chicago booth essays

2024-2025 Chicago Booth MBA Essay Tips and Example Essays

Jul 2, 2024

• Who is Chicago Booth looking for?
• How should I answer the Chicago Booth essay questions?
• Get admitted to Chicago Booth
• Chicago Booth Deadlines

UPDATE : This article was originally posted on August 29, 2018. It has been updated with new information and tips below.

With more Nobel Laureate professors than any other MBA program in the world and its unique flexible curriculum, The University of Chicago Booth School of Business offers those lucky enough to be admitted access to an unparalleled array of academic and extracurricular opportunities. 

However, as data becomes increasingly important in today’s business world, Booth’s data-driven approach to business has become even more sought after , making it more challenging than ever to secure a spot at this world-class business school. 

That’s why we’ve prepared this guide to help you use your Booth admissions essays to stand out. We’ve rounded up our best tips and links to Chicago Booth MBA sample essays to ensure you give your Chicago Booth application your best shot. 

1. Who is Chicago Booth looking for?

Photo courtesy of @chicagobooth on Instagram 

“ Since 1898, we have produced ideas and leaders that shape the world of business. Today, we empower bold thinkers and inquisitive minds to dig deeper, discover more, and shape the future.” Booth Admissions 

Every year, Booth’s admissions team selects just over 600 students for the honor of joining their prestigious MBA program. With a focus on academic and career excellence, Booth admits have an average of 5 years of work experience and tend to have outstanding test scores (the median GMAT score for the Class of 2025 was 730 , and the average GRE score was 163 Quant, 162 Verbal). 

Booth also places an emphasis on diversity, with 36% of the most recent class being international students. The most recent class also contains 42% women, 12% LGBTQ+, and 12% first-generation students. 

Beyond impressive stats, however, Booth also looks for applicants who distinguish themselves in three specific areas: Curriculum, Community, and Career. 

For curriculum, “We look for applicants who have both the ability and desire to thrive within a challenging and stimulating environment. The qualities we seek include academic preparedness, intellectual curiosity, and communication skills.”

For community, “We look for applicants whose unique personal and professional experience will contribute to a strong, congenial community that supports its members and pushes them to be the best they can be. The qualities we seek include leadership, collaboration and teamwork, respect for others, philanthropic tendencies, strong interpersonal skills, fit with Chicago Booth and contribution to school community/culture, and a unique perspective.”

Finally, for career, Booth states, “The qualities that contribute to your future success may be evident early in your career. The qualities we seek include a track record of success, resourcefulness, sense of personal direction, time-management skills, realistic expectations for the MBA.”

In addition, Booth highly values interview performance , specifically focusing on a candidate’s ability to communicate clearly and effectively, as this skill is critical to succeed in Booth’s culture of intellectual debate.

If this sounds like a community in which you’d be right at home, you’ll first have to prove you’ve got what it takes by successfully answering Booth’s open-ended admissions essay question. 

2. How should I answer the Chicago Booth essay questions?

2.1. essay 1 tips.

Instructions: We’d like to hear more about your aspirations, your goals, and the passions and experiences that have and continue to shape you. Please respond to both essay prompts below. We have intentionally only set a word count minimum; we want to allow you the space needed to convey your thoughts, while using your best judgement regarding the length of response.

Essay 1: How will the Booth MBA help you achieve your immediate and long-term post-MBA career goals? (Minimum 250 words, no maximum.) 

This year, Booth has again maintained its very traditional, straightforward goals essay .

Often overlooked by applicants, goals essays are incredibly important, as they give the admissions committee your most important argument — why do you need an MBA from their school and what are you going to do with it? 

For all goals essays, you should first begin with context , as goals without context often lack clarity or impact. You may want to include one mini-story or several small anecdotes to provide this context. 

Then, after you set the stage, clearly present your goals to the admissions committee . The section on your goals should include clear short-term and long-term goals, meaning you should list your desired job title and industry for each. Furthermore, stating the motivation you have for wanting these goals and the impact you envision generating while pursuing them is an excellent way to take your essay from good to great. 

If you’re not sure exactly what your goals are, it’s a good idea to think through your arguments and define your goals before you sit down to write! 

Finally, end with a section on how Booth’s MBA program can help you continue to grow to reach your goals. You will first need to research the Booth experience in-depth , and considering the flexibility of the Booth experience, we suggest you consider much more than which classes you plan to take. 

Instead, show how you are going to take advantage of Booth’s offerings to become a more high-potential, driven professional who leaves a meaningful legacy behind. Doing this well means connecting how Booth can help you grow with specific outcomes tied to your goals. 

TOP TIP : Though Booth does not specify a word limit, we suggest keeping your essay to around 500 words . 

Need more guidance? 

Our MBA Resource Center has dozens of Chicago Booth MBA essays that worked to get our clients admitted to help you plan out a winning Chicago Booth essay. 

Our library also includes guides for all top global MBA programs, detailed essay brainstorms, interview tips and mocks, CV templates, and recommendation letter guides. 

Click to join ! 

2.2. Essay 2 Tips

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 work. Use this opportunity to tell us something about who you are. (250-word minimum)

One of the hallmarks of Chicago Booth is its flexible curriculum . This format for the Booth MBA means that students are forced to create order out of chaos and make difficult decisions about what to pursue — and what to leave behind — each and every day. 

Booth’s second essay strikes at the core of this ideal, giving candidates the chance to explore who they are beyond their career goals. More importantly, it gives you the chance to show you are a self-aware leader with a clear vision for your future. 

This essay should show Booth who you are and what makes you tick . 

When considering how to approach this essay, first take a look back at your personal and professional experiences to identify the “tipping points” in your life. What has led you to the point you are at now? What has made you YOU ? 

Then, describe not only what these experiences were, but also how they impacted who you are and your life choices. 

This essay allows you to describe your personal and extraprofessional examples (though you can also work in a few professional examples too!) to show Booth a complete view of who you are as a candidate. 

Make sure, however, to choose a single theme and follow it all the way through. Jumping around without logic or connection will cause this essay to miss the mark. 

2.3. Optional Essay Tips

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

First of all, Booth has made it very clear that this essay is for extenuating circumstances only .  

This is not a place for you to retell your life story or sum up your interest in Booth or need for an MBA, or copy/paste another strong essay you wrote for a different school. Make sure you focus only on unclear elements of your application such as a low GMAT score, not receiving a recommendation from your current boss, etc. 

Remember, excuses will not get you very far, so make sure to provide sufficient context for the weak spots you mention here. 

2.4. Reapplicant Essay Tips

Upon reflection, how has your perspective regarding your future, Chicago Booth, and/or getting an MBA changed since the time of your last application? (Maximum 300 words.)

Here, make sure you clearly demonstrate how you have improved since your previous application. We have written extensively on the topic of reapplying to business school here. 

Looking for Chicago Booth MBA essay examples? 

Check out our real sample essays that got our clients admitted here .

3. Need help?

Landing a spot at Chicago Booth is no easy task. You’ve spent years building a track record of professional success, dedicated yourself to getting a good GMAT score, and carefully developed your application strategy . 

Now is the time to make sure your accomplishments truly shine, and the only way to do so is to write a clear, compelling admissions essay. 

Ellin Lolis Consulting began with one mission: provide the best possible service to our clients and get them the best possible results . Serving our customers is at the core of our company, and we know that applying for an MBA can be a difficult, long process, but our goal is to take away as much of the stress as possible by acting as your ally in the process. 

So if you need much more than just a few comments on your essay, but instead want focused help shaping how you present your life’s greatest hits to one of the world’s toughest critics, you can count on us. 

In the words of our client Bruno , 

Get in touch and let our award-winning team of writers and storytellers help you make an unforgettable first impression. 

4. Chicago Booth Deadlines

Here are the deadlines for the 2024-2025 season. You can access the Chicago Booth application here .

Chicago Booth Round 1 Deadlines

Application Deadline : September 19, 2024

Interview Notification : TBD

Decisions Released : December 5, 2024

Chicago Booth Round 2 Deadlines

Application Deadline : January 7, 2025

Decisions Released : March 27, 2025

Chicago Booth Round 3 Deadlines

Application Deadline : April 3, 2025

Decisions Released : May 22, 2025

Chicago Booth Scholars Deadlines

Application Deadline : April 29, 2025

Decisions Released : July 1, 2025

Applications are due by 11:59 PM Central Time on the deadline date. Any applications received after this date will be considered for the next round or will not be considered (if you’re applying for the last deadline). 

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Chicago Booth Essay Examples

Read these Chicago Booth MBA essay examples and tips to learn how to write a stellar MBA personal statement for one of the best MBA programs in the US . The Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago is considered one of the best MBA programs in the world and is therefore also extremely selective and competitive to get into. Your admissions essays are an opportunity to stand out from the crowd and give your application a boost. In this blog, we have Booth MBA essay examples, plus tips on how to write an MBA essay for this competitive program.

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Article Contents 8 min read

How to write an mba essay for chicago booth.

MBA acceptance rates in the US are notoriously competitive, and this is true at the Booth School of Business. Your Chicago Booth MBA essays are a chance to distinguish yourself from a competitive crowd and personalize your application for the admissions committee, so they are a very important part of your overall application.

The mission of the Booth School of Business is to “create knowledge with enduring impact, and influence and educate current and future leaders.” The school also pioneered the “Chicago Approach”, an educational philosophy which uses a multidisciplinary approach to business education, challenging students to think about business from a scientific standpoint.

As we’ll see below, the Chicago Booth MBA essays are focused on the seemingly simple question of “ why do you want to pursue an MBA? ” or “why Chicago Booth?” When you’re brainstorming ideas for your essays, consider the values of the Booth School of Business and their unique approach to business education. What about the “Chicago Approach” or the school’s curriculum and unique opportunities appeal to you and why? How will this specific MBA program help you advance your career or achieve your goals?

To ace the Chicago Booth MBA essays, you’ll need to have a strong reason for choosing Booth over any other school.

Chicago Booth offers a variety of MBA admissions streams for those wondering how to choose the right MBA program for their needs. Keep in mind that the MBA essay topics and prompts are different, depending whether you choose a full-time MBA at Booth, an executive MBA program or a weekend and nighttime MBA program. Reapplicants are also asked to respond to an additional essay prompt. ","label":"NOTE","title":"NOTE"}]" code="tab1" template="BlogArticle">

It’s important to read the prompts carefully and keep your word count in mind. Your essay should be written for maximum impact, so revising your drafts a few times, and getting an expert eye to review your final draft, is a good idea.

The MBA requirements for Chicago Booth include two required MBA essay questions and one optional essay response. There is also an additional required essay for any reapplicants to the Booth MBA program. We’ve included the prompts for all the Chicago Booth MBA programs below:

Full-time MBA Program

The prompts for the full-time Booth MBA program are:

• How will a Booth MBA help you achieve your immediate and long-term post-MBA career goals? (Minimum 250 words, no maximum.)
• 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.)

The optional essay prompt is:

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

Reapplicants must answer the following 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? (Maximum 300 words)

Chicago Booth boasts one of the best part-time MBA programs in the US. Applicants for this program will have slightly different essay prompts to respond to in their application. These are:

• Required Essay: Why are you seeking an MBA from Chicago Booth, and why is Chicago Booth's Evening MBA or Weekend MBA your program of choice? (Maximum 400 words).
• Optional Essay: If there is any important information relevant to your candidacy you were unable to address elsewhere in the application, please share that information here. (Maximum 500 words).

Executive MBA Program

Chicago Booth offers an Executive MBA stream for more experienced candidates. The essay prompts for this admission stream are:

• Required Essay: Why are you seeking an MBA from Chicago Booth, and what unique knowledge and experiences do you hope to contribute to the program? (Maximum two pages, 12 pt. Times New Roman.)
• Optional Essay: If there is anything else you would like the Admissions Committee to know about you, please share that information. (Maximum one page, 12 pt. Times New Roman.)
• Reapplicants: Please give us an update on your professional, academic, and community activities since your previous application and highlight what you have done to strengthen your application. (Maximum one page, 12 pt. Times New Roman.)

The Booth MBA admissions essays must be entered into a text box in the online application. This means that while there is no maximum word count limit, you should carefully consider the length of your essay and revise it several times. Focus on eliminating any unnecessary details or filler words so your essay is lean and clean. If you want expert help with writing or revising your essays, you can hire an MBA essay writing service or ask for help from an MBA admission consulting service.

Booth MBA Essay Example #1

Prompt: How will a Booth MBA help you achieve your immediate and long-term post-MBA career goals? (Minimum 250 words, no maximum.)

 An MBA from the Booth School of Business will allow me to step into a new role and achieve long-standing goals. A Booth MBA will enrich my leadership education, give me unparalleled experiential learning opportunities and immerse me in a higher level of international business. Currently, I work for a multinational telecommunications company, and my immediate goal is to accept an exciting promotion to vice president of operations as we expand our company into a new continent and diverse new business cultures. Earning my MBA from Booth will prepare me best for this new venture and new direction in my career, and it will provide me with the tools and education to bring opportunities for growth to untapped economies.

