The second edition of the QS World University Rankings: Business Masters Rankings includes the QS Masters in Business Analytics Rankings 2019, a ranking which highlights 74 of the world’s top schools for master’s in business analytics programs. The ranking is based on a methodology which considers each institution on its employability, alumni outcomes, value for money, thought leadership and diversity.

Unfortunately, gaining admission at these lucrative business schools isn’t an easy feat, making it very important to stand out in order to gain one of the few places available. Read on to find out how likely you are to be accepted to study at one of the top 10 business schools for this subject.

1. MIT Sloan School of Management - Master of Business Analytics

Ranked number one for its Master of Business Analytics in 2019, MIT’s Sloan School of Management achieved perfect scores in the employability, alumni outcomes and thought leadership indicators. Its Master of Business Analytics includes the Analytics Capstone Project, giving students an opportunity to work on real-life data science problems with industry experts.

According to Forbes, Sloan School of Management has an acceptance rate of only 11 percent. There are only 44 students in the Class of 2019, who have an average undergraduate GPA of 3.9. Candidates should demonstrate success in academic, extracurricular, and professional endeavors, amongst other attributes and qualifications, and attend an admissions interview.

2. Imperial College Business School – MSc Business Analytics

Heading to London, Imperial College London is an ideal choice for those looking for somewhere diverse for their master’s in business analytics degree, with 94 percent of its 88 students coming from outside the UK, representing 31 nationalities. It also offers a unique online version of the course with nearly the exact curriculum.

If Imperial is for you, be aware that admission is highly competitive. The course is designed for recent graduates and working professionals, and you should possess at least a 2:1 or the international equivalent in a quantitative discipline. Relevant work experience is not a requirement, but will add weight to your application.

3. University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business - Master of Science in Business Analytics

Ranked third for its Master of Science in Business Analytics, the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business achieves a very high score for the value for money indicator, demonstrating a strong return on investment.

In addition to your grade point average and GMAT/GRE test scores, your application will be assessed based on the strengths of any relevant experience, leadership and extracurricular activities, communication skills, strong quantitative skills and more. As part of your application you should submit three letters of recommendation and a video essay.

4. ESSEC/CentraleSupélec - MSc in Data Sciences & Business Analytics

ESSEC Business School and CentraleSupélec are ranked fourth for their jointly-offered MSc in Data Sciences & Business Analytics degree, a 12-16-month program offered entirely in English. Students can study in Paris and Singapore, and can choose between one of three majors in period two: Data Sciences, Business Analytics, or Digital Strategy.

Amongst meeting all the entry requirements, you’ll also need to be open-minded, a problem solver, and show leadership potential. You’ll need to submit your application by April 10 2019 for admission at the end of August 2019. You may like to meet with admissions officers at a QS World Grad School Tour to discuss this course.

5. ESADE - MSc in Business Analytics

Heading to Barcelona, Spain, ESADE Ramon Llull University was placed fifth for its MSc in Business Analytics, which is offered in English (with some elective courses available in Spanish).

According to Forbes, ESADE’s overall acceptance rate stands at a fairly encouraging 61 percent. The class of 2018 was made up of 71 students, aged 23 on average, with 85 percent coming from outside Spain. The course is aimed at business management or economics graduates, but those from other academic backgrounds are welcome to apply. Professional experience is not required.

6. USC Marshall School of Business - Master of Science in Business Analytics

USC Marshall School of Business was ranked sixth for its MSc in Business Analytics degree, an 18-month program which is aimed at recent graduates with an analytical background who are looking to pursue a career in business analytics and data sciences.

The acceptance rate in Fall 2017 was only 14.2 percent, with 90 students admitted. A few years of relevant work experience is preferred but not essential. USC Marshall strongly recommends submitting applications early due to the limited number of spaces. International students must submit their application by April 15 2019 for fall 2019 entry.

7. Alliance Manchester Business School - MSc Business Analytics

Heading back to the UK, the University of Manchester’s Alliance School of Business is ranked seventh for its MSc Business Analytics degree and, like Imperial, receives a very strong score for diversity, with 97 percent of the class coming from outside the UK.

