Booth (Chicago): Calling all applicants - Class of 2016

Thrilled to be accepted at Booth!!! Got the call on the 26th. Anybody having difficulty joining the Facebook group? I've sent a friend request a few days ago but still no response. Same with google+

I'm from Mumbai. Other R2 admits from India, please PM me. It'll be great to get a https://gmatclub.com/chat group going / meet up in the near future!

any R1 candidate who where waitlisted in R1 and accepted in R2?

did you do the video submission?

It will be there in the hard copy package

Hi all!! Anyone is looking for housing options? As an international student, I´m not sure what to do first...Any advice?

HOUSING OPTIONS
This is a repost of a post that I made for R1 admits. It's buried so far back in the thread I thought I'd freshen it up and repost it.

Some tips for admit weekend:
If you are planning on moving into Millennium Park Plaza (this is the building where approximately 30% of the class lives), be sure to get on the wait list while ASAP, if possible. To get on the wait list, you will need to know if you want to move in August 1st or September 1st (you can only move in on the first of the month) and whether you want a 1, 2, or 3 bedroom unit. The wait list is important because:
1) the higher up you are on the list, the more selection you have to choose from. Some units have granite, stainless steel, dark cherry wood, higher floor, etc and to get those options (if available) you generally have to be at the top of the wait list. In addition, some 1 bedrooms are much larger in sq ft than others, so again, top of the wait list is key.
2) if you are late to the wait list, you could end up with an undesirable move-in date (they push people to july 1 or oct 1) or you could end up without a unit at all

The events in part 2 didn't start happening I believe until after R2 admit weekend last year, so don't worry so much about that quite yet. But, if you want the nicer features/higher floor and all that stuff in number 1, then I would get on the wait list ASAP.

Millennium Park Plaza offers a $500 referral fee and they are VERY strict about how it is used. It is customary for incoming students and current first years to split this referral fee 50/50. You generally cannot share a referral fee with a current second-year because they will most likely be moved out by the time you move in, and so they cannot collect the referral fee.
Here is the statement from the leasing office, be sure to follow it closely:
"To earn the $500 referral rebate, the tenant must indicate they were referred by you on their initial contact with the leasing office, a one year lease must be signed, and the applicant must move-in. On the initial office visit or by email, the prospective tenants will also fill out a leasing guest card that must indicate that you were the specific referring individual to be eligible for the referral rebate. Referring tenant names may not be changed or added after the initial contact. In order to collect a referral rebate, tenants must be a current resident. Also, only one referral rebate is eligible to be paid out per entire apartment that is rented, regardless of the size of the unit or number of occupants. For example, if you refer 3 potential tenants for a 3 bedroom apartment, a $500 referral rebate would be eligible only. Referral rebates will be verified and deducted from your rent after the referred tenant has moved in. Referral rebates will not be paid out via cash or check. Each tenant is allowed a maximum of 3 tenant referrals per year."

If you want to be set up with a current first year at MPP, PM me. I also have contacts at 1130 S Michigan, MDA, the Coast, the Shoreham, the Tides, and Aqua if you want to split referral fees there. If you are interested in any other building let me know and I'll find someone for you. Keep in mind, most buildings only allow 1 to 3 referral fees to be paid to any given current resident, so be sure to include in your message how likely you are to sign a lease at that particular building and be sure to keep your referrer up-to-date if you are no longer interested in their building so he or she can refer other people.

To get on the MPP waitlist, call or email the building: 312-616-6000
info@millenniumparkplaza.com

Now, I will give you some more general neighborhood advice. These are just my observations.

South Loop - The building with the most Boothies down there is 1130 S Michigan, there are also people at 1212 S Michigan and from there people are more spread out. I find that most of the people that live there are either couples and/or people with dogs. It is desirable because it is a little quieter than the loop, is close to green space and a dog park, and is close to the Metra and express bus stops. It's a little closer to campus (5 minutes closer or so), so people like that. Also, the rents tend to be about the same as MPP which people like.

Loop - The biggest building in the Loop is Millennium Park Plaza (MPP). MPP is much cheaper than other buildings in the Loop and the metra stop that takes you to school is less than a block away. The pros are: living with your boothie friends, 10-minute walk to Gleacher, lots of parties, closer to river north for TNDC, decent fitness center, pool, roof deck. Internet and Cable are included, people complain about the internet all the time but I have literally never had a problem - I think that some people may not have set up their internet right or something. I don't know. The cons are: construction going on at the base of the building, no washer & dryer in unit (except 38th floor), a little more run-down than some of the other buildings. People definitely like to complain about MPP, the management is questionable and elevator waits can be really long when it's time for everyone to catch the metra to school, but since I did the price comparison of living somewhere else, I don't mind so much. From my experience, I could either live in the South Loop for about the same price as MPP, or live somewhere else in the the Loop like MDA or Lakeshore East for $500+ more a month (I didn't want to live in SLoop). Do your own research on this, but I concluded that saving $500 a month and dealing with a few inconveniences was worth it for me and I am happy with my decision.

