Chicago Booth Admissions Tips
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CHICAGO BOOTH
- Chicago Booth School of Business MBA Program
- 2012 - 2013 DETAILS PENDING
- CHECK HERE FOR UPDATES
2011 -2012 DEADLINES
Round 1: 12 Oct 2011 @ 5pm Chicago time (interview invitations sent by 9 Nov 2011; decisions released 14 Dec 2011)
Round 2: 4 Jan 2012 @ 5pm Chicago time (interview invitations sent by 15 Feb 2012; decisions released 21 March 2012)
Round 3: 4 April 2012@ 5pm Chicago time (interview invitations sent by 25 April 2012; decisions released 16 May 2012)
(found at http://www.chicagobooth.edu/fulltime/admissions/apply.aspx; accessed 2011/07)
ESSAYS
Essay Questions with Explanation from Chicago Adcoms
1. What are your short- and long-term goals, and how will a Chicago Booth MBA help you reach them? (600 words)
In this essay, we hope to better understand your path and plan, vision for your career, and why an MBA – specifically a Booth MBA – is necessary to help you achieve your goals. In responding to this question, you’ll need to spend some time thinking about your career, your passions, and what you really hope to get out of the entire MBA experience.
1a). Re-applicants only: Upon reflection, how has your thinking regarding your future, Chicago Booth, and/or getting an MBA changed since the time of your last application? (300 words)
For our re-applicants, this question gives you the opportunity to tell us what is different from the time of your last application. What has occurred in your life or career that has either reinforced or changed your goals? What lessons have you learned or how have you grown since you last applied to Chicago Booth?
2. At Chicago Booth, we believe each individual has his or her own leadership style. How has your family, culture, and/or environment influenced you as a leader? (750 words)
The goal of this essay is to better understand who you are, how your past has influenced you, and your underlying motivation and values surrounding leadership and business. A significant part of the Booth experience is helping each student define and strengthen their personal leadership style. Understanding yourself and your motivations is the first step in that process, and our hope is that this essay will help you start down that path. We are not looking for a prescribed answer – we hope that you will share your story.
3. Considering what you've already included in the application, what else should we know about you? In a maximum of four slides, tell us about yourself.
Question 3 Guidelines
We have set forth the following guidelines:
* The content is completely up to you. There is no right, or even preferred, approach to this presentation.
* There is a strict maximum of four pages, though you can provide fewer if you choose.
* Acceptable formats for upload in the online application system are PowerPoint or PDF.
* The document will be viewed electronically, but we cannot support embedded videos, music, or motion images. Additionally, all content MUST be included in the four pages; hyperlinks will not be viewed.
* The file will be evaluated on the quality of content and ability to convey your ideas, not on technical expertise or presentation.
During our last live chat in June, many of you were wondering if the presentation would be part of the application. Since we feel that it is such a valuable opportunity to learn about you, we have decided to include it again this year. We have framed the question to specifically address what you haven’t already told us in the rest of the application. We encourage you to look at your application holistically. Are there messages, topics, or activities that are important for us to know? If so, then the presentation will be an opportunity for you to provide us with this type of information. Also, it is important to note that this is not a design contest! We care most about the content, but the way in which you deliver that is up to you.
(essay questions found at http://www.chicagobooth.edu/fulltime/admissions/essays_slides.aspx; accessed 2011/07)
(explanations found at http://blogs.chicagobooth.edu/n/blogs/blog.aspx?nav=main&webtag=boothinsider&entry=30; accessed 2011/07)
We are excited to share that our online application is now live! You can begin working on our application in preparation for our Round 1 deadline of October 12th. While we encourage you to work on your application in advance, please know that we will not review any applications until the deadline.
As you begin to work on your application strategy, we’d like to share some additional thoughts about our essay questions. Our recruiting season has officially started and we have already had some great conversations surrounding the essay questions. We would like to continue the conversation by addressing some of the most popular questions below.
What if I’m not 100% sure about what I want to do long-term in my career? How do I address that in Essay 1?
Our goal in the first essay is to understand your current vision for your career, and how an MBA will help facilitate that vision. Given the flexibility of our program, we look for applicants who have a strong understanding for what they want to do, and what they expect to both gain from and give to the MBA experience. We understand that your two years at Booth will undoubtedly expand your horizons, and your goals may evolve during that time, as well as throughout your career. At the same time, however, we want to make sure that you are focused, and that if nothing else changes, you have a path and plan to pursue. Share with us your current vision for your short-and long-term career goals.
Are you looking more for leadership examples or overall leadership influences in Essay 2?
As we initially shared, there is no prescribed “right” answer for this question (or any of our questions, really!). The hope is that you will share with us more about what has fundamentally shaped you, and in turn, your leadership style. This could be one specific moment from your past, a culmination of experiences, or a blend of past and present experiences. While this is a question about leadership, it is also a question about critical introspection. At Booth, it is incredibly important to know yourself, and we hope this essay encourages you to dig deeper into your internal motivations and values.
