katherine
Is it believable if I do state in my essay that I want to gain knowledge in marketing at University of Chicago because it is a premier school for marketing? What could University of Chicago contribute to my skills with regards to achieving my goal to be a marketing manager? Thanks for your feedback.
Hi Katherine,
It's not out of the question that you'd want to go to Chicago to learn marketing. I don't know a ton about Chicago's marketing program, but I'm sure that they consider it to be top-notch.
But you'll want to put yourself in the adcomms' shoes and imagine what they might think when they read that. If you're in the Chicago area already (I don't know if you are) and you're interested in marketing, they'll be almost certain that you're also applying to Kellogg, whether or not that's actually the case. (Kellogg would look at a finance applicant the same way; they'd assume that he was applying to Chicago.) So, the first thing they may ask themselves is if yours is just a Kellogg essay that you recycled for Chicago. Just giving the reason "because Chicago is a premier marketing school" may make them think that. But saying something like "because Chicago will give me the analytical strengths that few other schools can provide" may sound more convincing. Of course, these need to be your own words, but you get the idea.
They may also ask themselves how well you know the school. If you give the reason stated above, even though they surely are proud of their marketing department, they may wonder how well you really know the school. Again, you'll want to demonstrate that you understand what Chicago's strengths are, especialy relative to other top schools (and especially vs. Kellogg, since they're in the same city).
Your essay shouldn't be about Kellogg and why you'd rather go to Chicago. The focus should definitely be on Chicago's strengths. But by talking about only marketing you're sure to turn on their radars. So, be sure to demonstrate what *specifically* about Chicago appeals to you. Even if you're a marketing person (not the most common profile at Chicago), I think that you can make a convincing case.
Good luck!
Scott