In at Cambridge Without an Undergraduate Degree

In at Cambridge Without an Undergraduate Degree

Summary

It’s hard to imagine getting into a full-time MBA without an undergraduate degree. Most of us probably shouldn’t—it’s very rare! Nothing is absolute in the world of MBA admissions, however, and this case is the exception that proves the rule.

325 GRE Score
Undergrad Resume Entrepreneur in medical devices / biotech; holds multiple US patents; launched search fund

The Situation

This applicant dropped out of college to successfully launch a highly technical medical venture. After a few years, he had reached a plateau in which a formal management education and a broader network were needed. While many EMBA programs are willing to entertain applications without a degree, most MBA programs don’t. But this applicant was too young for EMBA programs, which added to the challenge.

On his own, this applicant would likely have forgone applying to MBA programs. His search for programs may also have been limited in its geographical scope. This would have been a critical error, as the areas he was looking in did not have many top programs who accepted applications from non-degreed applicants.

Our Solution.

As with all campaigns, we anchored our efforts into a sound career vision. Once his next potential venture was identified, the focus turned to identifying programs that could serve this goal and would be open to considering his application. Given our extensive experience with non-degreed applicants, we were able to develop a list of programs in the U.S. and Europe. The latter in particular had entrepreneurial and medical ecosystems that were highly relevant to his interests, and which he would likely have missed without our help. We were incredibly proud of the success of his campaign, which included a successful acceptance at Cambridge Judge. This was the perfect fit based on the school's resource and network in relations to his career goal. This win was especially challenging because Cambridge’s normal admission process is (for non-degree holders) followed by a second, much stricter admissions process conducted by a school-wide committee. His application passed through all these hoops to result in a very generous scholarship. While our process and insights played a big role, the total dedication and focus of the applicant were absolutely essential to this result. He had one of the strongest work ethics we have ever seen.

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What we can do for you.

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