Chicago Booth MBA Admissions & Related Blogs

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Chicago Booth EMBA has streamlined its questions this year, giving you one essay with ample space to make your case holistically.  This change indicates that they are looking for people who can organize their thoughts, build a credible and compelling case for their candidacy, and maintain an extended yet focused discussion. The Booth EMBA adcom clearly puts value on verbal expression and expects senior level managers to have mastered this skill. Give yourself time to develop and refine your essay accordingly.

Essays:

1. Why are you seeking an MBA from Chicago Booth and what unique knowledge and experiences do you hope to contribute to the program? (maximum 2 pages, 12 pt. Times New Roman)

The question zeroes in on the elements directly relevant to the adcom, but allows you to elaborate within those parameters.  Considering the pivotal role the one required essay plays in your application, the key challenge is making good decisions about the following four elements:

• Within the overall space allowance, how much space should you allocate to each part of the question?   It will vary person to person.  For example, a person who has her own company will require some “backstory” for context setting before discussing future plans, so she would allocate more space to goals than someone who is rising up the ladder at McKinsey.  Someone with atypical goals (such as my client who successfully applied to a different top EMBA program) will need to spend more time clarifying why he wants the Booth MBA than a more conventional applicant.  Analyze your own case and block out the essay accordingly.

• You have to discuss your professional goals in order to explain why you are “seeking an MBA from Chicago Booth,” but how to present them?  Since EMBA programs are part-time, an ideal place to start is your current work: what do you want to achieve and how do you want to grow during the years in the program?  (This has the added benefit of giving the adcom a view of what you’ll bring to the table based on this work.)  From there, move on to your goals for the 5-year period following graduation – give the most detail here; make it really concrete.  Then sketch your longer-term career vision/plans, necessarily less detailed.   Finally, explain how each of these career/goals phases require skills, knowledge, and perhaps relationships derived through the Booth EMBA.

• How should you structure this relatively long, complex essay?  Simply and straightforwardly is usually best.  Start with your current/immediate goals.  (If you need to provide some backstory for context, as noted above, do so as succinctly as possible.)  Then progress through your goals.  Next, discuss why you need the Booth EMBA now, connecting your reasons to the previously stated goals.  Finally, present your contributions.

• What “unique knowledge and experiences” should you talk about?  Select two to four, and for at least two, give concrete examples.  For all, discuss relevant insights – after all, that’s what you’re really bringing, not the fact of having done something. To select the best, consider what aspects of your experience would be interesting and/or useful to the Booth EMBA cohort and give them fresh insight or perspective.  It could be related to industry, function, geographic/global experience, a formative personal experience, a particularly meaningful extracurricular (community or other non-work) involvement, etc.  Choose points that expand the reader’s understanding of you, things they won’t necessarily glean from your resume, AND that have relevance to them.

2. OPTIONAL: If there is anything else you would like the Admissions Committee to know about you, please share that information here. (maximum 2 pages, 12 pt. Times New Roman)

This question invites you to present new material that will enhance your application, as well as to explain anything that needs explaining (e.g., gap in employment, choice of recommender if not using a direct supervisor, etc.). As far as enhancement points, there should be a clear value to the information you’re sharing – and it should not be content that more appropriately belongs in the main essay (contributions of unique knowledge and experiences).

3. REAPPLICANTS ONLY: Please give us an update on your professional, academic, and community activities since your previous application and highlight what you have done to strengthen your application. (maximum one page, single spaced, 12pt. Times New Roman)

Whatever developments you discuss, for each, describe the situation/experience concretely and clarify the impact you had.  Also clarify how it demonstrates growth (i.e. not just “another” achievement), and why it makes you a stronger candidate.



By Cindy Tokumitsu, co-author of The EMBA Edge, and author of the free special report, Ace the EMBA. Cindy has helped MBA applicants get accepted to top EMBA programs around the world. She is delighted to help you too!

Related Resources:
• Best MBA Programs: A Guide to Selecting the Right One
• Chicago Booth 2016 MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines
• 7 Signs An Experience Belongs In Your Application Essay

This article originally appeared on blog.accepted.com.

Applying to a top b-school? The talented folks at Accepted have helped hundreds of applicants get accepted to their dream programs. Whether you are figuring out where apply, writing your application essays, or prepping for your interviews, we are just a call (or click) away.

Contact us, and get matched up with the consultant who will help you get accepted!

By Adam Hoff, Amerasia Consulting Group
I have received the following question a lot lately: "Should my presentation reflect the ideas that Booth espouses when introducing the presentation question?"  The short answer is "yes," but the long answer is more complicated than that and is worthy of discussion here in this space.  Not just for the way it will help Booth applicants, but because of the way it speaks to the whole idea of "School DNA" and how to assess fit with a program.

The content in question is simply the introductory content that Booth includes in its "presentation" question this year.  In full the question reads:

"Chicago Booth values individuality because of what we can learn from the diverse experiences and perspectives of others. This mutual respect creates an open-minded community that supports curiosity, inspires us to think more broadly, take risks, and challenge assumptions. At Booth, community is about collaborative thinking and tapping into each other's different viewpoints to cultivate new ideas and realize breakthrough moments every day.

Using one of the photos provided, tell us how it resonates with your own viewpoint on why the Booth community is the right fit for you."

They go on to include technical requirements, but we don't need to get into those.  I'm also not going to get into the presentation aspect itself, or the picture choices given.  Rest assured that if you want to work with us on Booth, we assess each and every option and give advice on which photo you might want to tackle, as well as how to do it.  But we can assess their intro content and give you some thoughts on what to make of it.  Let's break it down in three sections: 1) why intro content like this exists, 2) how to use it for purposes of school selection, and 3) how to use it in your presentation.

1. Why does intro content like this exist?  The first and most important thing to understand when you read an "intro" like this (and many schools have these) is that it exists in part to help you answer the question, but in even larger part to "message" to you.  It's one more chance for the school to tell you what they are about, why they are great, why they are better than other programs, etc.  If you read it carefully, you will see that they are not really asking you to do anything in particular with this info, or even respond to it.  They are asking you to respond to a photo and then articulate why the Booth community is the right fit for you.  Your own goals and personality may or may not directly connect to the things they are bragging about when talking about their own community - it is certainly unlikely to be an exact match, with your values overlaying Booth's exactly.  So if you take this info and use it purely as content priming, you are probably going to arrive at a presentation that seems pandering - and all for no reason, as they included this to show off to you, more than they did to instruct your answer.

