University of Chicago (Booth) Essay Analysis, 2012–2013

July 17th, 2012

Chicago Booth continues to stand out thanks to its quirks—and we write that affectionately. So many applications are boring to construct, but never Chicago Booth’s, with its PowerPoint slides and its short, 200-word essays. In breaking the mold, Chicago Booth truly gives applicants the chance to make an impression. Use the school’s prompts wisely…

1. Essay: What are your short- and long-term goals, and how will an MBA from Chicago Booth help you reach them? (500 words)

Because Personal Statements are similar from one application to the next, we have produced the mbaMission Personal Statement Guide, which helps applicants write this style of essay for any school. We offer this guide to candidates free of charge. Please feel free to download your copy today.

For more information on the defining characteristics of the MBA program at Chicago Booth (or one of 15 other top business schools), please check out the mbaMission Insider’s Guides.

2. Short Answer Essays:
a. What has been your biggest challenge, and what have you learned from it? (200 words maximum)

b. Tell us about something that has fundamentally transformed the way you think. (200 words maximum)

3. Presentation/Essay: The Chicago experience will take you deeper into issues, force you to challenge assumptions, and broaden your perspective. In a four-slide presentation or an essay of no more than 600 words, broaden our perspective about who you are. Understanding what we currently know about you from the application, what else would you like us to know?

Question 3 Guidelines:

• The content is completely up to you. There is no right, or even preferred, approach to this presentation.
• There is a strict maximum of four pages (presentation) or 600 words (essay), though you can provide fewer if you choose.
• Acceptable formats for upload in the online application system are PowerPoint or PDF.
• The document will be viewed electronically, but we cannot support embedded videos, music, or motion images. Additionally, all content MUST be included in the four pages; hyperlinks will not be viewed.
• The file will be evaluated on the quality of content and ability to convey your ideas, not on technical expertise or presentation.

Re-applicants only: Upon reflection, how has your thinking regarding your future, Chicago Booth, and/or getting an MBA changed since the time of your last application? (300 words)

Chicago Booth’s reapplicant question this year offers a slight twist on the traditional, open-ended request for an update, narrowing its scope to three specific areas of inquiry: your future, Chicago Booth and earning your MBA. Although you likely do not need to discuss all three areas in this essay, you should definitely explain how and what you have learned about Chicago Booth since your previous application. The school only wants to accept applicants who are truly motivated to attend Chicago Booth in particular, so discussing any meetings you have had with alumni, campus visits or other a priori discoveries should help you create a compelling narrative that clearly demonstrates your sustained interest. You need not worry if you have changed your short- and/or long-term goals from last year—just be sure to show that any such change is reasonable and still very much connected to your abilities. So, whereas changing your aim from working with Exxon to working with Greenpeace would be way too big a gulf to cross, moving from strategy consulting to marketing consulting would be considered rational, especially if you discuss how you have discovered a new area of interest for which your skills and experience are equally fitting.

Remember, you do not need to be—or present yourself as—a radically different candidate from the one you were last season. You just need to display clarity of thought and action and demonstrate that your interest in the Chicago Booth MBA program is as strong as ever.

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