Calling all Chicago-Booth Applicants (2016 Intake) Class of 2018!!

Hi everybody.

I had my interview couple of days ago off-campus. My interviewer was super nice, friendly, positive and I would say even supportive.
The main questions asked were:
1. Why MBA?
2. Why Booth?
3. How did you decide to apply for MBA?
4. What drives you?
5. Short-term goal? Which companies?
6. To which schools did you apply besides Booth? Why have you chosen these particular schools?
7. What do you expect from MBA?

After every question there were several additional questions, digging into details. We ended up talking for 2 hours: the official part of the interview lasted about 80 minutes and after that we talked for 40 minutes about life in Chicago and post MBA opportunities. Overall I would say it was a very pleasant, nice and friendly talk.

FROM The Booth Experience: Well then… let’s hit the road!

As some might remember I got to compete in the Social New Venture Challenge (SNVC) last year. We didn’t win. But I had my 5 minutes of fame. So now I am back to update you on my summer. It is all about the people Intoxicated by the entrepreneurial and social impact world – one of my SNVC … Continue reading Well then… let’s hit the road! →

FROM The Booth Experience: Outliers: The Story of Chicago Booth

Definition of OUTLIER noun | out·li·er A thing situated away or detached from the main system Significant change or mismeasurement. Data value (The Chicago Booth way ) that falls outside the shape of the distribution for that variable. It indicates a special case that might be worth further investigation. * An outlier can be an unusual, … Continue reading Outliers: The Story of Chicago Booth →

Just wanted to know if Booth posts all accepts together or if its in batches ... ?

Last year they started calling admitted applicants one day before the deadline, and sent WL and dings on the deadline day.

Just 1 month more!!

My interviewer (an alumni) told me the admissions call will start on the 10th. I replied that they were only expected on the 17th and he confirmed that they would start om the 10th. I do not know where he got this info, though.

The website says 10th December as well

Will probably get calls the day before, with the day of with updates on the website.

My interviewer also said all decisions go out December 10th, no batches or anything like that.

As far as the interview itself, I had a very similar experience to what a lot of people have already posted: very friendly and conversational, some general questions followed by a few situational questions, then time at the end for me to ask him two questions. It went really quickly, and the tone was very light and positive so it was hard to get a sense of how I was actually doing. Now is the hardest part, waiting until December 10th... good luck everyone!

Flew to Chicago for the Super Saturday.
Interviewer was 2nd year student.
Very friendly and conversational.
Questions asked include:

Why MBA now? Why Booth?
Tell me about a time you dealt with a difficult person and how did you resolve the conflict?
What kind of leader would your friends describe you as?
How will you contribute to Booth in the classroom setting? Outside the classroom?
What was your biggest failure?
What courses would you take at Booth?

FROM Booth Admissions Blog: Courageous. Fearless. Confident.

The fifth annual Booth Women’s Connect Conference hosted over 600 women comprised of influential alumnae, distinguished faculty, current and prospective students, and staff. Each of the sessions encouraged us to be Courageous, Fearless and Confident in how we approach management, leadership, and risk taking in order to make an impact in any organization. There was such a diverse range of speakers and panel discussions to choose from like Building your Personal Brand, Taking Career Risks, Relaunching Your Career, and Women in Entrepreneurship. Each offered an opportunity to hear and learn from alumnae, faculty, and women in business providing tangible advice. I wish this type of co nference had been around when I was beginning my career. At times I look back and wonder if I was too conservative in the early stages – it takes work to really understood what makes a good leader, how you are perceived, or how to create your own personal brand. I’ve attended this conference multiple times and have appreciated the opportunity to develop new perspectives on my own career. From the Building Resiliency session, we learned that if you haven’t fallen, you haven’t taken enough risks. In reflecting with a colleague after the conference, she noted an interesting aspect about resilience, in that, resilience doesn’t mean overcoming a negative or tough situation. Resilience means challenging yourself and putting yourself into uncertain situations in order to develop self-confidence and courage. T he session on Building Your Personal Brand was the session I found most insightful for my future career path. I kept thinking that what the Booth alumnae were sharing on the panel very much echoed what my role is as an admissions director, and how we coach prospective students through the application process. Kristi Rubenstein, ’12, said, “as you build your brand, think about what you do better than other people.” This is something that I’ve thought about every time I’ve interviewed for a job - what do I bring to the table? When you sit down to prepare your application, you have to have to think about the reasons why you want an MBA, why now, and why Booth. You also have to think about what makes you, you! What is YOUR personal brand? I have also worked on evolving my leadership and management skills. In any job you will encounter a variety of people that force you to reassess how to communicate, wield influence, build trust and ultimately get the best out of the people around you. I certainly don’t have it all figured out, but without a doubt this conference gave me great advice for my career going forward. When asked about how she managed her personal brand, Megan Ladyard, ’13, shared that “by sticking your neck out, bringing value to the team and the organization is key to your personal brand.” This is a point that I have instilled within my team. We won’t get where we want to go individually, it’s the contributions we each make to the team that will move the dial. Booth is a place that inspires creativity and fosters idea generation; it’s a place that encourages people to take risks because of its supportive community. For more insights and takeaways from the conference, join the #BoothWomenConnect conversation on twitter. For questions about the application, please feel free to comment below. Best of luck to you during this journey of self-discovery. All the best, Michelle

