You've conquered the GMAT, crafted compelling essays, and now the email arrives. Chicago Booth wants to interview you.

But here's the problem: You're about to face one of the most rigorous interview processes in MBA admissions. While 50% of interviewed candidates receive rejections, the stakes couldn't be higher. Between the blind interview format, the video essay requirement, and interviewers trained to probe beyond surface-level responses, one misstep could cost you your seat in one of the world's most prestigious MBA programs.

The good news? With the right preparation strategy, you can master the Booth interview and significantly increase your odds of admission. This guide breaks down everything you need to know, from understanding what Booth really wants to see, to nailing the video essay, to handling curveball questions with confidence.

Understanding the Booth Interview Format: What Makes It Different

Chicago Booth's interview process stands apart from other top MBA programs in several key ways, and understanding these distinctions is crucial to your preparation.

The Blind Interview Advantage

Unlike schools where interviewers review your entire application, Booth conducts blind interviews. Your interviewer, whether a second-year student or alumnus, will only have access to your resume. Nothing else.

This creates both an opportunity and a challenge. On one hand, you won't be grilled about specific details from your essays. On the other hand, you'll need to verbally reconstruct your narrative and motivations from scratch. Think of it as a blank canvas where you control the story being told.

Who's Evaluating You?

Booth maintains a strong tradition of having current students and alumni conduct interviews rather than admissions committee members. This typically creates a more conversational, friendly atmosphere, but don't be fooled. These interviewers are trained evaluators looking for specific signals about your fit with Booth's culture.

You have three interview options: on-campus at Chicago Booth, off-campus with a local alumnus, or virtually. Rest assured that choosing the virtual option won't disadvantage your candidacy in any way.

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Expect 45-60 minutes of substantive conversation. Your interviewer will likely ask standard MBA interview questions but will also probe your intellectual curiosity, a hallmark of Booth's culture. Be prepared for multiple follow-up questions that dig deeper into your reasoning and thought process.

The Wild Card: The Video Essay Requirement

Here's where Booth adds an extra layer of complexity. Before your live interview, you must submit a one-minute video essay responding to one of two prompts provided. This isn't optional. It's a required component of your interview stage application.

Current video essay prompts ask you to either:

1. Discuss something new you learned recently that shifted your worldview and influenced your behavior
2. Share something you wish people knew about you but aren't sure that they do

This 60-second video serves a strategic purpose for the admissions committee: it reveals aspects of your personality, communication style, and authenticity that a written application cannot capture. It's also your opportunity to add a new dimension to your profile that hasn't been covered elsewhere in your application.

How to Approach Your Video Essay Strategically

The key to a standout video essay is strategic differentiation. With Booth's flexible essay format, there's a significant risk of repetition across your written application and interview materials. Your video essay should illuminate a completely new facet of who you are.

Think of it this way: If you've already discussed your consulting background and leadership in project turnarounds in your written essays, your video essay might be the perfect place to showcase your recent passion for mentoring underrepresented minorities in tech, or how learning to speak Mandarin shifted your approach to cross-cultural negotiation.

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You have roughly 140-170 words to work with in 60 seconds. This means you need to focus on one powerful, concrete story rather than attempting to cram multiple examples or create a list of accomplishments. Use a condensed STAR format: quickly establish the situation, describe your action, and end with a meaningful takeaway or lesson learned.

Start by writing out your story without worrying about length, then ruthlessly edit for clarity and impact. Record multiple takes until your delivery feels natural. Remember, the admissions committee evaluates content, not production quality. Your smartphone camera is perfectly adequate.

Of course, make sure you also follow these best practices to ensure you have the best possible video essay. 

What Chicago Booth Really Values in Candidates

With only 600+ seats in each incoming class and thousands of qualified applicants, Booth is extraordinarily selective. The Class of 2026 boasted a median GMAT of 729 and average GRE scores of 163 Quant/161 Verbal, with candidates averaging five years of work experience.

But outstanding stats only get you in the door. Booth evaluates candidates through three critical lenses: Curriculum, Community, and Career.

For Curriculum, Booth seeks applicants who will thrive in their demanding, intellectually rigorous environment. They're looking for academic preparedness, genuine intellectual curiosity, and superior communication skills because Booth's culture revolves around rigorous debate and discussion.

For Community, Booth wants candidates whose unique experiences will strengthen the cohort. They value demonstrated leadership, collaborative teamwork, respect for diverse perspectives, philanthropic engagement, strong interpersonal abilities, and a clear sense of how you'll contribute to Booth's distinctive culture.

For Career, Booth looks for early indicators of future success: a consistent track record of achievement, resourcefulness in problem-solving, clear personal direction, effective time management, and realistic expectations about what an MBA can and cannot do for your career trajectory.

Critically, Booth places significant weight on interview performance itself. Your ability to articulate ideas clearly, engage in intellectual discourse, and handle challenging questions directly reflects whether you'll succeed in Booth's classroom environment.

