Expert advice for Booth from Admissions Consultant blogs

Students and alumni at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business who are interested in private equity will now have an expanded suite of programming opportunities thanks to a $5 million gift from Chicago Booth alumnus Raymond Svider.

Svider’s gift will establish the Svider Private Equity Program at the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. The University of Chicago’s Polsky Center currently runs a variety of programs in private equity, and has experienced an increased demand from students and alumni for both experiential and academic private equity learning opportunities.

Each year, some 300 students compete for entry to the Private Equity and Venture Capital Lab, which combines an intensive internship at a private equity or venture capital firm with an academic course. The number of students who secure internships has more than doubled in the last five years—from 53 students in 2015 to 116 in 2017.

The Svider Private Equity Program has three main goals: to increase the resources available to students and alumni pursuing private equity careers; to strengthen Booth’s private equity alumni community; and to build Booth’s national and global brand as a hub for private equity education.

Programming enhancements include expanded opportunities for students to connect with private equity alumni and other experts in the field through additional Entrepreneur-in-Residence positions and programming; enhanced networking and educational opportunities for alumni; and broader distribution of Chicago Booth’s thought leadership in the industry.

“Chicago Booth was an ideal complement – both academically and culturally – to my undergraduate engineering background,” the French-born financier said.  “An MBA from one of the top programs in the U.S. helped me gain access to the most attractive private equity jobs after graduation – my Booth degree was an ideal stepping stone, an entry ticket to my ideal career,” Svider added. “I hope the gift will enable Booth to attract top students in this academic specialty, and make other Booth alumni consider doing the same.”
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If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, Stacy Blackman Consulting can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Contact us to learn more. Visit the website for Stacy Blackman Reviews, and check out the company’s e-publications for more in depth school-by-school guidance.

U.S. News & World Report has announced its ranking of the 2019 Best Graduate Schools, and in the business school category, the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business moved up this year to tie with Harvard Business School for the No. 1 spot among full-time MBA programs for the first time in the history of the U.S. News ranking.
2019 Best Full-Time MBA Programs
1. Harvard Business School (tie)
1. Chicago Booth School of Business (tie)
3. University of Pennsylvania Wharton School
4. Stanford Graduate School of Business
5. MIT Sloan School of Management
6. Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management
7. UC Berkeley Haas School of Business
8. University of Michigan Ross School of Business
9. Columbia Business School
10. Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business
2019 Best Part-Time MBA Programs
1. UC Berkeley Haas School of Business
2. Chicago Booth School of Business
3. Kellogg School of Management
4. NYU Stern School of Business
5. UCLA Anderson School of Management
6. UM Ross School of Business
7. CMU Tepper School of Business (tie)
7. UT McCombs School of Business (tie)
9. Fisher College of Business-Ohio State (tie)
9. Carlson School of Management-University of Minnesota (tie)
11. Georgetown McDonough School of Business (tie)
11. USC Marshall School of Business (tie)
Methodology
Rankings come from statistical surveys of the programs, as well as reputation surveys sent to more than 20,500 academics and professionals between 2017 and the beginning of 2018. Factors that go into rankings include test scores, starting salaries and employment rates after graduation.

For the first time, U.S. News reduced the value of reported GPA, GRE and GMAT scores for full-time and part-time MBA programs and GRE scores in the education rankings if less than 50 percent of an entering class submitted these scores. U.S. News believes this lack of data means the scores are not representative of the entire class.

“In measuring graduate schools nationwide, our ranking formulas evolve as more and more data become available,” said Robert Morse, chief data strategist at U.S. News, in a statement. “From MBA programs to law schools, our aim is to take full advantage of data that are representative of incoming classes and to provide information, where available, on career placement success.”

Also new this year, the MBA rankings, along with U.S. News’ rankings of online and undergraduate business programs, will be featured in the “Best Business Schools 2019” guidebook, to be published later this spring.

“Prospective students can choose from a range of options to continue their education,” said Anita Narayan, managing editor of Education at U.S. News. “The graduate school rankings and data are a great starting point for applicants to find the program that’s the best fit for them academically and financially.”

 
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If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, Stacy Blackman Consulting can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Contact us to learn more. Visit the website for Stacy Blackman Reviews, and check out the company’s e-publications for more in depth school-by-school guidance.

Aspiring entrepreneurial students at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business will benefit from a $5 million gift from Chicago Booth alumnus Rattan L. Khosa, ’79, founder, president, and CEO of AMSYSCO Inc.



Khosa’s $5 million gift will establish the Rattan L. Khosa Student Entrepreneurs Program at the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. The new program consists of four components:

• The Rattan L. Khosa New Venture Challenge First-Place Prize: The majority of the total gift will be used to endow the first place award for the nationally-ranked annual Edward L. Kaplan, ’71 New Venture Challenge. For 2018, the winning team or individual will be awarded at least $150,000; in subsequent years, that will increase to approximately $200,000, which is among the largest prizes awarded in a business school competition.
• The Rattan L. Khosa Entrepreneurial Fellowships, awarded to two graduating entrepreneurs who are dedicated to building their ventures full-time. The fellowships, part of the overall Polsky Founders’ Fund Fellowship program, will provide a one-year stipend, awarded quarterly. The fellowship will also include one-on-one mentoring, which Khosa views as central to his role.

“When more than 80 percent of companies fail within the first year – even those with ample funding – it’s clear that there is much more to a start-up’s success than just money,” Khosa said. “I don’t simply want to provide the money for this new program; I plan to serve as a thought leader, mentor and guide for these aspiring entrepreneurs, so that my years of experience, my struggles and my successes may serve as an additional resource to help them succeed.”