Is the presentation supposed to be crafted as a visual presentation, as if I were delivering it to the Admissions Committee?
To best answer this question, it might be useful to understand our thought process behind choosing the word “presentation.” While the format and content is ultimately up to you, we chose the word “presentation” to challenge you to think beyond a traditional essay and expand your ability to tell us about yourself. You are free to choose a presentation-style design (or any other design), but make sure that all information needed is included in the document.
(found at http://blogs.chicagobooth.edu/n/blogs/blog.aspx?nav=main&webtag=boothinsider&entry=32?source=ft-em-20110808-01; accessed 2011/08)
VINCE VIDEOS
My former client shares his insights on working with an admissions counselor, writing your own essays, and getting the most from campus visits.
Two admitted students (one Chicago and the other Kellogg) compare perspectives on the MBA admissions process.
Source: Booth spokesperson
accessed 2011/08)
Average Age: 28
Average Work Experience: 55 Months
% Students who are Women: 35%
% Students who are International: 33%
Rankings
Bloomberg Businessweek: 1
U.S. News & World Report: 5
Financial Times: 12
Employment
Average Base Salary: $108,045
Median Base Salary: $102,000
(found at http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/school/booth-school-of-business-university-of-chicago/a/info; accessed 2011/07)
The full-time MBA program consists of 20 classes plus Leadership Effectiveness and Development (LEAD). The flagship of the program is its flexible curriculum. Unlike many other top schools with lockstep first-year MBA programs, Booth pretty much requires MBAs to go through one course together–its leadership exercise in LEAD. Otherwise, students design a program tailored to fit their own career goals. There are still several required courses in the four major components that make up the flexible curriculum: foundation courses that focus on developing analytical tools and knowledge that support the rest of the curriculum, but they are chosen among a menu of options.
In 2009, after a faculty review of the curriculum, the school added a new academic concentration in analytical management. and also require all students in the evening MBA program and weekend MBA program to take a leadership development course similar to one required of full-time students.
In addition to analytic management, the school’s 14th concentration, students can graduate with an academic focus in accounting, econometrics and statistics, economics, entrepreneurship and finance. Other choices are analytic finance, general management, human resource management, international business, managerial and organizational behavior, marketing management, operations management and strategic management.
Graduation requirements for students in the full-time MBA program include nine required courses, 11 electives and a leadership course, though in 2009 more approved substitute classes have been added to satisfy the nine required courses. To meet the 11 elective requirements students can choose from several hundred courses at the business school and other departments of the University.
Some of the new courses added since the curriculum review in the required portion of the program are more rigorous, an adjustment made to account for the more varied group of students entering the mainstream MBA program. The school added a hybrid finance class containing five weeks of corporate finance and five weeks of investments, for example, that is much more difficult than the standard finance or investment courses.
The three foundation areas of accounting, microeconomics and statistics remained the same through the curriculum review. But the requirement to take breadth and general management courses is replaced by selecting classes representing functions (finance, marketing, and operations), management (decisions, people, and organizations), and the environment in which firms operate.
Your application will consist of the following items:
* completed application with required personal background
* completed essays
* professional resume
* two letters of recommendation
* unofficial transcripts from all post-secondary educational institutions from which you have earned a degree. Only if you are admitted will you be required to submit official transcripts. Any official transcripts received prior to an offer of admissions will not be added to your file.
* GMAT score
* TOEFL or IELTS scores (international applicants only)
Submitting Your Application
Submitting an application and materials can be done online through our online application, which will be ready in early August 2011. The system includes step-by-step instructions for completing the application online, including the process for submitting transcripts, essays, and letters of recommendation. You may make changes and edits to an application at any time prior to submission. Registration and creation of a username and password are required to begin the online application.
INTERVIEWS
Interviews will be granted on an invitation-only basis after evaluation of a submitted application. Candidates invited to interview will be contacted by the mid-decision date with instructions on how to schedule an appointment.
A candidate who receives an invitation will have only one interview.
Interviews are conducted by admissions staff, students, or alumni. They are held on campus or in a location convenient for the prospective student. All interviews, regardless of who conducts them, receive equal weight in the evaluation process.
Submission Deadline
Your application must be submitted by 5 p.m. (CST/Chicago time) on the day of the deadline in order to be considered for an application round. This includes receipt of all online and mailed-in materials. Applications submitted after a deadline will automatically be considered in the next round, as long as all materials are included with the application.
Applying to Special Programs
The International MBA and all Joint Degree programs require a special application process. Please refer to the relevant program for specific information.