In this new role, I will be working in foreign business cultures and interacting with many diverse individuals. Booth MBA’s international business concentration and its understanding of global business practices is incomparable, and it is my wish to learn from the very best. Booth’s LEAD program would be instrumental in developing my leadership skills further, particularly in the context of working with international teams and within new cultural work environments. Booth’s focus on coursework such as macroeconomics and global finance will also enrich my understanding as I enter new markets and help launch this new division of my company. Lastly, I am intrigued by the chance to learn from incredible business experts around the world through Booth’s Masterclass series and networking opportunities for students.

The Booth MBA program electives, in particular the Global Social Impact Practicum, are of great interest and value to me in achieving my long-term goals. In this new position, my long-term goal is to instigate economic growth through building partnerships, creating jobs and investment opportunities, and of course bringing valuable resources to the communities I will be working in. The practicum would allow me to experience firsthand how remote and rural communities approach problems, offer solutions and work to build them. It will give me a unique window into their perspective and their side of the business equation. I think earning an MBA from Booth will show me how to lead effectively in a global market, how to think creatively about solutions, and will remind me always who is on the other side of our company’s business. 

Working on your MBA resume for Chicago Booth? Here are some items to include:

Booth MBA Essay Example #2

Prompt: 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.)

 I used to think personal growth and professional development were inextricably linked, and my dedicated focus to my professional development naturally resulted in personal development, as well. I learned the need to separate and individually prioritize the two when a friend of mine broke his leg and asked me to take over coaching his minor league baseball team. I had little experience with sports or working with kids, but as my background was in management, I thought I would have no trouble translating my professional skills to a personal setting.

From the first time I stepped onto the field I knew I would have to make drastic changes in myself. In my professional life, I was well used to coaching teams of adults in high pressure environments. I could rely on my team by now to get the job done and do what was needed. My new team of 20 kids wasn’t interested in my pushing them to be their best, to reach the limits of their potential and find out what they could do. After a frustrating first week, my friend advised me to try a new approach. As someone who was professionally driven, I’d rarely taken time to enjoy simple things like a good baseball game. My professional persona was such a huge part of my identity, but it bled into my out-of-office time too much. If I wanted to be a successful coach for these kids, I needed to be more self-aware of my leadership style, allow myself to be flexible and adjust my expectations. I had to separate my professional side from my personal life.

I started with attending a baseball game with my friend and his son, who was one of the kids I was now coaching. This was a major league game, so the stakes and performance were at a peak. And still, I tried to see the game through the eyes of my friend’s son. He didn’t care that his team lost in the end—he was sure they’d done their best and would do better next time. When I practiced seeing baseball from his perspective, I realized how much I enjoyed the game, which I’d never had an interest in before. At the next minor game he played, when our team lost, I told him I knew he and his teammates had done their best. He smiled and gave every one of his teammates, and me, a high five. When I focused on providing structure and encouragement to my players, I saw an immediate response. They were more engaged, more positive, and more present in the game. Whether they were winning or losing, they were focused on playing more than anything. In doing so, they taught me to leave my professional persona at the office and come to each game with a clear mind.

I have now been coaching minor league teams for the past 8 years, all thanks to this group of kids who showed me how rewarding it can be to help young people grow and learn in a personal sphere. Coaching kids has taught me patience, flexibility, resourcefulness, and positivity. Most of all, I think they have taught me kindness and enjoyment. How to have fun. They’ve shown me my life did not have to center on my professional development and improvement, but also that my own personal development could add to and enrich my workplace skills. Coaching these kids has been incredibly personally rewarding, as it has allowed me a needed separation in my life, and shown me how to tap into personal passions like baseball for the sake of enjoyment, more than anything else.

Yes. The Booth School of Business is considered one of the best MBA programs in the world, and it is quite selective in its admissions processes. The acceptance rate for the Chicago Booth MBA program is around 22%.

There is a minimum word count of 250 for the regular full-time Booth MBA admission essays, and no maximum word count. However, you should carefully consider your word count when submitting your essays and revise them to ensure you’ve removed unnecessary details and keep a strong flow throughout.

The acceptance rate for the Booth School of Business is around 22%.

Yes, your Booth MBA essays allow you to personalize your application, share additional information about your candidacy and make a positive impression on the admissions committee. Since competition to get into Booth is so intense, your MBA essays can help you stand out from a crowd of competitive applicants.

There are 2 required essays for the Chicago Booth full-time MBA program, and space for an optional essay submission. Reapplicants to Chicago Booth must also submit an additional essay.

Full-time MBA applicants must type their essays into a text box in the online application. Executive MBA applicants are asked to format their essays in Times New Roman, 12 point font.

Yes. The Booth School of Business is at the top of MBA rankings and is considered one of the best MBA programs. The MBA programs offered at Booth are all highly ranked and the school’s location in a major US city is an asset for professionals.

To write a strong MBA essay for Chicago Booth, focus on answering the prompt as directly and thoroughly as possible. Be sure to demonstrate why you’ve chose to apply to Booth’s MBA program and how an MBA from Booth will help further your professional goals. Use your word count wisely—don’t make it too long but go above the word count minimum. 

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Chicago Booth Essays: Sample & Writing Tips

The journey to a prestigious MBA program like the Chicago Booth School of Business is filled with numerous challenges and opportunities, with the application essays playing a pivotal role in this process. For students aspiring to study abroad, these essays are not just a requirement but a window through which the admissions committee views your experiences, aspirations, and personality.

The Chicago Booth MBA program, renowned for its rigorous academic environment and diverse student body, offers a unique platform for students from around the globe to catapult their careers to new heights. In this article, we dive deep into the essentials of crafting compelling essays for the Chicago Booth MBA application, guiding you step-by-step to make your candidature stand out.

Understanding Chicago Booth’s Essay Questions

Chicago Booth’s MBA application includes essay questions designed to understand the candidates’ motivations, career goals, and the value they can bring to the Booth community. Each essay question serves a distinct purpose and provides the admissions committee with insights into different facets of your profile.

Essay Question 1: Career Goals

This essay seeks to understand your career aspirations. The key here is not just to state your goals but to also articulate the ‘why’ behind them. How do these goals align with your long-term vision? How will a Chicago Booth MBA specifically help you in achieving these goals? Essay Question 2: Why Booth?

Here, the focus is on your reasons for choosing Chicago Booth. This is where you showcase your knowledge about the program and how its unique features resonate with your academic and professional objectives. Whether it’s Booth’s flexible curriculum, its world-class faculty, or the extensive alumni network, your essay should reflect a thoughtful and well-researched rationale. Optional Essay: Personal Background

The optional essay is your opportunity to address any aspects of your application that you feel need more explanation, such as gaps in employment, academic challenges, or extenuating personal circumstances. It’s also a chance to share unique personal attributes or experiences that haven’t been covered elsewhere in your application. Each of these essays requires a strategic approach, balancing professional insights with personal anecdotes to create a compelling narrative that reflects your suitability and enthusiasm for the Chicago Booth MBA program.

Strategies for Crafting Compelling Essays

Writing essays for the Chicago Booth MBA program involves a strategic approach that blends your professional experiences with your personal growth journey. Here are key strategies to craft compelling essays:

Essay 1 – Career Goals and Booth MBA Alignment:

Start with a brief overview of your professional background, highlighting key successes and skills. Clearly articulate how your past experiences and personality traits influence your future job aspirations. Research and detail how specific aspects of the Chicago Booth MBA program (classes, clubs, networks) will help bridge your skills gap and bring you closer to your goals. Your goals should be both ambitious and realistic, showcasing a logical extension of your current skill set and experiences​​. Essay 2 – Personal Growth:

Reflect on your life experiences, identifying key moments that define who you are. Share stories that demonstrate your values, passions, and interests outside of work. This could include volunteer experiences, cultural background, or personal challenges. Link these personal growth experiences to how you envision contributing to Booth’s community and your future career goals​​​​.

Common Writing Tips for Both Essays:

Maintain a well-structured format with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Be concise and focused. While there’s no strict word limit, around 500 words is a good target for each essay to maintain clarity and brevity​​. Proofread thoroughly to ensure your essays are free from grammatical errors and typos, demonstrating professionalism and attention to detail​​.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid in MBA Essays

Lack of Specificity and Research : Generic statements about Booth’s MBA program without detailed research and specific examples can weaken your essay. Overemphasis on Resume: While highlighting professional achievements is important, avoid turning the essay into a mere extension of your resume. Neglecting Personal Stories: Not including personal anecdotes or failing to showcase your personality can result in a less engaging essay. Ignoring Essay Prompts: Straying away from the essay prompts or not addressing all parts of the question can lead to missing critical points. Exceeding Word Limits Unnecessarily: While Booth essays don’t have strict word limits, overly lengthy essays might lose focus and clarity. Aim for concise and impactful writing.

Chicago Booth MBA Program Highlights and Unique Features

The Chicago Booth School of Business offers a distinct MBA experience, characterized by its rigorous curriculum, diverse student body, and innovative learning environment. Here are some key highlights and unique features of the program:

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Diverse and Accomplished Student Body:

The Chicago Booth MBA Class of 2024 boasts an average undergraduate GPA of 3.6, with 37% international students from 57 countries. The class composition reflects a broad range of academic backgrounds, including business, economics, engineering, and liberal arts​​. Flexible and Comprehensive Curriculum:

The Booth MBA program consists of 20 courses, including one mandatory Leadership Effectiveness and Development course. Students have the flexibility to choose from 13 different concentrations and a variety of elective courses, enabling them to tailor their educational experience according to their career goals and interests​​. Experiential Learning and Research Opportunities:

The program emphasizes hands-on learning through various courses in industry, entrepreneurship, and innovation. Students also have access to research centers like the Center for Decision Research and Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, offering ample opportunities for practical experience and academic exploration​​​​. Global Perspective and Networking:

Booth’s International Study Program offers joint degrees in international relations, study abroad opportunities, and international business concentration courses, fostering a global business perspective. Additionally, students join a powerful, supportive, global network of over 56,000 alumni​​​​. Career Opportunities and Entrepreneurial Support:

Chicago Booth boasts impressive placement rates, with a vast majority of its graduates securing positions in top-tier companies. The school is particularly supportive of entrepreneurial pursuits, providing resources and connections to help turn innovative ideas into successful ventures​​​​.

Writing compelling essays for the Chicago Booth MBA program is a crucial step in your journey to studying abroad. Furthermore, the essays offer you a unique platform to present your story, aspirations, and individuality. Additionally, as you craft your essays, keep in mind the distinct qualities of the Booth MBA program. Moreover, its emphasis on diversity, intellectual curiosity, and a transformative educational experience should be highlighted. Utilizing the strategies and tips outlined in this guide, you can create essays that not only resonate with the admissions committee but also reflect your true self and ambitions. Embrace this opportunity to showcase your potential as a future leader, and remember, the Booth MBA is not just about academic excellence but also about personal growth and making a real-world impact.

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Homepage > MBA Admissions > Chicago Booth MBA Essays Analysis and Tips for 2023 intake

Chicago Booth MBA Essays Analysis and Tips for 2023 intake

Posted by Juhi A | Jan 29, 2023 | Business Schools , MBA Admissions , MBA Application Process

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 skill s.  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’.

In this article, Poonam Tandon from myEssayReview, who has been helping students with their MBA applications since 2011, shares her tips on the Chicago Booth MBA essay for 2023 intake.

Let’s take a look at the application deadlines first.

Read more about Chicago Booth MBA – Class Profile, Employment Reports, and Notable Alumni

Application Deadlines

The following are the deadlines for the Chicago Booth MBA program’s 2022 intake. You can access the application here .

All applications are due by 11:59 PM CST.

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Chicago Booth MBA 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.

Read this article to know the importance of MBA Essays in Business School applications

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:

2022-2023 Chicago Booth Full-Time MBA Application Questions

Chicago Booth Essay-1 Analysis

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 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 your MBA, specifying your role, position, industry, and 1-2 organizations/companies for 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 and offerings of the Booth program, explaining how they can prepare you for a 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.

Read this article to get more tips on how to write ‘Career Goals’ or ‘Why MBA’ Essay.

Chicago Booth MBA Essay 2 Analysis

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, the second 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.

Chicago Booth Optional Essay Analysis

Is there any unclear information in your application that needs further explanation? (300-word 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.

Chicago Booth Reapplicant Essay Analysis

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 Top Programs-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  [email protected]  or sign up  here  for a free consultation.

About the author

Poonam, one of the  top 5 most reviewed consultants on the GMAT Club , is a master storyteller with more than three decades of experience in successfully helping students craft compelling stories for undergraduate and graduate school programs.