I recently interviewed on campus with a second-year student and the questions were very similar to what have been posted before - so thanks to those that shared with us your interview experiences! Below were some of the questions I got -

- walk me through your resume
- leadership example
- a time you worked with someone with different working styles than yours
- a time you failed
- a time you worked under uncertainty and ambiguity
- a time when you had to say no
- what I can bring to the Booth MBA
- anything else I would like to add

My interviewer was extremely nice and I so appreciated that they responded to my answers so it was a very interactive and conversational experience.

Good luck to all!

FROM The Booth Experience: Great Scott! We’re back in the ’80s

Two days after the world celebrated “Back to the Future Day”, Booth’s Graduate Business Council (GBC) threw a time-traveling party of its own – The Booth Arcade ’80s Fall Mixer. GBC’s “primary objective is to help maximize students’ life experiences while they are at Chicago Booth.”  As the first GBC event of the school year, … Continue reading Great Scott! We’re back in the ’80s →

FROM The Booth Experience: Veterans Day at Chicago Booth

On Veterans Day, I always think about those who have served, those who are currently serving, and those who will serve. But it is also hard for me to think about veterans without thinking about the impact of the University of Chicago economist Milton Friedman – the father of America’s all-volunteer force. Today in America … Continue reading Veterans Day at Chicago Booth →

anyone else visiting this friday?

FROM Booth Admissions Blog: How Round 1 Applicants Approached the New Essay

With Round 1 admissions interviews already taking place, we’ve had the opportunity to meet so many potential members of the Class of 2018. While interviews are a great way to put a name to a face, the admissions committee has been impressed by responses to the new essay and how applicants have been able to position their fit with Booth. For those still finalizing their applications, we wanted to provide some helpful insights. What’s behind the essay? Booth is a place that emphasizes individuality and diverse perspectives. The intent of the essay is to get a better feel for who you are, how you think, and the unique impact you bring to the Booth community. There are several photos to choose from, as each sheds light on different aspects of our culture or moment in Booth history. How are people approaching the essay? We quickly realized that image selection results are as diverse as our applicants. We’ve been really impressed and have seen applicants take a very personal approach with their chosen image, as well as give profound reasons for wanting to be a part of this community. Everyone reflects on these images differently, which is something we model throughout our community – valuing unique opinions and individual perspectives to make Booth a stronger place. What exactly is admissions looking for? We are looking for you to be authentic, to understand what connections you make to the program and the school, and what is it about the community you find interesting. We simply encourage you to utilize a photo to contextualize and personalize your response. At the end of the day, we are looking for you to bring a new element about yourself into the essay, something that you haven’t already shared in other sections of the application. Best of luck to all of you who will be applying in the next couple rounds; we look forward to reading more about your connection to the Booth community. Sincerely, Kurt Ahlm Associate Dean, Student Recruitment and Admissions

FROM The Booth Experience: Fall Fun in Chicago

Fall can feel like a whirlwind at Booth. First year, I spent my fall obsessively  “coffee-chatting”, “crop-circling”,  and “corporate-conversationing” — a strange lexicon of made-up verbs familiar to the 250 or so of us who put ourselves through the process of recruiting for management consulting internships each year. However, fall also brings a host of … Continue reading Fall Fun in Chicago →