2011 Cambridge Judge MBA Essay Questions, Tips

Founded in 1990, the Judge Business School at University of Cambridge has powered its way up the international rankings, mainly because of its strength in entrepreneurship, particularly in technology and the sciences. A deeply collaborative school, it enjoys strong ties to the many companies in Cambridge’s high-tech cluster.

Essay 1: What are the key issues facing organizations in your sector over the next three years? What course of action would you recommend to such organizations? (300 words)

This is your chance to succinctly display your strategic prowess and management savvy. By analyzing the key issues faced by your sector, you can illustrate your knowledge of the industry as well as where you believe it may –or should-- be heading. Your advice should reflect your strategic vision. Given Judge’s highly practical learning style, your approach should be the same.

Although the question limits your course of action to the upcoming three years, you can certainly frame it in terms of where you see the sector ultimately heading, thereby reflecting your own long-term vision.

Essay 2: What did you learn from your most spectacular failure? (200 words)

Note the word “spectacular;” a strong word meant to elicit a strong response. How you face and process failure is an important gauge of your management capacities and ability to learn. This essay is also a sterling opportunity to display your self-awareness: do not shy away from writing about a serious (i.e. spectacular) failure. Perhaps more important than the failure itself is the lessons learnt. And if you can show how you have implemented the lessons, then you should have a winning essay. This is a tall order for 200 words, so brevity is the key. Describe the situation. What lessons did you learn? Have they somehow been “validated?

Essay 3:
What are your short and long term career objectives? What skills/characteristics do you already have that will help you to achieve them? What do you hope to gain from the degree and how do you feel it will help you achieve the career objectives you have? (Please do not exceed 500 words)

The classic goals question: Where are you going? How (and why) will you get there? How will an MBA, and Judge, enable you? This straightforward essay will put your career – past, present and future – into perspective and explain why you are applying to Judge. The task here is to clearly map out your career development within the context of your professional goals, while also linking the Judge MBA with your future. Illustrating a logical, credible link between your career to-date, your goals and Judge, is the key to this essay.

The latter part should align with Judge’s practical approach that encompasses workshops, seminars, lectures, discussion groups, team and individual projects, and their tradition of lively debate. For example, why is this approach important for you?  Does the presence of nearly 50 nationalities from a wide range of sectors and small class size matter to you? And so on.

Additional Resource:

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2011 Deadlines

By Paris-based Accepted.com editor Tanis Kmetyk, who has well over a decade of experience advising applicants to top MBA programs. She’d be happy to share her expertise with you when you apply too.