A Ph.D. in English, with three decades of teaching experience in India and the US, Poonam launched myEssayReview (MER) in 2011 to provide highly personalized and dedicated consulting services to Business School applicants. Since then, she has helped hundreds of students around the world get into top MBA, EMBA, part-time MBA, and specialized graduate programs. A full-time consultant, Poonam is passionate about her work and is highly committed to each of her students’ success.

Do you aspire to pursue an MBA at Chicago Booth School of Business?  A 740+ GMAT score can improve your chances of admission. Kickstart your GMAT preparation by Signing up for our Free Trial!

Here are some additional articles that can help you with your Chicago Booth essays:

• Importance of MBA essays in your B-School application
• Five types of MBA essays  

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2024-2025 Chicago Booth Essay Questions & Tips

Originally published on August 18, 2022. Updated on August 29, 2024.

Are you applying to Chicago Booth ? If so, read on for the Chicago Booth essay questions and tips to ensure your answers stand out from the pack. We’re also sharing ideas for how to structure your Chicago Booth essay responses based on what we’ve seen be successful in the past.

Our overarching piece of advice for a successful Booth application is to effectively and authentically communicate ‘why Booth’. Booth has a unique culture and seeks students who, while diverse in many ways, share in its ‘defining traits’ – they are intellectually curious, highly independent, and unafraid of bold ideas. Before you begin drafting your essays, give some serious thought to how you embody these characteristics and let this guide the content of your essays.

Chicago Booth Essay Questions

• How will a Booth MBA help you achieve your immediate and long-term post-MBA career goals? (Minimum 250 words, no maximum).
• 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).

Chicago Booth Essay Tips

Yikes, a minimum word limit, how long should my booth essays be .

As we said, Boothies are unafraid of bold ideas, and the word count minimum is characteristically unconventional. So, how long should they be? While there is certainly a range, we find the sweet spot to be 400-500 words. You should be able to get your point across in this amount of space and any longer risks losing the reader (who reads A LOT of applications). 

Communicating ‘Why Booth’ Is Done Indirectly as Much as It Is Done Directly

Your first reaction when you read the prompt for Essay One may have been ‘Got it, I need to talk about all the Booth classes I plan to take and clubs I will join. Easy.’ Not so fast. And the reason why goes back to our initial piece of advice about showing how you fit with Booth’s unique culture. It’s a given that you will cite some specific Booth classes, clubs, etc. that will help you achieve your goals.  This is the ‘direct’ part and it’s important, but we recommend you do more to really demonstrate that you embody the personality of Boothie.

To the extent possible while remaining authentic, when sharing your goals and the ‘why’ behind them, weave in some details that showcase your bold, independent streak. Maybe your long-term goal is to found a business that fills a need you’ve observed in a certain marketplace – lean into the boldness of your idea as you share these plans. The advice to indirectly demonstrate you embody Booth’s culture extends to the second essay as well. As you consider the facets of your life outside of work that you will share, focus on those that ‘fit’ with the Booth culture. The possibilities are endless, but successful Booth essays begin with a nuanced understanding of what makes the school – and you – unique.

Open-Ended Questions Are Tough, Choose Your Topic Wisely for Essay Two

Speaking of the second essay, you may be wondering what exactly they’re looking for you to discuss in your answer. Open-ended prompts are tough! But they’re also a great opportunity to showcase something awesome about yourself that you haven’t shared elsewhere. And that’s where we recommend you start – take an inventory of the key parts of your ‘personal brand’. Which elements have you weaved into the first essay or are already highlighted sufficiently on your resume? Which elements are not?

The central topic of essay two can be a number of things – you can talk about a passion area, a personal trait, or a defining part of your identity that makes you unique (and impressive to the adcom, of course). Perhaps you have a passion for mentoring females that has informed your past involvements and guides your future plans? Or maybe you are a dedicated marathoner, and this hobby has instilled values that are central to your life? Whatever you discuss, the keys are that it builds upon (doesn’t repeat) the rest of your application and that it is relevant to the qualities Booth seeks in successful applicants. The first essay should highlight what you plan to gain from Booth, the second essay should showcase what you plan to contribute to Booth.    

Chicago Booth Essay Structure Ideas

For essay 1, we recommend a structure somewhat like this:.

P1: Introduce your short-term and long-term career goals

P2-3: Briefly share the rationale behind your goals, the past experiences you already have that you will leverage in achievement of these goals as well as the skills you need to gain during your MBA to make these goals possible

P4-5: Provide several concrete reasons why Booth is the ideal program for you, tying them back to specific skills you need to gain to achieve your goals or specific characteristics about yourself that align with Booth’s culture

For Essay 2, we recommend a structure somewhat like this:

P1: Introduce the passion, trait, or other topic you will talk about in the essay and preview how it has influenced you

P2-3: Share a story that exemplifies your central topic, ‘showing not telling’ that it is a defining part of who you are (note that, in some cases, it may be appropriate to tell two brief stories that demonstrate how your topic has transcended various phases of your life)

P4: Reflect on how you will leverage the topic you’ve discussed to contribute while at Booth

If you’d like assistance with your Booth essays or your broader MBA application strategy, click here to schedule an initial consultation!

Katie is a passionate mentor and coach, helping her clients craft a unique, compelling story by leveraging her experience as a corporate executive, alumni interviewer, and campus recruiter. Before completing her MBA at Kellogg, Katie spent five years in banking where she learned practical finance skills as well as how to operate in a demanding, high pressure environment. She pursued an MBA in order to transition to an industry role where she could utilize her finance knowledge to drive change within an organization. Post-MBA, she worked in finance and strategy for a leading CPG firm, progressing to an executive role leading the finance function for a $2B business segment. Her experience managing diverse teams led to a passion for developing others. In addition to her day-to-day responsibilities, she led her firm’s MBA recruiting efforts and served as an alumni admissions interviewer for Kellogg.

When to Push Your MBA Applications to Round 2

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2024-2025 Chicago Booth MBA essay analysis and tips

Admit expert.

• July 23, 2024

Founded in 1898, the University of Chicago Booth School of Business is one of the oldest and most prestigious business schools in the world. The school is known for its rigorous academic programs, cutting-edge research, and its distinguished faculty. Chicago Booth has a long history of intellectual exploration, nonconformity, and innovation. 

The Full-Time MBA Program at Chicago Booth is known for its analytical approach, and many economists teach courses on theory and practice. 

Students have a lot of leeway in choosing courses because there are no major requirements. Chicago Booth’s MBA program is considered one of the most flexible MBA programs in the world. If you are interested in applying for the 2025 intake, please see below for upcoming deadlines as well as Admit Expert’s advice on how to answer the Chicago Booth MBA essays.

Application Deadlines

All applications are due by 11:59 PM CST.

Chicago Booth MBA essay questions

The Chicago Booth essay questions for 2024-2025 applicants have been confirmed. Both questions have remained unchanged this year. There are two MBA essays at Chicago Booth, each with no strict word limit.

All candidates are required to submit responses to the following two questions:

How will a Booth MBA help you achieve your immediate and long-term post-MBA career goals? (Minimum 250 words, no maximum.)

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 your 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.)

Optional question

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

Reapplicant essay

Reapplicants must answer the following 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? (Maximum 300 words.)

These essays emphasize both your personality and your professional objectives. The focus of the first essay is your career objective and the focus of the second essay is your interests. 

Also take note that while most institutions offer a maximum word count for the required essay responses, Chicago sets a minimum word count. Therefore, Chicago Booth requests that you consider your answers to these MBA essays and ensure you have adequate room to do so.

This Booth MBA essay is a straightforward essay about your career objectives, both short-term and long-term.

What should you do before you start writing the essay?

Before you start writing the essay, examine your career accomplishments to date. Ask yourself these questions:

• What did you discover? 
• How did you use your past accomplishments to guide your present endeavors? 
• How can a Booth MBA fill in any gaps after that? 
• What courses will you enroll in? Competitions, placements, location, Professors, etc. who can advance your objectives? 
• How will you interact with your peers and clubs?​​

This question asks for both short and long-term goals, so answer with your long-term path in mind. Ideally, your short-term goal will lead directly to your long-term goal, and an MBA is required for both. Examples from previous roles will help you achieve your goals with the necessary education and experience.

How should you write essay 1?

Start by giving a quick overview of your professional background, highlighting the successes you had and the skills and information you have acquired. Describe how your future job aspirations are influenced by your past professional experiences and personality traits and qualities.

Please keep in mind that a thorough understanding of the Chicago Booth MBA program and its offerings is essential for an effective response to this question. Explain how the skills, knowledge, and experience you will gain at Booth will help you build on your previous knowledge and skills, bringing you closer to your goals.

Share your short-term objectives now. Indicate the role, position, industry, and 1-2 firms that you would like to work for when describing the position that you hope to occupy right after earning your MBA.

Please keep in mind that your post-MBA goal should be a logical extension of your current skill set, personality traits and knowledge gained through an MBA degree.

Your objectives should be both ambitious and realistic. That is, if you want to work in technology or consulting, you must demonstrate that you already have some skills/experience in those areas and are looking to improve them.

Similarly, if you are a career changer, you should demonstrate how your current skill set will aid in this transition.

Then, you’ll want to go over your longer-term (5–10 years) goal, outlining not only the position you intend to hold but also the overall impact you hope to have. Your short-term objectives should naturally lead to your long-term objectives, which may or may not be specific.

The next logical step would be to discuss how an MBA will help you achieve these objectives and why Booth is a particularly wise next step. Give examples of program offerings that are pertinent to these goals to highlight this fit. 

You can maximize the quality of your essay by doing a thorough study on the Booth MBA program—either by visiting an info session or interacting with students and alumni.

To learn more about what Chicago Booth is looking for and how to make your application stand out, get in touch with us at [email protected]

What should be the length of the essay?

Given the open-ended nature of this Booth MBA essay, it could be tempting to incorporate achievements or details that aren’t related to the question or to give extra information about your aspirations, but remember to stay on topic! 

The application instructs you to “use your judgement,” and therefore while deciding the length of your response think about the volume of applications adcom would be receiving. So, your first consideration must be to make their life a little easier.

You can also get an idea about the preferred length from the optional essay’s 300-word word limit. You are certainly welcome to use more words than 300, but make sure they are meaningful. A punchy 400 words would be short and to the point. If you must write more than 500 words, which is pretty common, make sure each word is required to respond to the prompt. 

Chicago Booth is looking for self-aware, purpose-driven leaders. As a result, Booth is interested in learning about your personal life. Are you someone who values personal development? And how would you define purpose?

Consider using personal stories to help you focus on this essay. Have you done anything as a volunteer that demonstrates your personality? Or, does your cultural background influence your personality? What events have had an impact on you?

How to write Essay 2?

You could also try the following steps:

• List the top 10 to 15 moments, achievements, passions, or experiences from your life. Include all aspects of something—good, awful, amazing, ugly, etc.
• How have you spent your free time? 
• What principles did you fight for? 
• What seems to characterize who you are?
• Choose one or two elements from the list to define your approach and begin the writing process for this Booth MBA essay. These items should best reflect any strengths or values that have been provided.

Essay 2 tips

Focus on experiences that have shaped your values and priorities over the years when writing this essay. Do not be afraid to share your difficult life experiences; they often make us stronger and more self-aware. Remember that each of you is an individual with unique experiences, values, and interests that will set you apart from other candidates. This essay is an excellent opportunity to discuss your involvement and passion for volunteer service, as well as your interests.

Connect your passions and interests that occupy your days outside of work hours and are guiding forces in your life to your potential experiences in Booth’s ‘choice rich’ environment.

Also, think about the challenges you faced and how you overcame the challenges, which will give you deeper insights into the personality traits you possess. Also think about any learnings that you got out of your experiences, and how you applied these learnings in your personal and professional journey. 

Your personal statement for the Booth MBA should describe who you are and your motivations. Your overall objective with both essays should be to present the admissions committee with a comprehensive picture of your potential.

Optional Essay

This optional essay is open-ended, so you can provide as much relevant information while keeping in mind the word limit. Consider writing this essay if there are any gaps in your profile that need to be filled. Have you had any academic difficulties or gaps in your work experience? Then this is the place to go into more detail.

Your response shouldn’t come across as you’re trying to cover up a profile weakness; instead, it should be upbeat, honest, and fact-focused. Your character’s strengths should be highlighted by your weaknesses.

For instance, When describing your employment gap you should say that you were doing something productive like traveling, volunteering, or taking care of your family, like dealing with a medical problem in your family at that time.

However, if there are no gaps you can still leverage this essay if you have a compelling personal story that wasn’t covered in the other essays. It’s worth telling if it helps the admissions committee understand you better. You may also have a compelling leadership story or a meaningful extracurricular activity to add context to your MBA application.

You can also choose to skip this question and concentrate solely on the two mandatory essays if your profile is without any flaws or needs any justification or explanation. There is a word limit on this question, unlike the mandatory questions. Do not disrespect it.

This is an intriguing re-applicant question. Because, rather than asking how your candidacy has improved, Booth inquires as to how your perspective has shifted. Better test scores, a promotion, or a new job would still be beneficial information. However, the emphasis is on reflecting on yourself and your goals since applying to Booth.

