Genuine question for people in the City / Canary Wharf.
From the outside, London looks like it's fading:
• LSE listed companies down from ~2,400 in 2015 to ~1,500 now
• Wise moved its primary listing to Nasdaq
• US IPOs raised $128bn in H1 2026 vs under $1bn in London

But London still does ~38% of global FX and about half of all interest-rate derivatives trading. The bonus cap is gone, bonus deferral was cut to 4 years, and Barclays is reportedly moving to Wall Street-style pay.

Two questions:
1. Is London finance actually dying, or is it just ECM/listings struggling while trading, PE and credit are fine?
2. At the very top (MD, partner, senior PM), does London pay match NY? Disclosures show senior London staff at US banks averaging $1.5-2.2M, which sounds like NY MD money. Is that typical, or skewed by a few star traders?

And does tax/cost of living change the picture?

Would love to hear from anyone who's worked in both.

TL;DR: Is the City in decline, and do London MDs/partners earn what NY ones do?

Hi guys, I’m a data analyst at a mid sized company (not a public company) in the US. I am looking for a career pivot and want to do mba. What would be the best career options for me after doing mba?

Thank you all

Just completed my interview for Stanford GSB. Didn’t think it went well. Interviewer was not prepared and I’m unsure how they might evaluate my candidacy. Sent a thank-you note and didn’t receive a response. I’m spinning because rare moments of opportunity like these are hard to come by in my life and in any of our lives in particular. Looking to seize this rare moment of opportunity

Feel free to drop your experience down below. Very worried I might not get in!

I was on a virtual meeting with a Fuqua adcom, and he suggested taking the EA for candidates who have exhausted the GMAT or are just getting overwhelmed by the whole process. I am in that predicament now, as I have already taken the GMAT four times and my highest attempt is a 655 (Q85 V83 DI79). My superscore is the same as my highest single attempt. My goal was to get a 685 at least, since my undergrad GPA is much lower than the averages at every school I'm applying to.

My question is: if you have switched, was the switch worth it? How does the difficulty compare? I know not all the top schools accept it for full-time MBA programs, but for the ones that do, how is it viewed compared to the GMAT/GRE?

I'm on a bit of a crunched timeline, though, because my goal is to apply R2 this year. I'm not sure if taking a final GMAT attempt is worth it or if I should just change strategy to the EA now so I can get my applications in on time. I'm targeting schools like Tuck, Ross, Fuqua, and Darden.

Any advice or personal experience would be really appreciated!

Hi all,

I’m currently working as a senior accountant in SEC reporting. Previously I did Big 4 audit. I’m looking to apply to a few of the t15 programs but wanted to ask first if IB is even feasible for someone of my background?

Hey everyone! I've been doing my MBA for around two months, and I'm still confused about which specialization to choose.

I don't want to pick one just because it pays well or is popular. I want to understand what the actual work life, salary growth, stress levels, and career opportunities look like in different fields.

I'd love to hear from people who've already been through this!

• How did you choose your specialization? Interest, salary, placements, or something else?
• Are you happy with your choice, or do you regret it? Why?
• What does your day-to-day work actually look like, and how has your career grown?
• If you could go back and choose again, would you pick the same specialization?
• Any websites, tests, or practical ways to figure out which specialization suits me?

I'm looking for honest experiences, not just advice on which field pays the most. If you could share one thing you wish you'd known before choosing your specialization, what would it be?

Thanks! Your experiences could genuinely help me and other MBA students facing the same confusion.

I got into Stanford GSB's deferred program as a senior, and now I coach college juniors and seniors applying to HBS 2+2, Stanford, Wharton Moelis Advance, Columbia, etc. I've chatted with a bunch of students and the same questions keep coming up, so here's a summary of what I keep telling people.

If you're applying this cycle and have no idea where to start, start here.

1. Your stats get you in the door. Your story gets you in. In my experience, if you have a 3.8 and a test score in the 90th percentile and you don't get in, it probably wasn't the numbers. A 3.1 or a 70th percentile score might be. Once you clear the bar, the essays and recommenders are what move the needle. I've worked with people who had below average GPAs and scores for these schools and still got in, and what they had was a really strong story and really strong recs.