The two additional components of the program are:

• The Rattan L. Khosa Entrepreneurial Interns: Three students will receive financial support to work for either a startup company or on their own startup, within the Polsky Center Entrepreneurial Internship Program.
• The Rattan L. Khosa “Against All Odds” Student Award: This annual prize will be awarded to a graduating student who has overcome significant hurdles to launch his or her business. Entrepreneurship faculty and staff will nominate candidates.

“Starting a business from scratch is like jumping off a cliff in the middle of the night while blindfolded, hoping that there is a safety net down below,” Khosa said. “I know from personal experience that everyone needs help at some point in their lives. No one has succeeded on their own.”
Khosa came to the U.S. from his native India with just $3.75 in his pocket
“The day I wrote the check for this new program, I sat down, closed my eyes, and thought about my first day in this country and how little I had,” he said. “I’m extremely humbled and equally grateful to be able to give back and help support the next generation of Booth entrepreneurs.”

Khosa started AMSYSCO in 1981 out of the basement of his home that he shared with his wife and young son, with lifetime savings of $44,000 and no other financing. After nearly four decades, he has grown it into a highly profitable company that provides post-tensioning systems on commercial structures, and occupies a 55,000 square foot facility; the company captures some 65% market share.

“Entrepreneurship is now the number one concentration at Chicago Booth, and the Rattan L. Khosa Student Entrepreneurs Program will support our most promising entrepreneurial students. In addition, Rattan’s leadership, generosity, and success will serve as an inspirational example to them,” said Madhav Rajan, Booth Dean and George Pratt Shultz Professor of Accounting.

“This transformational commitment will greatly support the school’s mission to influence and educate current and future leaders.”
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If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, Stacy Blackman Consulting can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Contact us to learn more. Visit the website for Stacy Blackman Reviews, and check out the company’s e-publications for more in depth school-by-school guidance.

As the 2018–2019 admissions season quickly approaches, many MBA hopefuls have burning questions that they wish they could ask the admissions officers of top-ranked business schools. mbaMission is here to help!

Our founder and president, Jeremy Shinewald, recently hosted an online Q&A session with admissions officers from Columbia Business School, the Yale School of Management (SOM), the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and the MIT Sloan School of Management. Check out some of the highlights and most pressing questions below before delving into the video:

• One question on many applicants’ minds is whether the percentage of international applications declined in the most recent admissions season, and by how much. According to the admissions officers, international applications are indeed on the decline, but perhaps not as dramatically as some might think.
• Many exciting things are happening at each of the schools represented in the chat. For example, Chicago Booth welcomed a new dean recently, while Yale SOM has welcomed a plethora of new faculty members.
• Stay tuned for Yale SOM essays and deadlines for the 2018–2019 admissions season. Those will be out within just a few weeks!
• Applicants who choose to take the GRE in lieu of the GMAT can ease their minds—all admissions officers agreed that there is absolutely no preference for one over the other!
• Other popular questions included the following: Should applicants shy away from applying in Round 3, and does applying in Round 3 put one at a disadvantage? How about at Columbia Business School, which accepts applications on a rolling basis?
• Deferred admission programs are attracting more and more interest. Are the schools taking advantage of this? Columbia Business School and MIT Sloan say yes but stay mum on the details for now.

For the entire in-depth discussion on these topics and much more, click play!

Chicago Booth School of Business alumnus Dave Liguang Chenn (MBA 2000) has gifted the university $10 million for several priority initiatives at both the University of Chicago and the Booth School of Business, the school announced this week.

The new University of Chicago Center in Hong Kong—slated to open in July 2018—will receive $3 million of Chenn’s total gift.  The Center houses Chicago Booth’s Executive MBA Program in Asia, College study abroad programs, the Hong Kong Jockey Club Programme on Social Innovation, and faculty research projects.

Chenn’s gift will also provide scholarship support for both graduate business students and undergraduate students, with $2 million going to scholarships for full-time MBA students at Chicago Booth, and an additional $2 million directed toward the College’s Odyssey Scholarship Program for undergraduate students.

“This generous gift will have a transformational and lasting impact on areas of great need at the College and of high priority at the university and Chicago Booth.”—  Dean Madhav Rajan.

“The Center in Hong Kong is pivotal to the university’s and Booth’s Asia strategy. Scholarships allow us to attract the most talented students, at both the undergraduate and graduate level. And the Innovation Fund supports ventures that have the potential to benefit society for years to come. We are deeply grateful for Dave’s vision and philanthropy,” Rajan added.

Finally, Chenn’s gift will provide $3 million to the UChicago Innovation Fund, which is managed by the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. The Innovation Fund provides proof-of-concept funding to UChicago-affiliated ventures and technologies that have the greatest promise to drive societal impact. The Innovation Fund fills a critical gap in venture funding, providing early capital that is often unavailable, helping bring groundbreaking ideas to market.

“Since my graduation from Chicago Booth many years ago, I have always appreciated the values and the principles that had been taught in this fine institution and the many great lifelong friends I had met there,” Chenn said.

“I hope my contributions will help the university and Booth to attract the best students from around the world, and enhance their global impact, particularly in Asia, with the new campus in Hong Kong.”

A 2000 Booth graduate, Chenn is the founder, CEO, and managing partner of Oceanpine Capital, an equity investment management firm focusing on growth companies across all stages. He also is founder and chairman of China Century Group, a multinational company headquartered in Beijing, China, with business and subsidiaries in China, Southeast Asia, and the U.S.

 
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If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, Stacy Blackman Consulting can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Contact us to learn more. Visit the website for Stacy Blackman Reviews, and check out the company’s e-publications for more in depth school-by-school guidance.