Consider what has changed since your last application when writing this essay. Have you, for example, learned more about your career path, formed new relationships, or altered your career goals? This is also an excellent essay for demonstrating self-awareness and leadership qualities. Another important aspect is conveying a realistic sense of how the Booth MBA will fit into your future professional plans.

To stay within the word limit, you must be extremely precise in presenting your case and make every word count.

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Chicago Booth Essays: Tips for 2024-2025

At Menlo Coaching, we noticed that most MBA essays will fall into one of a number of categories: personal essays, career goals essays, behavioral essays, etc.. Read ahead for our expert guide on approaching these essays for University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Career Goals Essay

• How will the Booth MBA help you achieve your immediate and long-term post-MBA career goals? (250-word minimum)
• What is your immediate post-MBA career goal? (250 characters)
• What is your long-term post-MBA career goal? (250 characters)

Personal Essay

• 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)

Optional Essay

• Is there any unclear information in your application that needs further explanation? If so, please use this section to clarify. (300 words)

If you are a reapplicant to Booth, you can also find a section on the reapplicant essay .

The Career Goals Essay

You’re not the only one hoping you’ll have a job after you’ve graduated with your MBA. Admissions committees are looking for students who are motivated and clear in their intentions so that when they get a job post-grad, they’ll be more willing to speak positively of their experience in the program. And, of course, in the hopes that their alumni will earn enough money to become a donor to the school one day.

There are three aspects to the career goals essay: 

• What you want your future profession to look like.
• Why an MBA is necessary to advance your career.
• Particularly, why a degree from Booth will be most beneficial to you and your job plan. 

Your aspirations need to be convincing, ambitious, and realistic. The Booth MBA program is looking for applicants who have meaningful goals grounded in their past experiences, and it’s important that you relate that notion in your Booth MBA essay, however it applies to your experience in life.

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The Personal Statement Essay

Like we touched on earlier, schools are looking for the right fit for their campus community, just as you are searching for the school that aligns best with your goals. In the personal essay, this is your chance to show Chicago Booth the values that drive you both as a person and as a student. These values tell the admissions committee what you prioritize, the moral code you live by, and, most importantly, who you are as a person. 

The Booth MBA program is looking for applicants who are willing to debate and discuss. A core part of the learning experience is learning how to defend your point of view – and just as important is the view of your classmates. Hearing diverse viewpoints encourages you to think outside of your sphere and understand a wider range of lived experiences. 

In these essays, you can talk about almost anything; typically, applicants will write about relationships in their lives, or times when there was a hardship they had to overcome.

Be warned, though: there are some topics to avoid, and we have outlined a few things to watch out for in this article . 

Once you’ve completed your application, the optional Booth essay gives you an additional opportunity to provide the AdCom with any additional information or clarity that you feel would enhance your application.

One trap that MBA applicants fall into is using the additional space provided by this essay to write on another topic. However, this is not always the best idea.

You should only make use of this essay if you what you write will provide context to an element of your application to improve your candidacy—you don’t want to jeopardize your chances by adding unnecessary noise to your application.

Reapplicant Essay

For reapplicants, Booth requires a specific essay in which you can address how your application has improved since your last application.

In this essay, you can address any improvements to your test scores, promotions at work, additional volunteer or community work, or any significant professional development that you have undertaken since you last applied to the program.

Timing is key for reapplicants, and when you’re applying for an MBA program a second time around, you want to be sure that you are a more qualified and desirable client than you were in the past—even if your application was stellar the first time.

Writing strong, coherent, and genuine stories is an essential part of your MBA application. Your Booth essays are meant to help you stand out among many other applicants, so it is worth your time to do the work and write about situations unique to your life and that you truly learned from.

Need support with Booth MBA admissions essays? Our comprehensive MBA admission consulting services are designed to help you navigate the application process with confidence. Connect with us to optimize your application strategy.

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July 19, 2024

Chicago Booth MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines [2024 – 2025]

Chicago Booth’s two required essay questions have 250-word minimums . While specifying a minimum length for an MBA essay is very unusual, it fits with Booth’s history of breaking the mold. At the same time, don’t infer that the absence of a maximum is a license to be verbose. As Booth says, “We trust that you will use your best judgment in determining how long your submission should be.” Do use your best judgement; otherwise, you will be showing a different kind of judgement. And you really don’t want to do that.

Ready to get to work on your Chicago Booth application? Here is some expert advice to help you get accepted:

Chicago Booth application essay tips

Chicago booth application deadlines.

• Chicago Booth class profile

Chicago Booth Essay #1

How will a Booth MBA help you achieve your immediate and long-term post-MBA career goals? (Minimum 250 words, no maximum.)

To answer this question, you need to know three things:

• Your immediate post-MBA goal: You should be able to define this in terms of function (what you want to do after you earn your MBA, not what you want to study during the MBA) and industry or type of company. Sometimes, location can play a role, and if so, provide that information, too.
• Your longer-term professional aspirations: These don’t have to be as specific as your short-term goal, but the two should be related.
• The Chicago Booth program: Specifically, how do you intend to use distinctive Booth strengths to build on your past and realize your goals? If it’s not obvious how your previous education and experience will help you achieve your goals when combined with the Booth MBA, clarify.

In your essay, you can start by presenting a seminal experience, preferably an achievement that shaped your goals and aspirations. Tell a story about this experience and describe what you learned from it and how it has influenced you and your short- and long-term goals .

Then, talk about Booth. Look at the school’s curriculum, strengths, career placement record, and extracurricular activities that support your ambitions.

Alternatively, start with the achievement of your goal – you can try using a day-in-the-life approach – and then flash back and tell the story of that seminal experience and how it and Booth prepared you for the future day that started your essay.

A few years ago, I attended the AIGAC conference, which was hosted for one morning by Chicago Booth. During the school’s information sessions, the admissions committee members made clear that they look for individuals who demonstrate self-awareness and direction. They want to read your application and see, based on what you’ve done, that you’re going to make a mark on the world .

Write this essay so that it shows both self-awareness and your ability to make that mark.

Chicago Booth 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. (Minimum 250 words, no maximum.)

This question was added a couple of years ago and is a real getting-to-know-you kind of question. What do you like to do in your spare time? Why does this activity appeal to you? Introduce yourself outside the office. And if you can show yourself in a growth mode, do so.

You could approach this essay with a goal that you’re trying to achieve and the steps you’re taking to achieve it. The possibilities are endless: running a marathon, painting a certain painting, learning a musical instrument, acquiring fluency in a foreign language prior to international travel, contributing to a cause you believe in, and so on. You could approach this essay by starting with your motivation for assuming this challenge or simply you doing what you enjoy doing. Tell a story about the experience, and then explore why it’s significant to you. What does it say about you? 

Chicago Booth Optional Essay

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

This is a restrictive optional question . Booth is really asking only for information that will clarify something that is unclear, such as a drop in grades one semester or a period of unemployment, or why your current supervisor is not writing your letter of recommendation.

This question, unlike the required questions, does have a word limit. Respect it.

Chicago Booth Reapplicant Essay

Upon reflection, how has your perspective regarding your future, Chicago Booth, and/or getting an MBA changed since the time of your last application? (Maximum 300 words.)

The answer to this question is critical for MBA reapplicants, and it’s different from most reapplication essays in that it’s more about your perspective than what you’ve done. Chicago wants to see growth and development. 

Let this brief essay show a maturation and evolution of your goals and of your reasons for wanting to attend Chicago Booth. Let it also reveal that you meet Chicago’s criteria better this year than last.

You’ve just made a smart investment of time in reading this blog post. Now you’re one step closer to submitting the kind of application that can lead to acceptance at one of the most prestigious programs in the country. Why not make the next smart investment and consider one of our consulting packages? We have helped thousands of qualified applicants get to “yes” from the adcoms. Schedule a free consultation with an Accepted expert today!

Source: Chicago Booth website

***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with Chicago Booth directly to verify its essay questions, instructions, and deadlines.***

Chicago Booth MBA class profile

Here’s a look at the Chicago Booth Class of 2025 (data taken from the Chicago Booth website ):

Full-Time MBA Students: 637

Applications Submitted: 4,184

JD/MBA Accelerated Students: 20

Chicago Booth Global Footprint:

• United States: 64% 
• Asia: 17% 
• Central/South America and Mexico: 11%
• Africa: 3% 
• Canada: 1% 
• Middle East: 1%
• Other: <1%

Countries Represented: 54

Students Born Outside of the United States: 49%

First-Generation Students: 12%

International: 36% 

Veterans: 11% 

LGBTQ+: 12% 

U.S. Race/Ethnicity (Federal guidelines reporting)

• Asian American: 28%
• Hispanic/Latinx: 11%
• Black/African American: 7%
• Did Not Report: 5%
• Multi-Race: 3%
• American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, Other Pacific Islander: 0.2%

Average Age: 28

Average Years of Work Experience: 5

Pre-Booth Industries

• Financial Services: 19%
• Consulting: 18%
• Technology: 15%
• Non-profit/Government: 14%
• Healthcare: 7%
• Consumer Products: 3%
• Manufacturing: 2%
• Accounting: 1%

Undergraduate Majors Represented

• Business: 26%
• Engineering: 25%
• Economics: 20%
• Liberal Arts: 14%
• Physical Sciences: 8%

Undergraduate Institutions: 277

Average GPA: 3.6

GPA Range: 2.4-4

Hold Graduate-Level Degrees: 19%

GMAT Average: 728

GMAT Median: 730

GMAT Range: 600-780

GRE Quantitative Average: 163

GRE Quantitative Range: 148-170

GRE Verbal Average: 162

GRE Verbal Range: 149-170

More resources for Chicago Booth applicants

Are you considering applying to business school? We have the resources to help you navigate your options and make the right choice for you:

• M7 MBA Programs: Everything You Need to Know in 2024
• GMAT, GPA, and MBA Acceptance Rates: The Selectivity Index
• Deferred MBA Programs and Other Options for MBA Hopefuls with No Work Experience

Do you need help gaining admission to Chicago Booth or any other top MBA program? That’s what we do! Schedule a free consultation with an experienced admissions adviser who will help you get accepted !

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How To Tackle Chicago Booth’s New Essay Question

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This year, Chicago Booth made changes to its MBA admissions process, replacing required essay #2 and including a new pre-interview video question . That Booth preserved its first essay question related to short and long-term career goals is further evidence that the school is seeking students who can coherently connect where they’ve been to where they’re going, along with a deep understanding of how the Booth MBA, in particular, will get you there.

By contrast, the new second essay is an appeal to share something much more personal, beyond your professional achievements, test scores, and transcripts. As former Assistant Director of Admissions at Chicago Booth, I really like the evolution of the second essay question, which goes further than before to push candidates to get personal.

Think of it this way: Similar to Wharton’s essay pairing , the first Booth question wants to know what you’ll get out of Booth, while the second asks what Booth and its community stands to get out of you. Booth has always been comprised of interesting students with wide and varied passions. This question seeks to learn what makes you “you” and how that has led to the decisions you’ve made and the directions you’ve chosen. So, now let’s talk strategy.

New Chicago Booth Required 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 min.)

In revising its second essay question for the 2020-2021 season, Booth takes a different approach from the previous question (about the choices you’ve made) and focuses on the more personal side of your application. The admissions committee can glean your professional journey and goals from your resume, letters of recommendation, and first essay. Now, in essay #2, they are looking to find out about what motivates you outside the workplace.

Booth recognizes that we are not linear people and both our work and personal lives inform who we are. Try to focus on an overall theme in your personal life and how that has led to your pursuit of extracurricular activities. Perhaps you had a unique upbringing? Or you have volunteered at a particular organization with a mission that resonates with you? These stories will help color in the areas of your application and help the admissions committee understand who you are and what makes you tick.

“This is a chance to talk about something that is of real importance to you. It should not only provide an insight into what motivates or interests you but make the admissions committee say ‘wow’ or ‘interesting!’” says Fortuna’s Bill Kooser, former Associate Dean of Chicago Booth. “The first essay is designed to assess whether you have a well thought out career plan and have a solid sense of what Booth is and does, but it doesn’t provide a lot of opportunity for you to showcase how you are different from other candidates. Essay 2 is your chance to make the admissions committee want to know you better. “

It can be tricky to know where to start or intimidating if you think that your story isn’t unique. Start by reflecting on milestones and moments that defined your personal journey and get introspective about what might set you apart from others – even if it doesn’t seem relevant at first.

“You should also think about what gets you most excited, where you spend your time, or what you talk about when you aren’t talking about work. Travel, hobbies, sports? The latest episode of the Queen’s Gambit? Why are those things important to you? How did you get involved?” prompts Bill. “Booth isn’t looking for anything in particular here – they really do want to get to know you. Therefore, if it’s important to you, it will be a relevant topic for your essay. It’s a chance for your personality to shine through and demonstrate that you would be a great addition to what is sure to be an accomplished, diverse, and occasionally quirky class.”

