Hi!
I applied to Booth in R2 last year and unfortunately got dinged (I did get an interview). I revisited the application and consulted some alumni to get some feedback. I feel multiple factors contributed to the rejection:
1. Mediocre essays
2. Less than average work-ex (3yrs)
3. Competitive applicant pool (Indian Male, although I am a Chartered Accountant and currently work as a Management Consultant)
4. Applied in Round 2
I now plan to reapply this year and had a couple of questions -
1. I am not going to get a promotion this year and might not be able to increase my work responsibilities substantially by the time I reapply (given the hierarchical structure at my office). Any alternatives you can suggest to improve my case? I am looking at ways to take up leadership roles in my extracurricular activities. How helpful is that going to be?
2. Should I apply in R1 or R2? Applying in R1 will show that I am really interested in Booth. I will certainly be able to show personal growth, refinement of goals and better essays, but there won't be any professional growth to showcase (I suspect it won't change substantially by R2 as well).
Will appreciate your inputs!
Thanks.