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business has posted the following MBA application deadlines for the 2017-18 admissions season.
Round 1
Application due: September 27, 2018
Decision released: December 6, 2018
Round 2
Application due: January 3, 2019
Decision released: March 21, 2019
Round 3
Application due: April 4, 2019
Decision released: May 16, 2019

All applications are due by 11:59 p.m. Central Time. For more information about applying to Chicago Booth, please visit the Booth admissions website.
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If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, Stacy Blackman Consulting can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Contact us to learn more. Visit the website for Stacy Blackman Reviews, and check out the company’s e-publications for more in depth school-by-school guidance.

The University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business has decided to switch up the essay requirements for the 2018-2019 admissions season. The new application no longer features the photo prompt of the previous two cycles and instead asks two questions of MBA applicants.

As Admissions Officer Donna Swinford explains on the Full-Time MBA Admissions Blog, “At Booth, passions and ambitions serve as a compass in navigating our choice-rich environment. This year, you will find we want to get right at those motivations—to the things that inspire you and your post-MBA future.”
Required MBA Essays
Essay One: How will the Booth MBA help you achieve your immediate and long-term post-MBA career goals? (250 word minimum)

Essay Two: Chicago Booth immerses you in a choice-rich environment. How have your interests, leadership experiences, and other passions influenced the choices in your life? (250 word minimum)

Response Guidelines:

• • • Length: There is no maximum length, only a 250 word minimum. We trust that you will use your best judgment in determining how long your submission should be, but we recommend that you think strategically about how to best allocate the space.
    • File Size: Maximum file size is 16 MB.
    • Acceptable Formats: Acceptable formats are PDF or Word. We strongly recommend converting your piece to a PDF file prior to submitting.
    • Restrictions: We will be viewing your submission electronically and in full color, but all submissions will be converted to PDF files, so animation, multimedia, hyperlinks, etc. will not translate over.

Optional Question
Is there any unclear information in your application that needs further explanation? (300 word maximum)
Re-applicant Question
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 word maximum)

For more information about applying to the Chicago Booth School of Business, please visit the admissions website.

 
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If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, Stacy Blackman Consulting can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Contact us to learn more. Visit the website for Stacy Blackman Reviews, and check out the company’s e-publications for more in depth school-by-school guidance.

After maintaining its somewhat unique “choose a photo” essay prompt for three years in a row, the University of Chicago Booth School of Business has completely overhauled its application essays this season, transitioning from that single open-ended and creative option to two short, direct essay questions. And notably, the school has shifted from having no limits at all to having a minimum expectation with respect to word count. In some ways, the minimum sets a range that a lack of limit does not. We have often suggested 1,000 words as a guide for the unlimited Chicago Booth essay, but now, we suggest keeping responses to 500–600 words each. Approximately double the minimum seems to be a reasonable high-end target, though you will not be thrown from the applicant pool for going even higher. That said, we do think 1,000 words would be as high as one might go, and only in exceedingly rare cases.

Returning to the prompts, the school’s first essay now is a very traditional career essay, in which you will need to reveal that your MBA is a well-thought-out professional imperative and that Chicago Booth is the clear bridge to your future. In the second essay, you have an opportunity to share your “soul,” discussing your broader values in your development. With the two pieces together, you should be able to provide the admissions committee with a well-rounded picture of yourself. Our more in-depth analysis follows…

Interested in learning how to tackle this year’s Chicago Booth application essay? Watch the short video below before you continue reading the full analysis!

Essay 1: How will the Booth MBA help you achieve your immediate and long-term post-MBA career goals? (250 word minimum)

If this essay prompt seems rather simplistic and straightforward, that is because it is. Chicago Booth is requesting very fundamental—yet incredibly important—information and really just wants you to provide it so the school can understand your motivation for pursuing an MBA from its program and where you expect to go in your career afterward. Be as specific as possible in your description of where you see yourself after graduation and several years down the line, from the industry and role to any additional details about which you currently feel confident (perhaps specific companies or responsibilities that appeal to you in particular). Explain what has brought you to this point in your professional life, not only your career progression to date but also what has inspired you to earn an advanced degree as a vital tool in moving forward. And ideally, take the extra step of noting which of the program’s resources you believe will be most helpful to you in your pursuits. To be effective, this needs to be more than a passing mention, so do your research on the school and draw a clear picture for your admissions reader as to how and why the particular offerings you have identified relate directly to your needs and how you intend to apply them.

This essay includes many of the most elemental components of a traditional personal statement essay. We therefore encourage you to download your free copy of the mbaMission Personal Statement Guide, in which we provide much more in-depth guidance on how to consider and respond to these sorts of questions, along with numerous illustrative examples. Please feel free to download your complimentary copy today.

And for a thorough exploration of the Chicago Booth academic program, unique offerings, social life, and other key characteristics and resources, download your complimentary copy of the mbaMission Insider’s Guide to the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Essay 2: Chicago Booth immerses you in a choice-rich environment. How have your interests, leadership experiences, and other passions influenced the choices in your life? (250 word minimum)

Although Chicago Booth asks about your “interests, leadership experiences, and other passions,” the admissions committee does not expect you to check all of these figurative boxes. Instead of focusing on each of these aspects and trying to formulate a response that would fit one, invert your approach by taking a step back from the question and reflecting on how you have arrived at where you are today, both personally and professionally. What has led you to this point in your life and/or career? What has been your primary motivation? In considering your path to date with this mind-set, you should be able to easily identify inflection points that fall within the scope of the “interests, leadership experiences, and other passions” that have shaped you.

You should know that no specific interest, leadership experience, or passion is either “right” or “wrong.” What will make your response powerful is identifying the actual influences in your life and writing about them with sincerity. And you must go beyond simply stating an interest/experience/passion—to truly convey authenticity, you will need to present your experiences in a narrative form. By giving your essay a voice and allowing your reader to visualize how your influences manifest, you will be on the road to a sincere essay.