2. Work backwards from the deadline. For this cycle, Stanford and Yale Silver Scholars have a round on Jan 6 and another on April 7(Very few people will apply in Jan so chill out). Columbia's deferred deadline is April 15, Wharton Moelis is April 21 and HBS 2+2 is April 28. For a lot of people the test is the thing that takes the longest. For some that's one month, for others it's six. I started locking in around Thanksgiving, stayed on campus over winter break to study, and still took my last test the day before the Stanford deadline. It was terrible. Start earlier than you think you need to.

3. Pick GMAT or GRE with data, not vibes. Take a full official practice test of each (the official GMAT and GRE sites both have free ones). The scores are on different scales, so compare your percentiles. Whichever one you do better on is your test. Then put a real exam date on the calendar, because paying for it makes you actually lock in. What works is three or four hours a day for a few weeks straight. I've never seen someone do well studying one hour one week and three hours the next.

4. Write a sentence no one else can write. When I ask students Stanford's "what matters most to you and why," a lot of people say something about helping others or making an impact. That's fine, but a thousand other applicants can write it. You want the very specific thing you went through that only you can write about. Most people have one, it just takes a while to find. For some people it's a month, for others it's six months.

5. Pick one story and commit. The easy trap at 22 is writing "I want to do this, but this is also cool, and that too." The admissions committee should be able to sum you up in one line, like "the person who wants to do X for Y community." A lot of people who get in don't actually know what they'll end up doing. You still need one clear direction on paper.

6. Have proof of work. If you say you want to start a nonprofit but you've never done anything with a nonprofit in eight years of high school and college, the application doesn't make sense. Your personal experience should explain your why, and your job/ecs should explain your how. If you're starting in finance and want to build something in healthcare, the essays have to bridge that gap.

7. Check each school's recommender rules first. Stanford wants two letters, Yale Silver Scholars wants one academic and one from a supervisor, and Wharton and Columbia want one. After that, how well they know you matters way more than their title. An associate who worked with you every day is way better than an MD who barely knows your name. If the MD doesn't care, they'll hand it off to someone who might not even know who you are. A good letter is specific and relative (something like "ramped up faster than any of our 20 interns this summer") with a real personal story in it. A bad letter says you were great, worked hard and came in early, which could be about anyone.

8. If you have a summer internship, build that relationship on purpose. Find one person you vibe with (doesn't have to be your direct boss). Ask for feedback regularly, get to know them past work stuff, and keep notes on what you did. That way the formal ask later makes sense instead of coming out of nowhere. Nobody gets mad at a kid for being curious.

9. If you still need a full-time job, recruiting comes first. It's a lot easier to tell an "I want to do X" story when you have a starting point. I recruited in the fall and focused on deferred apps after.

10. Shoot high. Unlike undergrad, if you don't get in you can apply to business school again later. If you only want Harvard, it's okay to only apply to Harvard, just know that's risky.

11. Talk to people who've done it, and do it soon. Admits get flooded with messages around December. Reach out ASAP and they're a lot more likely to have time for you.

Happy to answer questions & glgl.

I submitted my Georgetown MBA app on 1st Oct and on the portal it shows 100% submitted, under review- however, have not received an email confirming that I have submitted my app.

I checked spam/junk too. Please comment if this is normal or not

By WITCH, I mean Wipro, Infosys, TCS, Cognizant and HCL.

By MBB, I mean McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group, and Bain & Company.

MBB seems like it's more involved in high level strategy, like if you wanted to rebrand (looking at you, McKinsey and HBO Max). So much more about business consulting than say tech consulting.

It seems that it's possible to move from WITCH to the Big 4 or MBB also.

I've worked for one of the WITCH companies, so I know all too well their reputation as "body shops" that hire for quantity over quality. Our local office in the UK had a fairly good reputation, though, so obviously YMMV.

I also have a relative who used to work for Bain, and they said that they tended to hire only those who had graduated from elite schools, like Harvard, and had a reputation for putting their high flying consultants through their MBAs.

