Oxford Said

This review was written by Nirvan Gandhi on 4th April, 2025

Oxford Saïd MBA: Prestige, Purpose, and a Pint at the Oldest Pub in the World

If you're a Harry Potter fan, you’re going to lose it.

There’s something surreal about walking through Oxford.
The old colleges. The ancient libraries. That foggy British charm. The whispers of tradition around every stone corner.

It’s Hogwarts.
No, seriously—it’s literally where parts of Harry Potter were filmed.

And for an MBA applicant, that fantasy hits different.

But then you walk out of the Oxford railway station.
Take a few steps. And boom—you’re outside Saïd Business School.

And while the University of Oxford might feel like magic, Saïd is... kind of regular.

Let’s talk about that.

Harnoor Arora
Oxford Said (CO'26)

Real Talk: Oxford = Legendary. Saïd = Functional.

I took a tour. I walked around. I spoke to people.

Here’s the truth:

Oxford the university is magnificent. History. Prestige. Vibe.
Saïd Business School? It’s a decent building by the station. Glass panels, a big atrium, good lecture halls. That’s it.

It’s not the kind of place that blows you away on arrival.

But just like Judge at Cambridge, Saïd benefits from the larger beast it belongs to—the Oxford brand.

Oxford Said Actually Reaches Out (If You’re Listening)

This isn't a brochure line—it's straight from one of my students, Harnoor Arora, who got into Oxford Said.

During our conversation, she said something that stuck with me:

“Oxford was the only school that reached out to me before I submitted my application. Just to talk. Just to know me.”

No transactional tone. No marketing pitch. Just a genuine “Hey, let’s understand who you are.”

Now—how do you make this happen?

You don’t. There’s no “hack.”

You just do all the right things:

Attend their webinars
Subscribe to their newsletters
Follow their admissions team

And then? They notice.

This is the kind of school where humility + curiosity actually count.
Where you’re not just a GMAT score—they want to understand you.

If you want to hear exactly how that played out, you can check out the full video of my chat with Harnoor at the top of the page

Know This: Oxford's Core Values Will Come Up in Your Interview

This is one thing I tell every Applicant-X student applying to Oxford:

Know the university’s core values.

Because they’ve been asked. Multiple times.
By multiple interviewers.

Here they are:

Trust
Respect for others
Academic rigour
Humility
Courage
Curiosity

They’re not just poster quotes.

Oxford wants applicants who show up with clarity, depth, and a mindset of contribution—not just ambition.

They screen for it. They expect you to reference it. And in the interview, if you fumble on this, it will show.

The MBA Program: 1 Year, Globally Focused, And Rooted in Values

Oxford Saïd runs a one-year MBA—tight, intense, and cross-disciplinary.

The curriculum balances:

Core business fundamentals
Global opportunities and impact (think: climate, ESG, development)
Consulting and entrepreneurship labs
The Oxford Union / Skoll Centre / Said Entrepreneurship Centre

You’ll get:

Classmates from 60+ nationalities
Solid exposure to global topics (not just business, but policy, society, sustainability)
Access to everything across the university—debates, clubs, student societies, etc.

It's not a cutthroat finance-factory MBA. It’s broader. More values-driven.

Placement Reality: Good, Especially for Consulting and Impact

Let’s get this straight—Oxford Saïd isn’t a spoon-feeding kind of place.

It’s not a US school where recruiters line up outside your dorm with pre-placement offers.

But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t work.

Here’s what I tell every Applicant-X student applying here:
Oxford will open doors, but you’ll still have to walk through them.

Where Students Actually Go

The good news: consulting is strong here.
MBB (McKinsey, BCG, Bain) recruits regularly, especially in the UK and Middle East markets.

Other strong areas:

ESG, sustainability, and climate roles (unsurprising given Oxford’s positioning)
Social impact and policy orgs (think UN, World Bank, foundations, NGOs)
Tech product roles (Google, Amazon, Microsoft do recruit—but you need a tight story)
Entrepreneurship—a lot of students go on to build their own thing, or join early-stage startups

Finance? Possible, but this isn’t a core finance-heavy school like Wharton, Booth, or even LBS.

If you're international, use the 2-year Graduate Visa smartly. Start early. Tell a sharp story. The brand helps—but hustle still wins.

Class Vibe: Diverse, Grounded, and Curious

Oxford’s MBA batch is ~320–350 students.
It’s diverse as hell. 90% international.

You’ll meet people from microfinance in Ghana, clean energy in Chile, edtech in India, pharma in Vietnam—all in the same room.

And unlike some top programs where there’s a "finance bro energy" in the air, Saïd feels chill.
People are curious, collaborative, and value-driven.

If you want to be part of a class that’s mission-led—not just title-chasing—this is a good room to be in.

Final Verdict: Should You Apply to Oxford Said?

Go for it if:

You want a globally respected name behind you
You’re drawn to topics like sustainability, impact, innovation
You want a diverse, thoughtful cohort
You’re curious about social entrepreneurship
You want access to debates, research, policy networks—not just job boards

❌ Maybe rethink if:

You need a big flashy business school campus to feel excited
You’re only targeting post-MBA jobs in the US
You don’t align with the university’s broader value-driven outlook
You want a school with January intakes or flexibility on timing

Bonus Tip: Don’t Leave Oxford Without Doing This

If you ever visit Oxford—even if it's just for a day—don’t miss the Turf Tavern.

It’s tucked away in a narrow alley behind a stone archway. Blink and you’ll walk right past it.

But once you’re inside? You’re standing in one of the oldest pubs in the world.

Generations of Oxford students have come here to debate, drink, dream, and drown post-exam stress.
Bill Clinton was here. So was Stephen Hawking. And for one cold afternoon—I was too.

The place has wooden beams, cobbled floors, and a vibe that’s impossible to replicate.

Trust me, it’s one of those “I’m really here” moments.