2. How to use this information in school selection.  I include this mainly to say "don't bother."  There are a million reasons to apply to a school.  Just a few: brand, ROI, industry expertise, hiring pipeline, culture, location, friends went there or go there, a certain program of interest, teaching style, and so on.  But one reason should not be "the flowery statement they made on the essay question."  All these schools say stuff like this and its just marketing.  If we understand that this is a message they are feeding you (and from point #1 we know it is), then we know its not reliable information for selection a school.  (The implication here, in case you are missing it, is this: never pick a school based on the lines they feed you.  You owe it to yourself to dig deeper than that and find our real reasons for applying.)
3. How to use this information in the presentation.  Okay, let's be honest, this is what you clicked on the post for.  The way you want to use this information in the presentation is to absorb the ideas more broadly into your analysis of self and of how you are approaching this school.  Any Booth client of mine will know that hitting on risk tolerance is essential when applying to Booth. Not just because you want to give them that wrinkle on your presentation, but because you should indeed have some capacity for taking risks if Booth is going to be a good fit.  It's more of a "push your chips into the middle of the table" kind of school than most.  If you can navigate ambiguity, if you like being out on a limb and feel you grow when stretched, if you are unafraid of taking chances ... honestly, Booth is probably going to be a blast.  If are the stereotypical movie character who believes in hierarchy, pecking order, strict categorization, and rules for everything, you will probably hate it.  So for me, it's about making these notions part of your greater process of discovering school fit.  And then, once you have pegged the school as a fit, you will easily and naturally find yourself in position to build your story around common pillars.  Still, I know you want me to run them down line by line, so I will:

• "Diverse perspectives."  We know from the intro content that Booth believes that individual perspectives are key, but you don't have to worry too much on this one because sharing your own perspective is inherent to a Booth presentation.  But it does bring to mind something I found myself telling people all the time, which is "Double down on sharing who you are, rather than on trying to impress people."  People are either impressed or they are not, based on your profile and resume - it's pretty binary.  There is no need to try to "impress them more."  Instead, allow them to get to know you.  It seems simple, but it's very important and I would guess that half of MBA applicants fail to understand this.
• "Mutual respect" and "Open-minded."  I put these together because what they are saying is they want an engaged community of respect and intellectual exploration.  This is hard to convey in a presentation, but they can filter out people who don't fit this in the interview process.  Therefore, I wouldn't go out of your way to try to "cover this" in a presentation, as it will seem like pandering.  The exception here would be if your entire platform and reason for applying to Booth is because you are drawn to the Life of the Mind atmosphere at U Chicago.
• "Think more broadly."  This more or less means thinking and behaving in an interdisciplinary way.  Booth is part of a larger university community and acts like it - this is a place that values a deep interdisciplinary approach.  Again though, it's more for you to know than to try to talk about.  It wouldn't hurt to mention cross-functional projects in the interview, but if you try to do a presentation slide about how much you love broad, cross-discipline growth, you will come off as either very unlikeable or very fake.  (Again, unless it is truly central to your profile and story.)
• "Take risks and challenge assumptions."  I put these together because I do think this is core to Booth and should be core to your interest in the school and, therefore, any application you would forward.  But it's not *because* they put it in this intro.  It's in the intro because it's the foundation of the program.  Do you see the difference?  You are responding not to the content, but instead you would be doing what Booth is doing - recognizing something foundational and true and then speaking to it.
• "Collaborative thinking."  The rest of the intro is very much advertising.  I'd need another 1,000 words to do this one justice, but basically Booth (back when it was just Chicago GSB) used to be seen as a little more cutthroat and a little less social than some other b-schools (especially since crosstown rival Kellogg was always seen as the MBA version of a group hug).  That couldn't be further from the truth now, so they just want you to know it.  For purposes of "using" this information, I would suggest not forwarding a story of yourself that is solitary in nature. Include the people that matter to you and the people in your life that have shaped you.  But seriously, if you plan to forward a presentation without other people in it, you are further off than one bullet in one blog can do anything to help with.  Therefore, this is one instruction that you should definitely follow, but you would anyway.

When you break it down like that, you can see that this is really just a blend of the obvious/inherent (stuff you would grapple with anyway), some things that likely wouldn't be appropriate to tackle in a presentation, and then one gold nugget (risk) that you should have found, responded to, and made central already if you were going to make Booth a top choice for your MBA pursuits.   The goal of this post is to help you recognize all three of those realities and learn from them.  Know when you are being marketed to, know when to avoid falling into the trap of being the Type A personality that panders to the school, and know how to zero in on the DNA of a school.  In this way, the Booth "intro" content is a truly great case study.

If you are interested in Chicago Booth or any other top MBA program, email us at mba@amerasiaconsulting.com or visit us at www.amerasiaconsulting.com/contact to schedule your free consultation.  

Let’s take a look at this year's newest Chicago Booth class, the class of 2017…
• Number of applications received - 4,286
• Average class size - 585
• Female students - 42%
• Male students - 58%
• Average student age - 27.8 years
• Average years work experience - 5
• GMAT range - 570-780
• Average GMAT - 726
• GPA range (mid-80%) - 3.2-3.9
• Average GPA - 3.6
• U.S. minority students - 23%
• International students - 34%
• Countries represented - 55

Undergraduate majors:



(Source: Chicago Booth’s Quick Snapshot: Class of 2017 and Poets & Quants' article "Meet the Chicago Booth MBA Class of 2017")




Related Resources:
• Best MBA Programs: A Guide to Selecting the Right One
• Chicago Booth 2016 MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines
• MBA Admissions: Low Stats or GPA 

This article originally appeared on blog.accepted.com.

Applying to a top b-school? The talented folks at Accepted have helped hundreds of applicants get accepted to their dream programs. Whether you are figuring out where apply, writing your application essays, or prepping for your interviews, we are just a call (or click) away.

Contact us, and get matched up with the consultant who will help you get accepted!

