Warwick MBA vs IESE MBA vs LBS EMBA vs Warwick EMBA

MBA_applic...

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Posted Mar 12, 2020 01:13

I’m planning to do an MBA/ EMBA later this year and am deciding which one from the below I should choose:
- Warwick full-time (1 year, already got an offer)
- IESE full-time (1.5 years, already got an offer, tuition is double of that of Warwick)
- LBS EMBA (20 months part time, going to apply)
- Warwick EMBA (24 months part time)

A little background of myself:
- CPA with 12 years of work experience of which 7 years are in a managerial role
- Previously worked in Asia and now in London
- Purpose of doing an MBA/ EMBA is to help with career progression. My goal is eventually it to the boardroom of listed companies (locations and industries are TBD)
- GMAT score: 690

I think my profile would suit EMBA requirements better as I have 10+ years of working experience. However I applied for full-time before as I wasn’t sure if I could keep working in London. Now that part is sorted out and I could potentially do an EMBA if I want to.

I’ve the following questions and hope you guys can help me out:

1. It’d be quite difficult to get in EMBA at LBS. If I don’t would it be better if I apply for other EMBAs (e.g. Warwick or Cass) or should I go for a full-time instead?

2. If I go for a full-time, would Warwick or IESE be a better choice considering the time, cost and career prospect?

3. It is unlikely I’d get the result from LBS before I need to commit to a full-time program. For IESE I need to pay a big commitment fee while the fee is smaller for Warwick. As I know I’d always go for LBS if I could get in, which full-time MBA should I commit to at this stage?

Thanks so much for your help!

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Duncan

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Posted Mar 12, 2020 09:06

1. I am an LBS EMBA graduate and former EMBA admissions interviewer. I don't see why you think it would be hard fo you be admitted at LBS. Don't you have a undergraduate degree? I had less work experience than you, less international experience (which is valued at LBS) and a lower GMAT. The LBS EMBA admissions team will be interested in you if you have admission at IESE and they can try to get you to interview faster. They can give you a very quick indication of whether they would invite you for an interview and that matters since, if interviewed, you are likely to be admitted. Even better, meet an alumnus and get a recommendation to the admissions committee from them. That helps too.
2. A full-time MBA makes sense if you are not just aiming at progression but also changing role/industry/country. IESE's four-semester MBA is much better, educationally, than a two-semester MBA at Warwick and the higher salary (and quality of students and educational experience) makes IESE a no-brainer. Plus... Barcelona or Coventry... c'mon. I think you'll find the internship option at IESE very valuable, and the salary will both pay for the added time and enrich your CV.
3. The IESE commitment fee of €3,000 seems like a small investment in comparison to the higher value of IESE over Warwick.

I spent a semester full-time on exchange as part of my EMBA experience. Full time gives you lots more. The EMBA at LBS is one of the closest to the full-time experience, since you have access to career services, field trips, career treks, exchange programmes and the full range of electives (I took electives with FT MBAs, PhDs and Sloan Fellows, for example). The short-term RoI is better from an EMBA but, if both are feasible, I think you'll find the full-time MBA a richer experience. IESE is an excellent school, and the 30% premium in salary over Warwick shows how the market values its MBA.

[Edited by Duncan on Mar 12, 2020]

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