You will need at least a 2:1 (or the overseas equivalent) in a relevant bachelor’s degree – the standing of your university will be considered as part of your application, as well as your grade average, position in class and references. According to Forbes, the acceptance rate for the school as a whole is 60 percent.

8. Warwick Business School - MSc Business Analytics

The University of Warwick’s Warwick Business School (WBS) claims eighth place in the latest business analytics ranking, earning its best scores for diversity and alumni outcomes. As well as its campus near Coventry in Warwickshire, UK, WBS has a London campus located in The Shard.

WBS is competitive, with an acceptance rate of 42 percent, and the course requires students to have strong numerical and IT statistical ability. Your undergraduate degree should be in a relevant subject, but WBS considers candidates from a wide variety of academic backgrounds. Your application will include transcripts, references and a statement of purpose.

9. University of Edinburgh Business School – MSc in Business Analytics

The University of Edinburgh’s Business School was a new entry in this year’s business analytics ranking at ninth place, achieving a very high score for the diversity indicator (with 94 percent of students coming from outside the UK).

To gain admission to this course, you’ll ideally have a background of courses and/or experience in topics such as linear algebra, calculus, probability, statistics, and computer programming. Work experience is not required but can help increase your chances, and due to the limited number of places, preference will be given to those with higher grades than the minimum required (a 2:1 or equivalent).

10. University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management - Master of Science in Business Analytics

Concluding our look at the likelihood of gaining admission at the top schools for business analytics is the US’ Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, which earns one of the highest scores in the top 10 for the value for money indicator, as graduates earn an average starting salary of $84,754.

To gain admission, you should have completed at least one semester of a college level calculus course to the required standard, and demonstrate computer programming proficiency through either academic coursework, professional experience or online training. The school’s acceptance rate currently stands at 45 percent according to Forbes.

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EDHEC Business School and QS have joined together to offer an exclusive scholarship, available to all attendees of the QS World Grad School Tour. The scholarship will cover 50 percent of your tuition fees and is available to two students every year.

To learn more about the scholarship, and how you can make sure your application stands out, we spoke to Lilyana Stoilova, the school’s international admissions manager.

Why has your institution been motivated to offer this scholarship?

As an institution, we want to recruit the best students. A scholarship is our way of inciting outstanding students to apply and demonstrating we are committed to excellence.

We believe QS connects us not only with a large targeted database of master’s candidates but also with some of the best applicants out there.

What should all prospective applicants know about your institution before they apply?

Out of 14,000 establishments worldwide, EDHEC is one of just 80 business schools that have the EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA Triple Crown Accreditation. EDHEC's strengths lie in its career center, its powerful alumni network of over 40,000 graduates and its world-class faculty. The school has more than 140 academic partners spread across five continents and just as many company partners, members of the EDHEC Business Club. More than half of EDHEC students find a job before leaving campus.

It’s a business school with more than 100 years of tradition in fostering innovation, business acumen, entrepreneurship and generating knowledge. The school has five research centers, eight research chairs, two innovation centers and an academic community represented by more than 160 world-class professors and researchers, a number that has increased by more than 25 percent over the last five years. 

What are you looking for in the ideal scholarship candidate? What should students demonstrate in their applications?

The ideal scholarship candidate has a well-rounded but focused profile. He or she must not only have an excellent academic record but must also be engaged in relevant extracurricular activities. Students who are awarded this scholarship or others like it are also ambitious, eloquent and motivated to add to their knowledge and contribute to the learning environment at EDHEC.

The committee also considers the student’s potential, creativity, passion for France, and motivation to join EDHEC and the particular program choice, and there are many more aspects which can make a student stand out.

It is always a good idea to get in touch with an Admissions Manager and have them evaluate your profile before you actually apply – this way you can perfect your scholarship application and make sure you stand out before the committee. You can email us at International.Admissions@edhec.edu and ask any question regarding the admissions process and your program of choice.

Why do you feel scholarships are important?

Scholarships of all types, merit or need-based, are meant to encourage young and capable individuals to pursue high-quality education. They’re an important recognition of one’s efforts and potential while lessening the financial burden on the student and their family.

Student view

We also asked Violetta, a recent scholarship recipient from Italy, to share her thoughts on what makes a good scholarship application. She is now working as an Investment Banking TMT Analyst at Barclays Investment Bank in London.

