Academic decisions
The Management Studies Tripos Admissions Office cannot provide feedback on admissions decisions. The programme’s Admissions Office is not obliged but may agree to provide feedback and should be contacted directly.
If your application has been rejected then you may be able to appeal the decision using the appeals procedure set out on this page.
Admissions Appeals & Complaints procedure
1. Purpose
An admissions appeal seeks to change an outcome of the admissions process. The appeal may (and usually does) seek to reverse the rejection of an application, but it may also ask to change a specific aspect of an admissions decision, such as the setting of a particular condition.
An admission complaint also addresses the admissions process but seeks some other remedy than changing its outcome.
An undergraduate appeal can be made only in relation to one or more of the following 3 grounds and no other:
- a serious procedural error (such as the provision of inaccurate information or the failure to follow published postgraduate admissions policy) which had a material impact on the relevant admissions decision
- bias, or the perception of bias, in the decision-making process, defined as treating someone less favourably than another successful applicants because of either (a) belonging to a protected group, as set out in the University’s Equal Opportunities Policy or (b) their identity in coming from a disadvantaged social or educational background
- extenuating circumstances affecting your application which, for good reason, you did not inform Cambridge Judge Business School at the time of your application and which had a material impact on it (extenuating circumstances negatively affecting your prior academic or other achievements must be described in your application and cannot form the ground of an appeal)
What is an admissions complaint?
An admissions complaint is about the admissions process but seeks some other remedy than changing its outcome. An appeal made using the complaints form will be dismissed.
2. Before you submit a complaint or appeal
Before you submit an appeal
Most admissions appeals are unsuccessful.
An appeal needs substantive evidence that relates to your selected ground or grounds and you will need to show that this ground was the reason for the outcome you are appealing. Note the following points carefully.
- An admissions appeal cannot be made about a matter of academic judgement, that is, a judgment where only the opinion of an academic expert is sufficient to decide on the issue. Nor will the Appeals and Complaints Panel make an academic judgement itself; rather, where relevant, an application will be referred back to the department concerned, with the additional information received through the appeal process.
- The rejection of a good applicant does not in itself represent evidence, even if that applicant has met the minimum academic requirement. Entry to our courses is extremely competitive and meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.
- The speed of a decision does not in itself provide evidence of procedural error. Cambridge Judge Business School aims to make quick decisions where possible, to help candidates plan their futures. These may be ahead of published deadlines.
- Re-statement of your qualifications and achievements is not evidence for an appeal, nor is additional information about your qualifications and achievements, including any gained after your application.
Before you submit a complaint
An admissions complaint cannot be made about a matter of academic judgement, that is a judgment where only the opinion of an academic expert is sufficient to decide on the issue.
Local informal resolution
Issues are best dealt with informally and by those involved. In the first stage of the process, applicants are required to seek an informal resolution to problems through the relevant programme admissions office, as applicable.
3. Submitting a complaint or appeal
A complaint or appeal must be submitted using the Admissions Complaints & Appeals form to the Vice-Dean for Programmes’ Office within 28 days of receiving the formal written admission decision.
Forms can be submitted in one of 3 ways:
- Online
Submit the online version of the Admissions Complaints & Appeals form. - Email
Download and complete the form, then submit it via email to dcsecretary@jbs.cam.ac.uk. The email subject line should read “FAO Vice-Dean for Programmes, ADMISSIONS COMPLAINTS & APPEALS”. - Post
Download and complete the form, then send it by post to this address:
Vice-Dean for Programmes
c/o Degree Committee for Business and Management Secretary
Cambridge Judge Business School
Trumpington Street
Cambridge CB2 1AG
United Kingdom
The Vice-Dean for Programmes’ Office may choose to accept a complaint or appeal submitted after the 28-day deadline for exceptional reasons where he or she considers that a valid reason for delay has been evidenced.
An applicant can withdraw a complaint or appeal at any time by emailing or writing to the Vice-Dean for Programmes’ Office. Once a complaint or appeal has been withdrawn it cannot be reinstated.
An applicant will not be disadvantaged for submitting a complaint or appeal if it is made in good faith. Submitting a complaint or appeal will not prevent an applicant from being able to re-apply to Cambridge Judge Business School in the future or affect the applicant’s ability to comply with any offer of study already issued.
4. Responding to a complaint or appeal
The Vice-Dean for Programmes (or delegate), will acknowledge a complaint or appeal within 5 working days.
An admissions complaint or appeal can be declined to be considered if it does not fall within the permitted grounds; if it is trivial, vexatious, malicious; if it has been submitted outside the timeframe and there are not valid and evidenced reasons for late submission; or if the appeal remedy requested does not include amending the admission decision.
If a complaint or appeal is not declined it will be investigated by the Complaints & Appeals Panel. The investigation is likely to include requesting responses from the staff or office involved in considering a graduate applicant’s application. This will involve sharing a copy of the applicant’s complaint or appeal with the relevant staff.
As part of the investigation, the written documentation and legal obligations of the Management Studies Tripos Admissions Office will be taken into consideration.
An applicant will normally receive a complaint/appeal decision letter within 20 working days of receiving a complaint/appeal acknowledgement. If a complaint/appeal decision will take longer than 20 working days, the applicant will receive an update regarding the investigation.
The complaint/appeal outcome letter will include a description of the investigation that took place; the decision; the reasons for the decision; and any actions being taken because of the decision.
The complaint/appeal decision letter confirms Cambridge Judge Business School’s final decision in relation to an undergraduate admissions complaint/appeal. This decision is likely to be communicated to any staff or office involved in the investigation.