This thread is for the Booth 2011 Application Year, meaning applicants that are starting School in the Fall of 2011. Please direct all of your questions for this year into the 2012 thread calling-all-2012-chicago-booth-fall-applicants-116701.html If you are a current student/admit, please consider visiting the thread for Admitted Students admitted-to-chicago-booth-class-of-2013-full-time-mba-thread-107432.html At Chicago Booth, you get more than just a world-class education. You become part of a global business force. Please use the following form to add your stats to the spreadsheet: Form link Edit Link: https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Av3d03301eNIdFozSUpyT2lUQzN0TG41MTFDWG83eHc&hl=en#gid=0 Spreadsheet 0Av3d03301eNIdFozSUpyT2lUQzN0TG41MTFDWG83eHc GMAT CLUB STATS Round 1 Deadline: October 13, 2010 Notification: December 15, 2010 Round 2 Deadline: January 5, 2011 Notification: March 16, 2011 Round 3 Deadline: April 13, 2011 Notification: May 18, 2011 Evening/Weekend MBA Deadlines: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/parttime/a ... #deadlines SCHOOL INFO Excerpts from Admissions Chat Events Application Review Process At minimum three people will review an application. We do not review applications in groups but the reader will have access to the previous readers' reviews. Our office hires students to serve as Admissions Fellows. These students will review the files(and conduct our on campus interviews.) Once the Fellows complete their review an admissions officer reviews and will make a recommendation. At this time a candidate is invited to interview or recommended for denial. If denial the Associate Dean will review the file. If invited to interview, after the interview takes place, the file is reviewed again by an admissions officer. A recommendation is made and ultimately the Associate Dean makes the final decision. We do not compare students between rounds; we only evaluate applications based on each round. The chances of being admitted are very similar from one round to the next. Interview As for interviews, Interviewers will NOT have access to your applications. We conduct interviews either on campus by admissions fellows or off campus by alumni. All applicants have the option of coming to campus or interviewing with a local alumni. Academics The Booth MBA is based on a discipline based approach to business education, with finance being at the cornerstone. Chicago Booth boasts a legendary finance curriculum, covering both corporate finance and investments. In addition, our long-standing relationships and success in recruiting with the biggest investment organizations in the world. General Guest: what are the top features booth is looking for in an mba candidate and how can i improve my chances of admission Kurt: The best way to be successful in this process is to really know your story. Where have you been? What skill and experiences have fostered over time? How do these things prepare you for an MBA, and a career post MBA? And finally, how does a specific program i.e. Booth bridge the gap effectively between where you are and where you want to be. Think through this effectively and convey this story utilizing all the aspects provided in the application will give you your best chance of success. To be candid we expect that students applying to a top school are smart, engaged and demonstrate signs for leadership potential. With those things being staples it is at the margins where you can most directly impact your outcome. And your story and fit is what lives in the margins. Neel the overwhelming majority of our students in the FT program are looking to make a career change. To do so you have to think through what you know about the desired industry, what skill and experiences do they covet and what do you bring to the table. In most cases once you do this exercise you will realize where your strengths and weaknesses lie, and at Chicago because of our flexibility and commitment to analytics you will have every opportunity to round out your necessary skill sets and go after the role you desire. Essays 1. The Admissions Committee is interested in learning more about you on both a personal and professional level. Please answer the following (maximum of 300 words for each section): a. Why are you pursuing a full-time MBA at this point in your life? b. Define your short and long term career goals post MBA. c. What is it about Chicago Booth that is going to help you reach your goals? d. REAPPLICANTS ONLY: Upon reflection, how has your thinking regarding your future, Chicago Booth, and/or getting an MBA changed since the time of your last application? These short essays will require you to know yourself. You will need to understand where you have been and where you are going. Before you begin drafting the responses to these essays, take some time for self-reflection. Why do you want to return to school? Why is the MBA the right degree for you? We know that many of you will use your MBA experience to help you figure out what kind of job to pursue next. Even though your future career plans may not be clear at this time, you should still be able to discuss your goals and how they relate to obtaining an MBA. For our reapplicants, question 1d is where you can tell us what, if anything, has changed since the time of your last application. What has occurred in your life or career that has either reinforced or changed your goals? What lessons have you learned or how have you grown since you last applied to Chicago Booth? 2. Chicago Booth is a place that challenges its students to stretch and take risks that they might not take elsewhere. Tell us about a time when you took a risk and what you learned from that experience (maximum of 750 words). You’re probably wondering, “What kind of risk do you want me to discuss?” To be honest, we’re not looking for one kind of risk in particular. It can be a risk related to your professional, academic or personal life. It can be a risk that resulted in either a positive or negative outcome. We want to hear about a time when you challenged yourself and what you learned from that experience. How has that experience influenced your future actions? 3. At Chicago Booth, we teach you HOW to think rather than what to think. With this in mind, we have provided you with “blank pages” in our application. Knowing that there is not a right or even a preferred answer allows you to demonstrate to the committee your ability to navigate ambiguity and provide information that you believe will support your candidacy for Chicago Booth. Earlier this year, there was some discussion as to whether we would continue using the presentation as part of our evaluation process. With the presentation proving to be such an important tool in helping us determine who is a good fit for Chicago Booth, we decided it was necessary to include in our 2011 application. However, this year, we are giving applicants even greater freedom to decide what information they want to convey in the presentation. Since we’re providing you with “blank pages,” what you decide to address in your presentation is up to you. Look at the other aspects of your application. Are there messages or activities that you have not yet been able to communicate to the committee? If so, then the presentation will be an opportunity for you to provide us with this type of information. After reviewing your presentation, we want to have a better understanding of who you are and how you think. Also, please remember that it is the content – not the design – that should be the focus of the presentation. We understand that not everyone is a design guru. So, whether it’s through photos, images, graphs, or just words, the goal is to communicate your messages as effectively as possible.