The Chicago Booth School of Business has debuted a scholarship program designed to support advanced business education in the nonprofit and government sectors.

The new Civic Scholars Program, funded in part by a $4-million gift from the Neubauer Family Foundation, will provide full-tuition scholarships every year to Chicago Booth’s Weekend MBA Program for eight professionals working in the nonprofit and government fields.

Known as Neubauer Civic Scholars, students in the program will continue working full-time as they pursue their degrees, allowing them to apply their classroom experiences to their workplaces.

Traditionally the public and nonprofit sectors are underrepresented in MBA programs, but with the Civic Scholars Program, Booth can tap the potential of professionals in these fields. No other world class business school currently offers as comprehensive a program for civic leaders.

“This is an opportunity to strengthen the development of future leaders from the public and nonprofit sectors across the United States, and Booth’s data-driven and collaborative approach will help these professionals drive change within their organizations that has a dynamic impact,” says Joseph Neubauer, MBA ’65.

“The same leadership skills are required to run all enterprises regardless of sector, which is why we are particularly excited to provide this opportunity to those who are the best and brightest in their chosen fields to strengthen the critical business and analytical skills required to run their organizations,” he adds.

The program will bring important voices to the classroom and community by providing broader perspectives on issues such as understanding the role of business in society, the implications of expanding public-private partnerships, and the opportunities for business leaders to engage productively with government and nonprofit organizations.

Neubauer Civic Scholars will be subject to the same curriculum requirements as all students in Booth’s MBA Programs, and ideal candidates will have approximately six to ten years of professional experience when applying to the program.

In addition to the core curriculum, they will have new, experience-based courses designed exclusively for the program that allow them to work in small teams on research and consulting projects for social sector and government organizations, as well as on individual projects at the Civic Scholars’ own organizations.

Additionally, a platform of curricular and extra-curricular programs exclusive to Neubauer Civic Scholars will be developed with the goal of fostering the group’s connections with each other as well as enhancing the educational experience.

The Civic Scholars Program will partner with other Booth research centers such as the Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State, Social Enterprise Initiative, and the Harry Davis Leadership Center, as well as faculty from the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy, on curricular and co-curricular programming.

“We are very grateful for the pledge from the Neubauer Family Foundation to create the Neubauer Civic Scholarship Fund,” says Booth Dean Sunil Kumar. “This investment will allow Chicago Booth to provide select students from the nonprofit and public sectors the same discipline base and leadership tools we offer to business leaders. In time, this will help the school broaden its impact into these sectors, by building a community of talented and well-trained alumni.”
Image credit: Adam Fagen (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

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If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, Stacy Blackman Consulting can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Contact us to learn more. Visit the website for Stacy Blackman Reviews, and check out the company’s e-publications for more in depth school-by-school guidance.

While you don’t need to have your career goals set in stone when you apply to business school, you should have a very clear idea of how the MBA degree will help you prepare for your future career.

The full-time MBA admissions blog at Chicago Booth School of Business has published an informative and insightful post written by Nima Merchant, a new member of the admissions team who has just transitioned from Booth’s Career Services employer development department.

“I’ve gained a very clear perspective of what employers who hire at Booth are looking for — and how those values can be important to highlight in your application.”

Merchant suggests applicants start by studying the Booth Full-Time MBA employment report. You can get an overview of the career paths students pursue under the Profiles tab, and the Employers section details the top companies recruiting at Booth.

You’ll see trends in the career interests of students through the Function and Industries tabs, which provide a break down of full-time positions and internships accepted—plus salary ranges and the number of hires per company.

The report also shows where students find work, and the Job Source section indicates that more than 75% of all employment offers last year were facilitated through Booth, which Merchant calls a “glowing example” of the powerhouse that is the Chicago Booth alumni network.

As you prepare your MBA applications, think about your future career goals, how the program can help you reach those goals, and what you will contribute to the school as well.

“It will be essential for you to connect with students and alumni to get their personal perspectives how the MBA, and Booth, helped them get where they wanted to be,” writes Merchant.

To that end, here’s a link to Chicago Booth’s upcoming online chats, where you can engage with current students and career services staff to get answers to all of your burning questions about the resources and opportunities available at Booth.
image courtesy of Chicago Booth School of Business

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If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, Stacy Blackman Consulting can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Contact us to learn more. Visit the website for Stacy Blackman Reviews, and check out the company’s e-publications for more in depth school-by-school guidance.

Military veterans seeking an MBA degree at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business will have a significant leg up, thanks to the $10 million gift from alumnus Eric Gleacher to fund a groundbreaking scholarship program for U.S. veterans.

The Gleacher Veteran Scholars Fund will provide a permanent source of scholarship support to help veterans bridge the gap between the benefits they have earned from the government and the remaining costs associated with receiving their MBA degrees from Booth.

The number of veteran students in Booth’s programs has increased substantially over the past several years, and currently, there are 78 veterans enrolled.

The Marines taught me a great deal about leadership, which is crucial to the success of every business.  A Booth MBA can inspire veteran students as future business leaders, preparing them for successful careers as entrepreneurs and executives in major companies.

“It was a winning combination, and I want to make it possible for those who have served our country to have the same opportunity,” Gleacher said.

Booth has built a reputation for providing veteran support through participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program, a voluntary program that allows universities to enter into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to fund tuition and fee expenses that exceed the established thresholds under the Post 9/11 GI Bill.

The Gleacher Veteran Scholars Fund will allow Booth to sustain and expand its financial support for veterans.

“Military veterans bring a great deal to the Chicago Booth community in terms of their experience, commitment to service, and maturity. I’m delighted we have significantly increased the number of veterans in our programs,” said Sunil Kumar, Booth Dean and George Pratt Shultz Professor of Operations Management.

“Eric’s gift will make pursuing an MBA at Booth significantly more affordable for many of these veterans, and thus will have a substantially positive impact on the Booth community as a whole.”

To learn more about Gleacher’s gift, please click here.
Photo by: Mackenzie Stroh for Chicago Booth School of Business

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If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, Stacy Blackman Consulting can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Contact us to learn more. Visit the website for Stacy Blackman Reviews, and check out the company’s e-publications for more in depth school-by-school guidance.