(found at http://www.chicagobooth.edu/fulltime/admissions/apply.aspx; accessed 2011/07)
FAQ
LINKS
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Chicago Booth Full-Time MBA Admissions Blog: Booth Insider ▸ http://blogs.chicagobooth.edu/boothinsider
- RSS feed ▸ http://feeds.chicagobooth.edu/boothInsider
- Student clubs ▸ http://www.chicagobooth.edu/fulltime/beyondacad/FTstudentgroups.aspx
- Chicago Booth Japan Club ▸ http://j.mp/ChicagoJP
- Chicago Booth MBA Japanese website - student groups ▸ http://chicagoboothjapan.blog89.fc2.com/blog-entry-3.html
TESTIMONIALS
Chicago Booth MBA Class of 2010
I chose Vince as my admissions partner for two reasons. First, meeting him for regular face-to-face counseling was a great advantage. Of course it was quite challenging, as I had never lived or studied outside Japan. I had to reflect on my entire life and convince Vince who I am in English. However, as the counseling proceeded, I found that I greatly improved and gained much more confidence, which helped me prepare well for admission interviews. All the more, the stimulating face-to-face dialogue with Vince enabled me to come up with many ideas which I could have never come up with on my own. And, those ideas not only helped me gain admission to business schools, but also gave me new vision for my career and life.
Secondly, I was attracted to his personality. Vince works twice as hard as anyone else to stick to the highest standards. Whenever he was not satisfied with the essay quality, even in the last minute like three hours before the final deadline, he asked me to rewrite. To be honest, I was sometimes upset about the situations and felt myself weakening. But Vince stayed with me and supported me even in the last five minutes, which enabled me to be admitted by Chicago Booth and other schools.
Finally, I would like to mention that the process of working with Vince itself is now one of my best assets to survive and thrive in MBA life. If you are a person who pursues intellectual challenges and wants to sincerely re-examine yourself through one-to-one counseling, I recommend that you choose Vince as your partner.
どうして私がVinceをパートナーとしてのカウンセラーとして選んだか、それには２つの 理由があります。第1の理由は、週2回決まった時間に彼のオフィ スでFace to Faceのセッションを持てることはとても大きなアドバンテージであり、他のカウンセラーと大きな違いです。実際、海外経験のない私にとって、彼との毎回 のカウンセリングそれ自体が大きなチャレンジでした。というのは自分の人生を振り返り、その上でVinceに「私がどういう人間か」ということを英語で説 明してわかってもらわなくてはならないからです。しかし、カウンセリングが進むにつれ、自分がとても上達して自信をつけていることに気が付きましたし、そ れはアドミッション面接のよい準備となりました。またそれ以上に、決して一人で考えているだけでは思いもつかないような、VinceとのFace to Faceの刺激的な対話の中からこそ生まれるような素晴らしいアイディアもたくさんありました。それらはビジネススクールの合格のためというよりも、私に とって今でも将来のキャリア・人生を考える上での指針となっています。
第2の理由は彼の人間性があります。Vinceは、最後まで妥協 しないで高いスタンダードにこだわり続ける人です。そしてそのために彼は人一倍働きます。 Vinceはエッセイのクオリティに納得がいかなければ、たとえエッセイ提出期限の3時間前であろうと、最後の最後まで妥協せず、書き直しを求めてきま す。正直、私自身時々そのような状況に動揺し、弱気になったこともありましたが、彼はエッセイ提出期限の5分前までも最後まで私をサポートし続けてくれま した。だからこそシカゴMBAや他の学校にも合格できたのだと思います。
最後に申し上げたいのは、私にとってVinceとのカウンセリ ングプロセス自体がいまの私の財産になっているということです。もしあなたが知的なチャレン ジを求めていて、カウンセリングプロセスで自分を見つめなおして何かを見出したいと思っているのであれば、私はVinceをパートナーに選ぶことをお勧め します。
Chicago Booth MBA Class of 2011
受験生の皆さんは是非色々 なカウンセラーに会う事をお勧めします
が、ビンスにも会って頂く事を強くお勧めします。
最も印象的なのは、刺さる質問を実にいい タイミングでする、という事です。今思えば、彼とのセッションで受けた質問が、どの面接よりもタフだったと断言で きます。物事の本質を常に見極め、全体を俯瞰しつつ、自分及び自分のキャリアのどの面をどこでアピールすべきかという事について深く掘り下げているからこ そ、質問が鋭いのだと思います。1年前、私には全くそういう感覚がありませんでした。彼の質問に答えながら自分を深く掘り下げるだけでなく、彼の姿勢を学 び意識的に取り入れていく事でApplicationの質はどんどん高くなっていく事を実感しました。
そして、カウンセリングは１対１ の人間同士の交流です。ビンスに面会して彼に決めたのは、彼のスマートさと高い信念を感じただけではなく、すごく面白くて いい奴だったからです。非常に濃い時間を共に過ごしますので、こういう部分も意外に大事だと思っていましたし、実際にその直感は当たっていました。合格の 喜びを彼とShareできて本当によかったと思います。
-Updated by Vince on 1 July 2012
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"Preparing admissions essays for MBA programs can be a lonely process, involving much introspection and contemplation. Throughout this process, Vince was an invaluable partner to me, providing objective and professional advice that was critical to my success; ultimately, I gained admissions to 5 top programs in the US, including HBS, Wharton and Northwestern’s JD-MBA program."
Harvard Business School Class of 2012
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