U Chicago / Booth 2015-2016 Essay Topic AnalysisFollowing up on the release of the University of Chicago / Booth MBA essay topics for 2015-2016 last week — and our
interview with Associate Dean of Student Recruitment and Admissions Kurt Ahlm — we wanted to offer some guidance to applicants as they prepare to tackle this potentially challenging new prompt.
Booth has sidelined its personal expression prompt, which had appeared on the Chicago MBA application for seven consecutive years, and has introduced a task that differs from the previous format in an important way. Rather than simply having applicants to introduce themselves to the admissions committee, the program now presents candidates with 16 images that capture life at Booth; applicants are asked to choose one and explain why it resonates with their fit with the MBA program. This is a bit of a marketing exercise on the part of the program, similar to other schools like CBS and HBS, which ask applicants to view a video as part of the essay task. It’s also a bit of a projective test (think “inkblots”), as an applicant’s choice of image may in itself lead the adcom to draw some conclusions before even reading the candidate’s response.
As was the case last season, applicants have the option of writing an essay or developing a PowerPoint and PDF response. And, as was the case last season, there is no word, page, or PPT slide limit listed, meaning that the length of the response is left to the applicant’s judgment (and the 16MB maximum file size). These format options allow both verbally and visually oriented applicants to draw on their strengths in answering the prompt, and offers a bit more breathing room than the program’s original 4-slide PPT-only formulation of the personal expression essay.
Let’s take a closer look at the Chicago / Booth MBA essay for 2015-2016:
Required Essay: 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.
Booth presents applicants with quite a range of images, depicting everything from solo study to social celebration, from community service to icy adventure, from a famous Chicago landmark to a study abroad scene, from classroom conversation to a outdoor collaborative. As Associate Dean Alhm mentioned in our interview, the adcom is looking for applicants’ authentic reactions to the photographic stimuli, so we recommend that candidates
begin by reviewing the photos and identifying the 4-6 to which they are most drawn on a gut level. It might also be worth making some notes about why each one resonates with you and seeing whether there’s overlap in the aspects that draw you to each, as these core points of connection could be valuable to incorporate into your response, no matter which of the photographs you ultimately select.
While a sense of automatic resonance is a good starting point, it’s also important to be strategic and to select the photo that will be the best vehicle to discuss your fit with the Booth MBA program and community. For this reason, we recommend that
you set your top 4-6 photos aside and reflect on what you most want to convey about your candidacy, career goals, and fit with the Chicago MBA. This might involve completely pausing the process of developing your response while you learn about the school, as Associate Dean Ahlm hints in our interview that becoming very familiar with the Booth experience is essential to an effective essay.
We therefore recommend that applicants
review the program’s website, reach out to students and alumni, digest the Clear Admit Chicago Booth School Guide, and
consider attending an information session or visiting the campus before they begin working in earnest on their responses. The admissions committee is looking for students who have really synthesized and internalized the Booth program, and who have a good understanding of their fit with its offerings.
Once
you’ve identified the essence of your fit with Booth — in terms of what you would gain, what you would contribute, and how your values are aligned with those of the program — we suggest revisiting your top photo choices with an eye to which one most resonates with your message. You may even choose to
review all 16 options again, in case your research on the program has changed your perspective. Attend to what’s happening in the picture, as well as how it makes you feel, as you’re making your selection. And, on a final strategic note, keep in mind Associate Dean Ahlm’s comment that the photos were chosen with an eye to highlighting the collaborative side of what is often perceived as an individualistic program. While there are no wrong choices, some selections — like abstract architecture or a woman studying alone in an (admittedly beautiful) room — might make for more challenging responses than others.
In addition to choosing which photo will inform their responses, applicants will also need to determine the best medium for conveying their fit with Booth. For those whose strong suit is writing, a traditional essay is absolutely acceptable here — though we encourage even essay-writing applicants to include a visual touch point or two, in the spirit of the prompt.
A selfie on the Booth campus could do wonders to convey your excitement about the program, and a photo of your own color run/Holi experience or travel abroad scene could underscore your fit with the adventurous student spirit depicted in some of the Booth photos. As for applicants who choose a visual-heavy PowerPoint format, it will still be very important to include some text to accompany any photos you share and to spell out the reasons you feel a fit with Booth based on your chosen photo from the essay prompt. To summarize, we recommend a balance of text and imagery, with an eye to authentic expression of your sincerely felt connection with the Chicago MBA program. In terms of length, meanwhile, we recommend limiting essay responses to 750 words (plus a few photos, perhaps), and PowerPoint responses to as many slides as an admissions reader could comfortably review in 5 minutes.
As a final note on the content of this response, we encourage applicants to show the adcom who they are and to articulate why they’re a fit with the program. For some, this might involve identifying several themes that are reflected in the stimulus photo and developing a few paragraphs or PowerPoint slides around each. For others, it might involve a verbal or visual narrative of their professional journey and the reasons they see their path intersecting with the scene depicted in their chosen picture. And for others still, their response might include a treatment of their most dearly held value, as reflected in the Booth photo and other experiences with the program. What effective reponses will have in common, however, is a sincere and thoughtful treatment of their fit with the collaborative Booth community, and a genuine enthusiasm about the Chicago MBA program and their ultimate career goals.
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)This response asks applicants about how their career plans, interest in Booth, and desire to obtain an MBA has evolved since last season’s admissions decision. Applicants should note that this prompt seems to assume that some change and growth has taken place, so it would be prudent to showcase an enhanced appreciation of the merits of the Booth MBA program and its potential to advance the candidate’s progress toward his or her well defined goals.
Clear Admit ResourcesThanks for reading our analysis of this year’s Booth MBA essay topics! As you work on your University of Chicago MBA essays and application, we encourage you to consider all of Clear Admit’s offerings:
U. Chicago / Booth School of Business Profile on the Clear Admit website: up-to-date advice and admissions information
Clear Admit Chicago Booth School Snapshot: overview of key curricular details and application information
Clear Admit Chicago Booth School Guide: in-depth program and campus information and side-by-side school comparisons; everything you need to know for a successful application!
23 Jul 2015, 18:30
close