She said: “The most important thing when applying is to be genuine. Your story, your goals and also your failures make you who you are and it’s important to show all of these things. Talk about the obstacles you had to face, the path you decided to take and the motivations that make you unique. Don’t be arrogant, and instead recognize your limits and try to turn them into strengths.”

Three students from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) were crowned winners of the International Quant Championship, a global fintech competition.

Elena Tverdokhlebova, Karina Ashurbekova, and Tatiana Shpakova entered the competition alongside 11,000 other participants to test their ability to create robust trading strategies against some of the brightest minds in the world.

The final of the event was held in Singapore and saw Elena and Karina awarded the title (Tatiana was unable to get a visa in time for travel), narrowly beating competition from a team from China.

We caught up with the girls to talk about their success and what it means to be recognized as successful female scientists.

Firstly, congratulations on winning the competition. At what point did you begin to think you had a chance of winning?

Elena: Thanks! Honestly, I always try to think positively, so somewhere deep in my mind I believed from the very beginning. But you assume that other people are smarter than you and have more experience. Our primary goal was to be invited to the finals in Singapore. From the very beginning our discussion chat on Facebook was called ''Reading tea leaves to go to Singapore''.

I think we started to believe we could win after the second stage when we presented to the jury our three best strategies and received positive feedback about our approach.

Tatiana: When we started, our motivation was to have some fun and learn new stuff together. This was only our second competition, so we did not expect much.

Can you talk us through the various stages of the competition and what you had to do to be invited to the final stage in Singapore?

Karina: The competition was composed of three stages, each involving the development of stock trading strategies. 11,000 participants became 500 by the second stage and then 15 teams were invited to the third stage in Singapore, where they were invited to present their works and given the final assignment to build a portfolio, combining their strategies in one model in the best possible way.

Elena: At the end of July, we learned we were invited to Singapore to represent our university – MIPT –in a World Quant Championship. At that point things became serious. We started to spend all our free time creating strategies, trying them, adapting, discussing. Our chat was never silent. We are all busy the other two girls are at the final stage of our PhDs and I work full-time as a data scientist, so every night until 1-2 am we were creating strategies. It was fun! We are a fantastic team, and I was enjoying every moment of our collaboration.

When we arrived in Singapore, we were in third position in the competition. The goal of the first day was to create the best portfolio based on our pool of strategies considering transaction costs. We had four hours to complete the task, and that was very stressful, as we developed a really good and sophisticated idea, but we didn’t have enough time to implement it. So, we were in a rush, submitting our combo at the very last moment.

The day after, we had a presentation where we described everything we had learned during the competition, We also learned how our portfolio had performed and I remember that I was so shocked, that I was unable to see numbers, I just checked quickly that we didn’t have any minus signs in our stats, as that would have meant we lost money!

I hear only two of you were able to make it to the final stage. What impact did it have, losing a team member for the final stage. How did you deal with the situation?

Tatiana: Yes, I couldn’t go. It was a bit frustrating and I felt guilty for my team. However, we all felt we should definitely fight until the end and try to get the most from this competition.

Karina: Honestly, it was really shocking for us to find out at the last moment, before our departure to Singapore, that Tatiana was denied a visa. We proved we had a solid team though and this hardship gave us one more reason to prove that our team deserved to be first. We felt responsible for Tanya. We couldn’t let her down!

During our whole stay in Singapore as well as during our final assignment, Tanya was constantly on the other end of the phone giving advice and helping as much as possible.

How did you feel when you learned that you had won? What was your immediate reaction?

Elena: It was probably the best feeling in my life! Until the very last moment, it was unclear who would win. Our main competitor was a Chinese team as they were among the top teams from the very beginning of the competition. Once it was announced they had received the prize for finishing second, I was hit by a tsunami of emotions. I said to Karina: “We did it! We won!”

Karina: It was a groundbreaking moment, when I felt that tedious nights of work and studying finally paid off. I will never forget the moment we walked onto the stage holding hands together and feeling like stars.

Before the final ceremony, we already felt it was likely we’d get at least second place, but China’s strong team made us doubt we’d win. It was very nice to hear the congratulations and great appreciation for the work not only from members of the jury but from other teams’ participants too.