The latest winner of the New Venture Challenge (by Polsky Center) is TransparentC, which provides transparency in compensation and career paths of MBAs to MBAs.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/bluesky/o ... story.html

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business has updated the required full-time MBA essay question for the 2016-2017 application cycle.
Essay Question
View this collection of shared Booth moments. Choose the moment that best resonates with you and tell us why.

Presentation/Essay Guidelines:

• Choose the format that works for you. Want to illustrate your response visually? Submit a slide presentation. Like to express yourself with words? Write a traditional essay. Use the format that you feel best captures your response, the Admissions Committee has no preference.
• Determine your own length. There is no prescribed minimum or maximum length. We trust that you will use your best judgment in determining how long your submission should be, but we recommend that you think strategically about how to best allocate the space.

Technical Guidelines:

• File Size: Maximum file size is 16 MB.
• Accepted Upload Formats: Acceptable formats are PDF, Word, and PowerPoint. We strongly recommend converting your piece to a PDF file prior to submitting.
• Multimedia Restrictions: We will be viewing your submission electronically and in full color, but all submissions will be converted to PDF files, so animation, video, music, etc. will not translate over.

Optional Essay:

Is there any additional information that you would like the Admissions Committee to know? If so, please address in an optional essay. (300 word maximum)

Re-applicant Essay:

Upon reflection, how has your perspective regarding your future, Chicago Booth, and/or getting an MBA changed since the time of your last application? (300 words maximum)

For more information on applying to Chicago Booth, please visit the full-time MBA admissions website.
You may also be interested in:
Chicago Booth Fall 2017 MBA Application Deadlines

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If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, Stacy Blackman Consulting can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Contact us to learn more. Visit the website for Stacy Blackman Reviews, and check out the company’s e-publications for more in depth school-by-school guidance.

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business has announced the full-time MBA application deadlines for the 2016-2017 admissions cycle. They are as follows:
Round 1
Application due: September 22, 2016

Decision released: December 8, 2016
Round 2
Application due: January 4, 2017

Decision released: March 16, 2017
Round 3
Application due: April 4, 2017

Decision released: May 18, 2017

The essay questions will be announced in mid-June, and the application will be released soon. For more information about applying to Chicago Booth, please visit the Booth admissions website.
Image courtesy of The University of Chicago Booth School of Business

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If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, Stacy Blackman Consulting can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Contact us to learn more. Visit the website for Stacy Blackman Reviews, and check out the company’s e-publications for more in depth school-by-school guidance.

  Poonam, founder and president of myEssayReview, is publishing interviews of her most successful students of 2015-16 application season.  This is the latest in the series. Here is a chat with Ritika, now a first year student of the weekend MBA program at the prestigious Booth.

Poonam: Can you tell us a little about yourself? Where are you from? Where and what did you study as an undergrad? What do you do now?

Ritika: Of course! I am from the capital of India, Delhi. I would describe myself as a kind of traveler who is always on the move. I did my Electronics and Communication Engineering from Kurukshetra University and got a job in Accenture as a software engineer. I worked for Accenture for 6.5 years. I worked at offshore Delivery center for Accenture in Chennai for 2.5 years, and I came to client location in the US in 2012 where I helped the client with Quality assurance of new tools and software releases. Thus, I have had the experience of meeting many people from many different places and have been constantly making new connections all this while. I have recently joined Randstad.

Poonam:  When did you start thinking about MBA?

Ritika: Since I graduated from college, MBA has been a lifelong dream for me all along.  I had earlier applied to Indian schools back in India, converted couple of calls and was waitlisted for a couple more. I guess a feeling of doing MBA from one notch up each time was holding me back from accepting the offers I had received. Never in my dreams had I aspired to come onsite, let alone Booth! Maybe opportunities forgone translate into new avenues. After writing my GMAT, I was keen on shortlisting schools. Living near Chicago had given me ample opportunity to attend demo classes, do some research and visit campus for both Kellogg and Booth. So, finally I took the plunge this year by starting at Booth.

Poonam:  What are your career goals?

Ritika: My experience as a Software analyst has helped me outline my goal of becoming an IT strategy consultant either in my current company or in Deloitte. I want to create strategies and plans that define how IT should be utilized to support an organization’s overall business strategy, identifying more opportunities, optimizing processes and proposing solutions. This will prep me up for my long term goal of becoming a Practice Head for business strategy where I will be responsible for growing business for clients, building practices in new niche markets, developing talent within my team, and managing profitability of the practice.

Poonam: When did you start preparing for your application? Could you please share your application strategy, planning and preparation with our readers?

Ritika: I wanted to apply in Round 2 for all the four schools I was applying to: Ross, Kellogg, Kelley and Booth. I wanted to start early as I am not at my very best when I procrastinate until last minute. I am also a keen believer in doing exhaustive research before committing to any plan, so had contacted you after looking at countless profiles of other consultants over the net. I wanted personalized attention, so I zeroed in on you!! The amount of insight and value addition you did to my initial drafts was amazing!

Poonam:  Thank you, Ritika! Looking back, what was the most challenging aspect of the school admissions process? How did you approach that challenge and overcome it? How would you advise other MBA applicants who are facing similar challenges?

Ritika: I am a perfectionist, which often works to my disadvantage. Letting go of the constant need to achieve a perfect score, was a huge turning point for me .Some people think that GMAT score is the single most important aspect of  MBA application. To those I would say it is important, but please do not get caught up in the number game. Each person, each profile is unique. Each person brings different things to the table. If you are plateauing on GMAT score, focus on things that could differentiate your profile from others. For example, community service, any initiative at work that displays your leadership skills would do the trick!

In addition, I cannot emphasize much on importance of starting early. Make sure to plan things ahead for application process. This priceless advice from Poonam and her constant reminders helped me immensely in chalking out my plan to perfection.

