Booth 2012 - Calling All Applicants

BStand, what did you think of Booth Live? Any other GC'ers that went - what is the dress code? Is it sportjackets with jeans, business casual..?

I went to the Booth Live in September. I wore slacks and a blazer. I didn't feel out of place, but there were also a lot of people wearing suits. I dont recall seeing anyone in jeans or sneakers, everyone was dressed as if they were going to work.

I would wear what you normally wear when you interact with clients.

Thanks! I was planning to go with blazer+slacks as well.

According to this interview: https://poetsandquants.com/2011/02/14/wh ... o-booth/2/

"It’s a first in, first out (FIFO) process, so the first apps to arrive are the first to be reviewed."

So the earlier you submit, the earlier your app will be reviewed.

yeah but they also review them all at the same time... so its not as much of a boost as rolling admissions as, a few days at best id guess

All of the top schools have quotas to fill (background/race/sex/etc.) and I'd prefer to be considered before the rest of the people in my "subset." Submitting early may only provide a very slight advantage...but it's an advantage none the less. Just my 2 cents!

Even if it's only a few days, I'll take it!

Hi guys,

One of my recommenders has submitted the recco by the breath of his skin (and mine too)! on 21st Oct at around 4:57pm CST.

So, judging by the discussions above, I can safely assume that my application would be one of the last to be read, right ?!?! In that case, should I expect my interview call, if I am lucky enough, around the 9th Nov deadline only !??!

Best of luck to all.

I thought Booth Live was a unique and interesting experience that provided a campus tour, student interaction, admissions info, etc. all in one well-planned program.

I wore business casual with a sports coat. I'd say I was dressed "average" relative to the rest of the group. Some people wore suits and some people just wore business casual...I think one kid had jeans, but it didn't seem to be a big deal.

I would highly recommend attending if you are thinking about Booth. I've heard some people complain that it was too scripted and that a "mock" class doesn't recreate the true student experience. I didn't feel that way at all.

I'm just curious, but doesn't CBS require you to withdraw all other applications once you're admitted through the Early Decision program?

I really enjoyed LEAD. I don't know how transformational it was, more just fun to take personality tests and work on projects with your cohort, the social events, LOR (a weekend at Lake Geneva). I learned a few things, but it reminded me a bit of summer camp (which is awesome!) I'm planning to sign up as a LEAD facil next year if my schedule permits

You can attend actual classes while you are there too, I've seen lots of prospectives in some of my classes already

On seeing your question, I instantly remembered a post by rhyme where he had given a very honest perspective about LEAD..I looked it up and it was in the HBS vs Booth thread..Here you go -

https://gmatclub.com/forum/the-toughest-decision-of-my-life-hbs-vs-booth-full-ride-108405.html#p860235

It's a fairly long post, you need to scroll down to a section he has especially written up for LEAD. (Thanks rhyme for such awesome write-ups!!!)

Again, this is not my opinion and I'm not disputing anything what Michmax3 said, but just thought presenting another viewpoint would be beneficial to the entire group..

WOW! That is a ZOMG perspective! Rhyme sure has a strong viewpoint on LEAD..

Thanks for sharing!

So I had previously read Rhyme's writeup on LEAD and after having gone through it, I think I can give my perspective on it now. They're several points in no particular order.

1) LEAD is a "living" course.
So one of the things I heard over and over again from 2nd years is that the course changes from year to year. Not in a major way, but every year's facilitators get some say in both the content and the presentation. So Rhyme's examples of the cases didn't happen this year (in fact I think the only "role-play" we did was in providing someone feedback, which was actually really neat). This is both good and bad--it means that it recognizes that you can't just be orthodox and prescriptive, but by logical extension it could mean that the value of the course varies year to year (though I would say the chances of the latter are slim).

2)LEAD is not a graded course
Really. It's pass/fail. They just want you to show up. And you will show up, because it's your cohort, right when school is starting, when you want to meet people and the modules are interesting. I didn't see people purposefully skipping out on it or bitching about having to go to it. I can't think of a single module where more than 5 people (out of 60 or so) missed--and even then it was because of valid reasons. The vast majority of people actually like LEAD and don't need to be motivated to attend.

3) LEAD is not about Leadership
Seriously. It's counter-intuitive, but having gone through a lot of "leadership" courses from high school through college and work, I would say only about 20% of LEAD is about traditional leadership as we see in the corporate world. 80% of it is about self-awareness: how you deal with people, how people see you, your personality, etc. There's stuff ranging from ethics to presentation skills. I think a fair statement would be to say that taken as a whole the LEAD program focuses on leadership, but its individual parts do not. In fact I'm pretty sure the only time I heard the facilitators talking about leadership were in the introduction lecture and the wrap-up lecture. This is why people aren't turned off.

4) Actual results may vary
Some modules are really cool and captivated me--the ones dealing with personality and how others see you, for example. Others were kind of bland. I've heard people who said the exact opposite about the modules I really liked and disliked.

5) It's true, the facilitators are the ones who get the most out of it.
Which is not to say that I didn't find LEAD incredibly worthwhile as a student. But the amount of training and coaching you get as a facilitator is very intense. So their experience, I think, is far more beneficial than that of the first-years, which is also why so many people want to be facilitators in their second year.

Finally:
6) LEAD is not a "capstone"
I will disagree with Rhyme on this. LEAD is about providing you with a tool set. What you do with it, is up to you. Booth is the least prescriptive place I've ever been in--to a shocking level even after having read the "brochure" (which is something to think about). This course is not about turning you into a "Chicago guy" or about teaching you the "Booth way" of dealing with others. It's the exact opposite of that, which is why I think LEAD is structured in the piecemeal way that it is. The overwhelming philosophy at Booth is about giving you the tools to figure out your own way forward, not about "normalizing" your abilities and knowledge. I think LEAD is a great reflection of what Booth is about: they're not teaching you recipes and information, but giving you the tools.

Nutshell:
I thought LEAD was phenomenal, but I can absolutely see why it would turn some people off.

Very interesting insights!
I agree with you to a very large extent when you say that it's up to people to fashion best from what they get. I guess, it would also hold true to a very large extent for all courses. Some people might find some courses incredibly beneficial, while some may find them the biggest possible waste of time..It's all about perspective..

I guess it's just that since Booth itself 'hypes' LEAD to an extent by constantly hammering the point that it is the only compulsory course during the program, it tends to get over-analyzed and ripped apart more than other courses!

Thanks again for your insights!

If you can do Booth Live - definitely do it. Its very very helpful for applicants (last year there was an application review component with admissions that was pure gold). Do as many classes as you can, while you're there. I've found those quite helpful. Conversations with professors are also enlightening.

Hi guys!!

Anybody knows if interviews are also conducted by Executive MBA alumni?

I've been looking for Booth alumni in linkedin in the country where I'm working now, and there's only one single person who attended Booth MBA, but it was the Executive format.

Thank you!