I am pleased that Conrad Chua, the Head of
Admissions, Marketing and Recruitment at the Judge Business School at theUniversity of Cambridge could take time out of his busy schedule to answer my
questions. Be sure to follow his twitter feed or take a look at his blog.
1. How did you get into this line of work? What
do you like and dislike about it?
I
stumbled into it! Through a previous role, I got to know a recent alum from
Cambridge Judge Business School who gave me great insights into the values and
ethos of the MBA programme. These resonated with me so that when this role
became available, it was a natural choice for me.
I
have been in this role for three years now, enough time for me to see talented
people go through the entire Cambridge MBA lifecycle - from a prospective
candidate to a current student and now as alums. I love hearing their stories
about their lives and their accomplishments. And it helps that I have a good,
committed team that reflects the values of the school and our community.
The
only thing I would like to see change is the harmful way in which MBA rankings
are perceived. I value feedback and rankings do measure some very important
criteria but we should understand that an MBA experience cannot be reduced to a
number.
Admissions
2. The Cambridge Judge admissions website lists
110 as the minimum required TOEFL score for entering the program. Should applicants not apply if their score is
only 100? How about 105?
Candidates
may still apply if their score is 100 or higher in TOEFL. However, any later offer would be conditional
on them undertaking an assessment by the University of Cambridge’s Language
Centre. They may then request that the
individual attend an English course prior to the MBA if necessary.
3. Why is the second referee to be a team
member or peer? What kind of information are you hoping for?
The
Cambridge MBA is a highly practical programme, with a focus on group work and
collaboration. This includes real consulting projects for actual clients. As
such we need to understand how a candidate works within a team setting, and
what skills they utilise and contributions they make when working with others. The value of a diverse class only comes when
people are willing to share their experience and skills with others.
4. Why do you ask as the 3rd required essay a
hypothetical question about what the applicant would change about their current
organization?
The
third question is designed to help us to understand the candidate’s ability to
reason an argument and to critically analyse the industry and company in which
they have been operating. It is also an
opportunity to demonstrate clarity in writing and original ideas.
Curriculum
5. Cambridge is gaining a reputation for being
strong at entrepreneurship. Do you agree, and if so can you give example as to
how?
Cambridge
cannot help but be strong in entrepreneurship by virtue of the environment in
which the business school sits. Firstly,
the wider University of Cambridge is a hub of ideas and innovation, and has
been for 800 years. Secondly, this has
infiltrated into the local business environment and the city is renowned for
being one of the start-up hubs of the UK – Silicon Fen. An example of how we take advantage of this
is through the Cambridge Venture Project. At an early stage of the programme
the students are required to undertake an actual consulting project on a real
brief for a local start-up or other entrepreneurial venture.
6. Some MBA professors bring real-world
experience to the classroom. Others focus on academic research. How would you
characterize the faculty at Judge?
Our
faculty are very international, with a range of backgrounds. Many have worked in leading global companies
and bring that experience into their research and teaching. Others have followed a more traditional
academic path, but will bring “real-world” experience to their work through
their engagement with clients on Executive Education courses, or through
consulting projects that they may be doing for companies. One of the benefits of a relatively small
programme such as the 150 cohort at Cambridge is that they are open and
accessible, available to discuss ideas with the students whom they will get to
know by name and not just as another face in a lecture theatre.
7. The Cambridge Venture Project occurs
relatively early within the academic calendar. What are the benefits of getting
such a hands-on experience so early within the MBA?
There
are two main benefits to undertaking the CVP early in the MBA. As I mentioned previously it is firstly an
opportunity to sample the local entrepreneurial scene and to work on a project
for a business that is in its early stages of development.
Secondly,
it feeds in to the core course in Management Practice. The CVP is undertaken
with your study group – up to five individuals with a broad range of
backgrounds who will not know each other very well. The exercise therefore also
provides insights into how teams form and organise themselves and how this can
be managed. This can then be related
back directly to the Management Practice module.
Outside
the Classroom
8. Cambridge uses a college system. What
benefits does this offer to students in the MBA program?
The
collegiate system allows MBA students to engage and network with brilliant
minds from across the various disciplines being practiced within the University
of Cambridge. In the past this has even
led to the formation of successful entrepreneurial ventures. It is also a place to socialise and undertake
extra-curricular activities. The
Colleges allow participation at all levels, so there is the opportunity to try
out a new cultural or sporting activity.
Being Cambridge, rowing is particularly popular amongst the MBAs.
9. Do student clubs and organizations MBAs tend
to get involved in originate within Judge, their college, the greater Cambridge
community or all of the above?
I
see the opportunities for MBAs at Cambridge to be multi-layered. The Business School Club provides student
Special Interest Groups that may be of specific interest to those studying for
an MBA. However students can also engage
as part of their College community or at the university level in the amazing
range of clubs and societies that only being part of a world leading university
can offer.
Thank you Conrad for taking the time to answer
my questions!
John
Couke
john.couke@gmail.com