• Visit the schools if possible. It is a huge bonus if you see things firsthand.
• Have all of your stories on a piece of paper and then use those as per the questions asked in application essays. Be aware of your strength and weaknesses and work  towards using them to your advantage.
• Do not leave essays to the last moment; they can make or break your candidature. I know of people scoring extremely well on GMAT and still being unable to get a single call due to not so great essays. A great coach to frame and fine-tune your essays helps you get there. Personalized attention from Poonam helped me do that.
• Review your essays thoroughly before hitting the submit button. You do not want to be caught dead misstating the name of the school you are applying to or    any such random silly mistake.
• Prepare for interviews if you feel the need to, Again, always be aware of where you stand and decide accordingly. I need to practice my stuff before doing the final thing so, I compiled a list of questions- generic ones as well as specific to each school and prepared off of it.You also suggested a few!! So I prepared those, and I was ready.

Poonam: You finally applied to three schools (Ross, Kelley and Booth), received interview invites from all three of them but accepted Booth offer before you could interview with Kelly and Ross. Is that right?  How is Booth the best school for you?

Ritika: Yes, Poonam I did not submit my application to Kellogg because the Kellogg deadline was pretty far, and I got Booth decision within a week of interview. I did not want to take any chance with my convert for Booth. I did interview with Ross, but I got an interview invite from Kelley after my decision to accept Booth offer. My Booth launch program was the same day as Kelley interview, so I could not attend that.

Booth is the best school for me because Booth MBA would help me aim for a higher position in the same industry as an IT strategy consultant without quitting my current job. It would help me compliment what I am learning in work environment and enable me to apply newly acquired skills and knowledge at work and vice versa. In addition, since I am currently working in Chicago, IL, a weekend program at Chicago will enable me to effectively manage my work during the week and school on the weekend. The resources at my disposal at Booth are amazing and the amount of flexibility it offers is baffling. Besides, the Booth network is one of its kind.

Poonam:  Do you have any admissions tips for applicants who are aiming for top 20 MBA programs? (e.g. school selection, GMAT, essays, résumé, recommendation letters, interview etc.)

Ritika: Start Early!  Firstly, get your GMAT exam squared right away…Practice is the key... mock exams and timed practice helped me a lot in my preparation. Also, you should study in short bursts of 1-1.5 hours alternatively instead of long stretches.in order to avoid burnout.

Then, as I mentioned earlier, decide schools based on your fit, try to dig as much info as possible via website, school visits, and talking to current students and recent alumni. Attend fairs if you do not live close enough to schools. That should give a fair idea of where to apply.

Please be aware that Essay writing is very time consuming. I myself took sweet 3-4 months to get my essays finished. By doing this, I was able to turn in first drafts of essays, which were decent and compelling instead of some random gibberish hashed at the last moment. Also, finalizing your resume beforehand helps you jot down and streamline your career progression and highlights.

Reco letters: Always get your reco letters from people who can vouch for you and can give details of things you do. Vague and generalized statements would do you more harm than good. You do not want to throw away this opportunity here to display who you are from your boss’s /peer’s perspective.

Poonam:  What is your favorite thing about Booth so far? If you could change one thing about the program, what would it be?

Ritika: The professors here are amazing! The academic counsellors also help immensely in course selection for each new quarter... It is too early to figure out shortcomings about the program in my first quarter though!

Poonam: I am aware that you joined a new job after accepting Booth admit offer. I also know you are married.  Could you please let us know how you are managing demands of your new full time job, family, and coursework at Booth? Do you have any time management tips for prospective students?

Ritika: Believe me it is quite a feat you need to accomplish here. I  can say from Indian women’s perspective that you will need to manage your time pretty well. I surely can say it is an uphill task initially, but trust me, by the end of couple of quarters, you will be a master of time management (that is what I have been hearing from my seniors!).In addition, it helps immensely if you have a helpful partner at home. You both need to be on same page as to what entails your MBA journey… My husband has been amazingly supportive with everything so far. It’s always good to know that you have someone to count on by your side in battles you are fighting!!.Prioritize! Prioritize and prioritize some more. Treat time as money and use it as judiciously as possible. Learn to say ‘no’ to things and people who fail to appreciate the fact that you are juggling so many things and ‘sap’ you time and energy away. Instead, stay with folks who motivate you and bring positivity to table. Booth is very rigorous and demanding, both emotionally and mentally. At times you do feel overwhelmed with it….Don’t give up! Keep calm and march ahead (At least that is what I keep saying to myself anyway!)It will be worth all the blood and sweat at graduation!!!

Poonam: What are your favorite non-school books?  What are you hobbies?

Ritika: I love The Monk who sold his Ferrari. I so want to follow it to the T. I am following many things mentioned in the book as of now, but I need to do so much more for  constant overhaul. Running and cooking bring sanity and calm to me. There is no other thing in the world I love better than good home cooked meal and an exhilarating 40 minutes jog/run

Poonam: Robin Sharma is one of my favorite authors, too, and I love this book The Monk who sold his Ferrari.  Thank you, Ritika, for sharing your story with us. It was a pleasure chatting with you. I am sure your valuable insights will be a helpful resource to the prospective MBA candidates for weekend programs. Good luck on your Booth experience and your future career.

Note: You can connect with Ritika via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritikagaur

For more student interviews, click here .

For questions, email Poonam  at  poonam@myessayreview.com

Web /Blog/ Free resources/LinkedIn/ Facebook

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Johns Hopkins University has announced that Sunil Kumar, dean of the Chicago Booth School of Business, will become its 15th provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, effective September 1, 2016.

“Sunil is a proven academic leader with uncompromising standards for excellence, great integrity, and a deep-seated commitment to collaboration,” says President Ronald J. Daniels. “He is a scholar and leader passionate about higher education, committed to values that align with the priorities of the Johns Hopkins Ten by Twenty‘ strategic vision, and well-suited to be a steward and champion of this extraordinary institution.”


In five years as dean at Chicago Booth, Kumar helped raise more than $300 million in philanthropic support; focused on student recruitment, including increasing the enrollment of women in full-time programs from 35 percent to 42 percent; and expanded courses for undergraduates.

The dean was also instrumental in establishing the newly consolidated Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, which helps researchers across the university translate ideas, discoveries, and new technology into products and start-up businesses.

As JHU provost, Kumar will work with the president and deans on university-wide interdisciplinary collaboration, academic policy, and key priorities including diversity, student aid, and commitment to the communities surrounding Johns Hopkins’ campuses.