To put a fine point on Bill’s comments, don’t try to anticipate and respond with what you think the Admissions Committee wants to hear. Be yourself and show your enthusiasm – authenticity is essential.

“Booth looks for candidates that know what they want and will make the most of their two years there,” says Fortuna’s Julie Ferguson, former Chicago Booth Senior Associate Director of Admissions. “The essays give applicants the opportunity to show that they’ve thought through this major life step, and that Booth is the perfect place for them.”

For advice on how to tackle both Chicago Booth required essays, view my related blog, Chicago Booth Essays: Tips & Strategy .

Krista McNamara  is an Expert Coach at MBA admission consulting firm  Fortuna Admissions  and former Assistant Director of Admissions at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. For a candid assessment of your chances of admission success at a top MBA program, sign up for a  free consultation .

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Chicago Booth MBA Essays: 5 Expert Tips

Tips and tricks to help you write the best essays possible for the Booth MBA Application, including essay and application deadlines as well as Booth coach recommendations.

Posted August 12, 2024

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Table of Contents

What are the booth essay questions.

Arguably the most important part of any MBA application, essays give applicants the chance to present different personal qualities. Unlike resumes, GPAs, and recommendation letters, the essays are purely in your voice and provide a forum for you to showcase your charisma and reasons for applying to Booth. Here are the two Booth essay questions:

1. How will a Booth MBA help you achieve your immediate and long-term post-MBA career goals? (250 words minimum, no maximum) 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 words minimum, no maximum)

Both of the Booth essay questions are relatively open-ended, which can be especially difficult because of the unlimited word count. Regarding the essay guidelines, Booth says that it trusts “that you will use your best judgment in determining how long your submission should be, but we recommend that you think strategically about how best to allocate the space.”

Though each applicant is unique, it’s generally recommended that you keep the essay lengths to about 500 words each. You don’t want to bore or waste the AdCom’s time, and you also want to show that you can get to the point clearly and succinctly.

University of Chicago Booth Application Deadlines 2023-2024

Here are the recently released Booth application deadlines for the 2023-2024 application cycle:

• Round 1: September 21, 2023
• Round 2: January 44 2024
• Round 3: April 4, 2024
• Booth Scholars (Deferred MBA): April 4, 2024

See more info on the new deadlines and requirements here: Chicago Booth MBA Application Deadlines (2023-2024)

If you’re interested in the deferred enrollment program at Booth, here is another article to get you started on your application: Chicago Booth Scholars Program .

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Tips for Success on the Booth Essays

1. research booth.

With the first essay prompt, Booth wants to know that you understand the specificities of its MBA program. It also wants to understand why you’d like to attend Booth instead of all the other business schools. Notice that the prompt is not asking how an MBA will help you in your career goals but how a Booth MBA will help them.

As part of this research, we recommend taking an in-person or virtual campus tour, speaking to alumni, watching videos, and/or reading blog posts. Answers to this question may also include specific classes you want to take or professors you want to take them from, or on-campus clubs/groups that you’d like to join.

2. Know Yourself

Pivotal to many parts of the MBA application but especially the essays, Booth wants to understand your dreams and how you’re planning on using an MBA to achieve them. In order to answer this question well, you must have a clear idea of your motivations for pursuing an MBA, and where you see your career going after graduation. Also, reflect on your career journey thus far, including what you have learned in previous roles and what is lacking.

To get started, we recommend that you talk with a peer or mentor to outline this. Have them ask you important questions such as:

• Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten years? Twenty years?
• Why do you want to pursue an MBA?
• How do you plan on using your MBA?
• How do you plan on making an impact at your current or future workplace?
• What are your professional and personal goals?

Leland MBA coaches are a great resource to utilize as your brainstorm, outline, and draft your essays.

3. Answer the Question

When the question is so broad, it is difficult to stay on one narrative without straying to irrelevant topics. This difficulty is exacerbated by the lack of a maximum word count. In order to prevent tangential asides, plan the outline of your essay before you begin writing a draft. Having an idea of the overall structure while you write will help you stay on track, improve the structural flow, and remain clear and concise throughout. Before you begin the draft, reread the essay question to make sure that you’ve addressed each part. For example, the first question asks about immediate goals and long-term goals. Have you mentioned both in your outline?

4. Be Unique

The Booth Admissions Committee will read thousands of essays and your job is to make yours stand out. What makes you different from every other MBA applicant? Whatever it is, highlight it. Think about the experiences that have made an impact on you and create a story that leads to Booth. As mentioned earlier, stay on topic. Choose stories that are relevant to the characteristics you’re trying to highlight. You have limited space and you want each part of the essay to build on the last so that the whole thing is fluid and logical.

On its website, Booth says that it wants “ambitious, intellectually curious professionals” and “bold leaders.” While writing your essay, think about how you can show that you possess these traits in the stories. To get started, we recommend answering the following questions:

• What events/experiences/people have shaped you as a person?
• What matters most to you?
• What motivates you?
• What are your values and where did they come from?
• What has challenged you the most and what did you learn from it?

Once you’ve written your answers to these questions, think about the stories that come with them and look for themes that tie the major events together. This will give you a good start on the outline.

5. Start Early

We recommend that you begin outlining and drafting your essays early to give you ample time to review them and receive feedback. Start brainstorming at least three months before the application deadline. Once you have a draft, leave it for a few days so that when you come back to it, you are reading it with a fresh perspective.

After you’ve made edits, have a peer or mentor review it, ideally a Booth alum or someone with extensive writing experience. Leland coaches are uniquely positioned to help you succeed in this aspect. After you’ve received feedback, rewrite it with edits and then leave it again. If, when you have come back to it, you are confident in its caliber, review it one more time with a coach or mentor before submitting it.

Read : How I Got Into Chicago Booth Scholars (Deferred MBA) – An Interview With Bruce Erickson

Get Into Booth With the Help of an Expert

Writing the essays is one of the most difficult parts of the MBA application process for many people. For this reason, there are many essay-related articles in the MBA Hub of our Leland Library. Here are some specific ones to get you started:

• How to Write a Powerful MBA Essay
• 7 MBA Essay Tips to Make You Stand Out
• Chicago Booth-MBA Program and Application Overview

If you would prefer to work one-on-one with a Booth or essay expert, browse all of our vetted coaches here . Below are some of our highest-rated MBA admissions coaches.

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Chicago Booth Essay Analysis and Application Deadlines: 2024-2025

Chicago Booth has opened the 2024-2025 application.

If you are looking to apply for 2025 intake, please see below for the upcoming deadlines as well as Personal MBA Coach’s tips on how to answer the Chicago Booth MBA essays.

The Chicago Booth MBA Deadlines Are:

Round 1:  September 19, 2024

Round 2:  January 7, 2025

Round 3:  April 3, 2025

Personal MBA Coach’s Chicago Booth MBA Essay Analysis and Tips

Booth mba essay 1: .

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

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 your higher-level aspirations and how you developed them.

Watch this quick tips video with Personal MBA Coach’s founder Scott Edinburgh for guidance on how to articulate your goals:

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 on your past just enough to establish your key skills as well as how and why you will succeed in the future.

Struggling to connect your professional examples to your career aspirations? Reach out today to find out how we can help with Personal MBA Coach’s Comprehensive Package !

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.

Booth MBA 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)

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 share more about yours.

As you brainstorm topics for this Booth MBA essay, remember that admissions committees 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, 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 1,000-word essay, so choose your words carefully.

Optional Chicago Booth Essay

Is there any unclear information in your application that needs further explanation? If so, please use this section to clarify. ( 300 words maximum)

The Chicago Booth application also includes an optional essay question. For tips on handling this third (optional) Booth MBA essay, visit Personal MBA Coach’s  blog  on optional essays.

Personalized Booth Admissions Consulting with Personal MBA Coach

Ready to apply to Booth MBA? Schedule a consultation with Personal MBA Coach today to find out how our founder, Scott Edinburgh , or one of our former M7 Admissions Director consultants, can help you with your Booth MBA Application !

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Booth MBA Essays for the Class of 2027

Are you planning on applying to the University of Chicago Booth School of Business this upcoming season? Then let the brainstorming begin! The application is now open, and here are the Booth MBA essays and deadlines for the 2024-2025 admissions cycle.

Chicago Booth MBA Essays

• How will the Booth MBA help you achieve your immediate and long-term post-MBA career goals? (250-word minimum, no maximum)
• 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 work. Use this opportunity to tell us something about who you are. (250-word minimum, no maximum)

Optional Question:

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

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? (Maximum 300 words.)

Response Guidelines : 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.

Format : Submissions must be entered into the text box provided in the application.

For more information on applying, please visit the Chicago Booth admissions site .  If you need guidance on your Booth MBA essays or wish to discuss your MBA plans, reach out for a complimentary analysis  of your candidacy. We’re here to help!

Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our SBC team .

HBS Admissions Board at Harvard Business School HBS MBA

HBS Admissions Board at Harvard Business School Kellogg MBA

Director HBS Admissions at Harvard Business School MBA, the Wharton School

HBS Admissions Board at Harvard Business School

Director HBS Admissions at Harvard Business School HBS MBA

Admissions Officer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)

Asst Director MBA Admissions at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) Director MBA Admissions at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business

MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) Minority Admissions, the GSB Diversity Programs, the GSB

Associate Director MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania

Associate Director MBA Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute

Director, the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania Professional Writer

Assistant Director MBA Admissions at Columbia Business School (CBS) NYU Admissions

Assistant Director MBA Admissions at Columbia Business School (CBS) M.S.Ed, Higher Education, U of Pennsylvania

Associate Director MBA Admissions at Columbia Business School (CBS)

Ashley is a former MBA Admissions Board Member for Harvard Business School (HBS), where she interviewed and evaluated thousands of business school applicants for over a six year tenure.  Ashley  holds an MBA from HBS. During her HBS years,  Ashley  was the Sports Editor for the Harbus and a member of the B-School Blades Ice Hockey Team. After HBS, she worked in Marketing at the Gillette Company on Male and Female shaving ...

Kerry is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS). During her 5+ year tenure at HBS, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a wide range of backgrounds across the globe. She also led marketing and outreach efforts focused on increasing diversity and inclusion, ran the Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP), and launched the 2+2 Program during her time in Admissions. Kerry holds a B.A. from Bates College and  ...

A former associate director of admissions at Harvard Business School, Pauline served on the HBS MBA Admissions Board full-time for four years. She evaluated and interviewed HBS applicants, both on-campus and globally.  Pauline's career has included sales and marketing management roles with Coca-Cola, Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and IBM.  For over 10 years, Pauline has expertly guided MBA applicants, and her clients h ...

Geri is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS).  In her 7 year tenure in HBS Admissions, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a diverse set of academic, geographic, and employment backgrounds.  Geri also traveled globally representing the school at outreach events in order to raise awareness for women and international students.  In additio ...

Laura comes from the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS) and is an HBS MBA alumnus. In her HBS Admissions role, she evaluated and interviewed hundreds of business school candidates, including internationals, women, military and other applicant pools, for five years.  Prior to her time as a student at HBS, Laura began her career in advertising and marketing in Chicago at Leo Burnett where she worked on th ...

Andrea served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years.  In this role, she provided strategic direction for student yield-management activities and also served as a full member of the admissions committee. In 2007, Andrea launched the new 2+2 Program at Harvard Business School – a program targeted at college junior applicants to Harvard Business School.  Andrea has also served as a Career Coach for Harvard Business School for both cu ...

Jennifer served as Admissions Officer at the Stanford (GSB) for five years. She holds an MBA from Stanford (GSB) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Jennifer has over 15 years experience in guiding applicants through the increasingly competitive admissions process into top MBA programs. Having read thousands and thousands of essays and applications while at Stanford (GSB) Admiss ...

Erin served in key roles in MBA Admissions--as Director at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Assistant Director at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB). Erin served on the admissions committee at each school and has read thousands of applications in her career. At Haas, she served for seven years in roles that encompassed evaluation, outreach, and diversity and inclusion. During her tenure in Admissions at GSB, she was responsible for candidate evaluation, applicant outreach, ...

Susie comes from the Admissions Office of the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she reviewed and evaluated hundreds of prospective students’ applications.  She holds an MBA from Stanford’s GSB and a BA from Stanford in Economics. Prior to advising MBA applicants, Susie held a variety of roles over a 15-year period in capital markets, finance, and real estate, including as partner in one of the nation’s most innovative finance and real estate investment organizations. In that r ...

Dione holds an MBA degree from Stanford Business School (GSB) and a BA degree from Stanford University, where she double majored in Economics and Communication with concentrations in journalism and sociology. Dione has served as an Admissions reader and member of the Minority Admissions Advisory Committee at Stanford.   Dione is an accomplished and respected advocate and thought leader on education and diversity. She is ...