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Calling All 2011 Booth Applicants!!

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jb88

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21 Feb 2011, 16:10

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NZOMNIAC

I dont understand ur logic

if u are assuming yield will not change then waitlist conversion rate will also not change - but u say waitlist conversion will increase

I think moving the deadline up leads to fewer offers in R2 bcos there is higher likelihood of R1 ppl joining (demonstrated by higher accepted offers)

I think he is trying to say the strong commitment to Booth (due to early deadlines or whatever) may not be indicative of applicants who truly intend to attend Booth, e.g. someone who wants to reserve their spot at Booth while they wait to hear from H/S/W. Although they put down money they are willing to bail on Booth for a better offer. Booth is assuming these people are coming but when they peace out, the WL will get the offers, especially considering there will be less R2 offers (since Booth assumes a stronger return on its accepted R1 pool).

My question is why are there so many applicants being interviewed in R2? Is this a GMATClub bias or indicative of the real candidate pool...if the latter I would be concerned as a WL that Booth is trying to find better people to fill remaining spots with than those on the WL.

dalillama

Joined: 28 May 2010

Last visit: 25 Dec 2016

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Location: Brazil

Concentration: Finance, Entrepreneurship

Schools: Booth '13 (M$) Sloan '13 (A) Kellogg '13 (A$) Wharton '13 (WL)

GMAT 1: 710 Q41 V46 Verified score

GMAT 2: 740 Q47 V45 Verified score

GPA: 3

Schools: Booth '13 (M$) Sloan '13 (A) Kellogg '13 (A$) Wharton '13 (WL)

GMAT 2: 740 Q47 V45 Verified score

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21 Feb 2011, 16:22

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jb88

NZOMNIAC

I really think that this is a GMATClub bias--not necessarily because of the particulars of the candidate pool, but because of the dynamics of lurkers and for which reasons people decide to participate. I don't think that figure is representative of the general pool.

driege

Joined: 22 Jul 2010

Last visit: 22 Oct 2015

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Location: Chicago

Concentration: IT Strategy

Schools:Booth R2, Kellogg R2 (W/L - withdrawn)

GPA: 3.9

WE 1: Big 4 IT Auditing

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21 Feb 2011, 17:04

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Cookiesn

It's interesting that this is at least the 3rd instance where someone has posted about their bad experiences with a messed up alumni. Needless to say, even though I still think very highly of the school and what it has to offer, these reports (and my own interview experience) have somewhat tarnished my overall impression of the school.

It is strange, but I have to say the alum that interviewed me was awesome. Anecdotal evidence (even 3 separate stories) shouldn't change your overall impression of a school.

HumbleBee

Joined: 21 Feb 2011

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21 Feb 2011, 17:09

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Hey all. Long time lurker. First time poster.

