Choosing where to take your next steps for your career can be a difficult process. Our Graduate Masters class of 2024 have shared why they chose London Business School and their experience as they started their GM student journey.
Written By, Shuoyuan Ma, MAM24
I spent the first 16 years of my life in a small but beautiful coastal city located in Northern China. After two years of transformative education at United World College (UWC), an international education movement that aims to make education a force to unite people from different countries and cultures for a sustainable future, I flew to London and did my undergraduate study at Imperial College in theoretical physics. During this time, I tried out different potential career paths through internship, and realized that my true passion lies in consulting and tech. Having the privilege to receive offers from LBS and several other top business schools in Europe, I went through a long process of trying to make up my mind on which offer to accept. I chose LBS in the end, and luckily, based on my experiences at LBS, and I made the right decision.
A truly social conscious and inclusive student community
Before enrolled in LBS, I attended 3 in-person campus events (a campus Open Day, a talk & tour event, and the Graduate Masters Admits Day). One thing I experienced during these events was especially mind-blowing: every single student ambassador I spoke with was charismatic, humble, and most importantly, socially conscious. They were all actively taking initiatives to promote education equality, raise funds for vulnerable groups’ medical care, and beyond. I was absolutely inspired by how the LBS community members are creating profound impact on the way the world does business through such a diverse range of approaches, just like what LBS’s motto stated. And I felt that my passion in charitable social work would be championed and realized within LBS. This really strengthened my preference on joining LBS.
Moreover, during the application stage, I reached out to student ambassador via email, who offered me an informative and inspiring campus tour. Thanks to this Student Ambassador, I got a direct grasp on LBS’s unparalleled career centre, inclusive community within which relatively senior students in MBA and EMBA are always willing to provide help and guidance for Graduate Masters students. I am deeply aware of how precious this is: I will have the chance to learn from hundreds of seasoned professionals on technical knowledge, interpersonal competency, and so on. And LBS’s Sammy Ofer Centre is super modern and cool as well.
Now as a student ambassador of LBS, I aspire to transfer the inspirations and encouragements I received to more and more prospective applicants.
The unique edge of LBS’s MAM Programme
Another key reason that drove me to choose LBS is the unique course structure of its Masters in Analytics and Management (MAM) programme. It not only contains the prestigious management and business core courses of LBS, but also encompasses business-oriented programming components. Compared with traditional management programmes, MAM can empower me to design and implement business strategies based on data analytics-driven insights. This can empower me to not only break into consulting, but also fields like business analytics in corporations, data analytics in tech, and so on. My job-hunting coverage can hence be widened.
And moreover, having a physics undergraduate background, I have equipped myself with a fair amount of quantitative and technical skills. The MAM course, which focuses on applying STEM to address complex business problems in a pragmatic manner, can enable me to apply what I’ve learned to create tangible business impact. It hence is a perfect bridge between the world of stem and the world of business.
LBS’s Location
London is a great city. It is international, diverse, and most importantly, containing thousands of world-changing businesses. Studying at LBS, located in central London, means that I can have first-hand access to invaluable career and business opportunities. And London has a lot of great museums, musicals (and cocktail bars) to enjoy during weekend times. No matter what you like, basketball or dancing, hip-hop music or classics, you can always find someone who share the same hobbies in this city. It is like no others.