Calling Chicago (Booth) Applicants for 2009

Anybody going to the happy hour on Thursday?

New York Student-hosted Summer Event
Event Date:31 Jul 2008
Program Full-Time MBA

Description: As you consider your graduate school options, we encourage you to attend a Chicago GSB summer event. This event will be an informal get together with current students and is designed to give you a relaxing environment in which to learn more about the GSB MBA experience. No formal presentation is scheduled. Just relax, grab a drink and get to know the students of the Chicago GSB community. Join us from 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. We look forward to seeing you there!

Hosted By: GSB Students
Time: 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Address: Greenwich Treehouse
46 Greenwich Avenue
(between Charles & Perry)
New York, New York 10011

hey kidderek, I think I may attend.

I'm 99% certain I will be there. Look for the guy fiddling with his new iphone

I'd gone to the Happy hour in New York last December and I would highly recommend for anyone who plans to apply to Chicago to make it there. Helped me get some different perspectives.

I thought it was an open event, just checked the e-mail and you have to register and it is full! grrrr ha maybe ill go to the bar and have a drink anyway:)

Go anyway. People are often no shows.

arrggh missed it..

Anyone else really struggling with Essay Question #2?

Haven't started GSB essays yet, but that's going to be the toughest one I have to answer (out of all applications). Probably going with 2B, easier to come up with an example.

Chicago GSB Clears Hurdles for International Students Seeking Loans

The Chicago Graduate School of Business (GSB) remains committed to finding funding for all of its students, both domestic and international, despite recent changes to its lending partner programs. In fact, the loan application process may prove smoother than ever thanks to a new online system.

This according to Rosemaria Martinelli, Chicago GSB director of admissions and financial aid, who reached out to us here at Clear Admit in the hopes of clarifying any confusion that may have resulted from announcements earlier this month that Chicago has ended its program with lending partner IDAPP.

“We were immediately able to get another loan program for international students with very much the same terms,” she said. That program has been locked in, and Chicago GSB is now just finalizing the terms, Martinelli continued. She expects that an announcement regarding the new lender and program will go out sometime in early August.

The loan process on the international student’s end will be seamless, Martinelli continued. “My job is just to calm down those who need to take out loans,” she said. “There is a guaranteed loan for international students – just the vendor or lender name will change this year.”

And because the university will act as guarantor of the loan, students need simply provide some basic application information. It is not a credit-based loan at all, Martinelli said.

In fact, the changes to the program could bring some distinct advantages, Martinelli pointed out. “It’s actually going to be much easier because our new system will likely be all done online versus the paper-based application we had in the past,” she said. “I really can’t imagine that there will be any more hiccups applying for loans.”

Confusion around the lending issue may have stemmed from newspaper reports earlier this month suggesting that Chicago had lost its ability to fund international students, says Martinelli. “This is absolutely not true,” she stated emphatically.

What is true is this: Chicago learned at the end of June that its lending partner, the Illinois Designated Account Purchase Program (IDAPP), was unable to renew its own line of credit with a private lender due to disruptions in the capital markets, which means that Chicago is no longer able to provide graduate students with federal Stafford, Graduate PLUS and Alternative Loans through its partnership with IDAPP and the School as Lender Program as of fall quarter 2008.

This means that students who have applied for loans for the 2008-2009 school year through the university’s partnership with IDAPP need to look elsewhere in the marketplace to obtain loans from other lenders, with the guidance and support of the financial aid staff. “Domestic students are not really impacted because they have so many other options,” Martinelli said. But because international students have a unique set of challenges in finding resources to finance their education, Chicago GSB focused its attention on finding a replacement loan program for them, Martinelli continued.

And thanks to the quick work of the Chicago GSB financial aid team, that replacement loan program has already been found, Martinelli assured us. So prospective Chicago GSB students – both from the U.S. and elsewhere – can breathe a sigh of relief.

“Chicago GSB is definitely committed to finding funding for all our students regardless of citizenship,” she said, “because diversity is so important to us on so many levels as part of the education process.”

(Source: ClearAdmit)

2nd essay is a nightmare lol I must have some experiences but I am having a tough time mining one. I am just sitting here going through every part of my career and life. I hope this question isn't the reason I drop Chicago from my choices.

Haven't gotten to the Chicago essays yet - decided to start w/ Kellogg. Am not looking forward to question 2 though!

cheers,
ac.

I just had my first "aha" moment of the application process thus far. These always seem to come when you're not in front of the computer and not drafting essays.

I think I have my topic for Chicago GSB essay #2!

Time to go out and celebrate.

Event sign-up is now available on the GSB Website: https://www.chicagogsb.edu/fulltime/admissions/events/northamerica.aspx

Quick question about #1. Since the question is "Why are you pursuing an MBA at this point in your career?", is anyone planning to include short and long-term career goals into their essay? I'm on the fence about this, one of my reviewers who is a rising 1st year says yes, but I'm not sure. Any help would be appreciated.

yea I think you definitely should

Yes I am. My plan is to include an overview of key professional experiences/accomplishments, then explain why i need it to achieve my short/long term goals. I'm going to spend more space talking about how an MBA in particular will be helpful but will have at least 1 parag on what the goals are....
hope this helps!
ac.