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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runnergirl

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13 Nov 2010, 14:14

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BruceLee

Booth believes in a discipline-based approach, saying that managing a business requires understanding all of it's disciplines, such as marketing, economics, statistics, etc. Doesn't that go against the flexibility? I would expect this from a school with a core curriculum. There are some requirements at the beginning but I still don't understand how these two concepts fit together. Any ideas?

The concept of a discipline-based approach to the MBA means, I believe, that Booth focuses on the disciplines underlying business, (i.e. economics, accounting, marketing) rather than specific industries within the business realm (i.e. real estate, luxury goods, transportation, etc). For example, you will not find a "real estate major" at Booth, because the school believes that you can look at the skills needed for a post-MBA position in that industry and figure out which disciplines you need to draw upon, and therefore which courses in finance, marketing, etc. to take. The flexible curriculum allows you to do so freely, although Booth does have distribution requirements to ensure that each student is getting a well-rounded education.

Disclaimer: I am not a current student or in any way affiliated with the school- these are just my observations.

BruceLee

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13 Nov 2010, 14:33

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Great response, thank you.

staind

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13 Nov 2010, 19:41

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Stats on the rollcount have been updated.. if you applied in R1 and haven't already added your stats or updated the spreadsheet with your result, please do so! Thanks!

rickzeke

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14 Nov 2010, 06:37

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I contacted an alum in another city for interview. The alum replied me saying he could do phone interview or if I prefer to meet in person, he's also fine. He also said unless I have other business in the city, a phone interview will be sufficient.

I wonder if you guys have ever heard of phone interview for Booth? Will it be treated differently from face-to-face interview when reviewed by adcom? Do you guys recommend a phone interview or face-to-face one? Thanks.

BruceLee

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14 Nov 2010, 06:49

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rickzeke

I would do a face-to-face if it's not a huge hassle for you. Otherwise, call the admissions office and do a phone interview with them, I think it would be easier. Alum interview are often unpredictable and a phone interview with them will be even more so. I am no expert, but this would be my advice.

MBAgirl2010

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14 Nov 2010, 06:55

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Always do face-to-face. Phone interviews are harder and make it much tougher to relate to the person on the other end.

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rickzeke

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14 Nov 2010, 07:47

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Thanks BruceLee and MBAgirl2010. I also prefer face-to-face interview. But the alum could only meet face-to-face on Nov 27/28. Will finishing the interview in such a late date create a negative impression to the adcom?

MBAgirl2010

Always do face-to-face. Phone interviews are harder and make it much tougher to relate to the person on the other end.

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BruceLee

rickzeke

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14 Nov 2010, 07:52

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rickzeke

No, definitely not. You are overthinking this.

rhyme

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14 Nov 2010, 11:59

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rickzeke

This is a lazy alum and they shouldn't have volunteered. I'd call the school and ask them for a new interviewer if they arent willing to do in person. Frankly, part of the interview includes how you handle and present yourself.

rhyme

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14 Nov 2010, 12:01

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Imagine most of you have seen but if there are any last minute people interested:

interview-crash-course-webinar-tues-nov-16-8pm-est-104569.html

I'll be covering general interview stuff as well as a specific Booth material.

shana22

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14 Nov 2010, 13:22

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BruceLee

This is a common misconception about the flexible curriculum. You can take the classes in any order than you wish and to a degree you can self select what level class you take (i.e., if you did a lot of accounting in undergrad, you can take financial statement analysis rather than the basic financial accounting class). However, you must take classes in all the core disciplines (technically I think it is 10 of the 11) to graduate from Booth.

wiredo

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14 Nov 2010, 15:47

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Hey all,

I just finished my off-campus alumni interview this evening. My interviewer was very pleasant and the interview, quite conversational. The interview lasted an hour and was at a Starbucks. I've paraphrased some of the questions as I don't remember them verbatim.

1. Tell me about yourself.
2. So why're you seeking an MBA now?
3. Why Booth?
4. Talk about your leadership experience. What/who has influenced your leadership style?
5. Give an example of a leadership-based conflict.
6. What role do you take on in a team? How have you handled a team-based conflict? (Follow-up questions specific to my story)
7. Booth has classes that present different settings: group-based, individual, project-based. Which ones do you have a preference for? Why?
8. Which extracurricular activities are you looking to engage in at Booth?
9. Why would you choose Booth over other schools you might be considering?
10. Any questions (for the interviewer)?

Good luck, everyone!

Also posted here (#69): https://clearadmit.com/wiki/index.php?ti ... oInterview

(EDIT: Added details.)

summitbid

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14 Nov 2010, 16:06

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all...need an opinion...

I took a continuing education course at Booth 3 years ago..Microeconomics...and scored a B+. The class was with the part-time/full-time students, through a graduate student at large program at the Uni of Chicago...

I am working on my R2 application, and I am wondering if I should include this grade or not... a B+ might not look too good...?

PrincetonMBA2007

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14 Nov 2010, 17:50

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Just had my interview on Sat. The interview, as so many have already said, was informal and conversational. It lasted exactly 30 min. The questions were standard.

Walk me through your resume (I think everyone gets that @ Booth)
Why MBA
Why now
Why Booth
What clubs do you plan to join
What classes do you want to take
Strengths/weaknesses

Good luck, everyone!

kate47

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Updated on: 17 Feb 2011, 14:11

Originally posted by kate47 on 14 Nov 2010, 19:34.
Last edited by kate47 on 17 Feb 2011, 14:11, edited 1 time in total.

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kt780

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17 Nov 2010, 17:07

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anyone i/ving at Booth on 20th ?? and do they have booth live and lunch with students on every sat??

earlycareerMBA

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17 Nov 2010, 18:03

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kt780

anyone i/ving at Booth on 20th ?? and do they have booth live and lunch with students on every sat??

I'm interviewing on the 20th. I did get an email about having lunch with students around 12:30. Don't know about Booth live though...

dundundun

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18 Nov 2010, 07:46

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Had my alumni interview. Very pleasant and conversational. Did NOT follow the "resume walkthrough / why MBA / why now / why Booth" format I was expecting. Instead, was heavily behavioral based. 4-5 "Tell me about a time you..." questions. Not sure if my alum went rogue or whatever, but I think it underscores the importance of just knowing your story and being mentally prepared for anything.

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madmax

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18 Nov 2010, 08:24

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I had my interview last night with an alumn.

It was very difficult. Differently from my interviews at CBS and Tuck, the interviewer was doing everything by the book, with a poker face on all the time and gave me no feedback whatsoever.
Excluding the small talk and the session when he opened for my questions about Booth, it lasted about 30 minutes, which was kind of short for me to cause an impact.
He only asked the usual resume/why mba/why now/why booth and was trying to discover any lacks of coherence in my answers.
I am now expecting a ding... I just really wish that you guys have better luck being assigned to your interviewer.
If I knew it would be this hard I think I would have flown to interview on-campus.

I am open to questions.

Best,

w103psp

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18 Nov 2010, 08:27

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madmax

Madmax, I think Rhyme said it perfectly during the webinar that we tend to be our own worst critics. Your interviewer may have left with a positive review.