Wharton | Mr. Aerospace Defense Engineer
GMAT 760, GPA 2.48
MIT Sloan | Ms. Clinical Research
GRE 335, GPA 3.3
Harvard | Mr. Upward Mobility Impact Investor
GMAT 710, GPA 3.3
Yale | Mr. Marine Biologist To Consultant
GMAT 780, GPA 2.89
Duke Fuqua | Mr. Healthcare Executive
GMAT 700, GPA 2.7
Duke Fuqua | Mr. Lawyer Turned Entrepreneur
GRE 329, GPA 4.0
Columbia | Ms. 33 Year Old Investment Banker
GMAT 760, GPA First division
Wharton | Mr. Medicine Man
GMAT 730, GPA 3.8
Kellogg | Mr. Clean Meat
GMAT 740, GPA 8.34/10
Harvard | Ms. Consulting To Non-Profit
GRE 337, GPA 4.6 / 5.0
Wharton | Ms. Young & Ambitious
GMAT 770, GPA 3.85
Harvard | Mr. Pre-Med Turned MBB
GMAT 760, GPA 3.84
Duke Fuqua | Mr. Cyber Guy
GMAT 690, GPA 3.1
Stanford GSB | Mr. Ivy League Marine D1 Athlete Consultant
GRE 305, GPA 3.2
Stanford GSB | Mr. Big 4 Tax Manager
GMAT 700, GPA 3.15
Stay informed.
Sign Up!
PQ Logo
Featured Schools
Rice-MBA-logo
University of Pittsburgh’s Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business
Search for:
Toggle navigation PQ Logo
Today's Featured Schools
Featured Schools
Rice-MBA-logo
University of Pittsburgh’s Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business
  • Search for:
  • Sign In
  • Register
  • News
    • MBA News
    • Archives By Category
  • Rankings
    • Rankings Home
    • Poets&Quants Top 100 MBA Ranking
    • Poets&Quants International Top 50 MBA Ranking
    • Poets&Quants Best Online MBA Ranking
    • Best MBA Programs For Entrepreneurship
    • Fantasy MBA Ranking Game
  • Schools
    • MBA Programs
    • Executive MBA Programs
    • Online MBA Programs
    • Specialized Masters Programs
    • Kelley Direct Day In The Life
    • Spotlight On IE Tower
    • Insider’s Guides to the Top Business Schools
    • School Videos & Deep Dives
  • Admissions
    • MBA Admissions News & Advice
    • MBA Admissions Consultant Directory
    • The Admissionado | MBA Exchange Hub
    • Handicapping Your MBA Odds
    • Calculate My MBA Odds
    • More Videos & Admissions Advice
    • Podcasts By P&Q
  • Financing
  • GMAT / GRE
    • Test Prep Advice & News
    • Test Prep Resources From Manhattan Prep
  • Students
  • Jobs
  • EMBA
  • Online MBA
  • Masters
  • Events
  • Videos
  • Home
  • News
  • Rankings
    • Top 100 MBA Ranking
    • Top 50 International MBA Ranking
    • Top Programs For Entrepreneurship
    • Top Online MBA Ranking
    • All MBA Rankings
    • Fantasy MBA Ranking Game
  • Schools & Programs
    • MBA Programs
    • Executive MBA Programs
    • Online MBA Programs
    • Specialized Masters Programs
    • Kelley Direct Journal
    • IE Tower Spotlight
    • Insider’s Guides To Top Schools
  • Admissions
    • Admissions News & Advice
    • Admissions Consultant Directory
    • The Admissionado | MBA Exchange Hub
    • Handicapping Your MBA Odds
    • Calculate My MBA Odds
  • Financing
  • GMAT / GRE
    • Test Prep Advice & News
    • Manhattan Prep Resources
  • Students
  • MBA Jobs
  • Executive MBA
  • Online MBA
  • Specialized Masters
  • Events
  • Videos & Podcasts
  1. Home
  2. Admissions News & Features
  3. Sponsored Blogs: Insights & Advice From MBA Admissions Consultants
  4. Cambridge Judge New MBA Essay: Show Your Growth

Cambridge Judge New MBA Essay: Show Your Growth

by: Brittany Maschal, Fortuna Admissions on March 12, 2021 | 0 Comments Comments | 726 Views
March 12, 2021
    • Copy Link
    • Share on Facebook
    • Share on Twitter
    • Email
    • Share on LinkedIn
    • Share on WhatsApp
    • Share on Reddit

Cambridge Judge new essay question

Cambridge Judge is among the many top schools that debuted a new essay question for the 2021-2022 season that sought to elicit more personal responses from MBA candidates. Chicago Booth wants to “learn more about you outside the office,” Berkeley Haas asks, “what makes you feel alive when you are doing it” and UCLA Anderson replaced its slate of essays with a singular question on “how the events of the past year have influenced the impact you want to make” (view specific MBA essay tips on these schools by my Fortuna Admissions colleagues).

Among the most unusual new essay questions comes from Cambridge Judge, a bastion of British excellence with an 800-year academic pedigree. (The latest Forbes ranking crowned Judge at #3, behind IMD and INSEAD.) It’s the last of four questions, all of which – beyond the personal statement that wants specifics on our short and long-term career goals, among other pointed details – veer toward the behavioral. In no more than 200 words, Cambridge Judge wants to know:

If you could give one piece of advice to your 18-year-old self, what would it be? 