“I look forward to helping Johns Hopkins continue to attract the best faculty and students, while strengthening a welcoming, inclusive, and scholarly environment at the university,” says Kumar. “Ensuring Johns Hopkins is the home of choice of a diverse and talented group of faculty members and students is important to me.”

“I feel that the professional schools and the rest of the university have a complementary and symbiotic relationship,” Kumar adds. “I am deeply attracted to the opportunity to support the faculty and students at Johns Hopkins as it moves closer to the ‘one university’ ideal.”

For more information on this new appointment, please read theoriginal article on the Johns Hopkins University website.


***

If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, Stacy Blackman Consulting can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Contact us to learn more. Visit the website for Stacy Blackman Reviews, and check out the company’s e-publications for more in depth school-by-school guidance.

Chicago Booth EMBA gives you just one essay but with ample space to make your case holistically. This approach to the essay question indicates that they are looking for people who can organize their thoughts, build a credible and compelling case for their candidacy, and maintain an extended yet focused discussion. The Booth EMBA adcom clearly puts value on verbal expression and expects senior level managers to have mastered this skill. Give yourself time to develop and refine your essay accordingly.

Essays:

1. Why are you seeking an MBA from Chicago Booth and what unique knowledge and experiences do you hope to contribute to the program? (maximum 2 pages, 12 pt. Times New Roman)

The question zeroes in on the elements directly relevant to the adcom, but allows you to elaborate within those parameters. Considering the pivotal role the one required essay plays in your application, the key challenge is making good decisions about the following four elements:

• Within the overall space allowance, how much space should you allocate to each part of the question? It will vary person to person. For example, a person who has her own company will require some “backstory” for context setting before discussing future plans, so she would allocate more space to goals than someone who is rising up the ladder at McKinsey. Someone with atypical goals (such as my client who successfully applied to a different top EMBA program) will need to spend more time clarifying why he wants the Booth MBA than a more conventional applicant. Analyze your own case and block out the essay accordingly.

• You have to discuss your professional goals in order to explain why you are “seeking an MBA from Chicago Booth,” but how to present them? Since EMBA programs are part-time, an ideal place to start is your current work: what do you want to achieve and how do you want to grow during the years in the program? (This has the added benefit of giving the adcom a view of what you’ll bring to the table based on this work.) From there, move on to your goals for the 5-year period following graduation – give the most detail here; make it really concrete. Then sketch your longer-term career vision/plans, necessarily less detailed. Finally, explain how each of these career/goals phases require skills, knowledge, and perhaps relationships derived through the Booth EMBA.

• How should you structure this relatively long, complex essay? Simply and straightforwardly is usually best. Start with your current/immediate goals. (If you need to provide some backstory for context, as noted above, do so as succinctly as possible.) Then progress through your goals. Next, discuss why you need the Booth EMBA now, connecting your reasons to the previously stated goals. Finally, present your contributions.

• What “unique knowledge and experiences” should you talk about? Select two to four, and for at least two, give concrete examples. For all, discuss relevant insights – after all, that’s what you’re really bringing, not the fact of having done something. To select the best, consider what aspects of your experience would be interesting and/or useful to the Booth EMBA cohort and give them fresh insight or perspective. It could be related to industry, function, geographic/global experience, a formative personal experience, a particularly meaningful extracurricular (community or other non-work) involvement, etc. Choose points that expand the reader’s understanding of you, things they won’t necessarily glean from your resume, AND that have relevance to them.

2. OPTIONAL: If there is anything else you would like the Admissions Committee to know about you, please share that information here. (maximum 2 pages, 12 pt. Times New Roman)

This question invites you to present new material that will enhance your application, as well as to explain anything that needs explaining (e.g., gap in employment, choice of recommender if not using a direct supervisor, etc.). As far as enhancement points, there should be a clear value to the information you’re sharing – and it should not be content that more appropriately belongs in the main essay (contributions of unique knowledge and experiences).

3. REAPPLICANTS ONLY: Please give us an update on your professional, academic, and community activities since your previous application and highlight what you have done to strengthen your application. (maximum one page, single spaced, 12pt. Times New Roman)

Whatever developments you discuss, for each, describe the situation/experience concretely and clarify the impact you had. Also clarify how it demonstrates growth (i.e. not just “another” achievement), and why it makes you a stronger candidate.

***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with individual programs to verify the essay questions, instructions and deadlines.***

Chicago EMBA 2016-17 Deadlines:



 



By Cindy Tokumitsu, co-author of The EMBA Edge, and author of the free gide, Ace the EMBA. Cindy has helped MBA applicants get accepted to top EMBA programs around the world. She is delighted to help you too!

Related Resources:
• Best MBA Programs: A Guide to Selecting the Right One
• Chicago Booth 2016-17 MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines
• 7 Signs An Experience Belongs In Your Application Essay

This article originally appeared on blog.accepted.com.

Applying to a top b-school? The talented folks at Accepted have helped hundreds of applicants get accepted to their dream programs. Whether you are figuring out where apply, writing your application essays, or prepping for your interviews, we are just a call (or click) away.

Contact us, and get matched up with the consultant who will help you get accepted!

The Chicago Booth School of Business is consistently rated in the top echelon of MBA programs in the United States and is known for a strong intellectual community. This application is designed to evaluate candidates on their ability to handle the Chicago curriculum, contribute to the community, and grow in their careers.

Academic ability will largely be communicated through your GPA/GMAT, transcripts and other fixed data points, though intellectual curiosity can be demonstrated in the essays and the interview.

Along with academics, Chicago will be looking for demonstrated leadership, team building skills and community involvement, as well as your fit with Chicago Booth and the perspective you will share with your classmates.

It will be important to strategically work in leadership and work accomplishments into your application. If you choose an image from the options that focuses on professional topics you can work some of your own work examples into the essay.

If you decide to focus on some of the community or academic topics, you can use your resume and certainly the interview to describe your work accomplishments and goals.

ESSAY QUESTION
View this collection of shared Booth moments. Choose the moment that best resonates with you and tell us why.