What are your plans for the future and how do you think this success may help you achieve your goals?

Elena: I definitely feel more confident now and think that I can learn anything if I’m motivated enough. After the competition we received several interesting job offers, so we just need to understand what is more interesting for us.

Karina: I guess this championship brought a significant change to my long-term career goals. After this experience, I’m considering switching to research trading investment strategies or portfolio optimization. But most importantly, this victory has boosted confidence in my abilities, and it inspired me to try getting a job and position I was afraid to think about before.

What do you feel your success shows about the level of ability among students at MIPT, and in Russia in general?

Tatiana: Students who have graduated from MIPT are well-known to be strong in STEM disciplines. Our example just justifies this rule. I do believe we received one of the best educations in the world.

Elena: I’m sure that MIPT is the best university in Russia. I completed my bachelor’s degree there, and I think those years gave me a solid base of knowledge and an incredible life experience. At MIPT, you’re always surrounded by extremely clever and inspiring people full of ideas how they can change the world.

Every backpacker on the 417 Working Holiday Visa has a decision to make. Around six months in, they must ask themselves - how badly do I want to stay another year? If it’s a ‘meh, I can leave after this year and not regret it’ - grand. Go on your merry way, live your best life, and always do it for the ‘gram. If the answer is ‘I absolutely cannot fathom leaving Australia this soon, how can I extend my visa’ - then the answer is simple. Do your farm work.

The Australian government stipulates that those on the 417 visa have to complete either three calendar months, or 88 days of regional specified work in an eligible industry such as farming, fishing, mining or construction. There are a number of rules and restrictions to bear in mind when sourcing your farm work, such as:

• Is it in the correct postcode?
• Is it the right type of work?
• Is it above award pay?

These are, I think, the three most important questions when considering where and when to do your farm work. Read on for more info.

Is it in the correct postcode?

Certain areas of Australia are considered ‘regional’ by the government, such as all of Tasmania and Northern Territory. Other areas, such as the Australian Capital Territory, do not have any postcodes that are considered regional. In New South Wales, if you go above Sydney, you must travel further north than Newcastle - and still check postcodes, because some areas are just outside of what is allowed and what isn’t. You can view the full list of eligible postcodes here.

Is it the right type of work?

When people consider farm work, there automatic reaction is to think of fruit picking. A wise person once told me that if you have to do fruit picking for your 88 days, don’t pick a fruit you love.

However, there are plenty of different options for farm work, so it doesn’t necessarily have to be bananas in Innisfail.

If you’re lucky enough to have grown up on a farm, use this to your advantage - seek out somewhere you’d have experience in and call farms to see if they’d hire a visa sign off. If it’s a busy time of year, they’d probably be more than happy for an extra set of hands to help out.

Similarly, if you’re willing to do hard labor, why not consider livestock? It’s better pay and you’re guaranteed straight, steady work - meaning you can finish in your three months, and not have to count the individual 88 days. Google is your best friend here and there are loads of articles and help sites to help you get an idea of what is visa sign off work and what isn’t.

Is it above award pay?

Basically, if you’re a casual hourly worker - are they paying you above AU$23.66 an hour? It is a rule set by the Australian government that to qualify for a second-year visa, if you’re a casual worker, you must be paid either equal to, or above the award rate. Simple as.

Some farmers include ‘bed and board’ rates - they’ll slash your weekly pay for this & include stuff like Wi-Fi and car usage. If it’s still an acceptable level of pay and you’re happy with the work, then all is grand. However, some farmers do it to such an extent that workers are earning about $100 a week. That’s not okay, and you’re being exploited. Hand in your notice and find somewhere better.

It’s also important you’re working full time hours - you can only count your days if this is the case. Two to three hours a day won’t cut it. So make sure you’re in an area where harvest is either just starting, or in full swing.

Final tip: give yourself enough time

Another thing to consider is that farm work is very season-dependent, and can be unpredictable. There’s nothing worse than a harvest ending too soon, and you having to move farms last minute. Any days you can’t work due to poor weather or illness can’t count towards the 88 days. If you run out of time, you might not get the chance for that second year. Most people give themselves five to six months, just in case.

Good luck!

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Video by Pavel Petrov for TopUniversities.com.