Although you are not restricted by a set maximum length, we nevertheless suggest skipping a long introduction and launching directly into your narrative. Immersing the admissions reader in your story right away is a good way to capture his/her attention. If you have a single, very strong core narrative, you might start by sharing the emergence of your passion in your first paragraph(s) and then describing its manifestation in the later one(s). For example, if you were a particularly outdoorsy youth and are now a leader in your position as a product developer at The North Face, this approach could reveal a clear cause and effect. If, however, you have a portfolio of formative experiences, you might strive to reveal this cause-and-effect relationship between passion and manifestation two or even three times within your essay. The permutations are many, but our point is that your best chance of standing out comes from revealing how a particular aspect of your life (or more than one) blossomed over time into something more and has helped create the person you are today.

Optional Question: Is there any unclear information in your application that needs further explanation? (300 word maximum)

Chicago Booth’s optional essay prompt is a little quirky in that the admissions committee uses the word “unclear,” which to us sounds like a more direct way of saying, “Don’t share additional information just to ‘sell’ your candidacy, but use this space only to address a problem area.” So let us be especially clear: however tempted you may be, do not use this space to simply share a strong essay you wrote for another school or offer a few anecdotes you were unable to share in your required essays. This is your opportunity to address—if you need to—any lingering questions that an admissions officer might have about your candidacy, such as a low GMAT or GRE score, a poor grade or overall GPA, or a gap in your work experience. For more guidance, we encourage you to download your free copy of our mbaMission Optional Essays Guide, in which we offer detailed advice on when and how to take advantage of the optional essay, with multiple examples, to help you mitigate any problem areas in your application.

Reapplicant Question: 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 word maximum)

With this essay question, Chicago Booth is testing your resolve and your reasoning. We surmise that the school wants to be certain you are not just stubbornly following a path and trying to “finish what you started,” so to speak, but that you have truly reassessed your needs in the aftermath of your unfortunate rejection. We recommend that you discuss your subsequent growth and development as they pertain to additional personal and professional discovery, which validates your need for an MBA. In the interim, some of your interests or goals may have changed—that is not a bad thing, and the admissions committee will not automatically assume that you are “wishy-washy,” unless you give them good reason to do so. Just be sure that any of your goals that have changed still logically connect to your overall story and desire for an MBA. Your aspirations—new or original—need to represent a compelling progression of the growth you have achieved in the past year.

The Next Step—Mastering Your Chicago Booth Interview: Many MBA candidates find admissions interviews stressful and intimidating, but mastering this important element of the application process is definitely possible—the key is informed preparation. To help you on your way to this high level of preparation, we offer our free Interview Primers. Download your free copy of the Chicago Booth School of Business Interview Primer today.

When thinking about the top business schools in the world, it’s easy to fall into the trap of assuming that all of the elite MBA programs are pretty much the same. While you will find consistencies as far as cost and quality of the education are concerned, many subtle—and some not so subtle—differences exist among highly ranked b-schools.

Find MBA’s Seb Murray recently wrote up a compare-and-contrast piece looking at University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and the Chicago Booth School of Business, and we shared our admissions intel with Murray based on what we’ve gleaned over the years from working with clients targeting both schools.
Side-By-Side Comparison of Booth and Wharton
These two programs share common ground when it comes to rankings—both regularly make the top seven—campus environment, access to an array of business resources, and a sterling reputation in finance. However, brand perception plays especially strong in favor of Wharton, given UPenn’s Ivy League status.

Click over to Murray’s article to see how each program stacks up as far as admissions requirements, selectivity and class profiles are concerned. As SBC principal Esther Magna puts it, “If quality is defined as a collaborative culture, Booth likely wins. If quality is defined as prestige of a student’s past work experience, Wharton likely wins.”

Do you have a strong favorite between these two top-ranked business schools? If so, leave a comment telling us why your choice is the better MBA option.
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If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, Stacy Blackman Consulting can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Contact us to learn more. Visit the website for Stacy Blackman Reviews, and check out the company’s e-publications for more in depth school-by-school guidance.

The Chicago Booth
Admissions Committee evaluates the candidates based on a holistic criterion
consisting of academic preparedness, unique experiences, eagerness to
contribute to society, and a sense of personal direction.

Application
Deadlines:

The Chicago Booth
MBA deadlines for the 2019-20 admissions season are as follows:

Round

Application Deadline

Decision Released

Round 1

September 26, 2019

December 5, 2019

Round 2

January 7, 2020

March 19, 2020

Round 3

April 2, 2020

May 21, 2020

All applications
are due by 11:59 PM CST. Applications submitted after a deadline will
automatically be considered in the next round, provided that all required
materials are included with the application.

Essay Questions:

There is no change
in the essay questions of Booth this year. Like last year, the admission
committee requires the applicants to answer two essay questions. Donna
Swinford, Interim Executive Director of Student
Recruitment and Admissions, explains in Booth admissions  blog the reason for repeating the same essay
prompts: “At Booth, passions and
ambitions serve as a compass in navigating our choice-rich environment. Our
essay questions get right at those motivations—to the things that inspire you
and your post-MBA future. Last year, we introduced two essay questions that
directly address your goals and passions. The responses disclosed amazing
insights into our applicants’ professional aspirations as well as personal
interests. This year, you’ll find that we kept both prompts because the
combination established such a comprehensive picture of our applicants, both
from a career-related standpoint and outside of their professional selves.”