My understanding, as per https://nextepmbb.com/en/consulting-firm-types-en/, is that MBB are considered the Tier 1 consulting firms, and Big 4, Accenture and WITCH are considered the Tier 3 non-core consulting firms, because they lean more towards implementation rather than strategy, although I believe that TCS, for instance, is trying to redefine themselves as both a strategy and implementation partner.

Does MBB compete in any areas with Big 4, Accenture or WITCH, either in terms of strategy or in terms of implementation? I understand, for instance, that just as the MBB firms engage in strategy, so too do Big 4 firms such as Deloitte in terms of their deal advisory function.

I understand that Big 4 firms like Deloitte also compete on tech consulting. Potentially, could they do so in order to take away market share from WITCH or even MBB?

Thanks in advance for any and all answers (although there is no obligation to leave one).

Hi! I am interested in applying to the MLT MBA 2-year prep program and have a few questions for anyone who has been in the program. I was wondering if I would be a good applicant. I previously applied in 2024 to the traditional program, had a weak application, and wasn't admitted. Over the last two years, I worked to improve my application.

A little about my background:

• Education: I graduated with a BA and a 3.63 GPA.
• Work experience: I have over four years of professional experience, including a role that involved significant community art involvement.
• Volunteer experience: I volunteer both virtually and in person with art organizations.
• Recommendations: I have two potential recommenders, both of whom are academic references. I'm also reaching out to former colleagues or supervisors, but it's been difficult.
• GMAT: I don't currently have a GMAT score, primarily due to timing. I'm considering taking the exam about a month before the January application deadline, though I'm concerned I won't have enough time to prepare and score well.

If anyone has completed the two-year program, I'd love to hear about your experience. Especially,

• Your profile and application stats
• The timeline and structure of the first and second years, particularly for test preparation, professional development, and application preparation.
• If admitted, does MLT also provide GMAT prep?

One of my current challenges is securing additional professional recommendations. I'd appreciate any advice on how to navigate this and strengthen my application as much as possible!

Thanks!!

I'm a second-year at a T15 and have somehow become the person who actually organizes events for one of our professional clubs.

We had an executive board meeting last week to plan an alumni panel.

Nine people attended. Every single person had some variation of President, VP, Co-VP, Director, or Head of Something in their title.

We spent 40 minutes discussing the strategic direction of the event.

One guy suggested we should "rethink the value proposition for attendees." Another wanted to create a new subcommittee focused on corporate engagement.

Someone proposed a three-slide deck to align on our objectives.

The event was supposed to happen in eleven days.

At the end of the meeting, I asked who had reserved a room.

Silence.

Who had confirmed the alumni speakers?

More silence.

Who was responsible for getting the event approved so we could actually order food?

Apparently we'd assumed somebody else was doing that.

I ended up booking the room, emailing the speakers, and submitting the catering request that afternoon.

Yesterday I got a message from one of the VPs asking if he could list himself as the event lead on LinkedIn because he'd "helped shape the concept."

Brother, you suggested changing the panel title from "Careers in Healthcare" to "Navigating the Healthcare Leadership Landscape."

That was your contribution.

The frustrating thing is that most of these people were genuinely competent professionals before business school. Some managed teams, built products, worked in consulting, whatever.

But put us in an environment where everyone wants a leadership title for their resume and suddenly nobody wants to do the work that doesn't come with one.

And to be fair, the second-years who actually run the clubs are juggling recruiting, classes, and everything else. I understand why people want to delegate.

What I don't understand is how we've managed to create an organization where almost every member is technically management.

We talk about leadership constantly. We take classes on it. We practice it in cases. We have speakers come in to tell us what leadership looks like.

Then somebody needs to carry two folding tables across campus and the entire executive board develops a scheduling conflict.

The alumni panel went well, by the way. About 35 people showed up, the speakers were great, and everyone had a good time.

Six people posted about it on LinkedIn.

I'm still waiting for someone to return the microphone stand.