***In full disclosure - a lot of Boothies are dissatisfied with MPP because of the construction going on (they are turning the bottom two floors into retail). I definitely understand the frustration, but when I looked into moving somewhere else in the loop the options were much more expensive. Do your own research and be aware that while MPP is very cheap for the Loop, there are some trade-offs.***

Some people also live at MDA City Apartments which is less than a block away from MPP. MDA is a nicer and more expensive than MPP and has washer/dryer in-unit. The units tend to be quite a bit smaller or if you want a unit comparable to MPP size, it's a lot more expensive.

Park Millennium is a condo building that rents some units and there are a handful of Boothies that live there. It is nicer than MPP. The downside is that it's harder to plan ahead for this building, the condos don't come on the market until a month or two before they are available.

Lakeshore East: This is a much nicer area just east of the Loop. It does add a 5 to 10 minute walk to the metra depending on where you live. Lakeshore East is much nicer than MPP and MDA, but much more expensive than MPP. When I was looking for a 1-bedroom unit, The Shoreham/Tides were an additional $600/month for a comparable size unit, and the Coast and Aqua were about an additional $1000 a month. You can get smaller units that aren't as big of a price difference, so I would do your own research on price differences. Also note that when I was looking in February, the price difference wasn't as big but the Shoreham/Tides really jacked up their prices when it was time to sign a lease in July. Your experience may vary. I find that a lot of couples live in Lakeshore East as well as a lot of international students. It's a great place to live if you want to spend the money!

River North/Streeterville/Gold Coast: These areas are a little less accessible to school by public transit. It usually requires a long bus ride, or a bus to the metra. The people that live in these areas usually have a reason - ex, their spouse is in med school at Northwestern in Streeterville, or they lived in this location before business school. River North is where all of the excitement is in Chicago: bars, restaurants shopping. Gold Coast is just north of River north and is a little quieter. Streeterville is just east of River North and is VERY close to Gleacher Center. River North is much more expensive than the Loop, not sure about the Streeterville or Gold Coast.

The Northern Neighborhoods like Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Wicker Park, etc have a handful of Boothies as well. These tend to be students who already lived in Chicago before Booth. These areas are slightly cheaper, but since they are so far from school it is really valuable to have a car to get to school - public transit can take a really long time.

Hyde Park - This is where school is located and I think only 7% of the class lives in Hyde Park, and I believe most of the people that live there are families.

For most students, the Loop and MPP will be the place to live. Couples should seriously consider South Loop or Lakeshore East in addition to the Loop. Couples still live in MPP, too. Families tend to live further out since the cost of living is so high in the areas surrounding the Loop, families tend to either live in Hyde Park or one of the northern neighborhoods.

Per my discussion at the top, if you are at all considering living at MPP I would definitely get on the wait list asap. You can still look around at other buildings in the mean time, but it's well worth the $40 or so you pay to get on the wait list to have your choice of the best/biggest units. Again, PM me if you want to split referral fees with someone, I will facilitate.

Hope this helps - feel free to ask more questions!


**UPDATE: MPP increased the referral bonus to $750 on 4/25/2014.**

Hi everyone. I was accepted R2 and have recently found I may have a huge problem when trying to get a job after bschool. I made a huge mistake and got a DUI 6 years ago. It's classified as a misdemeanor, but nonetheless still have the conviction. Obviously it wasn't a problem in my application, but now I understand it may be when trying to get an ibanking job post bschool. Does anyone know if people have be turned away from banking jobs if they have a DUI?

I have no idea. My guess is that they wouldn't have admitted you if they thought it was going to be a problem (100% of students land an internship and I highly doubt they would let someone in if they thought that candidate would ruin their statistic). However, I would contact career services at Booth and double check. I'm sure they have dealt with this before.

Hello GMATCLUB Members,

GMATClub and Admissionado Consulting are conducting a webinar for the applicants got dinged this year. This is your opportunity to get expert guidance and build a smart strategy for the next application round/season. Webinar will be conducted by Admissionado's Founder and HBS Alum Jon Frank. Jon will share his suggestions followed by a Q&A session - this is your opportunity to ask your specific questions.

