How I assessed which Business School was the right choice for me

After completing his first year on the course, Jiaqi Wu explains why the Executive MBA at WBS was the right programme for him. 

It really is scary when one thinks how fast time flies. My first year at Warwick Business School (WBS) has come and gone, and my ever-growing footprint is clear evidence that the journey I have chosen is the correct one, and it will only increase my determination to succeed in my second year. 

After just six months as an Executive MBA student at WBS I had changed my job, entering a listed investment bank from the private sector. I wrote a strategic consulting report worth US$60 billion, joined the tutorials of emerging markets, conducted research alongside Nobel Prize winner Andrew Michael Spence, and finally received his reference letter after achieving an A+ for his course during the three months study in Italy. I attended the integration management post-M&A course of BCG and received career support, as promised, from one of the BCG Senior Partners. 

In May 2021, I will be attending Peking University for the international module course, which lasts for around ten working days. A dream does not become reality through magic; it takes determination, and hard work. Through my sincere efforts, my dreams are becoming a reality, which however cannot, and should not, be separated from the star image portrayed by the WBS Executive MBA, and the unparalleled value of its international platform.

Attractive in price and excellent in quality

In order to identify a cost-effective business school, I created an in-depth study. After extensive information screening and consideration, the WBS caught my attention. Firstly, the tuition fee of the Executive MBA is about £47,000 (about US$60,000), with the average cost of living expenses being less than US$100,000. In terms of competitiveness, the Executive MBA at WBS also stood out in the rankings. At the time of conducting my study, in the Economist/Which MBA 2018? Executive MBA ranking, WBS was ranked 10th in the world and 2nd in the United Kingdom. It is therefore evident that WBS has become one of the top business schools in the world.

Galaxy of talents

Additionally, the WBS MBA attracts a high calibre of candidates. Taking the 2019 intake as an example: 95% of us have at the very least attained or exceeded the position of senior manager before joining, 81% are above the level of head or lead, and 60% have been employed as a director. Like creating a beautiful painting with a brush in each hand, each arm of the Warwick MBA boasts a highly competitive programme and leading-quality candidates respectively. Joining WBS means having the keys to open the doors to worldwide network resources.

An emerging new force

Since joining WBS, the Warwick Executive MBA has moved up to 6th in the world and 1st in the UK in the Economist/Which MBA?' 2020 Executive MBA biennial ranking. WBS is ranked 10th in the list of 2019 global Executive MBA's among all non-joint programmes. And this is also the third consecutive year that WBS has achieved a top 10 ranking for independent programmes in the FT Executive MBA rankings (2018 and 2019 - 6th).

Overwhelmed by leading academics and professors of practice

The teaching team on the Warwick Executive MBA course is more akin to the well-designed Avengers team from the Marvel franchise. Each year, Warwick recruits 40 Executive MBA candidates from around the world. In each learning subject, this small cohort is equipped with two to three professors, who are all pioneers in their research areas. Simultaneously, at least one board executive-level member with a significant industry influence will be invited as a guest speaker. Also, during the class, the on-site Programme team, comprised of two to three people, had the single role of supporting the study of candidates.

The points listed above are the reasons why I chose to study the Executive MBA at WBS. 

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