Chicago (Booth) 2013 - Calling All Applicants

Back in the ring even after TWO black eyes.... In for R2!

Registration for admission events is also open now... check out https://www.chicagobooth.edu/fulltime/admissions/events/

Cheers,
Wanderlust

This time, I will not be denied. Or waitlisted.

Time to make this the best GMAT Club <----> Booth admissions season ever! Gooood luck all!

I went to a Booth info session last week and I asked the AdCom why the presentation became optional this year. She said that they wanted to leave the option open for an applicant to tell an "amazing story" if he/she had one. She also said the powerpoint essay is something they love and something they don't plan to go away from. I am guessing a lot of the applicants will still end up doing the powerpoint slides this year.

^^ That, to me sounds suspiciously similar to the 'optional', read mandatory, video that was asked from waitlisted candidates in the last app season..

Yup, that's what it sounded like to me too. I definitely don't have an "amazing story" to tell in an optional essay, so I am going to stick to the powerpoint essay.

Anyone planning on attending the online chat with Admissions? Starts in 10 minutes
https://poweredby.sparcplug.com/chat/?ca ... lkPTIwMQ==

If I hadn't been on an airplane I might have. Did anybody listen in who can pass along the info?

It was pretty good, I got my 2 questions answered. You can find all the previous chats' transcripts here
https://www.chicagobooth.edu/fulltime/chat/

I hope that helps

In for R1...how's everyone liking the Booth website redesign? It's damn sexy if you ask me.

I am having trouble with Booth's 2nd short answer essay: b. Tell us about something that has fundamentally transformed the way you think. (200 words maximum).

Would it be too boring to talk about a concept I learned studying for the CFA? Or a class I took at University? I was also thinking about discussing some type of world event...The Arab Spring? Working in investment management during the 2008 Financial Crisis?

I have not had many epiphanies in my life...I tend to learn gradually which in essay format can be rather boring.

Any thoughts or ideas would be most helpful.

Cheers.

Hey...

I'm a re-applicant and was wondering if I can use my previous Booth ID this year or do I need to create a new ID?

Thanks in advance..

Well, what I picked up from some of the consulting firms' essay analysis was that the word "transform" in the question is a very strong word so whatever story you choose should show a very strong contrast between the 'before' and the 'after'. The story could come from anywhere really; but the distinction between your initial thought and the new one must be clear

Less than a month until Rd 1 deadline and it's pretty quiet in here. I'm working on my essays now, applying ED to Columbia so that took my main focus but now that it is done I'm moving on to Booth. For the first essay is it worth talking about the flexible curriculum or is that one of those things that is taken for granted(like being in NYC as a plus for CBS is rather obvious and not worth taking up space in the essay to mention).

The flexible curriculum should definitely be mentioned in essay 1. It's one of the cornerstones of what makes Booth, Booth. However, you can't just include it in a throw away statement. Your goal in this essay is to show your fit with Booth. You need to show why the flexible curriculum is something that you need and want in your MBA studies. You also have to understand what the flexible curriculum really means. It doesn't mean you get to pick and choose which subjects to take. Understand how the flexible curriculum fits into your skillset and goals and communicate that in essay 1. Hope this helps.

I'm compiling a list of recommendation questions of the schools I'm applying in order to make it easy for my recommenders to prepare the letters. Does anyone know Booth's recommendation questions? Below's the guideline on Booth's website.
Please provide a written letter of recommendation. Be sure to include how the applicant ranks comparative to his/her peer group. Other items to consider are the applicant's:
Most salient strengths
Areas of development, including efforts the applicant has taken to show improvement
Team skills and leadership ability
Initiative, curiosity, and motivation
Other matters which you feel we should know about the applicant

But my friend gives me different recommendation questions he obtained from his consultant.
Please provide a written letter of recommendation in support of the applicant. In comparison with his/her peer group, address the following questions in your letter:
A) What are the applicant's most salient strengths?
B) What are the applicant’s areas of development?
C) What is your overall impression of the applicant?

Does anyone know the recommendation questions? Thank you.

Thanks for the thoughts, I think my problem is that it was coming out a little too generically. I wanted to mention specific classes but can't seem to find an actual course catalog on the website anywhere. Which leaves me with just talking about the few classes they post as examples on the application page which sounds a little disingenuous.

Does anybody else find the PowerPoint essay overlapping the resume? I'm trying to add some more detail and flesh out what I think are important personal highlights but at the same time most of those highlights are already covered in my resume just in not so much detail. I have a slide(might become 2) that is on just personal info that is new but the slides on professional and educational experiences feel like they are repeating the resume. This especially concerns me since the question specifically says "Understanding what we currently know about you from the application, what else would you like us to know?" I think I might just need to completely rethink my approach to this question or at least the first few slides of mine.

What consultant is your friend using? The only information posted on the website is what you put at the top. Those other 3 you list are similar, is he sure that isn't last year's recommendation questions?