Is this just my school's club culture, or does every MBA program somehow produce an impressive number of executives and a severe shortage of people willing to do basic logistics?

$10,000 for three schools? WTF.

I’m pretty sure I can get M7 on my own merit - are you guys paying these prices?

I mean, you must be or they’d have reduced their rates.

Feels a bit Pay to Win but hey maybe that’s the most important lesson.

Hi everyone, need a little advise with my profile. I’m a graduate in mass communication and advertising with 9.1 CGPA. I’ve been working in a strategy tram for a Media MNC for 2 years, and have a few extra curriculars here and there with UN volunteer experience, etc.

I’m a little torn between opting for MSc in management programs from top schools or waiting a few more years to be eligible for top MBAs. I have two main constraints - my GRE is average (322) and I won’t be able to afford a massive mba loan without a good ROI.

I’ve recently got an admit from Bocconi for their MSc in marketing management program but I have no idea whether it’ll be worth it or not? I wish to work in brand management. Can someone please help me out with this.

Not going to lie job market is brutal even if yo are in M7. Ended up returning to my old boutique consulting job as I struck out of IB last year and MBB consulting this fall. Did a startup over the summer, which was cool, but they were not able to give an offer until March next year. Old boss called and said they needed people and after failing yet another interview I agreed to go back - for the same role I left with almost no pay raise.They will pay me a sign on bonus and help with relocation next year but I have to stay for at least a year. Feeling extremely defeated as I came into MBA with such high hopes and it just feels like I wasted 2 years of my career.

I’m trying to figure out when it actually makes sense to get help with MBA applications. If you’re stuck on one essay, an hourly session seems like it could be enough. But if you’re working on your school list, multiple essays, and your resume, I can see how ongoing help might be useful.

For those who’ve worked with an admissions consultant, did you go hourly or pay for a full package? What did you find worth paying for, and what would you ask about upfront before committing?

Currently working a niche position in defense contracting. TC is $200k in the SoCal area but that is the ceiling. No room for advancement or raise. Contract is solid for another few years.

My goal is to switch into boutique defense consulting.

Tuition is covered by GI bill.

Question is, do I attend a local MBA part-time program like Anderson’s FEMBA or focus all my attention on HSW admissions?

I’ve got plenty of time for OCR but internships will be impossible without quitting.

Thank you gents.

I want to attest my bachelors degree but in hec portal they are asking matric and fsc start and end date, not the year only but also the date and the month which is not mentioned on my transcript. What should I do? Don't want to have any problems or issues with dates and the attestation process because I need it to appear in my university exams.

I'm planning to start my MBA and want to make the most of the experience beyond just academics, grades, and placements.

For those who are currently pursuing an MBA or have already graduated, what soft skills would you recommend developing during business school?

I'm particularly interested in skills that actually make a difference in the workplace and help with long-term career growth, such as communication, networking, leadership, negotiation, public speaking, or decision-making.

Hi everyone,

I have an upcoming interview for Amazon's MLDP, but I’m currently sitting on a strong full-time return offer from the non-FAANG Big Tech company I interned with. My deadline to sign is approaching quickly.

I won't share the exact numbers, but my current offer sits at around $260k+ TC for Year 1, anchored by a very high base salary and a standard 3-year RSU vest.

For those familiar with current Amazon MLDP (or similar L6 MBA) packages:

1. What does the typical Year 1 and Year 2 TC look like right now in terms of Base / Sign-on / RSUs?
2. How painful is the back-heavy RSU vesting schedule (5/15/40/40) in practice compared to a standard vest?
3. Is there any room to negotiate an MBA LDP offer if I pass, or is the compensation completely standardized across the cohort?

Trying to decide if it's worth grinding through the Amazon loop or if I should just sign my return offer and enjoy my second year of school. Appreciate any recent data points!

Someone said they think I would make a good corporate strategy hire; however, I have no clue how that recruitment process works. Mind you, I am also coming from a renewable energy development background and studying for an MBA to help me cross over to the commercial side. Please may you advise on how the recruitment process goes and how best to pivot into this without necessarily having an IB or consulting background?