If you plan to apply to Chicago Booth’s MBA program in 2020-21, we will ensure you submit the best application essays. All you have to do is read this blog, where we will elucidate each essay question with analysis, examples, and tips. Be sure to stay with us till the end.
First, let us see what sets apart Chicago Booth as a B-school.
The pointers are:
1. Several Nobel laureates collaborate with Chicago Booth.
2. Their Finance department is exceptionally well known.
3. They offer a flexible curriculum with their X-factor being the ‘Chicago Approach.’ This approach allows students to opt-out of courses and choose multiple electives across different functions.
Chicago Booth also evaluates students on three metrics:
1. Curriculum
2. Community
3. Career
For more information on Chicago Booth, kindly visit our page.
If you would like to watch what our GMAT and MBA Expert, Arun Jagannathan has to say about writing your Chicago Booth application essays, you can watch the video here.
Now that we have given a detailed description of Chicago Booth let us look into their essay questions.
BOOTH ESSAY ANALYSIS OVERVIEW
Chicago Booth has two main essay questions, which we will discuss at length below.
Essay Question 1:
How will a Booth MBA help you achieve your immediate and long-term post-MBA career goals?
(Minimum 250 words, no maximum.)
In case you are wondering how much to write, we will offer a simple solution. Write as much as you can hold your reader’s attention. Keeping the reader engaged is vital for you. It does not matter if your essay is 500 words or 1000 words; if you lose their interest in the first 350 words, you have lost the purpose.
Let us explain how you can go about the essay. Firstly, you need to address your career plan. When you approach this essay, be sure to answer one overarching question ‘Why should Chicago Booth select you?’. To answer this essay, you can divide it into three parts.
Let us discuss them below:
1. Journey: As with most post-MBA career goals essays, you need to first talk about your journey; otherwise, it would be impossible to mention your career plan. By describing your journey, the admissions team will get a sense of you as a person. After noting your journey, you should lead them towards the learnings you had from your experiences.
For example, you need to mention what you have learned from your life’s journey so far and what led to this juncture where you now wish to pursue an MBA from Chicago Booth.
2. Post-MBA goals: From your understanding comes your burning desire to go a step ahead in your career. Essentially you should be describing your post-MBA goals.
Let us help you with an example. Maybe you believe in the power of technology to transform human lives. If that is your passion, then you will have to elucidate how you will do that. Here you need to specify your plan and how you wish to reach your goals.
3. Why Chicago Booth: Now that you have explained your life journey and your gameplan, your essay’s next section should illustrate your plan for reaching your goals. Here you should remember to be specific and connect with Chicago Booth. Please refrain from writing generic sentences. Remember that you should be linking to Chicago Booth on a personal level, so whatever you write here should not be a piece of content that you have used for essays for other B-schools; that will defeat the purpose.
Essay Question 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.)
Our advice here will be similar to the previous essay question. Write as long as you remain interesting. For this essay, we would suggest you follow the three-pointers below:
Start with a SWOT analysis: The emphasis is to not talk about a list of things but about two or three things that can be personal.
For example, one of the things you have learned in life is that we live and interact with people worldwide. There may be a time where someone expected you to work with people from different countries. That is why you want to invest two years of your life to grow your outlook, your international exposure, and understand different perspectives.
Tip:
Logically, you have not been waiting for the Chicago Booth admission to achieve your goals. Therefore you need to mention what you have done in your life to achieve your goals. They can be something that you pursue as a hobby or a passion.
Mention your interests: In this section, you need to showcase to the admissions team that you have judiciously utilized your time.
For example, you may want to learn a foreign language. What seems more plausible here is that you have already learned a new language before and you wish to learn another one now.
Voluntary vocation: The third aspect is mentioning what you do voluntarily. It is your way of giving back to the community and can be something like teaching children, or perhaps you are a member of a welfare association. It does not matter what your cause is; what matters is your active involvement in various aspects of life.
This section is essential because Chicago Booth wants to see if you will simply be a ‘9 to 5 person’ or someone who takes active participation in life. After all, that is what leaders do. They believe that leaders possess tremendous energy not just to work but also to contribute towards others.
Optional Essay 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?
Word limit: 300 words
Our advice would be to focus on the delta between where you were when you previously applied to where you are currently. Remember to emphasize what and how you have grown since the last time you applied.
DEADLINES FOR CHICAGO BOOTH APPLICATIONS
Application deadlines for the Chicago Booth MBA Class of 2021-22 are:
| Rounds | Application Deadlines |
|---|---|
| Round 1 | Sep 24, 2020 |
| Round 2 | Jan 12, 2021 |
| Round 3 | Apr 1, 2021 |
Want to know more about the MBA Application Deadlines for Top B-Schools? Here’s the entire list of top B-Schools along with their deadlines – MBA Application Deadlines 2020-2021
We hope that the essay analysis will help you draft the perfect essays for your application to Chicago Booth. Please keep in mind to follow a structure and be authentic about yourself and your journey. You must have a narrative in your essay to keep it engaging.
If you require our help in drafting and reviewing your essays, you can always reach out to us. Click on the image below and get in touch with our expert.
