The Insider’s Guide to Cambridge Judge

December 14, 2019 :: Admissionado Team

We’ve been having a ‘European MBA Program’ moment around Admissionado HQ lately. Perhaps it’s the cold snap that gripped the US for the past week (and our desire to be anywhere but here), or maybe our resident Euro expert, Yaron Dahan, has been rubbing off on us… or maybe it’s just that European MBA Programs are pretty damn great, and we want to make sure that all applicants give ’em a fair shake.

So we’ve been bouncing around Europe like a college grad with an oversized backpack, checking out the best of the best Euro programs. First, to Spain (INSEAD and IESE), then off to Switzerland (IMD), and then a quick stop in Paris (HEC). And now we’re off to the UK to judge Cambridge Judge School of Business

[How bad was that joke? Can we blame it on the jet lag?]

The What

Who hasn’t heard of Cambridge? I mean,it’s only been around since 1209. The Judge Business School is a bit newer, though; it was founded as a separate school in 1990, and although relatively young in the business school world, it is already making waves and moving up in the ranks (look out, Oxford Said!)

In certain aspect, Judge is quite similar to many other European programs – it’s a one-year program with an older class average (30), less of an emphasis on GMAT (average is 680), and a very diverse and very mobile student body.

Buuut there are a few things that make Judge stand out. First, its connection to one of the most prestigious universities in the world, of course. Second, it’s one of the few top European schools that has an emphasis on High Tech and Entrepreneurship, differing itself from the more standard Finance/Consulting split, which are the industries that draw most MBA grads.

The Who

Judge is one of the top English schools that really does have a tight connection with the start-up world, and has in the past years built part of its prestige upon this unique factor.

Not to say the Judge doesn’t draw students and recruiters from Finance and Consulting! Au contraire, my friends. [Woops – wrong language.] Although industry jobs were Cambridge grads’ number one landing spot, McKinsey, KPMG, and Credit Suisse were amongst top recruiters. And the school’s location (right next to the Anglohub of finance), as well as the school’s excellent name, also makes it a top choice for those shooting for the finance world.

The How

So who is Judge looking for?

Judge, as a young program, is looking to build prestige. And, as everyone knows, the best way to build some prestige is to be very, very selective. So that is what Judge is doing. They’re looking for the best of the best. But they seem to be looking for something different, something unique, as well. Something that is more than just a sign of success (which, of course, is veeeery important), but also candidates who will “break the mold” a bit. So besides the usual great GMAT, great grades, great job, try and show Cambridge what is unique about you.

Just as important as selectivity for Judge is their yield. In other words, they want to keep the number of accepted students and the number that attend as close as possible. So another thing that can really hit home on your application is to show a bit of LOVE. Show the adcom how passionate you are about Judge, why it is the #1 school for you, and that you’ll go (with bells on!) if accepted. This can help your chances of getting that long-awaited phone call at the end of the round.

Bottom Line

Judge is one of the top UK International MBA programs with a prestige of its own that is only multiplied by the prestige of Cambridge. With excellent hiring statistics and top recruiters, Cambridge is an excellent choice for any industry, but especially strong for entrepreneurs, Tech folks and the finance guys of the world (thanks London!).