Anthony served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise. During his time as a Wharton Admissions Officer, he read and reviewed thousands of applications and helped bring in a class of 800+ students a year.   Anthony has traveled both domestically and internationally to recruit a ...

Meghan served as the Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute, a joint degree program combining the Wharton MBA with an MA in International Studies. In her role on the Wharton MBA admissions committee, Meghan advised domestic and international applicants; conducted interviews and information sessions domestically and overseas in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe; and evaluated applicants for admission to the program. Meghan also managed ...

Amy comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was Associate Director. Amy devoted 12 years at the Wharton School, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team.  During her tenure at Wharton, Amy served as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students.  She conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions ...

Ally brings six years of admissions experience to the SBC team, most recently as an Assistant Director of Admission for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS).  During her time at Columbia, Ally was responsible for reviewing applications, planning recruitment events, and interviewing candidates for both the full-time MBA program and the Executive MBA program. She traveled both internationally and dome ...

Erin has over seven years of experience working across major institutions, including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, and NYU's Stern School of Business. At Columbia Business School, Erin was an Assistant Director of Admissions where she evaluated applications for both the full time and executive MBA programs, sat on the admissions and merit scholarship committees and advised applicants on which program might be the best fit for them based on their work experience and pro ...

Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director.  Emma conducted dozens of interviews each cycle for the MBA and EMBA programs, as well as coordinating the alumni ambassador interview program. She read and evaluated hundreds of applications each cycle, delivered information sessions to audiences across the globe, and advised countless waitlisted applicants.

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Advice, tips and insights from the admissions dream team., table of contents, chicago booth essays: tips & strategy.

• By Bill Kooser

Every year, as you might expect for a top-ranked school, Chicago Booth receives thousands of applications from great candidates with consulting, finance and accounting backgrounds. However, the school also welcomes applications from candidates with nontraditional backgrounds. Teachers, nonprofit workers, military officers and media professionals all find a home at Booth. As a former Chicago Booth Associate Dean (and Booth alumnus), I can affirm that Booth aims to create a well-rounded, diverse and unique class and is looking for individuals who like to challenge conventional wisdom.

Given that most students enter the program with undergraduate backgrounds in business, economics or engineering, the Chicago Booth MBA Essays represent a valuable opportunity to distinguish yourself from other high achievers with similar profiles.

The Booth application includes two required essay questions, plus an optional opportunity to explain anything on the application form that requires clarification. Those who are invited to interview must also complete a video question.  Read on for Chicago Booth essay tips and advice.

Chicago Booth MBA Essays Decoded

Chicago booth essay 1.

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

The first Chicago Booth essay question cuts to the chase, asking you to connect your compelling and coherent career vision to how the Booth MBA, in particular, positions you to achieve your greatest aspirations. It’s a version of an old favorite essay prompt: “Why an MBA and why this school?” Significant self-reflection is key to delivering an essay that is both persuasive and sincere.

Your ability to articulate clear goals — even if they evolve throughout your MBA journey — shows the Admissions Committee your confidence and maturity. The critical element here is to think deeply about your goals, interests, strengths and passions. Your “story” should indicate both self-awareness and an understanding of where you’ve been, where you are going and they key elements to get you there.

This Chicago Booth essay also requires a deep understanding of Booth’s values, culture and what makes it special. Without a nuanced appreciation of its unique community and program offerings — gained by thorough research, thoughtful networking and, whenever possible, a visit to campus — the admissions committee may not see you as a good fit. Acknowledging the specific things that stand out about the school and why they are important to you is key. Pay particular attention to the school’s overview and the letter from the Dean. Booth prides itself on its distinctive “Chicago Approach” to business education. You’ll want to make sure that you understand that approach and why it is good fit for your own learning style.

Booth is really looking to learn about the skills you have gained in your career thus far and how those will propel you into your MBA program. What specifically about Booth stands out to you? Professors? Classes? Student Organizations? Using your newly minted Booth MBA degree, what are your short and long-term career goals? The important thing here is to clearly identify your long-term goal and describe how your short-term goal will help get you there.

Note that Booth also asks similar short-answer questions in its online application form: 

• What is your immediate post-MBA career goal? (250 characters max)
• What is your long-term post-MBA career goal? (250 characters max)

With a minimum rather than a maximum word limit, this Chicago Booth Essay gives you more room to go deep and explore the “why” behind your goal and tie it firmly to the Booth community and culture. (Although there is no word limit, Fortuna coaches suggest between 500–650 words, and absolutely no more than 1,000.)

Obviously, your answers about your goals in the short-answer application quesstions and this essay must be consistent, but take care not to repeat yourself. Rather, explain clearly: W hat is it you want to do and how is Booth going to get you there? For a question like this, the “why” motivating your the goal is as important as the goal itself. Think of your long-term goal in terms of impact — personal, organizational and community -wide — not just in terms of a position or role. Why is this goal important to you? What led you to it? Think about the legacy you want to leave or the problems you want to solve. How are you going to make a real difference in your organization, industry or community?

View the MBA Admissions Essay Masterclass for more on tackling the MBA Essays for Chicago Booth, CBS, MIT Sloan, and Kellogg. (Booth begins at the  7:20 mark). 

Chicago Booth 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)

The second Chicago Booth essay question is an appeal to share something much more personal, beyond your professional achievements, test scores and transcripts. Booth is mining for a glimpse of who you are, above and beyond a shining track record of excellence. Booth admissions can glean your professional journey and goals from your resume, letters and first essay. Now, in this essay, they are looking to find out about what motivates you outside the workplace. They really want to get a sense of what makes you “interesting.” There is no right or wrong answer here and it is a mistake to try to provide an answer that you think the committee is looking for.

Think of it this way: Similar to  Wharton’s MBA essay pairing , the first Booth question wants to know what you’ll get out of Booth, while the second asks what Booth and its community stands to get from you. Booth has always been the home of “interesting” students with wide and varied interests. This Chicago Booth essay question seeks to learn what makes you “you” and how that has led to the decisions you’ve made and the directions you’ve chosen. It also seeks to understand what would make you a fun and engaging member of the community. Again, the “why” behind your answer is often more important than the particular interest itself.

Chicago Booth recognizes that we are not linear people and both our work and personal lives inform who we are. Try to focus on an overall theme in your personal life and how that has led to your pursuit of extracurricular activities. Perhaps you had a unique upbringing? Or you have volunteered at a particular organization with a mission that resonates with you? These stories will help color in the areas of your application and help the admissions committee understand who you are and what makes you tick.

This is a chance to talk about something that is of real importance to you. Your essay should not only provide an insight into what motivates or interests you but also make the admissions committee say, “Wow” or “Interesting!” The first Chicago Booth Essay is designed to assess whether you have a well-thought-out career plan and a solid sense of what Booth is and does, However, it doesn’t provide a lot of opportunity for you to showcase how you are different from other candidates. Chicago Booth Essay 2 is your chance to make the admissions committee want to know you better.

It can be tricky to know where to start, and the question can be intimidating if you think that your story isn’t unique. Start by reflecting on milestones and moments that defined your personal journey and get introspective about what might set you apart from others — even if it doesn’t seem relevant at first.

You should also think about what gets you most excited, where you spend your time, or what you talk about when you aren’t talking about work. Travel, hobbies, sports? Your favorite band or your current TV binge? Why are those things important to you? How did you get involved? Booth isn’t looking for anything in particular here; they really do want to get to know you. Therefore, if it’s important to you, it will be a relevant topic for your essay. It’s a chance for your personality to shine through and demonstrate that you would be a great addition to what is sure to be an accomplished, diverse, and occasionally quirky class.

To reiterate, do not try to anticipate and respond with what you think the Admissions Committee wants to hear. Be yourself and show your enthusiasm. Authenticity is essential.

7 Tips to Get Started with Your Booth Essays

• Get introspective.
• Link future goals with past experiences and
• Explore all facets of the business school experience. Understand Booth’s culture and vocabulary as well as the programs, faculty and experiences that are particularly relevant and interesting to you.
• Convey what you bring to Booth and its community.
• Tap into your passion and share your enthusiasm.
• Remember that in both essays, you are telling a story. Your essays need to capture the interest of the committee and keep them engaged. Essay editing and polishing are critical.

“Booth looks for candidates that know what they want and will make the most of their two years there,” says Fortuna’s  Julie Ferguson , former Chicago Booth Senior Associate Director of Admissions. “The essays give applicants the opportunity to show that they’ve thought through this major life step and that Booth is the perfect place for them.”

Let’s Get You In.

Fortuna Admissions is a dream team of former MBA admissions directors and officers from top business schools. With our unparalleled collective expertise, we can help you develop a clear vision of your goals for business school and beyond. We work closely with you throughout the application process and provide expert guidance at every stage to maximize your chances of admission to a top school.

Our free consultations are consistently rated as the best in the industry. To learn more about Fortuna and get a candid assessment of your chances of admission to Wharton and other top programs, book your consultation session now .

Want More Advice?

Check out our team’s latest articles, videos, and analysis related to how to get into Wharton:

• Chicago Booth Video Questions & How to Craft Your Response
• Chicago Booth MBA Interview: What to Expect & How to Prepare
• MBA Admissions Essays Masterclass : Columbia, MIT Sloan, Chicago Booth and Kellogg
• Business School Profile on Chicago Booth

• Posted on July 31, 2024

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Tips for Mastering the Chicago Booth Essays

         The structure of Booth’s two main personal statement essays is unusual and difficult. The essay below is a clear enough guideline for building your own essays, especially if you’re already a strong writer. But if you need additional help, Gurufi.com has 17 years of helping MBA applicants get into their dream schools, including five of our seven clients who applied to Booth in the last full cycle. All we do is admissions writing, and we’re expert at it!

         Chicago Booth’s personal statement prompts are a bit different. Rather than having a single longer essay, you’re required to break the essay in two, with one focusing on your career goals and the other asking you to be a bit more personal. For people who are quite adept at weaving together multiple narratives and ideas into a single coherent essay, this can feel like a frustrating lost opportunity… but for the other 99% of people, it seems much simpler and more straightforward. That said, this format requires you to place great emphasis on clarity, precision, and efficiency, and to plan out beforehand what you want each essay to say and how they complement each other. Thus, much like Stanford’s two essays, there is a sense in which you should view these two mini-essays as a single interconnected idea divided over two essays.

         What does that mean? It means that you should begin this exercise by identifying three things: who you were (and stories / examples that demonstrate that), who you are (what are you doing now?), and what you aspire to become. All three should align and make sense as a coherent trajectory. I talked more about this here , but if you don’t want to watch the video, here’s the short version: when you talk about your past, your present, and your future, it needs to feel like they’re all the same person. So, Essay 1 asks you to focus on the future. But, as you plan and write Essay 2, which is asking you to talk about your background and values, think about how your life, background, and values inform, guide, and inspire the person you seek to become. This needs to feel connected, and it’s important that these two essays have that point of tangency.

         A few other big-picture things before we dive into the specifics. As the world's most flexible full-time MBA program, Chicago Booth emphasizes academic preparedness, intellectual curiosity, and communication skills. The program seeks ambitious, intellectually curious professionals—bold leaders eager to advance their careers at a leading academic business school. Try to embody that in your essay.

Essay #1: Career Goals and the Booth MBA

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

Understanding the Prompt:

The prompt for Essay #1 focuses on your career goals and how an MBA from Booth will help you achieve them. It requires a blend of professional insight and academic aspiration.

Structure and Content:

• Career Background : Start with a brief account of your career history. Highlight key skills, knowledge, and achievements, setting the stage for your future ambitions. Remember, you can’t credibly talk about what you hope to do unless you can tie that aspiration to what you’ve already done. (again, think in terms of past, present, and future needing to make a straight coherent line)
• Short-Term Goals : Clearly define your immediate post-MBA goals. Include desired roles, industries, and potential organizations. Ensure these goals align logically with your current skill set, indicating a realistic yet ambitious trajectory. The point here is that these should be designed to procure you the final bits of knowledge, skill, experiences, and / or connections you need to attain your long-term goal.
• Long-Term Vision : Articulate your broader career vision. Show how your short-term goals are stepping stones towards these long-term aspirations.
• Identifying Skill Gaps : Reflect on the skills and knowledge you need to acquire to achieve your goals. This introspection is crucial for the next part.
• Booth's Role : Connect your goals and identified gaps with what Booth offers. Dive deep into Booth's curriculum, culture, and resources. Be specific about how these will bridge your gaps and propel you towards your career objectives. DON’T turn it into a brochure for Booth where you simply list off stuff you found on their website; instead, thoughtfully curate one or two key advantages or resources that are unique to Booth and mention those.
• Demonstrating Fit : Convey your understanding of and alignment with Booth's ethos. Show self-awareness and a clear vision of how you'll contribute to and benefit from the Booth community.

Essay #2: Personal Growth and Development

Essay Two: 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)

This essay seeks to uncover who you are beyond your professional life. It's about your personal journey, values, and motivations. As noted above, you should still try to build points of tangency between these essays, though the tone might be a bit different.

