Top 10 Frequently Asked Admissions Questions

What advice would you give someone starting to research opportunities available at Chicago Booth?
Take some time to connect with people within the community — current students, alumni, faculty, and staff. We encourage prospective students to attend our Campus Visit Program as well. This is a great way to experience the campus and community feel at Booth. Lastly, we recommend checking out our admissions blog and student-run blog called TheBoothExperience. Our blogs are a great way to hear more about the MBA experience at Booth from the perspective of different members within the Booth community.

How would you describe the culture at Chicago Booth?
Chicago Booth’s community is incredibly tight-knit from the time you are an admitted student to when you join the alumni network. At Booth, you will find the student groups play a large part in building your community—there are over 75 student groups available. Another core component of the Booth experience is the LEAD program that all first-year students take upon arrival at Booth. LEAD is a 6-week program that helps students build a sense of community as they have the opportunity to identify and develop their leadership skills alongside other students within their cohort. Many students find this program to be a great start to their journey at Booth and students tend to stay connected to their cohort during their time at Booth and beyond. Again, our admissions and student blogs are a great testament to what the student experience and culture is like at Chicago Booth as well.

Does Booth have a preference between the GMAT and the GRE?
We have no preference between GMAT or GRE nor do we have a minimum required score. We advise applicants to take the test that is best for them.

Are applicants allowed to update application materials or test scores after submitting?
If you would like to share retaken test scores or updated professional involvement, you can make the necessary changes through your online status page after your application has been submitted. However, we begin reviewing applications as soon as the deadline passes, so we cannot guarantee that we will see new information submitted to us and will not reevaluate an application if new materials or test scores have been submitted after it has already been reviewed.

What is the scholarship criteria for applicants?
Booth offers merit-based scholarship awards and fellowships to select admitted students. Award amounts vary and you do not need to apply for these awards—all applicants are evaluated by the committee for scholarship and recipients are typically notified at the time of admission. Scholarship decisions are based upon the information provided in the application, including academic merit, the quality of the interview, competitiveness, career goals, and life experiences. The majority of our students do take out student loans to help fund their MBA experience, oftentimes repaying them within 10 years of graduation.

If you could only choose one thing, what area of the application is most important?
The Admissions Committee reviews every application holistically, so no one component of the application is more important than any other. We consider a candidate’s potential for success both while in school and beyond. We evaluate candidates based on a holistic process that incorporates every component of the application. Broadly, we categorize into three thematic focus areas: curriculum, community, and career. View more about our evaluation criteria.

How long is too long for the two essays?
While we do not have a cutoff for how long the two essays are, we encourage applicants to focus on the most relevant information to make sure that the most important elements of your story and answers don't get lost in other details.

What can waitlisted applicants do while awaiting a final decision?
If you’ve been put on the waitlist, you will receive communication for accepting your spot on the waitlist and any important next steps as we continue to review your application. You can take a look at your original application and try to identify areas where there may have been questions on the part of the Admissions Committee (having the second opinion of a friend or family member can help with this, too). You will have the opportunity to provide additional materials and feel free to update your resume if things change for you professionally. We also recommend staying connected with the community in whatever ways you can. Whether that’s attending virtual or in-person events, connecting with current students, or connecting with alumni in your network.

Is it required to choose one of the 13 concentrations available at Booth, and is a concentration something that will appear on the Booth MBA diploma?
Students are not required to declare any concentrations in order to graduate. As students take classes, the courses fulfill different concentration requirements. Generally speaking, students leave Booth with 3-4 concentrations. Entrepreneurship has been our #1 concentration for several years running. The concentrations show up on transcripts, but not the diploma.

Can I apply to Booth as an early career candidate?
Yes. Early career candidates are identified as those with three or fewer years of full-time, post undergraduate work experience, including current undergraduate students. If you are considering an MBA program at an early stage in your career, we welcome your interest. Chicago Booth has several programs that cater to early career candidates. View program options.