Calling all Judge(Cambridge) Applicants: (2016 Intake) Class of 2017!!

I've read a few things about the college system but it seems quite complicated. What can you tell me about the colleges and what is life like? Are you actually part of University of Cambridge?

Cambridge_Somesh: Yes, we're integral to University of Cambridge. The business department is an important part of the university. The collegiate system implies that you get to interact to other undergrad/grad students at Cambridge too, aside from the business school students.

Cambridge_Michelle: The college is more like a "home" for you. Most of the time you will be spending your time in Judge Business School as the MBA is a fast paced and packed programme.

Cambridge_Daria: My college is Magadlene (pronounced as /ˈmɔːdlɪn/). It was founded in 1428 and it is still a very traditional college. We have formal hall (fancy dinner) in gowns and by candlelit every night, where you can sit next to a Nobel prize winner or fellow students from various fields. That is where ideas cross pollinate and you get the unique exposure.



How did you find the whole experience from application to starting on the course?

Cambridge_Somesh: I found the experience very engaging and enlightening. From a highly intuitive application interface to speaking to representatives of the Cambridge office and alums and of course, starting the program last month, it's been a great experience and a massive learning curve to be a part of such a bright cohort.



What were your motivations for selecting JBS?

Cambridge_Michelle: I chose JBS because it is strong in entrepreneurship. It's also a one year course so it's perfect for me as I don't want to spend too much time & money on two years courses. Also I went to the interview day and really liked the experience.

Cambridge_Somesh: I chose JBS for several reasons. 1. I was looking for a 1-year program as opposed to the traditional 2-year MBA and Cambridge MBA is one of the finest 1-year programs going around. 2. I have worked at Google for quite a few years and I look to get back in the tech space. Cambridge MBA lies right at the heart of Silicon Fen in the UK and there's so much to learn from the large local tech community. 3. Cambridge MBA has been rising up the rankings and was featured at no. 13 in FT's list of world's best business schools. 4. The name Cambridge is one of the most hallowed names in the education space and I'm elated to be a part of a prestigious university that dates back to 800 years.



What would you say are JBS' downsides?

Cambridge_Michelle: It depends on your circumstances: I come from an entrepreneurial background, therefore I planned to do a bit of work while studying. I was advised that it would be a really packed year ahead, so I managed to delegate all my work to my partner. A sound decision, because there is a substantial amount of workload.

Cambridge_Daria: I guess one year is both a benefit and a downside. You hear a lot that 1-year programs are intense, but it's hard to imagine before you get here. You need to have your goals defined really clearly. Personally, I knew there will be a lot of b-school activities (academics, career, social), but I did not factor in all the amazing college activities



What are the classes like? More case studies or traditional? Do you study in groups? Are most jobs after JBS based in UK / Europe?

Cambridge_Somesh: The classes are a fine mix of the case method and lectures. That way, we get to have a strong grasp on the theory/business concepts before running with them in real-life business scenarios. There's a lot of group work. One thing that truly stands about the Cambridge MBA is the practical application. 3 weeks into the program, we're already consulting local startups as part of the Cambridge venture project. This will be followed by a bigger consulting project in March and an internship in June. All of these projects are a great opportunity to use your business knowledge and apply it to real-life business situations.



Could you please shed some light on life at JBS Cambridge in terms of time spent in clubs, class and lecture related activities as well as the amount of time spent on networking. I am trying to get an idea of the life balance and a gauge on the lifestyle led by students at Cambridge.

Cambridge_Michelle: Just to give an idea, the classes start at about 9 AM and finishes roughly at about 5.30 PM. That will be followed by careers/networking event up to 8 PM. You do have a lot of fun though, mostly with your MBA cohort (dinner, drinks, weekend activities like punting, formal halls, college dinners etc). But since you will have to revise/study in your spare time, it may be a bit tricky to incorporate a lot of extracurricular activities into your schedule.

Cambridge_Daria: And then outside of Judge you have the famous Cambridge Union Debates (200 years of tradition), rowing clubs (a must here!), meetings with start-ups from Cambridge Fen, formal hall swaps with other colleges, etc.