This MBA essay prompt speaks to growth, which can be a little tricky. As my Fortuna Admissions colleague Karen Ponte cautions, “There is a balance to be struck here between highlighting regrets/significant mistakes of the past and showing the journey that you’ve come on so far in your life. Take care to be as positive as you can and use this question to show your self-development and how the MBA will be a continuing part of that development. The average age of the Cambridge MBA student is 30 – but regardless of your age, you will need to demonstrate maturity and the ability to self-reflect.”

My suggestion is to go personal but avoid common sense learnings. Root your advice in a story or anecdote from your life. This is a question that lends itself to storytelling, to pulling a vignette from your life and drawing us in by setting the scene (quickly – 200 words isn’t much real estate) instead of leading with the advice straight away. A lot of people are afraid to get creative and take the reader on a journey, but that’s the wiser way to approach it. If it feels like a struggle, that’s understandable – you just don’t write like this at work.

You can think about what ways you’ve changed and any misconceptions you had about life and work. These even might tie back to the vision you have for your career (first essay question).

As you think it through, consider this approach:

  • A time in life when I failed someone else or failed myself, i.e., was not living in line with my core missions/values (the ones I hold today that I might have not held tightly as a youngster)
  • Tell that mini-story in 100 words
  • Advise yourself based on it, and avoid using cliches, in 100 words

Beyond a failure, Karen offers other possible examples such as:

  • Having more confidence
  • Taking a risk
  • Appreciating/valuing family
  • Prioritizing education (remembering the strong focus on academia at Cambridge)
  • Going traveling
  • Worrying less
  • Networking more; etc.

Showing vulnerability and growth is good (such as learning how to be more compassionate with yourself– that would be good advice for most teens). But there’s a fine line between vulnerability and oversharing, and your discernment reflects your maturity and awareness of your audience (the MBA admissions committee). Do fess up to failures if true learning was had, even if that learning was a bit embarrassing. View this as a chance to highlight who you are today and the journey that shaped you into an ever-wiser human. Don’t use cliché advice (i.e. you win some you lose some, etc.) or highlight anything that may raise questions regarding your character (like academic dishonesty).

As Karen says, “The rest of the application is very much focused around your professional life, so try to use this question to give the admissions team a little insight into other dimensions of who you are, your character, your unique perspectives, and experiences.”

This essay can, and I think should point to some value that you have and that you will bring to the program. You’re helping admissions get to know you, and you’re showing them what you’re bringing to the table and the kind of person you are, and how you will add value during and after your time on campus.

Finally, like tackling the MIT Sloan application, the full slate of Cambridge MBA essays poses a puzzle that you need to put together without being repetitive. Every essay isn’t a stand-alone, and while you want to get reflective about each one, as you sit down to write you’ll be wise to keep the overall narrative in mind. For advice on responding to all four Cambridge Judge MBA essays, view Karen’s related article, Cambridge Judge MBA Essays: Tips & Strategy.


Brittany Maschal is an Expert Coach at MBA consulting firm Fortuna Admissions and a former member of admissions teams at Wharton, Princeton & Johns Hopkins. For a candid assessment of your chances of admission success at a top MBA program, sign up for a free consultation.

Trending

Meet the MBA Class of 2023: Shivani Choudhry, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad

Comments

What Matters? And What More? 50 Successful Essays

Comments

Meet the MBA Class of 2023: Parisha Tyagi, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad

Comments

Meet Ivey’s MBA Class Of 2023

Comments

Tagged: 2021-2022 mba essay question, Cambridge Judge, Fortuna Admissions, MBA essay advice

Post navigation

Previous Article: Adobe’s Warm Welcome For MBAs, By MBAs
Next Article: U.S. News MBA Ranking Out On March 30
  • Stay Informed. Sign Up! Login
    Logout
    Follow Us
  • Sponsored Blogs
    Scott Edinburgh

    Meeting Round 1 MBA Deadlines

    by Scott Edinburgh, Founder of Personal MBA Coach (5 days ago)
    Sharon Joyce, Fortuna Admissions

    Texas McCombs New Video Assessment: Tips & Strategy

    by Sharon Joyce, Fortuna Admissions (2 weeks ago)
    Jody Keating, Fortuna Admissions

    5 Tips To Craft A Killer MBA Resume

    by Jody Keating, Fortuna Admission (3 weeks ago)
    Fortuna Admissions

    Your MBA Recommender Strategy Starts Now

    by Jessica Chung, Fortuna Admissions (3 weeks ago)
  • Advice and Articles
    • How To Use Poets&Quants MBA Admissions Consultant Directory
    • How To Select An MBA Admissions Consultant
    • MBA Admission Consulting Claims: How Credible?
    • Suddenly Cozy: MBA Consultants and B-Schools
    • The Cost: $6,850 Result: B-School

Our Partner Sites: Poets&Quants for Execs | Poets&Quants for Undergrads | Tipping the Scales | We See Genius

About Poets&Quants | P&Q News Archives | Privacy Policy | Advertising & Partnerships | Editorial | Contact Us | Sign In / Register

Copyright© 2022 Poets&Quants, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Website Design By: Yellowfarmstudios.com