There are many factors to consider when deciding to apply for your Full-Time MBA. Throughout the admissions process, we understand that there is much time and effort put into crafting your best application. In the spirit of giving, we would like to share five helpful tips you can use during the admissions process as you work towards crafting your best application to Chicago Booth.
1) Connect with the Booth Community
To get a better understanding of the Chicago Booth community and what Booth’s Full-Time Program has to offer, we recommend you attend the admissions events that interest you the most. From Zoom in on Booth information sessions with current students and admissions directors, to our MBA Masterclass Series and Campus Visit Program, there are plenty of opportunities to engage with students and admissions during the application process.
We also encourage you to connect with current Full-Time students via our connect with a student portal. This is a great way to learn more about the MBA experience at Chicago Booth, inside and outside of the classroom, directly from our students. This tool is also excellent for helping you find students with similar personal and professional interests as you.
2) Showcase Your Authentic Self
Each component of the application allows you to dive deeper into who you are. Use the application to highlight your unique story by sharing more about your background, personal anecdotes, hobbies, passions, career interests, and more. Remember, successful applications are those that take advantage of every opportunity to highlight more about yourself, rather than reiterating information.
3) Choose Thoughtful Recommenders
Your recommendation letters serve as a critical component of the application process, as it’s a great way for us to get to know you through the lens of someone else. With that in mind, you should choose recommenders who can best attest to your character, skill set, and potential fit at Chicago Booth. Be sure to choose your recommenders early and let them know why you wish to pursue an MBA. Doing so gives them ample time and knowledge to write you a thoughtful letter. We ask that one recommendation come from your current direct supervisor. If you are unable to ask your supervisor to write your recommendation letter, you are free to choose someone else and just let us know why in the optional essay portion of the application.
4) Research Chicago Booth Offerings and Program Fit
While we are aware that all applicants are looking to start their MBA journey, we want to know what it is about Chicago Booth specifically that caught your attention. Whether that be our academic rigor and focus on quantitative data in the classroom, or our flexible curriculum model and welcoming pay-it-forward culture—Chicago Booth has so much to offer our students, and we’d like to hear directly from you as to why you believe our Full-Time Program would be a great fit. What courses would you focus on taking as a Boothie? How would you get involved outside of the classroom? In what ways would your presence add life to the Booth community? These are all questions to keep in mind as you craft your MBA application to Booth.
5) Proofread and Ask People to Review Your Essays
Before you click submit, please make sure to proofread your application in its entirety. Proofreading a few times is the best way to ensure there are no errors or typos in your application. After all of your hard work has been reviewed, we also recommend you have at least two individuals read over your essays. The first person to review can be someone who went through the MBA application process themselves, while the second person should be someone with a removed perspective who can give you insight as to whether or not they got what you’re trying to convey in your essays.
We hope you found these tips helpful as you continue crafting your MBA application to Chicago Booth. The opportunities are endless at Booth, and we’re looking forward to potentially having you join our community of innovative and ambitious business leaders. We wish you the best of luck with your application and happy holidays!
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