Structure and Content :

• Personal Stories : Share meaningful anecdotes from your life outside work. Focus on experiences that shaped your values, priorities, and character. These aren’t random stories, though. They should explain your journey to the role / goal you aspire to achieve.
• Leadership and Passions : Highlight any leadership roles or significant passions. Discuss hobbies, volunteer work, or personal projects that are integral to who you are.
• Challenges and Growth : Don't shy away from discussing difficulties. Show how overcoming challenges has contributed to your personal development.
• Aligning with Booth : Explain how your personal attributes and experiences resonate with Booth's values and offerings. Illustrate how you'll engage with the community and contribute uniquely.

General Tips for Both Essays:

• Self-Awareness : Exhibit a deep understanding of yourself, your motivations, and how your experiences have shaped you. Self-awareness is key to both essays.
• Research and Specificity : Your knowledge of Booth's program should shine through. Avoid generic statements; instead, provide details that show you've done your homework.
• Storytelling : Use stories to bring your essays to life. Whether discussing professional achievements or personal experiences, narratives make your application memorable.
• Alignment with Booth : Demonstrate how your goals and values align with Booth's culture and offerings. Show that you are not just seeking any MBA, but specifically Booth's MBA.
• Reflection and Insight : Go beyond narrating experiences. Reflect on their significance and how they've prepared you for the challenges and opportunities at Booth.
• Balance and Cohesion : Ensure that your essays complement each other, presenting a well-rounded picture of your professional and personal sides.

Crafting your Chicago Booth personal statement is an opportunity to introspect and articulate your career aspirations and personal journey. By thoughtfully responding to the prompts, showcasing your alignment with Booth's ethos, and demonstrating your unique value proposition, you can make a compelling case for your admission. Remember, Booth values intellectually curious and ambitious individuals who are ready to make a significant impact in the business world. Your essays should reflect these qualities, along with a clear understanding of how Booth's MBA will facilitate your goals.

For more help with your personal statement, check us out at Gurufi.com . Our personal statement editors and consultants have decades of experience helping clients get into top Masters and Ph.D. programs in STEM, humanities, fine arts, and social sciences. Our specialty is helping you craft compelling personal statements that move the needle in your admissions process! For questions, shoot us an email at [email protected] . Check us out on Facebook , Twitter , and LinkedIn .

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Chicago Booth Scholars Recorded Admissions Events

Gather program information and application tips directly from admissions., chicago booth scholars information session watch a concise overview of our chicago booth scholars program..

Video Transcript

Noah Ward: Hello, and welcome to this presentation on the Chicago Booth Scholars Deferred MBA Program, a program meant for individuals coming directly out of undergrad or perhaps in a joint master's program that are looking to get an MBA somewhere down the line. Let's dive in and examine it. By way of introduction, my name is Noah Ward. I work with the admissions team here at the Booth School of Business, and I'll be going over a lot of the different details of the Booth Scholars Program. But to start off, I always like to go over everything that we're going to talk about. First off, we'll dive into a discussion about the Booth Scholars Program in general as well as how it compares to the traditional MBA program and the ways in which you will integrate into that. And then we'll finish up talking about the application process with some helpful tips and tricks for putting you in a good position going forward when you decide to apply. So starting off with why you would want a deferred MBA and really what a deferred MBA is. Many of the different MBA programs and business schools across the country offer a deferred MBA track, and these are for individuals coming directly out of undergrad or with no work experience who eventually want to get an MBA but aren't wanting to go directly into it, hence the deferred part. It is a way for you to be able to get your ticket into an MBA program really early on while still allowing you time to gain work experience and develop your overall connections and network. Our particular program here at Booth is a two to five year deferment track. So that means that whenever you get accepted to the deferred MBA program, you have to defer for at least two years, but you could go up to five years. There are a number of great benefits to a program like this. Some of the key ones that we highlight here are, of course, security. It ensures that no matter what happens in your career, you know that you've already locked up a seat in an MBA class somewhere down the line. Additionally, it provides a lot of freedom for you to be able to explore and try new things. You don't have to worry about: How am I going to impress an MBA review committee sometime in the future? Because you've already got your ticket. So if you decide, "Hey, maybe I want to go out and join that startup or maybe I want to go start my own business or maybe I just want to continue seeing what is out there for me in the business world," you can take those risks without any concern for how it'll affect your application later on. Additionally, though, there are a lot of great ways that it helps develop your community as well as provide you opportunities to lead and learn. For example, within the Booth Scholars Program, we often host events for you to be able to connect with other students in deferment in many of the major cities. You're going to have chances to connect with other individuals in that early career phase. Additionally, you also get great connections with the larger university though, and opportunities to learn from different activities going on on campus. For example, we often bring our deferred students onto campus to be able to sit in and hear from current students through panels or through alumni or career service teams, all different opportunities for you to come learn in person and prepare yourself for your eventual start to the MBA program. All of these are tremendous benefits that individuals applying through a traditional MBA track don't get. So whenever you do decide to enter the MBA program, you come with far more knowledge than the average student. Noah: So I've talked a lot about the benefits of deferred MBA programs in general and a bit about how the deferred MBA program here at Booth operates. But I also want to let you know why you might look at the MBA from Chicago Booth specifically through the deferment track. Whenever we look at our MBA program here at Chicago Booth, there are a number of key ideas that I think are really valuable to individuals in the early part of their career. First off, we have a very multidisciplinary MBA curriculum. What do we mean by that? Well, we make sure that you have as many opportunities as possible to learn from a lot of different industries and disciplines because we believe that business is becoming ever integrated and so you need a variety of skills to find success. For example, we have over 14 different concentrations that you can select from to learn within the MBA program, whether that's entrepreneurship or marketing, data analytics, whatever it is that you are interested in, you can study here. Going hand in hand with this multidisciplinary aspect is the flexibility of our MBA program. We only have one required course, which is a course on leadership that you take within your first quarter. From there on, you choose what the 20 remaining classes that you take will be, and this allows you to fit in a variety of those concentrations that I mentioned previously where you can take up to four of those concentrations, creating a real, you know, "choose your own adventure" style of education here at Chicago Booth. This allows for no two people to graduate with the exact same experience of the curriculum here in the MBA program, but allows for you to build out what you think you need for your long-term success. You compare together any number of different types of concentrations from data analytics, international business, and finance, or maybe you're more interested in something like tech and marketing. Whatever it is that you're wanting to piece together, you can do that here. Lastly, none of this would be possible without the larger supportive community that Chicago Booth has to offer. Of course, we have a wide array and network of alumni that are going to be able to help mentor you and guide you in the process of figuring out what your career looks like with over 54,000 alumni on the East Coast, West Coast, here in Chicago, and all across the globe. Then, your fellow students will, of course, be a huge support and that'll largely be through the student-led groups, which really break up into three main categories. Of course, you have the career-oriented ones like our consulting or our marketing group, but also ones that are more focused on identity such as our Women in Business group or our Latin American Student Association. And then lastly, of course, we have our more social student organizations that are just there for the different things that you enjoy doing, whether that's soccer or going and trying the best restaurants here in Chicago. And lastly, of course, the staff is going to be here to support you as you go through the process of earning your MBA. I think one of the best examples of this is our career services team, which provides tons of support throughout the year. For example, on average, they have 320 recruiting events per year with 170 different firms participating. This means that you'll get so much exposure to a variety of different career opportunities, positions, and industries that you may not think of whenever you first enter the MBA program. But our staff will be here to guide you through every single step. Noah: So hopefully I've convinced you to apply to the deferred MBA program and the MBA program here at the University of Chicago in general. But let's dive into a little bit more of what the timeline looks like from the time that you apply in undergrad or the end of a master's program to whenever you actually start your MBA. Of course, you will apply usually in April, is when our deadline is of each year. From there, you will go on and graduate from your undergraduate or master's program and you'll start your work. Maybe you'll be with a consulting firm or a private equity firm or wherever it is that you're most interested in working. During that time that you're in deferment, you'll not only work, but you'll have the opportunity to engage in many of that different programming that I mentioned previously. You'll be able to learn from your fellow students in deferment or students in the MBA program and collect all the information you need to know that you can hit the ground running when you actually decide to begin your MBA and you get to choose to do that sometime between that two- to five-year timeline. You'll, of course, during that time, have full access to our admissions team to ask questions and think about when is best for you to enter, and we will be here to guide you each step of the process. So to provide a bit more insight into what our deferred MBA program looks like year to year, we have a snapshot of our 2023 class. Within this particular class, we saw applicants get admitted from 63 different undergraduate institutions, individuals from eight different countries, and a really wide range of academic success among these students. We saw GPAs ranging from 3.4 to 4.0 and GMAT ranges from 670 to 770. Now, we provide these ranges for a variety of reasons, and the main one is for you to get an idea of the types of students that we are bringing in. But if you find that you are falling slightly outside of these ranges, certainly do not sweat it and continue applying to the program because our numbers are constantly shifting based off of just the class that we're bringing in each year. So don't self-select out of it and give yourself every shot of being able to apply. Whenever we see students entering into the program, they come from a variety of different academic backgrounds and go into a lot of different industries. And so I think this is a really great slide to show the wide net that we cast whenever we're looking for students for the deferred MBA program. On the right here, you see a lot of common undergraduate majors that students apply from. You probably see some that you would expect such as business administration, finance, economics, but maybe some that are a little bit of a surprise. Lots of students apply from a mathematics or engineering background. You don't have to have a specifically business-oriented background, but certainly, if you have that, you are welcome to apply as well. So hopefully I've sold you on the idea of the Booth Scholars Program being a great opportunity for almost anyone that's looking at getting an MBA in the long run and that the Chicago Booth MBA is going to be a great fit for you as you look at your different options to apply. Noah: Now, if you're looking to apply to the Booth Scholars Program specifically, you're going to want to make sure that you keep an eye on our deadlines. We only have one application per year, which is usually in the early spring, sometime in April. Now, that application is something that you can start to get together though well in advance by, you know, taking the GMAT or GRE or other form of test well in advance and start talking with your letter of recommendation writers. So with that in mind, let's talk a bit about what the different application checklists are and what things you need to get in order to apply. Of course, first you want to complete an online application. This can be done through our website. You also want to make sure that you submit a GMAT or GRE test score. We do not have a preference between either one. We accept both totally equally. We also have a couple essays which I'll provide some more insight into here in a moment, as well as two letters of recommendation. One must come from a professional source. We get a lot of questions about this professional source and what we mean by that is simply that it has to come from an individual outside of kind of an academic classroom environment. So for example, if you have a individual that you interned with, that could be a great option. Also, if you've had a part-time job, that is another direction you could go. Maybe you've done some volunteer work or have a student organization that you've been very involved in and you want to get the sponsor of that organization to write your letter of recommendation. So those are the two letters of recommendation we require, at least one professional, the other one can be another professional letter of recommendation or an academic if you so desire. The last two items that we'll need you to submit is of course, the professional resume. Just like any resume you would submit to a job that you're applying for, as well as your unofficial transcript from all of the academic institutions that you've studied at. Noah: Let's talk a little bit more about these essays and what we are looking for within each section. You'll have two larger essays and one shorter answer section that you need to provide. The shorter answer section is largely focused on just providing information on what your plans are during your time in deferment, between graduating from undergrad and entering the MBA program. This is not a trick question, we're just trying to get the meat-and-potatoes information of what your plans are. If you have a job offer at the time that you're applying to the program, this is a great place to tell us a bit about that. If you haven't gotten a job offer yet, that's perfectly okay. Many individuals who get accepted to the program do not have job offers at the time that they apply. In this section though, I would highly suggest talking about the types of jobs that you are applying for and the types of roles that you would like to find yourself in. For the two longer essays, you're going to want to make sure that you follow a couple of key ideas when answering each of the specific questions that are offered. Of course, first you want to answer the question that we are asking because if you provide a really strong answer to what we're not actually looking for, you may leave pretty large gaps within your larger application as it's being reviewed. So make sure that you really consider: Am I answering the prompt that is in front of me? Of course, the biggest piece of advice I can provide you though is to be yourself. Try and get across who you are and what you are interested in because that is always going to make an essay really come to life as well as your application feel very full and robust. So if you go through this whole process, you submit the application, you get the letters of recommendation, you write the essays, then you move on to the next stage, which is interviewing. Now, there are a couple of common questions that we get that we like to tackle in presentations like this to get a little bit ahead of them. And one of the first ones is: Does everyone who applies get an interview? Unfortunately, because of the variety and quality of applications that we receive, not everyone will get the opportunity to interview for this program, but those who do move forward with it will be notified within a couple weeks of applying, and those who do not move forward will also be notified at that time. Another common question we get is: Who will conduct your interview? Well, there are a variety of different individuals who might be selected to lead your interview and you'll be notified at the time that you've moved on to the interview stage who exactly will be leading that process for you. But it could be a current student, an alumni, or a staff member. Either way, it is a great opportunity for you to be able to gain some information on the MBA program from a new source. Lastly, we often get asked: Will the interviewer see your application? And the answer for the most part is no. They will, however, be able to see your resume. So whenever you're putting together your resume, a really strong tip is to make sure that you build it in such a way that you're going to have questions asked of you that you are prepared for. And of course, you want to review that before you start the interview. Noah: All right, so now that we've gone over all the different steps of the application process, I find that it's often good to give you a bit of an idea of how the timeline looks for applying to the deferred MBA program. You want to make sure that, at the latest, you're signing up for your first GMAT or GRE exam in early January, that you start working on your essays, perhaps sometime in late January, early February, and that you start talking with your letter of recommendation writers several months in advance of the application deadline. Then as you get closer to the application deadline, you want to make sure that all of your materials are ready to be submitted by the application deadline. You'll probably receive an invite to interview sometime in late April or early May. Interviews occurred throughout May. And final decisions are usually posted sometime in early to mid-June. This is just a general timeline. You can always get started earlier on. I often recommend to undergraduate students if you can take the GMAT or GRE exam the summer before your final year of your program, that can often be a way of taking a lot of pressure off of this very short timeline between January and April. I just recommend it in case you need a little bit more wiggle room. So I hope that this presentation on the Chicago Booth Scholars Deferred MBA Program has been helpful and insightful as to what the Booth Scholars Program has to offer, how the MBA at Chicago Booth can help advance your long-term career goals, as well as how to apply to the program and find the most success. We certainly hope to see your application here really soon. If you have any questions, never hesitate to reach out to our admissions office. Thanks for being here, and we look forward to chatting in the future.