 Instead of maximum word limit, there is
minimum word limit of 250 word minimum. From Booth website: “We trust that
you will use your best judgment in determining how long your submission should
be and recommend that you think strategically about how to best allocate the
space.” The admission committee asks candidates to use their own judgment
in determining how long the submission should be. Use your judgement and
include only the essentials. I advise my students to use the standard 500 words
for both essays.

Apart from these two required essay questions, applicants can also submit an optional essay to elaborate on any aspect which they could not discuss in mandatory essays or address/explain any weaknesses in their profile or of nay extenuating circumstances. Re applicants will also submit an essay explaining areas in which their application has improved this year.

  Let’s take a closer look at the essays:

1.  How will the Booth MBA help you achieve your
immediate and long-term post-MBA career goals? (250 word minimum)

This is a standard
goals essay that requires you to carefully deliberate on three aspects:

• Your immediate
post-MBA goal - you should list the type of company/industry you would like to
work for, highlighting your role in the company, linking it with your career
and personal goals. At times location is relevant too, if so, don’t forget to
mention.

•
Your long-term career goals – Progression of Short -term goals should lead to
your long- term goals which may not be specific in nature.

• The Chicago
Booth program - How strengths and skill set acquired at Booth will help you
reach your short term and long -term goals. Specifically, how Booth experience
will help you build on your past knowledge and skills, inching you closer to
your goals in the process.

To
begin with, you can briefly discuss your career history that defined your
goals. Narrate the story around your experience and explain how it is a
decisive factor in defining your short- and long-term goals. Make sure that your goals are
realistic as well as ambitious. That is, if you aim for a technology or a
consulting role, you’ll need to demonstrate that you already possess some
skills/experience in that area and are now aiming to enhance those skills.
Likewise, if you are a career changer, you should provide evidence as to how
your current skill set would facilitate this transition. Now
connect your goals to the curriculum, career placement and strengths of Booth program,
explaining how it can prepare you for the future career. Please note that a thorough
research of the Booth MBA program and its offerings is key to an effective
response to this question.

Chicago Booth
admission committee looks for individuals who are aware of the direction their
decisions will lead them to and their eagerness and undaunted spirit to make an
impact. The intent is to see if you can fit into the ethos of Booth’s
community.

2. Chicago Booth
immerses you in a choice-rich environment. How have your interests, leadership
experiences, and other passions influenced the choices in your life? (250 word
minimum)

The purpose of this essay is to show who you are as person and what motivates you. While the first essay explains your professional accomplishments and goals, this essay provides you an opportunity to reflect on your personal interests, motivation and values and how these have influenced your choices in the past. An exceptional response to this essay would be to reflect on times when you had to prioritize and make your decisions. You will have to do some soul searching and share stories from your personal, academic, professional and community life that showcase your interests, leadership experiences and other passions. Like the choice-rich environment that Booth provides, you also had many options, so you will need to explain how your goals and interests influenced your choices. Your ability to prioritize and make decisions aligning them with your goals will set you apart.

Having
discussed your leadership experiences, passions and motivation that influenced
your decisions, connect them to your potential experiences at the choice rich
environment of Booth.  Your research of Booth’s resources and offerings
will come in handy to address this part of the question.    Explain how you see yourself engaging in
the clubs and organizations of Booth based on your interest and passion. This
will be great way to demonstrate your ‘fit’ with the program. Please note that
self-awareness is imperative for acceptance to the MBA program in Chicago
Booth.

Optional Essay:

Is there any
unclear information in your application that needs further explanation? (300
words maximum)

This question,
unlike the required questions, does have a word limit. Please respect it. You
may use this opportunity to address areas of concern in your application, for
instance, low GMAT scores or GPA, employment gap, and difficulty in getting a letter
of recommendation from your current employer etc. This essay should highlight
your sincere efforts to overcome your weaknesses and spirit to overcome
difficulties.

If you do not have
any weakness in your profile or any areas that need justification /explanation,
it’s best to skip this question and focus only on the required two essays.

Re applicant Question:

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 maximum)

The answer to this question is vital for the re- applicants, since it is asking for your perspective and growth. Instead of asking how your application has improved this time, Booth wants to assess how failure has altered your outlook and how differently you have geared up this time for the MBA admission. Take this opportunity to showcase change in your stance and your maturity to progress towards the goal. Don’t forget to mention how you have tailored yourself to meet Booth’s admission criteria. Though the question doesn’t ask for improvements, you should definitely mention if it there are any improvements in your profile, such as, an improved test score, or a promotion at work, or significant community involvement that have resulted in  a changed outlook of your future.





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This week Chicago Booth confirmed the MBA application essay questions for 2020-2021 applicants. Once again, Booth will require two essays, each with no strict word limit.

The first question remained unchanged once again, while Chicago Booth altered the second essay question this year.

Essay 1: “How will the Booth MBA help you achieve your immediate and long-term post-MBA career goals?”

For this question, you will want to discuss your specific short-term and long-term goals. Be sure to explain a bit of your thinking behind these goals, allowing the reader to understand both how you developed them and what your higher-level aspirations are.

As with other “goals” essays, you are also expected to touch upon your past successes, explaining how they are relevant to your future objectives. This question does not require you to walk through your entire resume, and candidates are advised not to do so. Instead, focus only on your past to establish your key skills as well as how and why you will succeed in the future.

Next, think about your skills gaps and how a Booth MBA will help you to close these gaps. Be specific here and take the time to do your research. Detail the classes, programs, or clubs you hope to take advantage of on campus and how they will help you to achieve your post-MBA career goals. Again, do not include a laundry list. Instead carefully think through how each area will help you fill in the necessary pieces of the puzzle. Finally, be sure to show an understanding of Booth’s culture.