Presentation/Essay Guidelines:
• Choose the format that works for you. Want to illustrate your response visually? Submit a slide presentation. Like to express yourself with words? Write a traditional essay. Use the format that you feel best captures your response, the Admissions Committee has no preference.
• Determine your own length. There is no prescribed minimum or maximum length. We trust that you will use your best judgment in determining how long your submission should be, but we recommend that you think strategically about how to best allocate the space.
Technical Guidelines:
• File Size: Maximum file size is 16 MB.
• Accepted Upload Formats: Acceptable formats are PDF, Word, and PowerPoint. We strongly recommend converting your piece to a PDF file prior to submitting.
• Multimedia Restrictions: We will be viewing your submission electronically and in full color, but all submissions will be converted to PDF files, so animation, video, music, etc. will not translate over.

The new Chicago Booth essay question gives you a set of photos and text describing and depicting a range of student activities at Booth – from students in India as part of a Global Social Impact Practicum to an MBA sailing race – and asks you to choose one that resonates with you.

Your first step is to do as much school research as possible on Chicago. Visit campus. Attend events. Speak to alumni. Read the admissions blog. Whatever you are capable of doing to experience the community for yourself before starting your application will be invaluable as you set pen to paper.

Chicago Booth’s open-ended essay format is daunting for most applicants. Whether you choose to write an essay or prepare a presentation, take a step back from the unique format and think about the question strategically. The format’s open-ended setup simply gives you the freedom to express who you are in words, images, graphics or some combination.

Keep in mind what Chicago Booth represents in the image you choose. Booth is a school with a tradition of intellectual rigor, non-conformity, and innovation. When discussing the image that resonates with you about Chicago Booth you can share almost anything from any context, from work to home to extracurricular activities.

It’s also important to explain why your chosen image resonates with you and to bring in important elements of your application strategy. Maybe the image of GrubHub founder Matt Maloney on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange resonates with you because you dream of an entrepreneurial career, and you can use the essay to describe more about your career goals.

If you decide to write an essay response, you have enough space to tell a story that describes something new about yourself. If you decide to prepare a PowerPoint in response to this essay question, refine your story to its key elements.

To keep a visual essay interesting and high-impact, consider how you will format. Can you use photos? Drawings? If you use words, keep them clear and focused. Take every point up a level, so you are communicating a vision rather than a thesis.

Optional Essay:
Is there any additional information that you would like the Admissions Committee to know? If so, please address in an optional essay. (300 word maximum)

This optional essay is a flexible question, allowing you to provide the information you need to put forward the best possible application. If you have any areas that need to be explained in your profile, such as academic issues or gaps in work experience, this is the ideal place to add more detail.

Because the essay is open-ended you can also use it to add any additional information you wanted to inform the admissions committee about. Anything from an interesting personal background to meaningful extracurricular could be relevant context to add to a successful application.

***

If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, Stacy Blackman Consulting can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Contact us to learn more. Visit the website for Stacy Blackman Reviews, and check out the company’s e-publications for more in depth school-by-school guidance.

This interview is the latest in an Accepted blog series featuring interviews with MBA students, offering readers a behind-the-scenes look at top MBA programs. And now for a chat with a first year MBA student at Chicago Booth, Delano Saporu….

Accepted: We’d like to get to know you! Where are you from? Where and what did you study as an undergrad?

Delano: I am originally from Blaine, Minnesota but was working in Des Moines, Iowa prior to starting my MBA Journey at Chicago Booth. In undergrad I majored in Finance, Banking, and Portfolio Management at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Accepted: [b]If you could describe yourself in 3 words, what would they be?[/b]

Delano: 
Goal Oriented: Setting and achieving goals is a huge aspect of my life and something that drives me daily. I tend to set my life goals in increments of 4-5 years and 10 years.

Family Focused: Family is a huge part of my life and my success is largely due to the guidance of my parents. My parents came to the United States from Nigeria in 1981 and instilled work ethic and discipline in myself and all my siblings.

[b]Active: [/b]I love to stay active whether it be through sports, class, socializing. I am always on the go until it’s time to sleep.

Accepted: [b]Where are you currently in b-school? What year?[/b]

Delano: I am currently a first year student at the University of Chicago Booth class of 2018. The past few weeks at Booth have been amazing with a whirlwind of orientation activities and meeting classmates.

Accepted: [b]What drew you to the Chicago Booth MBA program? How did you decide it was the right “fit” for you?[/b]

Delano: I was drawn to Chicago Booth for many reasons but the ones that currently come to mind are location, people, and the flexible curriculum. Being a lifelong mid-westerner I have always wanted to live in the great city of Chicago. Booth is located in a great city but still manages to maintain a great class cohesiveness.

I knew Booth was the right fit for me when I visited during First Day (admitted student day). I immediately felt at home when interacting with other admitted students and current students. Additionally, all my interactions with faculty and staff were pleasant and welcoming. It just felt right.

Booth has a very unique curriculum that allows students to be in the driver’s seat of their academic experience. I was highly attracted to that part of Booth.

Accepted: [b]You’re in the finance industry! How will obtaining your MBA help shape your career?[/b]

Delano: An MBA from Booth is unmatched in opening doors to a myriad of companies within the finance industry. Access to an engaged and helpful alumni network as well as a great career services team also make the Booth experience like none other.

Accepted: [b]Who are some of the people, or what are some of the experiences that inspired you to follow your chosen career path?[/b]

Delano: I would say a couple of big factors that inspired me to follow this path. The first would be my parents who have been telling me from undergrad that an MBA was needed for my career. Next would be MLT (Management Leadership for Tomorrow), which is a minority fellowship that helps minority professionals reach top MBA programs and further their careers.

Accepted: [b]What was your greatest challenge through the MBA application process? How did you overcome it?[/b]

Delano:  The biggest challenge was navigating the process while working and handling other responsibilities. It was great to have a supportive MLT network as well as others who really rallied around me and helped me finish strong. Also, it’s important to take a breather once in awhile with family and friends, don’t become consumed – which is easier said than done.

Accepted: [b]Any last pieces of advice for MBA applicants?[/b]

Delano: Stay engaged with admissions officers early. Make sure to create a relationship with your target schools and stand out to them. Additionally, make connections with first and second year students. Focus on your complete profile not just one aspect. Schools want well rounded diverse individuals.