Chicago Booth Scholars Application Tips & Tricks Watch expert tips from Admissions on crafting your best application.

Noah Ward: Hello there and welcome to this presentation on tips and tricks for applying to the Chicago Booth Scholars Deferred MBA program, a program for individuals exiting undergrad or a master's program without any work experience that are hoping to get an MBA somewhere down the line. Let's dive in. My name is Noah Ward. I work with the Admissions team here at Chicago Booth. I usually like to start these presentations by giving a bit of an overview of what we'll be talking about throughout each stage of the presentation. We will be starting off by discussing the timeline for applying to the program from when you first submit your application to actually receive a final decision. Then we'll also talk about application materials, and we'll spend a while diving into each of these different aspects and what you can do to strengthen your application. And then we'll dive into the essays and the interview process to provide you a clear idea of what each of those look like. So I find that it's often really good to start off talking about the application process by actually pulling back the curtain a little bit and letting you know what each stage from our side looks like. Noah: So after you submit an application, it will then be reviewed by two admissions directors who write up their notes on your particular application and submit it to an overall interview committee. That interview committee will decide who moves forward in the process and who at that point will not move forward in the application. Those who they decide will move forward will then be interviewed by either a current student, staff member, or an alumni of the program. Then the notes from that interviewer will be written up and sent over to a third admissions director to review before a final committee looks at all the different materials and all the different opinions that have come before to make a final decision on who is admitted and will be joining our particular program. I outline all of this for the purpose of showing you that there are lots of different eyes on your application specifically. So know that whenever you submit your application, we are going to give all of our effort to it that we possibly can. So what exactly are we looking for in an applicant to our deferred MBA program? Well, there's a couple of key things. First off, we're looking for evidence of strong, logical career progression, because if you're an individual in your early career stage, being able to get into an MBA program really requires you knowing what you're hoping to do before and after you exit the program. Additionally, we look for individuals that have shown strong leadership skills and a variety of interests, because individuals who leave an MBA program are often going to find themselves in leadership positions. So the more leadership experience you have beforehand, the more confident we'll be in your ability to succeed in our program. Of course, we also look for individuals with strong academic records and commitment to completing a program like this. We are, of course, also looking for individuals with strong communication skills so that they can work well with their fellow students, staff, and faculty, as well as any sort of recruiters that they might engage with throughout this process. We also look for individuals that have a strong ability to contribute to class, bringing unique ideas and a willingness to engage, as well as just intellectual curiosity. We are a master's program after all. And so we're all about asking and trying to answer questions. So with that in mind, you can express a variety of these different ideas through a number of our different application requirements, from completing an online application, to submitting your resume, to the two letters of recommendation that you'll submit, as well as the transcript, test scores, essay, and eventual interview. I'm going to dive into each one of these, so let's go ahead and start to look at them. Noah: So when it comes to the resume, this is really your chance to provide a snapshot of your professional and education background. Whenever I open an application, this is often the first place I go. So you're going to want to keep that in mind as you're building it out. You want to make sure that you focus on content and keep it as brief as possible. One page is really preferred. You want to make sure that all the wording and grammar is very correct so that we are able to read through it very quickly and easily. And of course, you want to make sure that all the dates, titles, and degrees are accurate. Lastly, I think it's important to also keep in mind that you want to avoid jargon or acronyms that might confuse us or slow us down in our reviewing of the resume. In addition to the resume, you're also going to need to submit two letters of recommendation. Now, there's a couple of different things that you want to keep in mind when choosing your letter of recommendation writers, and it's often a place where we get questions. But to provide some insight into what we're looking for from these letters of recommendation, you want to keep in mind that we require at least one of the letters of recommendation to come from someone who has been in a supervisory professional role with you. So what exactly does this look like? Oftentimes, an individual who has been a supervisor of an internship or part-time job is a great choice for this. But if you don't have somebody that fits that particular demographic, you can also maybe choose someone who has been the sponsor of a student organization or the supervisor of a volunteer effort that you've been engaged in. Even a professor can be a good choice, provided it's not someone who's necessarily taught you in class, but is someone who is focusing more on your work as a research assistant or as a teaching assistant. Make sure that you select someone who knows you well. Always choose the person who has the best engagement with you and knows more about you than someone who is going to have a big job title or is the CEO of a company. We are much more focused on what the person has to say rather than what they've done in their own lives. You, of course, want to use both letters of recommendation as an opportunity to present the best version of yourself. So what that means to us often is that you want to choose individuals perhaps from different settings. If you choose the two directors who oversaw you on the exact same project, they may not be able to show as the wide a variety of your skills as if you choose someone from one internship and another individual from a part-time job. So make sure you keep in mind what are all the different perspectives of myself that I want to present. And lastly, one of the key things that I have to emphasize is that you want to make sure to give your letter of recommendation writer enough time to submit their letter of recommendation. Oftentimes, these are individuals who may be asked to write one, two, or three letters of recommendation for different people. And so the more time you give them, the more they can pour themselves into that letter of recommendation and give it a very robust and full idea. Noah: Now, let's talk briefly about transcripts. When it comes to transcripts, we require that you submit them from all post-secondary institutions that you have been at. For the deferred MBA program, at the time that you are submitting your application, you only need an unofficial transcript. Whenever you decide to matriculate into the MBA program several years from now, that is when you'll need to submit your official one. By all post-secondary institutions we mean all the undergraduate institutions you have studied at and any master's programs you have studied in. So if you transferred schools, you want to make sure you get a transcript from both institutions. If you're in a master's program, you want to include your undergraduate, as well as your master's transcript. We need to be able to see all the different grades and degrees, as well as years conferred within your transcript. If you only have one copy of your transcript, make sure you don't send that to us. You want to keep that in your own hands. Make sure that you get a good copy of it to be able to send over. And of course, we require an English translation. So if you are an individual that has not had that provided from your university, you may need to work with a secondary party, such as WES. If you have any questions about that, don't hesitate to reach out to our office. All right, let's talk about everybody's favorite part of the application process, the test scores. We get lots of questions about test scores, and one of the basic general points of advice I can give you is that test scores are important but in one individual part of the larger application. So you want to make sure that you give time to it, but don't solely focus on it as the only part of your larger application. Test scores are a great way for us to help assess individual's MBA readiness, especially from an academic background, but we don't require any specific minimum score. So regardless of what you receive on this particular test, you can move forward in the application process. So you can see this range of scores that we provide for the GMAT or GRE on our website, but you may be wondering what happens if I have a higher or lower score. Well, if you have a higher score, that's really great. It really can strengthen your application. It doesn't necessarily mean that you're going to be admitted to the program, but is a great first step in creating a really well-rounded and strong overall application. If you're on the lower end of these test scores though, don't catastrophize. You could still get admitted. After all, that's why we have a range to our GMAT and GRE because we believe that we want to bring in people with a variety of different skills. You just want to make sure that you focus on the rest of your application and see what areas you are going to be strongest and improve those two. Either way, though, you want to make sure that you take the test that is best for you. We have no preference between the GRE or the GMAT. So I recommend taking a practice test of each, seeing which one you like more, which one you test better on, and moving forward with that one. Noah: Now, moving on to my favorite part of the application process, which is, of course, the admissions essays. These are a great way to show perhaps the most amount of your own personality in the actual application process. We have two essays that are required, as well as some optional essays that you can submit. When it comes to these essays, there's a couple things that you really want to keep in mind. First off, you want to be yourself. This is a great way and one of the few ways that we provide you to be able to really share your own voice and tell us about who you really are. Take these essays as an opportunity to think about what you want and who you have been throughout your entire life. The best application is going to be the one that you pour your heart and soul into and comes across as very genuine. So you want to make sure that you are being who you are in the application process, particularly when writing these essays. In addition to being yourself though, you of course want to adhere to the prompt and question that we are asking. Make sure that you're answering that question and not reusing perhaps an essay that you've used from another application, or answering a question that you think might serve you better, because at the end of the day, we ask these particular prompts because we feel that they are gaps within the larger application that we want filled in through your own words. One additional thing that I'll note with this is a great way to know whether or not you are answering the prompt is to take the essay and hand it off to a friend or a family member to be able to read, but don't tell them what the prompt is. If after reading the essay they're able to give an answer to what the prompt is that is fairly close to the actual one, then you know that you're on the right track. If they state that the prompt is something that it actually isn't, then maybe you might consider looking back over the essay and seeing where you might be going astray. All right, so if you go through all this process of the essays, of putting together the letters of recommendations, structuring your overall resume, then you'll reach the interview stage, which is a really awesome opportunity, not only for us to learn about you, but for you to learn about our program. Noah: Now, interviews are on an invitation-only basis. So what that means is not everyone will receive an interview who applies. Individuals will usually be notified a couple weeks after they apply, whether or not they're moving on to the next stage. And interviews can occur in-person or virtually depending on your particular circumstances. You get to choose. And they are 45 to 60 minutes long. When it comes to what the interviewer will review before talking with you, they will only be able to see the resume from your application. No other part of the application will they see. We provide them the resume to give them a bit of an outline and background on you. So whenever you're putting together your resume, make sure to keep in mind, "Hey, my interviewer is going to be looking over this, so how do I want to structure this to best benefit me whenever I'm sitting down with them?" Also, it's a really great thing to review in the days leading up to your interview so that you're prepared with examples of stories from each of the different things you have listed there. So if you have an internship on there or a student activity that you were involved in, make sure you think, "What did I do within that role that is something that I could highlight to show the interviewer the different skills that I possess?" Let's go over a couple more common tips and tricks for the interview process. These are ones you've probably heard before, but always bear repeating. Of course, you want to make sure that you dress in a business formal manner so that you show your professionalism and readiness for the interview process. Then you also want to make sure that you know your story and how to clearly articulate why you want an MBA from Chicago Booth. This means considering where you come from, where you're currently at, and where you're hoping to go. The better you're able to identify those three elements, the stronger the story that you will present to the interviewer will be. Of course, you also want to be ready to discuss concrete examples of when you've demonstrated various skills, such as leadership, problem solving, managing conflict. All of these are really great ways to show the skills and experiences that you have to the interviewer. And then the last two ideas that you would definitely want to prepare beforehand is, of course, some thoughtful questions to ask your interviewer so that you can learn more about our programs and feel like you have a better idea whenever you finally make your decision on which program to enter. And then of course, lastly, if you can, participate in mock interviews, whether that's with your undergraduate career service team or your master's career service team. Those are often great ways to get live reps. Even just having a friend ask you questions as you're maybe on a long drive or hanging out one evening is a good way to get live reps answering questions that you're unprepared for. The more live reps you get, the more comfortable you'll feel whenever you're sitting down with the actual interviewer. Noah: All right, so hopefully I provided some helpful information on how to apply to the Chicago Booth Scholars Deferred MBA program. The application for this program is in the early part of April of every year. So whenever you're considering how exactly the last year in your master's or undergraduate program will go, start to think about, "Hey, how can I put together an application effectively without putting too much stress on my final semester or quarter?" So that brings to a close our presentation on tips and tricks for applying to the deferred MBA program here at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Hopefully the information we've provided you will help you feel more confident when you go into the application process. If you have any questions, certainly don't hesitate to reach out to our office, as we are always here to help out, and we look forward to reviewing your application in the near future, taking advantage of all the information that we shared here today.

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