Essay 2: “An MBA is as much about personal growth as it is about professional development. In addition to sharing your experience and goals in terms of career, we’d like to learn more about you outside of the office. Use this opportunity to tell us something about who you are...” (250-word minimum)

Chicago Booth is pivoting from its previous focus on choices, which included a combination of personal and professional context. This year, the second Chicago Booth essay challenges applicants to think about personal aspects of their profile.

At Personal MBA Coach we specialize in helping our clients develop their personal stories. This essay is an opportunity to tell more about yours. As you brainstorm topics for this MBA application essay, remember that admissions committees (including Chicago Booth) are looking to create a well-rounded class. Think about how you are unique. This is your chance to think about what sets you apart from other applicants.

Potential topics to explore here include passions, values (but be careful not to copy your Kellogg essay if you are applying to both schools), hobbies, and extracurricular activities.

While there is no stated maximum for the Chicago Booth essay questions, we advise our clients to be focused and succinct. This is not the time to write a 1000-word essay.

In fact, many schools this year are lowering their word limits or the number of essays required. Stanford GSB reduced its combined word count by 100 words this year, a major change given how long the essays had previously remained unchanged. Michigan Ross, UCLA, and Duke Fuqua are also among the schools that reduced the required writing. While in many ways this may seem like welcome news, it highlights the importance of choosing your words carefully and editing. Writing less is actually harder than writing more. (Be on the lookout for a future blog on how to say more with fewer words.)

Need help? Personal MBA Coach is willing to be your guide. Founded by a Wharton and MIT graduate, we regularly help applicants navigate their applications each year. We also conduct mock interviews with former M7 interviewers on our team.

Personal MBA Coach has been guiding candidates through all aspects of the MBA application process for 13 years with a 96% success rate. Call us today at +1 617-645-2424 or email scott@personalmbacoach.com for a free consultation on your profile along with how we can help make your MBA dreams a reality!

The
Chicago Booth, the world’s most flexible full-time MBA program,
evaluates candidates based on the criteria of academic preparedness, intellectual
curiosity, and communication skills. It is ‘the destination
for ambitious, intellectually curious professionals—bold leaders who want to
advance in their careers and earn an MBA degree from the world’s leading
academic business school’.

Application Deadlines:

The Chicago Booth MBA deadlines for
the 2020-21 admissions season are as follows:

Round

Application Due

Decision Notification

Round 1

September 24, 2020

December 3, 2020

Round 2

January 12, 2021

March 18, 2021

Round 3

April 1, 2021

May 20, 2021

Chicago Booth Scholars

April 1, 2021

June 3, 2021

All applications are due by 11:59 PM CST.

Essay Questions:

Like
last year, the admission committee requires the applicants to answer two essay
questions. The first essay remains unchanged, but the second essay question has
been changed this year.

From
Booth Admissions Blog: Our approach
to the MBA application and evaluation is holistic. In this way we can begin to
get a sense of who you are both professionally and personally. That is why this
year you’ll find that we kept the essay question that provides insights into
your post-MBA goals and added a new question that gets at the heart of your
motivations.

Instead
of a maximum word limit, there is a minimum word limit of 250-words. Though
there is no maximum word limit for these essays, the admission committee
asks candidates to use their own judgment in determining how long the
submission should be.

From
the Booth Website: We trust that you will use your best judgment in
determining how long your submission should be, but we recommend that you think
strategically about how to best allocate the space.

 I advise my students to include only the
essentials and keep their submission within 500 words for each essay.

Apart
from these two required essay questions, applicants can also submit an optional
essay to address/explain any weaknesses in their profile or any extenuating
circumstances. Re-applicants will also submit an essay explaining how their
perspective about their future, Booth , and MBA has changed this year.

Let us take a closer look at the
essays:

1.
How will the Booth MBA help you achieve your immediate and long-term post-MBA
career goals? (250-word minimum)

This
is a standard goals essay that focuses on your short-term and long-term goals
and how an MBA from Booth will help you achieve your goals. To begin with, provide
a brief account of your career history, explaining the skills and knowledge you
have gained and the accomplishments you have made. Outline how your
professional experiences so far have inspired your career plans.

Now
share your short-term goals. Identify the position that you hope to hold
immediately after MBA, specifying role, position, industry, and 1-2
organizations/companies which you would like to work for. Articulate your goal
and explain why this goal is interesting and important to you. Please note that
your post-MBA goal should show a logical progression from your current skill
set and knowledge acquired through an MBA degree. Your goals should be ambitious
as well as realistic. That is, if you aim for a technology or a consulting
role, you will need to demonstrate that you already possess some
skills/experience in that area and are now aiming to enhance those skills.
Likewise, if you are a career changer, you should provide evidence as to how
your current skill set would facilitate this transition. Now explain your
long-term career vision. Your short-term goals should naturally lead to your
long-term goals which may or may not be specific in nature.

After
that, discuss the gap in your skillset that you hope to fill through Booth MBA.
Connect your goals to the curriculum, career placement, and other resources of
the Booth program, explaining how they can prepare you for the future career.
Please note that thorough research of the Booth MBA program and its offerings
is key to an effective response to this question. Be specific about how skills,
knowledge, and experience acquired at Booth will help you build on your past
knowledge and skills, inching you closer to your goals. Chicago Booth admission
committee looks for individuals who are aware of the direction their decisions
will lead them to and their eagerness and undaunted spirit to make an impact.
The intent is to see if you can fit into the ethos of Booth’s community.

2. An
MBA is as much about personal growth as it is about professional development.
In addition to sharing your experience and goals in terms of career, we’d like
to learn more about you outside of the office. Use this opportunity to tell us
something about who you are… (Minimum 250 words, no maximum.)

