As an international student, the ability to choose where to pursue your academic journey can be both a blessing and a curse. With 195 recognized countries, many students still find themselves comparing two ‘United’ options—the United States and the United Kingdom. This is largely because universities in these countries are highly ranked, have well-structured programs across multiple disciplines, and do not require proficiency in additional languages beyond English.

Setting up a list of about 20 universities from those countries while selecting your MBA destination is a no-brainer. But as soon as you are done, the trouble starts, especially when you are unsure which market you want to end up working in. Fortunately, in a modern connected world, there are multiple ways to alleviate struggles. For example, ChatGPT can help you make a decision, just try to be specific in your prompt engineering. However, as a person who refuses to leave everything to machines, I still value human insights. So, here are mine that are based on the experience that led me to be sitting in the majestic Bodleian libraries while writing this blog.

 

Opportunity Cost

In today’s economy, cost is the primary factor in comparing MBA programs—especially for someone like me, who comes from Kazakhstan but doesn’t own one of the oil rigs or uranium mines my country is famous for. Most US MBA programs last two years. Even if you secure an internship or receive a scholarship, you still face a significant financial burden. Additionally, consider opportunity cost—a concept coined by John Stuart Mill in the 19th century that remains highly relevant for 21st-century MBA students. Imagine not earning an income for two years and compare the emotional and financial toll of that idea. Moreover, managing anxiety over a one-year program is far easier than repeatedly justifying your commitment over 24 months again and again.

 

The International Experience

The second lever of comparison is related to your understanding of international experience. While both US and UK business schools strive to create diverse cohorts and design curricula with global perspectives, there are noticeable differences. My experience at Saïd Business School showed that UK MBA programs remain quite global while giving better academic and employment outlooks into the UK, EU markets, as well as some niche markets like India and select African countries. In contrast, my undergraduate years at UC Berkeley, where I also took electives at Haas Business School, revealed that US business schools are largely US—centric in all aspects. If your goal is to build a career in one of these regions, it’s crucial to align yourself with targeted regional experience while also considering important visa implications. Be sure to incorporate these factors into your final decision-making process.

What Does a Cool MBA Experience Look Like?

The third lever is your perception of what a cool MBA experience looks or sounds like. For me, a cool MBA experience sounded like having proper business school experience with cases, career panels, and tons of networking events while having access to rich traditions and reputational perks of one of the oldest universities in the world. I wanted my education to go beyond business frameworks and corporate cases, immersing myself in what felt like a true ‘intellectual Disneyland,’ (a term shared with us by Soumitra Dutta during MBA Launch week), complete with Harry Potter-esque charm and with centuries-old colleges as a backdrop.

If my idea of a great MBA experience had been centered around greater exposure to the tech industry, better weather, and a larger cohort, I would have likely chosen an American school like Berkeley Haas or Stanford GSB. However, my interest in tech is limited to asking ChatGPT for an Iceland travel itinerary or investing in NVIDIA stocks. But I do have a huge professional interest in exploring impact, whether from financing or consulting aspects. Thus, choosing Oxford Saïd was a logical move because apart from the coolest ceremonies, like Matriculation in the Sheldonian Theatre and feeling proud occasionally dropping that I study at Oxford, Saïd Business School puts impact into its title with its ‘impact from within’ motto.

My perfect MBA experience boiled down to finding a school that can give a sneak peek into conventional career treks like (surprise, surprise) MBB consulting, but that can also offer a wider outlook into the still quite mysterious realm of impact careers. I asked and Oxford Saïd delivered – the induction week’s ‘Impact vs ESG’ debate in Oxford Union, Impact Investment Weekend Career Bootcamp, the largest network of impact professionals in UK/outside UK or co-chairing the MBA Impact Investment Tournament that gave me a chance to travel to Wharton Business School with all expenses covered. I got whatever I pictured in my definition of an ideal MBA experience.

To conclude, I would like to remind everyone that decision-making is an entire field where scholars, practitioners, and enthusiasts try to come up with the neatest shortcuts in making ideal choices. And it’s okay that we struggle every time, because despite the efforts to make rational choices, it is still simple to fall as victims of heuristics and biases. But, circling back to a dilemma I posed at the beginning, choice and the ability to decide are a blessing. After all, today’s choice is still easier, you have a lot of decision-making tools, like organizing 10000 coffee chats with alumni or asking any AI tool, especially in the quest to select your ideal MBA program. Just make sure that it aligns with your long-term career goals, market choices, and industry preferences. And then choose Oxford, because formal dinners and balls in your dreamy gowns against century-old buildings right after another group project presentation sounds cool:)

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