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 ExamplesEssay Analysis of Other TopPrograms-2020-21 MER Students Share their success StoriesSince 2011, MER (
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top 5 most reviewed consultants on the GMAT Club.)
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article was first published in
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