Last
year, Booth asked about the ‘choices’ that included both personal and
professional choices. This year the Booth admission committee expects applicants
to reveal their personal side. The purpose of this essay is to show who you are
as a person and what motivates you. You will have to do some soul searching and
share stories from your personal, academic, and community life that showcase
your interests, leadership experiences, and other passions. Give the admission
committee a glimpse into what matters most to you, what drives you, motivates
you, and has shaped you as a person.

When writing this essay, focus on
experiences that have shaped your values and priorities all these years.  Do not shy away from
sharing the challenging experiences in life – often tough experiences make us stronger
and self-aware. Remember all of you are unique individuals, so your experiences,
values, and interests will set you apart from other candidates. Some people
have extensive volunteer engagement, while some may have varied interests and
hobbies outside of work. This essay is a great place to share your involvement
and passion for voluntary service and your interests and hobbies.   

Having
discussed your passions, and interests that occupy your days outside of your
work hours and are the guiding forces in your life, connect them to your
potential experiences at the ‘choice rich’ environment of Booth. Your research
of Booth’s resources and offerings will come in handy to address this part of
the question. Explain how you see yourself engaging in the clubs and
organizations of Booth based on your interests and passion. This is your chance
to show
to the Ad com what you will bring to the table as a student and as a valuable
alumnus. For instance, you can talk about how your accomplishments in a specific
sport or your passion for volunteer work will enable you to actively engage in specific
clubs or organizations at Booth. This
is a great way to demonstrate your ‘fit’ with the program. Please note that
self-awareness is imperative for acceptance to the MBA program in Chicago
Booth.

While
the first essay unfolds your professional accomplishments and goals, this essay
unveils your interests, motivation, and values outside of the professional
arena. Make sure that these two essays should showcase a well-rounded picture
of your professional and personal self.

If you are invited to interview, you will
have the opportunity to share even more about who you are, how you think, and
why. You will get two short answer questions that allow you to further showcase
yourself. 

Optional Essay:

Is
there any unclear information in your application that needs further
explanation? (300 words maximum)

This
 optional essay asks you for information that will clarify something
that is unclear. It is a great place to address any weaknesses in your profile.
For example, if you have lower than average GMAT score, any grades below a C on
your transcript, academic probation, or a significant employment or education gap,
you can explain it in this essay. Also, if you cannot get your recommendation
letter from your current supervisor, please explain that in the optional
statement.

To
provide context for a weakness in your profile, make sure your reason is
genuine to convince the Ad Com that your low grades or employment gap occurred
due to unforeseen circumstances beyond your control. Your response should be
positive, straightforward, and fact-focused and should not sound like you are
making excuses for a weakness in your profile. Your weakness may also bring out
a positive aspect of your personality. For example, if you are discussing your
employment gap, you may explain that you did something productive during that
period, such as traveling, volunteering, or handling a family medical
emergency.

If
you do not have any weakness in your profile or any areas that need
justification/explanation, you may skip this question and focus only on the
required two essays. This question, unlike the required questions, does have a
word limit. Please respect it.

Re-applicant Question:

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
maximum)

The
answer to this re-applicant essay is vital for the re-applicants since it is asking for your
perspective and growth. Instead of asking how your application has improved
this time, Booth wants to assess how failure has altered your outlook and how
differently you have geared up this time for the MBA admission. Take this
opportunity to showcase the change in your stance and your maturity to progress
towards the goal. Do not forget to mention how you have tailored yourself to
meet Booth’s admission criteria. Though the question doesn’t ask for
improvements, you should definitely mention if there are any improvements in
your profile, such as, an improved test score, or a promotion at work, or
significant community involvement that has resulted in a changed outlook of
your future. Your conscious efforts to strengthen your profile and to work on
your weak areas will prove how determined you are about your Booth MBA.

To
meet the prescribed word limit, you need to be extremely precise in presenting
your case a make every word count.

For
more information about applying to Chicago Booth, please click here.

Free Resources:

10 Key Essay Tips with Examples

Essay Analysis of Other TopPrograms-2020-21

 MER Students Share their success Stories

Since 2011, MER (myEssayReview) has helped many applicants get accepted into the top 20 MBA programs, including Chicago Booth. (Poonam is one of the top 5 most reviewed consultants on the GMAT Club.)

Do you have questions about your Booth application? E-mail Poonam at poonam@myessayreview.com or sign up here for a free consultation.

This article was first published in myEssayReview blog.

A few weeks ago University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business made an announcement that they would be granting applicants waivers for standardized tests. This includes both the GMAT and the GRE. The waivers will be for this upcoming application cycle, whose first deadline is in September.

To find out if you are eligible for a waiver and for more information, check out our post here

For more insider information about Darden, click here

Or, get in contact with us today for a free consultation.

Since March, the GMAC have been searching for the best possible solution to combat the closure of testing centers. From virtual proctors to the infamous online whiteboards, the online GMAT test went through some trial and error. We asked one of our clients about his experience with the online GMAT test.

Click here to read about what it was like.

Or click here for a FREE consultation today.

We interviewed people on admission boards at the top schools, do you don't have to! We found out everything you need to know and combined it into one article for each school.

Chicago Booth boasts one of the top MBA programs not only within the US, but worldwide. Kim Epps, Senior Assistant Director of their MBA programs, shared all the information that you need to know.

Epps shared with us her advice for Booth applicants, student life in Chicago and what makes her school so special.

If you're planning on applying to this TOP MBA program, give the article a read here.

To read our previous 'Insider Information', click here.

If you still need some more help with your application, click here to contact us for a FREE consultation.

