156
Healthcare
Mktg/Sales
Scholarship
Cambridge-Judge
MBA
I was admitted to the MBA program at Cambridge Judge Business School (IE).
After completing a domestic graduate degree (life sciences), I spent three and a half years in strategy consulting and another three and a half years in marketing at a pharmaceutical company. From a long-term career perspective, I concluded that overseas experience was essential and therefore decided to pursue an MBA.
Despite relatively disadvantageous conditions for applications—being a “pure Japanese” applicant, self-funded, and having a GPA of 3.0—I received offers from both schools to which I applied (including a scholarship from one of them).
This was entirely thanks to the support of Round One, and without their guidance I would never have been admitted. (In fact, I could not even imagine myself being accepted to a top-tier school, and I likely would not have applied at all.) Below are the three main reasons why I strongly recommend Round One to other applicants.
I first met Mr. Round in the summer of 2017. At that time, I felt satisfied with my scores (IELTS 7.0, GMAT 670) and thought, “All that’s left is to write the essays.” However, in our initial interview, Mr. Round advised me to continue pushing my test scores. Although I felt uneasy about not starting my essays until the fall, I resumed studying and ultimately improved my scores to IELTS 7.5 and GMAT 710, which worked decisively in my favor during the application process. This was thanks to Mr. Round’s advice to prioritize score improvement rather than rushing into essays. In addition, I received highly valuable guidance on application timing, school portfolio selection, and campus visit scheduling.
I received essay and interview coaching from Ms. Round. It is often said that MBA essays involve exaggerating achievements tenfold, but Round One’s approach was completely different. Ms. Round developed a deep understanding of my background, strengths, weaknesses, and career aspirations, and carefully guided me on how to express them effectively—without exaggeration—yet in a compelling way. For both essays and interviews, feedback was provided primarily in written form rather than orally. This was extremely helpful for a “pure Japanese” applicant like myself, who could not claim 100% confidence in listening ability, and allowed me to prepare my applications very efficiently.
Because I was self-funded, I did not openly discuss my MBA applications at work or with friends, and I was constantly anxious, wondering, “Can I really get into an MBA program?” Mr. Round and Ms. Round were always supportive, and through regular communication with them, I gradually gained confidence. In particular, Ms. Round—my main counselor—consistently identified both strengths and areas for improvement in my essays and interviews, offering encouraging and positive feedback. My weekly sessions with her became the most enjoyable time of my week. While points (1) and (2) above were extremely important, for me personally, this emotional and psychological support was the most valuable of all.