Essential Questions to Prepare For

While no two Booth interviews are identical, certain question categories appear consistently. Here are the core questions you should have polished responses for:

Foundation Questions:

• Walk me through your resume / Explain your career progression
• Why do you want an MBA, and why now?
• Why Chicago Booth specifically? What aspects of our program appeal to you?
• What are your short-term and long-term career goals?
• Where else are you applying, and how will you choose between programs?
• How would you contribute to Booth academically and within the community?
• What's your understanding of Booth's culture?

Behavioral and Leadership Questions:

• Describe your leadership style and provide an example of when it was particularly effective
• Tell me about a time you faced a significant challenge and how you addressed it
• Share an example of creative problem-solving in your work
• How do you handle conflict? Give me a specific example
• What are your greatest strengths? What about weaknesses?
• Describe a time you failed and what you learned from that experience
• Tell me about working with a diverse or difficult team

Intellectual Curiosity Questions:

• What recent business development or trend interests you and why?
• Can you share an example of applying knowledge from multiple disciplines to solve a problem?
• How have you leveraged your strengths to drive meaningful organizational change?

Personal Questions (Be Ready, Some Interviewers Go Deep):

• What do you do outside of work?
• How has your personal background or upbringing shaped your professional approach?
• What three adjectives would colleagues use to describe you? What about close friends?
• Is there anything not covered in your application that you'd like to share?

Booth interviews can vary significantly in tone. Some candidates report highly professional exchanges focused entirely on career trajectory. Others describe deeply personal conversations exploring childhood experiences, family background, and formative life events. Prepare for both scenarios.

Handling the Unexpected Question

Despite thorough preparation, you'll inevitably face a question you didn't anticipate. Here's your game plan:

First, pause and breathe. Take a sip of water if you need a moment to collect your thoughts. The interviewer isn't trying to catch you off guard maliciously. Instead, they're assessing how you handle ambiguity and think on your feet, skills essential to Booth's case-method classroom discussions.

Second, ensure you directly address what's being asked. If the question is about managing up with a difficult supervisor, make certain your example focuses on that specific dynamic, not just general team conflict.

Third, if you genuinely cannot think of a personal example, it's acceptable to offer a hypothetical response about how you would approach that situation, drawing on your values and past decision-making frameworks. Just be transparent that you're speaking hypothetically.

The key is maintaining composure and confidence. Your polished, prepared answers matter, but so does demonstrating grace under pressure.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Many strong candidates sabotage their Booth interviews by making these mistakes:

Failing to tell cohesive stories: Generic answers like "I'm a good leader" mean nothing. Booth interviewers want specific STAR-format examples that demonstrate your capabilities through concrete actions and results.

Neglecting the "Why Booth" question: Generic praise like "Booth has great professors and is well-ranked" won't differentiate you. Research specific courses, labs, student organizations, and aspects of the flexible curriculum that align with your specific goals. Mention professors by name whose research interests you. Reference clubs you'd contribute to. Show you've done your homework.

Source: The Chicago Booth website

Repeating application content verbatim: Since the interview is blind, there's temptation to simply recite your essays. Don't. Use the interview to add new dimensions, provide different examples, and showcase aspects of your thinking that didn't fit in the written application.

Underselling yourself: Booth's culture rewards intellectual confidence. Don't be arrogant, but don't be overly modest either. This is your moment to clearly articulate your value proposition.

Forgetting this is a two-way conversation: Prepare 2-3 thoughtful questions that demonstrate genuine interest in aspects of Booth you couldn't learn from the website. Ask about your interviewer's personal experience. Students and alumni love sharing their Booth stories.

Final Preparation: Practice Makes Polish

Reading interview guides is helpful, but true preparation requires speaking your answers out loud, repeatedly. Your internal monologue sounds polished, but verbal delivery often reveals gaps in logic, awkward phrasing, or unclear narratives.

Record yourself answering questions. Listen back critically. Are you being too verbose? Do your stories have clear takeaways? Does your enthusiasm for Booth come through authentically?

Practice with someone who will ask tough follow-up questions and won't let you off easy with surface-level responses. The more you articulate your stories aloud, the more natural and confident you'll sound in the actual interview.

Get Expert Support for Your Booth Interview

Mastering the Booth interview requires more than reviewing question lists; it demands strategic positioning of your entire profile, crafting compelling narratives that showcase fit, and developing the confidence to handle any curveball thrown your way.

At My Admit Coach, our approach is personalized and practical: we focus on transforming your unique experiences into powerful interview responses that resonate with Booth's evaluators.

Practice with Coach Ellin (an AI-powered interview coach trained on Ellin Lolis's proven methodology) to refine your answers, get instant feedback, and build the confidence you need to excel. Coach Ellin helps you structure responses, identify weaknesses in your storytelling, and practice until your delivery feels natural and authentic.

Whether you're just beginning your interview prep or looking to polish your final responses, My Admit Coach provides the personalized support that generic preparation platforms simply can't match.

Ready to maximize your chances at Chicago Booth? Click here to learn more about our interview preparation services and start practicing with Coach Ellin today. 

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Your Booth interview is your final opportunity to make your case. Make it count and start your prep here.