I have to echo what others have said about the alum interviews. My interviewer came across as an intellectual snob with an inferiority complex about Booth. "Why is Booth your number one choice above everyone else?" It's almost like it's either them or no one else at all. It's such a loaded question.

I was honest and gave reasons about why Booth was a great fit for me and my goals and talked about classes, and clubs that I was going to participate in, even where I was going to stay! But this wasn't enough.

I won't share the question i got asked which really put me off, but suffice to say, it just made it sound like they wanted hard core finance guys who can price derivatives in their head. I can't do that, and if that's who Booth want, then obviously i'm not going to Booth...shame I really liked what I read. Just didn't translate via this particular alum.

holywater

Joined: 12 Jan 2011

Last visit: 13 Jun 2011

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21 Feb 2011, 17:57

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dalillama

jb88

NZOMNIAC

dude, I would favor the other explanation, SADLY....I am from a large Asian country. I see a lot of invites and almost no dings on a popular forum here. Although sample results could be biased for many reasons, it just simply does not make me feel safe. Let's just hope for the better. Maybe interviews will not matter too much given so many invites sent; our fate is predetermined to some extent.

runnergirl

Stanford School Moderator

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21 Feb 2011, 18:22

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HumbleBee

You should provide the school with this feedback. It sounds like you got an alum that is really making them look bad.

I have to say that I had a very different experience in my interview. The alum that I interviewed with was charming, intelligent and engaging. He was absolutely the kind of person I would want to work around and socialize with for two years. I've actually had really positive experiences with all of the Booth alums, current students and staff that I've interacted with. But, there will always be a few a**holes from every school. It's too bad you got one on your interview.

wiredo

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21 Feb 2011, 19:00

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HumbleBee

That sounds like a bad experience, HumbleBee. I agree with runnergirl that you should provide feedback to the school.

Keep in mind, however, that interviewers do ask why candidates would choose their schools above all else. It's a valid question and, in essence, is the same question as "If you got into every school you applied to, why would you choose school X?". Back when I interviewed for R1, I expressed an interest in Marketing and I can see why my alum interviewer wanted to know if I'd choose Booth over peer schools (here're the questions I was asked). At the end of the interview, my interviewer shared with me what she liked about Booth's Marketing and Strategy programs and said that she actually only took one course in Finance!

It's true that Booth does have a strong reputation in Finance. However, it isn't the only strength of the school. I, for one, don't intend to major in Finance and can't price derivatives in my head either, but they still let me in .

gmatalice

Joined: 24 Nov 2010

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21 Feb 2011, 19:31

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I received my interview invitation last week on the 15th and interviewed this past Saturday the 19th with an alumni in NYC.

jerrykid

Joined: 15 Mar 2009

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Schools: UCLA (Anderson) - Class of 2014

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Schools: UCLA (Anderson) - Class of 2014

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21 Feb 2011, 21:18

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SEOmatt

jerrykid

Is Anyone having trouble with scheduling an interview?

I sent my interviewer an email last Friday, right after I got an invite but did not get any reply after 2 business days. My interview is scheduled on Thursday, Feb, 24th. But I haven't got any confirmation, booked the flight to or accommodation in Hong Kong.

I am thinking that I would not have my interview by the deadline, Friday, Feb, 25th.

Make sure that you directly e-mail the interviewer at the address provided. Do not use the online system to try to send an e-mail and schedule an interview. My interviewer did not receive anything until I contacted him directly at the address that was provided.

At the same time, I strongly suggest that you call up admissions too. They helped me expedite contact with the interviewer. This 25th is one deadline you probably dont want to miss!

Thanks for your advice. I directly emailed my interviewer and did not use the online system to contact him but got no reply then.

I contacted the interview coordinator and she is helping me locate another interviewer in Hong Kong. She said that the interviewer would directly email me. She did not disclose my interviewer's cell phone number. It's confidential, I guess.

