Ranked 21 on the Financial Times Global Business School Rankings is the business school of Oxford University, Saïd Business School. Established as the Saïd Business School in 1996, the relatively young school provides undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Finance, Business, and management.
Oxford provides three types of MBA degrees to provide flexibility to applicants.
The full-time MBA at Oxford has a class of approximately 320 students every year and is a one-year long course. The Executive MBA at Oxford is a part-time MBA course with a duration of 22 months and a 24-month option available to enrolled students.
Oxford also provides the option to enrol in a 1+1 MBA. This allows students to follow up their one-year MBA education with a Master’s degree from any other departments at the University.
Oxford Cost of Attendance 2021
| Expense | Per Month (Low to high range) | 9 Months (Low to high range) |
| Food | £280-£400 | £2,520-£3,600 |
| Accommodation | £655-£790 | £5,895-£7,110 |
| Personal Items | £130-£250 | £1,170-£2,250 |
| Social Activities | £45-£115 | £405-£1,035 |
| Study Costs | £45-£100 | £405-£900 |
| Other | £20-£55 | £180-£495 |
| Total | £1,175-£1,710 | £10,575-£15,390 |
| Tuition (Yearly) | £63,000 | |
Oxford Application Process 2021
| Application Checklist | Requirement |
| Essay Questions | The application consists of the following questions:
As part of your application, you will need to submit a supporting statement Tell us something that is not covered in your application which you would like the Admissions Committee to know about you. (Maximum 250 words) Re-applicants will need to submit an additional essay as below: What improvements have you made in your candidacy since you last applied to the Oxford MBA? (Maximum 250 words) Online assessment You will need to complete five questions via our online assessment platform. To virtually meet you, get a sense of your personality and see how you think on your feet, you will need to complete an online assessment as part of your application: Two motivation-based questions – all candidates will answer the same questions Two competency-based questions – these will be randomised Written response – this will be randomised and light-hearted to show us how you can think on your feet! |
| Professional Resume | A current professional resume must be attached to the application. |
| Letters of Recommendation | The Letters of Recommendations are available as a form which will be sent to your selected recommenders. Each applicant must submit two LORs; a current supervisor, or a professional or social acquaintance who can add value to your candidacy. |
| Transcripts | The applicant must provide unofficial (scanned) transcripts from all of their post-secondary (post-high school) educational institutes. Official copies are requested only post-acceptance into the MBA course. |
| GMAT/GRE | The applicant must report their valid (no less than 5 years old) GMAT/GRE score on the application.
GMAT: Q0G-4B-59 GRE: 0807 |
| TOEFL/IELTS/PTE | Every applicant whose native language is not English is required to submit valid TOEFL/IELTS/PTE scores during the application process. |
| Application Fee | Pound 150 |
Oxford Application Deadlines 2021
| Round | Application Deadline | Decision Notification |
| Round 1 | 11 September 2020 | 16 October 2020 |
| Round 2 | 30 October 2020 | 11 December 2020 |
| Round 3 | 8 January 2021 | 19 March 2021 |
| Round 4 | 9 April 2021 | 28 May 2021 |
What does the Oxford admissions committee look for?
Don’t answer essay questions for the admissions committee
Pay very close attention to this point.
Your essays aren’t for the admissions committee to see how well you can reinvent yourself and fit into the Oxford mould. They are strictly to know you as a candidate. Your essays shouldn’t be a compilation of things that you believe the admissions committee wants to hear.
It should be a genuine and authentic account of how Oxford can benefit you and your career as a community and an MBA Program. I know it is an overused statement in MBA applications, but being vulnerable, and authentic is the way to go. Yes, you have to formulate your essays properly, making sure all the right accomplishments and experiences are highlighted. But you should also know when to own up to your flaws and talk about the lessons you learned from them.
Because this is what your experience at Oxford would be like. You’ll succeed in some endeavours and will have to learn from hit and trial in others. But, if your MBA application turns out as a saga of your accomplishments and portrays you as a god with no flaws or shortcomings, which is what MBA applicants believe business schools are looking for, Oxford will be quick to move it to the reject pile.
Focus on pre-MBA networking
Every business school wants to know exactly why you chose them, so does Oxford.
The only real way to answer this question is by doing some pre-MBA networking. This will also portray you as taking initiative in the eye of an admissions committee member. However, don’t let your research for the school be limited to networking only.
If possible, attend the school’s admissions events. The better you know the school, the more authentic and real your answer will be to the question, ‘Why Oxford?’.
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