[url=https://gmatclub.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-Shared-Series-Large-Image.png][img]https://gmatclub.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-Shared-Series-Large-Image-1024x307.png[/img][/url]

So, you have your sights set on applying to business school. What comes next?

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"Building Your Best MBA Application" Series Schedule:

[list][*][b]Part 1: Your 2022 MBA Action Plan[/b][/*][/list]

Thursday, April 7, 2022
8:00–9:30 p.m. ET
Applying to business school in 2022–2023? It is not too early to start planning! Join mbaMission Founder/President [url=https://www.mbamission.com/who-we-are/team/jeremy-shinewald/]Jeremy Shinewald[/url] as he discusses such topics as creating your ten-month (and beyond) timeline; getting “stats ready,” including accelerating personal goals; attaining your target GMAT/GRE/EA score; and taking additional coursework.

[list][*][b]Part 2: Which Business School Is Right for Me?[/b][/*][/list]

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8:00–9:30 p.m. ET
Which MBA program is right for you? How can you find the best fit? During this free webinar, mbaMission Managing Director [url=https://www.mbamission.com/who-we-are/team/rachel-beck/]Rachel Beck[/url] will help prospective MBAs understand the differences among top MBA programs.

[list][*][b]Part 3: Should I Take a Test? If So, Which One: GMAT, GRE, or EA?[/b][/*][/list]

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Join Manhattan Prep instructor [url=https://www.manhattanprep.com/instructors/jamie-nelson/]Jamie Nelson[/url] and mbaMission Founder/President [url=https://www.mbamission.com/who-we-are/team/jeremy-shinewald/]Jeremy Shinewald[/url] as they explain the key differences among the exams and how business schools view each test—and help you determine which one may be best for you.

[list][*][b]Part 4: Are My MBA Profile and Test Score Strong Enough?[/b][/*][/list]

Thursday, April 28, 2022
8:00–9:30 p.m. ET
Every year, thousands of strong candidates apply to business school. To get noticed, you will need an impressive GMAT, GRE, or EA score and an unforgettable application. Join Manhattan Prep instructor [url=https://www.manhattanprep.com/instructors/chris-gentry/]Chris Gentry[/url] as he discusses the GMAT’s scoring system and how you can approach the test with the right mindset to get your best return on investment. Then, mbaMission Managing Director [url=https://www.mbamission.com/who-we-are/team/krista-nannery/]Krista Nannery[/url] will share what admissions officers look for and how to build a noteworthy application.

[list][*][b]Part 5: How Can I Make My MBA Application Essays Stand Out?[/b][/*][/list]

Thursday, May 5, 2022
8:00–9:30 p.m. ET[b]
[/b]To grab the attention of a top business school, you will need to write an essay that is well crafted and memorable. Learn to do just that in this session led by mbaMission Managing Director [url=https://www.mbamission.com/who-we-are/team/john-sisk/]John Sisk[/url], who will help you start to uncover your personal story, craft a strong opening statement, develop your goals, and connect those goals to your target school.

[list][*][b]Part 6: [/b][b]How Can I Nail My MBA Application Material[/b][b]s? (Everything But the Essay)[/b][/*][/list]

Thursday, May 12, 2022
8:00–9:30 p.m. ET
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[list][*][b]Part 7a: GRE for MBA: How Do I Handle the Toughest Topics?[/b][/*][/list]

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7:00-8:15 p.m. ET

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[list][*][b]Part 7b: Advanced GMAT: How Can I Master 700+ Level Quant and Sentence Correction?[/b][/*][/list]

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The GMAT has four subscores, but your Quant score will likely be the most important. Get ready to tackle the most difficult Quant problems with this free event led by Manhattan Prep instructor [url=https://www.manhattanprep.com/instructors/jamie-nelson/]Jamie Nelson[/url]. Jamie will also walk you through an equally tough section: Sentence Correction. Learn how to nail the most challenging problems, no matter how long or confusing each passage may seem.

[list][*][b]Part 8: Top Admissions Directors Answer Your Questions[/b][/*][/list]

Thursday, May 26, 2022
8:00–9:30 p.m. ET
In this event, we are bringing you direct access to some of the world’s best business schools so you can ask them all your questions, learn what makes each one unique, and get advice on how to put your best foot forward in your application. mbaMission Founder/President [url=https://www.mbamission.com/who-we-are/team/jeremy-shinewald/]Jeremy Shinewald[/url] will host an interactive Q&A session with a panel of admissions officers from leading business schools, including the [b]MIT Sloan School of Management[/b], [b]Columbia Business School[/b], the [b]University of Chicago Booth School of Business[/b], the [b]University of Virginia Darden School of Business[/b], and the[b] Yale School of Management[/b].

Panelists include the following: 

[list][*][url=https://www8.gsb.columbia.edu/cbs-directory/detail/abc101][b]Amanda Carlson[/b][/url], Assistant Dean of Admissions at Columbia Business School[/*][*][url=https://som.yale.edu/programs/mba/admissions/contact-us][b]Bruce DelMonico[/b][/url], Assistant Dean for Admissions at the Yale School of Management[/*][*][url=https://www.darden.virginia.edu/about/leadership/administrative-leadership/dawna-clarke#:~:text=Senior%20Assistant%20Dean%20of%20Admissions,Dartmouth%20College%20for%2011%20years.][b]Dawna Clarke[/b][/url], Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business[/*][*][url=https://mitsloan.mit.edu/staff/directory/dawna-sherri-levenson][b]Dawna Levenson[/b][/url], Assistant Dean of Admissions at the MIT Sloan School of Management[/*][*][url=https://www.chicagobooth.edu/about/deans-and-administrators][b]Donna Swinford[/b][/url], Associate Dean for Student Recruitment and Admissions at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business[/*][/list]

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