Anyway, I think that I will book flight/ accommodation in Hong Kong today and flying tomorrow. My interview is just on Thursday or Friday, I guess.

shana22

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21 Feb 2011, 21:55

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I would definitely give feedback about a crappy interviewer, perhaps after decisions are released. (Just my opinion -- probably biased because I don't like hearing about abrasive interviewers that make us look bad.) Personally, I opted for on-campus because the interviews are delivered in connection with the AdCom and are very predictable. You never know what you're going to get with an alumni interviewer. Some of them are fantastic and a few of them sound like they just wouldn't fit-in with the culture today. The school has evolved.

osbornecox

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21 Feb 2011, 23:51

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$0.02 from a waitlisted R1 applicant: I had two R1 interviews - Booth and a peer school (I only applied to schools with a single-digit rank). For Booth, I interviewed with an alumnus from the class of 09, and the ease with which we chatted - despite being from completely different backgrounds and professional paths - really made me think Booth was the right school for me. In comparison, for the other school, I interviewed in my hometown with someone from my country, and he was an absolute prick. Alumni interviews are always a toss-up, and especially in the case of Booth, which seems to have undergone a cultural transformation in the past 5 years.

I should note, too, that my Booth interviewer scrutinized my resume FAR more closely than the other interviewer did - he pressed me on very specific points and really wanted to understand more about me as an applicant. The other interviewer was lazy about my resume, asked his own questions rather than following what the school asked for, and spent more time trying to demean me.

Final note: the Booth interviewer is working at a financial institution with upwards momentum, in an asset class with interesting growth prospects. The other guy is in a dead-end sector.

disposable8201

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22 Feb 2011, 09:17

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I visited and interviewed at Booth last week, and was completely blown away by how well I felt like I fit. I'm on the wait list at Wharton, which from a strictly reputational standpoint I would have a lot of difficulty turning down if they made an offer, and I have several other applications out. But if Booth makes me an offer, based solely on interview, culture, visit, and fit, they're number one on my list. And that's a big surprise to me.

Anyone else in my same boat?

ua87

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22 Feb 2011, 09:55

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any feedback on phone interviewing? how hard is it? and will that effect my app negativly?

skp

Joined: 24 Jan 2011

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22 Feb 2011, 10:48

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disposable8201

I felt the same way after visiting. Dings from H/W for me, so Booth is by far my #1 choice (if I get in) at this point.

oski24

Joined: 16 Mar 2010

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Schools:Kellogg (Rd 1 Ding), Stanford (Rd 1 Ding), Haas (Rd 1 Admit!!!), Booth (Rd 2-Int Ding), Anderson (Rd 2-Int Admit!!)

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22 Feb 2011, 10:51

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Definitely fill out that survey after yall finish your interviews. Every b-school has a number of douchebags sadly.

dalillama

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22 Feb 2011, 10:55

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disposable8201

Yes. Precisely the same boat.

hkg83

Joined: 09 Feb 2011

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22 Feb 2011, 12:37

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runnergirl

HumbleBee

This may just add to the noise about alum interviews, but if it satisfies a curiosity to know how other interview went, I had mine with a finance guy and it went smoothly. I have zero finance industry experience, but lots of other good experience to contribute and I think my interviewer was open minded about that. He had read through my resume and circled a few things he wanted to inquire about. While he was certainly inquisitive about my experience and intentions, he was also very fair. Like everyone says, it's good to work in specifics about why you like Booth. Good luck to all!!

Cookiesn

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22 Feb 2011, 12:45

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I think some of us got unlucky and ended up interviewing with difficult personalities. But I wholeheartedly agree with the fact that it would be unfair to generalize those experiences across the Booth population. I spoke with at least three different alums in the days leading up to my interview and they were all extremely helpful, and took out a significant amount of time to discuss various things about the school (despite the fact that I was introduced to them just a few weeks ago).

So I guess, sharing my experiences here on the forum helped me vent if nothing else (and boy! did that feel good! haha..)

danapp2011

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22 Feb 2011, 13:21

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I too have had a poor interview experience (on-campus). My interviewer had the typical investment banker personality – very aggressive. As a consultant, we were not speaking the same language. I wouldn’t say he hated me, but I could tell he was not super impressed.

I would be interested in hearing about past experiences. Has anyone had a less than stellar interview, but still get in?

Michmax3

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22 Feb 2011, 13:38

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I'm a little nervous for my Booth interview on Thursday after reading some of these stories...my interviewer didn't seem too friendly when I emailed him. The school said to include your contact info and times you are available in the email, I did that and also mentioned I am flexible if those times do not work for him, he replied back "I only do interviews at my office at this particular time", no greeting or response to my reply email saying that would work. Just seemed very cold and like it was a huge bother for him. Hopefully this is just him being busy and not a reflection of how my interview will go