One lucky attendee will get the opportunity to have his/her (dinged) profile evaluated by Jon Frank during the session. If you'd like to be chosen for this opportunity, please email info@admissionado.com with the subject line "GMAT Club Webinar - Choose me!". Please include your name, nationality, age, GMAT score and a list of schools where you were dinged. And please also attach your essays + resume + LORs from one of your applications. Winner will be notified via email on April 16th!

Hi I am a U of C alum looking to rent out my unit for the next 2 years to Booth students. The unit is in a complex and area where many Booth students live.

It's a great 2 bed 2 bath split floor plan unit right by the lake, walking distance to the Michigan/Randolph and the Metra to Hyde Park.

Building has full amenities including gym, basketball court, pool, patio on the lake. Also includes facilities such as grocery store, valet parking and dry cleaning.

1200 square feet, in-unit washer /dryer

Please feel free to contact me for more details.

Hi I am a U of C alum looking to rent out my unit for the next 2 years to Booth students. The unit is in a complex and area where many Booth students live.

It's a great 2 bed 2 bath split floor plan unit right by the lake, walking distance to the Michigan/Randolph and the Metra to Hyde Park.

Building has full amenities including gym, basketball court, pool, patio on the lake. Also includes facilities such as grocery store, valet parking and dry cleaning.

1200 square feet, in-unit washer /dryer

Please feel free to contact me for more details.

What's the average rent for a one bedroom in MPP?

Hi I am a U of C alum looking to rent out my unit for the next 2 years to Booth students. The unit is in a complex and area where many Booth students live (in LakeShore east neighborhood close to MPP, Columbus Plaza, Aqua...)

It's a great 2 bed 2 bath split floor plan unit right on the lakeshore, walking distance to the Michigan/Randolph and the Metra to Hyde Park.

Building has full amenities including gym, basketball court, pool, patio on the lake. Also includes facilities such as grocery store, valet parking and dry cleaning.

1200 square feet, in-unit washer /dryer

Please feel free to contact me for more details.

FROM Booth Admissions Blog: Join us for the 10th Annual Booth Women’s Week

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Women’s Week (May 1 – May 14), a unique opportunity to meet the women of Chicago Booth. During Women’s Week we celebrate our great community of talented, motivated, and successful women – and we want you to join us and experience this powerful network.  Each year we use one week as a uniform opportunity to come together as professional women and celebrate the unique culture at Chicago Booth, which has helped position alumnae in their careers, and motivated current and prospective women alike to take that “next step” and pursue their passions. Chicago Booth alumnae from across all programs (Full-Time, Evening/Weekend, Executive Programs) are hosting events in their home cities for recently admitted women and fellow alumnae, as well as curious women who want to know more about Chicago Booth and expand their network.  You’ll find these fun, casual events in cities across the world – as far reaching as Tokyo, and as close as our home in Chicago, which quite fittingly, kicks off Women’s Week on May 1. Register to attend an event in your city. Whether the event is hosted at a hip bar, coffee house, or at the home of an alumna, our alumnae are excited to share how the Chicago Booth experience transformed them both personally and professionally. Start thinking about your MBA transformation during Chicago Booth Women’s Week –a deeply rooted tradition at Chicago Booth, and is supported by the Chicago Booth Women’s Network.  Later this year, you can continue the conversation with other motivated women during the Booth Women Connect annual conference in Chicago.  Additionally, we encourage you to keep an eye on our website as we continue to schedule global events, and you can always chat live with us on Twitter @Booth_Insider. Start driving your personal and professional development during Women’s Week 2014.  RSVP online, and share with a friend!  Danielle

Most companies only do background checks in the state that you are currently living/applying to work in and typically extend only 5 years back. This does change depending on the seniority of the role you are interviewing for, but assuming that you won't be recruited for a CEO/CFO role within a public company right out of school, chances are pretty good you will be fine. I would be very surprised if you ran into any issues.

I just finished a background check. It included 7+ year criminal check in every county/state where I had resided or worked (including for a 6 month project).

Anybody going for round 3? ....anxiously waiting for an interview invite ><

It was between $1550 and $1650 for a 1-bedroom last year, if I remember correctly. I'm sure it has gone up since then but I don't know how much, I'd guess about $50.

Also y'all, with admit weekend starting now (get excited!!) make sure you get referrers set up for the buildings BEFORE you visit them. MPP is very strict that you must tell them your referrer on your very first interaction with them and I'm sure other buildings are the same.

Message me and I'll coordinate referrals (again, it's customary that you split the referral bonus 50/50 so there is definitely cash in it for you)!