You can follow Delano on Twitter (@DelanoSaporu), Facebook (Delano Saporu), Instagram (@Delano_Saporu) and connect with him on LinkedIn. Thank you Delano for sharing your story with us – we wish you continued success!

For one-on-one guidance on your b-school application, please see our MBA Application Packages.



Related Resources:
• The MBA Career Search and Life as a Chicago Booth MBA [Episode 158]
• Chicago Booth 2016-17 MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines
• Exactly What Are Goals?

This article originally appeared on blog.accepted.com.

Applying to a top b-school? The talented folks at Accepted have helped hundreds of applicants get accepted to their dream programs. Whether you are figuring out where to apply, writing your application essays, or prepping for your interviews, we are just a call (or click) away.

Contact us, and get matched up with the consultant who will help you get accepted!

FROM Accepted.com Blog: The “Chicago (Booth) Approach”: The Three I’s

Inquiry, Insight, Impact – Booth’s MBA adcom uses those “three I’s” to express Booth’s approach and culture. Taken together, in that order, they also represent a process: • from inquiry, • one gains insight, • and applies this insight to achieve impact. To put it another way, insight is the bridge, connecting the intellectual dimension, inquiry, and the practical dimension, impact. Now, there’s good and bad impact. You don’t want just any impact!  (The impact of texting while driving is you-know-what). But impact resulting from thoughtful insight based on serious inquiry, you do want. While Booth, and University of Chicago broadly, are known as intellectual hothouses, Booth, being a business school, is ultimately focused on practical, real-world … yeah, impact. Let’s break it down as Booth does: • INQUIRY: The Booth website characterizes inquiry as “rigorous” (naturally) and exploring and understanding “fundamental disciplines that underlie how organizations function.” The program seeks not only intellectual elasticity, but a hunger for thorough understanding that starts from the ground up, through all the layers and facets. Inquiry is the foundation of the program’s “educational philosophy.” • INSIGHT: Within this educational philosophy, insight is derived not only from rigorous inquiry but also from the willingness to put aside preferences and assumptions to go where the data lead. The enthusiastic embrace of objective debate, examination, analysis, etc. shapes the program’s culture. • IMPACT: This “Chicago Approach” prepares you to have impact in any industry and function, at any time – it’s deeper than learning content about a given topic; it’s a process and approach that frees you, ultimately, to lead in a landscape of unknowns and ambiguities. Given this “Chicago Approach,” how do you show fit with the program? • Don’t explain how you pursue inquiry, gain insight, and act on it to achieve desirable impact. • Do show how you pursue inquiry, gain insight, and act on it to achieve desirable impact. Anybody can say they do these things. Showing that you do them makes it credible. And, because showing will necessarily involve detail and anecdote, it will also make your application interesting. Finally, because only you will have that specific experience, showing will also differentiate and distinguish you from other applicants, even those from similar geographic, industry, and functional backgrounds. Keep in mind, your application should show your fit with this Chicago Approach holistically. You don’t have to – indeed shouldn’t – apply it like a formula. Some aspects may emphasize one or the other elements. Here are some practical tips for integrating the Chicago Approach into your application naturally: • Your resume should identify results, a synonym for impacts. Also, if you discuss research (academic or as part of a work project), you might also weave in a phrase about your insights or findings. • In your main essay, in selecting and conceptualizing your topic, look for something that centers on and illuminate experiences that reflects the “Chicago Approach.” Build your case with anecdote and example. Each anecdote and example need not reflect the whole cycle of inquiry-insight-impact; they might well reflect one or two of these elements. They key is that the essay overall reflects these elements. • If your recommenders welcome input, discuss with them this Chicago Approach so that they can select points that will align with it. In your interview, discuss your fit with the Chicago Approach directly if/when asked why you want to attend Booth. If you are asked about your goals, you might also explain how they necessitate the approach that Chicago employs. Also, find opportunities to weave in examples and stories that reflect elements of the Chicago Approach. Good luck with Chicago Booth! Having worked with many successful Chicago Booth MBA applicants, I would be glad to help you craft an application that brings out your unique fit with this great program. Cindy Tokumitsu has advised hundreds of successful applicants, helping them gain acceptance to top MBA and EMBA programs in her 15+ years with Accepted. She would love to help you too. Want Cindy to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! Related Resources: • Chicago Booth 2016-17 MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines • The MBA Career Search and Life as a Chicago Booth MBA [Episode 158] • Chicago Booth Student on Finding the Right Fit, Achieving His Goals Tags: MBA Admissions The post The “Chicago (Booth) Approach”: The Three I’s appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

Today is the big day... or maybe yesterday if you got THE call... but in any case, Round 1 is now in the books at Booth and if you did not apply R1 and want Booth to be an option next year- then it is time to crank it up to be ready for Booth R2 submission due Jan 4th. Don't delay as that Booth essay prompt is Simply.... simply complex! It takes some time to put your thoughts around how to pick the best prompt to showcase your story and also to address such an open-ended prompt about asking what most resonates for you in the picture!

And Booth has some buzz going for it- it's on an upward trend for applicants showing interest in Booth so you really have to do a great job on your essay to make it through! This is not something that you can recycle from another school's application- this one is all Booth and requires your best work. So what do you do if you are staring at a blank page wondering how to start? You get in touch with people who know how to help, who HAVE SUCCESSFULLY coached applicants in the Booth essay process.

Help is just one click away right here: https://stratusprep.com/admissions/busi ... b-visitor/

From this link you can get a 5% discount on any service and also a free 30 minute consult to discuss your situation. We can offer you hourly consulting to review what you have done and point out areas where you could make your points stronger. We have counselors at Stratus who are Booth alums and also experienced counselors who have had great success helping candidates put together really compelling essays for Booth! So stop stressing, and let us spend even just an hour with you to review where you are and help you get where you want to go.... to the top of the MBA admit list for Booth Round 2! Let's get started now and you can be enjoying New Year's Eve at a party knowing that your Booth application is "IN" and that you have left no stone unturned in doing the best possible job you can!

To help you get started- here's a free guide we have on our website for approaching the Booth essay prompt- Read this and then click the link above to get your very own Booth private tutor!

https://stratusprep.com/how-to-respond- ... y-prompts/