT Sloan, where there is a greater emphasis on study.

I am aiming for a finance role post-MBA, perhaps in IBD, but I am open to discovering new things.

Thus, I would really appreciate your input, especially from alumni, so as to get out of my head and have a more practical approach to this 'first world problem'.

TLDR: I want to work in London, but feel that LBS would be an inferior experience academically.

Thanks

5 Comments
 
Most Helpful

MBAs are valued more in the US and MFins more in Europe. If you want to land an IB/other finance job in Europe, the MFin may be your best bet because 1) as mentioned, it is seen as more relevant than an MBA in most cases and 2) it is specific, unlike an MBA which is general business.

Where an MBA could make more sense for you is if you have 3-5 years of experience in law and need a strong network of people to help you pivot to finance. An MBA (especially in the US) does that better than an MFin. If you've just come out of a law degree and figured this isn't for you, perhaps the MFin is better.

One final thing I would say is that getting in MFins without a semi-quantitative background is generally tougher than an MBA. If you are with little previous experience, a potential hybrid to look into would be a MiM. Generally, target school MiMs in Europe do a decent job of placing people into IB (you have to craft your course to have a good number of finance modules) and the entry requirements are a bit less strict than MBAs.

You have some thinking and searching to do. See both on LinkedIn and university websites where each of these 3 options has placed in both the US and EU.

 

Not positive how this would work in Europe, but I know that when comparing a masters in finance vs MBA in the US, one tends to recruit at the analyst level whereas the other (MBA) the Associate level for banking. I know that wasn’t your question but was mentioned. To me, at the end of the day it’s more beneficial going to LBS. It’s a totally different question if it’s a no name program, but LBS and INSEAD are viewed very highly in Europe. Being in London and having the ability to network with potential employers will be a huge difference.

 

Cupiditate eveniet quisquam et. Et aliquam atque commodi sint vel cumque perferendis.

Ea est molestiae expedita aut accusamus laborum. Qui quo repudiandae autem velit. Ullam explicabo quis quia architecto distinctio molestiae. Et consequatur ratione nulla corrupti aut.

Modi qui minus adipisci sit facere. Saepe nulla mollitia nam vero eligendi. Sed magni at sunt cupiditate culpa quidem dolores. Sint modi molestias veniam ut aut vel. Odio autem ea sit ut. Et velit sed minima qui.

Aut quam fugit reiciendis eius qui. Voluptatum rerum dolores similique odio facere repellat. Minus nihil sapiente beatae enim veniam sapiente.

Susan Cera Director of MBA Admissions Stratus Admissions Counseling - www.stratusadmissions.com FREE Profile Evaluation - www.stratusadmissions.com/consult

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (15) $434
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (80) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”