6 benefits to getting your MFin application in early

Being a member of a College at the University of Cambridge is a key part of the experience at Cambridge Judge, offering the chance to meet students from other subject areas, get involved with College clubs, and attend events like formal dinners in hall.

And while you’ll still be allocated a College even if you apply late, you’re less likely to get your first choice, says Crabbe.

“From spring onwards, a few Colleges will start closing for MFin applications, and the availability of Colleges decreases further as we head into the summer,” he says. “We can always place students in a College, but it might not be their first choice if they leave the application too late.”

Gabr warns that accommodation can also run low if you leave applying too close to the deadline.

“Colleges tend to start their accommodation processes in late spring and early summer – typically around May or June – and they usually operate on a first come, first served basis,” she says. “If candidates have specific accommodation needs, they’re best off applying early so they meet their offer conditions and are ready for the College application process by the spring.”

She adds that Colleges will be handling applications for the entire university, so it’s important to secure a room as early as you can.

Applying early can also help when it comes to funding, says Crabbe. The Business School and the wider University offer a number of scholarships for MFin students, but some of these have early deadlines.

“The MFin programme and MFin Merit scholarships both run throughout the year, so there’s no impact on these for late applicants,” he says. “But some of our larger awards – including the Regional scholarships (targeted at candidates from under-represented regions) and Women in Finance scholarships – have deadlines in February and March. This is also the case for some of the College awards we take applications for, such as Pembroke and St Catharine’s.”

He says there are later application rounds for the Regional and Women in Finance scholarships in May, but applicants will only be eligible to apply after receiving their offer of a place on the programme. “When you’re thinking about scholarship deadlines, you need to factor in a few weeks for the MFin application process, from the submission of an application to being shortlisted for an interview to receiving an offer,” he says. 

If you need to apply for a student visa, you’ll also have more time to prepare if you get your MFin application in early, says Gabr. The application process for a CAS (the document confirming the University will sponsor your visa) starts in late June or early July.

“For us to start this process, candidates need to have met their offer conditions, been placed with a College and paid their second reservation fee. If you apply for the MFin at the later end of the cycle, you’ll have less time to meet these conditions and so less time to sort the student visa,” she says.

“This is also our busiest time of the year as we try to confirm the final numbers for the class and place them with a College, so we recommend avoiding the squeeze towards the end of the admissions cycle.”

Leaving your application to the last minute can also mean finding there are less slots for interviews available and then having to cram interview prep, says Crabbe.

“We’re dependent on faculty availability for interviews, so slots can be limited,” he says. “We read applications in order of submission, so if you apply late, there’s a chance your application might not get past shortlisting, as we may end up running out of slots. For those late applicants who do get a slot, it’s very likely they’ll have far less time to prepare – perhaps even less than a week.”

He adds that candidates will also have more time to prepare for GMAT or GRE tests, if required as a condition of their offer (although these are only requested for certain cases, such as borderline academic results). 

Finally, applying early means you’ll have more time to go through programme information provided and be able to make the most of resources available, says Gabr.

“People who apply quite late tend to have less chance to grasp all the information being shared, such as College and visa webinars and access to careers materials,” she says. “They often receive all the information in quick succession, whereas earlier applicants receive this information over a couple of months.”

“The careers team tend to start contacting candidates in April with pre-arrival information that includes an initial introduction to the team and career advisors,” she says. “Applicants won’t have access to this until they have an offer, have met the conditions and have a College place. This process could take up to 6 weeks, so if you apply late, you won’t be able to access these resources as early as other future MFin students,” she continues.

“Ultimately, early candidates tend to have a more relaxed timeline to get the support needed from the admissions team, and they won’t be rushed to meet their offer conditions,” she says. “From our experience, it’s well worth applying as early as you can.”