What according to you is fit for JBS ...as in what qualities is JBS looking for besides the obvious leadership experience

Cambridge_Somesh: While there's no one mould for the Cambridge MBA, but the common qualities you'll see among Cambridge MBAs are that they're bright yet friendly people, highly enterprising and collaborative and people with good social skills given that you'll be part of such a diverse cohort.



There seems to be a high ratio towards people from tech or entrepreneurial backgrounds. Is this a significant trend in whom they are admitting?

Cambridge_Somesh: Interesting observation! There's definitely some advantage in the proximity to Silicon Fen that does attract a lot of tech enthusiasts. That said, there's a ton of bankers and consultants in my class. I'll say it's quite an even spread.

Cambridge_Michelle: People's backgrounds are as diverse as lawyers, media, journalists too in addition to bankers & consultants



Thanks for the insights guys and congratulations on your starting the program! I hear good stuff all around and that’s very much expected of JBS. What about the challenges (I read someone asked that), what are the key difficulties, how demanding are the units, is it more theory and then practical (field) or are the lectures more of a discussion then one sided?

Cambridge_Somesh: The most challenging part for me is picking and choosing wisely. You can be very busy at JBS without getting much accomplished and that's because the number of things on offer. Aside from the lectures, there's speaker series, recruitment events, client meetings for several of our projects, networking sessions, etc. etc. Like Daria said earlier, coming in with a ballpark plan of what you want to get out of the MBA will help you pick and choose.

Cambridge_Michelle: One of the things that I really like about my experience so far is the lectures. The lecturers make time for us to make comments/give insight to the topic. It's very interesting to hear from classmates from different experiences give their feedback on a certain topic.



Are there many people looking to transition to tech from non tech backgrounds? Is this a wise ambition? (I'm ex military, for example)

Cambridge_Somesh: Good question Jack. Quite a few people in the program that come from non-tech backgrounds are shooting for roles in the Tech space. It's not uncommon.

Cambridge_Michelle: Yes, definitely not uncommon. An alumnus came in last week. He was a lawyer before he came in to the MBA, and now he is doing an internship with Google.



How about the fun of spontaneity? Does the school work with very strict schedules or are there often some elements of ambiguity, the fun of learning in an instant? I have often heard from Alumni big schools can be quite monotonous

Cambridge_Somesh: The school's view on lectures is that they're integral to your time in Cambridge. It's a 1-year program and we're rattling along. It's important to ensure optimal attendance in order to get a hang of the concepts. So the school has a pretty strict view on attendance. That said, there's a lot of time after lectures (read 5:30 pm) for fun activities.



How is the course geared towards finding you a role afterwards? My gf has just started on the Warwick MBA and they've just completed pretty intensive psychometric analysis and career profiling with a view to start looking for a job already.

Cambridge_Somesh: we started talking to career services even before getting to Cambridge to get help on our CVs and cover letters. 3 weeks into the program and we've already had quite a few recruitment events. There are skill workshops too, for instance, consulting workshop designed to help you better solve a case. All in all, job search begins right at the top of the program and the Career Services are an immensely useful resource.

Cambridge_Michelle: The Careers Center is very integral in the MBA. We have dedicated days for Career related activities. JBS has its own Careers Centre on top of the Careers Center from the central university. You are assigned a Career team member to personally assist your goals. On top of this you are also assigned an external Career consultant who may be based abroad. The careers center is also aware and understands that you may have career goal changes during your MBA, and that's why a constant communication with the careers team is important.



What's the size of the intake this year? And what round did you guys apply?

Cambridge_Somesh: 157 people in all. There's about 5 or 6 rounds in all but the sooner you apply because so many smart people are competing for these 150 odd spots. The sooner you apply, the better it is.

Cambridge_Michelle: I applied in Round 1 and was offered a bursary towards my tuition fees.

Cambridge_Daria: I was in Rnd3 which coincides nicely with Rnd2 in US schools, so you can get all your offers at the same time and make a decision based on that. Was also offered a scholarship (bursary). Also the earlier you apply the better choice of colleges you have: ancient and prestigious ones fill their slots very early.



How much work is done in syndicate groups? And do they stay the same throughout?

Cambridge_Somesh: Your groups change over the course of the program. As about the amount of work you do with them, please refer to one of my earlier replies about working a lot with your group.


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