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Its full-time MBA program is ranked number one in the world by the Economist. Seven of its faculty members have won Nobel Prizes.
Since its founding in 1898, its produced a 50,000-strong network of high-achieving alumni stretching across 115 countries.
Among them, McKinsey founder James O. McKinsey, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, former Goldman Sachs CEO and US senator Jon Corzine, and David G. Booth, the Private Equity tycoon from whom the school takes its name.
Once admitted, MBA students at Chicago Booth know they have every chance of career success. In 2016, 95% of the MBA class landed new roles within three months of graduation. And top MBA employers - like Apple, Microsoft, McKinsey and Morgan Stanley – recruit on-campus.
But first, you’ve got to get admitted. Last year, 4,160 people applied to Chicago Booth’s full-time MBA. Only 974 were successful. Booth’s acceptance rate is a tricky 23%.
We spoke to Chicago Booth’s associate dean for full-time admissions, Kurt Ahlm, to find out what MBA applicants do to stand out from the competition.
What do you look for in your MBA applicants?
It’s easiest to understand what we are looking for in applicants by looking at who our current students are.
Students at Chicago Booth share an intellectual curiosity for the world around them, a passion for ideas, and an eagerness to step beyond their respective comfort zones. They are humble leaders who come from incredibly diverse backgrounds, and are going into just as diverse areas post-MBA.
And they’re engaged with the community—pursuing their passions while embracing an environment that cultivates such diversity and breadth of study.
How important is a good GMAT score?
The GMAT is intended to help provide context around candidates’ academic aptitude. Our admissions process is holistic and a GMAT score is only one aspect of a candidate’s application.
In addition to retaking the exam, candidates who feel as though a GMAT or GRE score (Booth accepts both) is not a true reflection of their abilities can utilize additional areas within the application to provide supplementary context or examples.
How can applicants stand out in the MBA admission interview?
Our interviews are conducted by current students, staff members, and alumni from around the world. Broadly, we approach interviews as a dialogue between two interested people who truly want to learn and get to know each other.
We hope applicants take this as an opportunity to ask candid questions and to dig deep to find out if ours is a school and a community they want to be a part of.
What’s the biggest mistake an MBA applicant can make?
It would be a missed opportunity if a candidate does not use the application process to show us the passion behind what drives him or her.
We want to know what motivates someone and how that inspires their MBA path. So, it is important for applicants to not only help us understand how they plan to maximize their two years, but also the passions they hope to pursue while here.
This is a choice-rich environment made for exploration, discovery, and growth. Candidates should think about the doors that they hope to open and tell us why Booth galvanizes their ambitions.
How has new technology changed the admissions process at Booth?
We have a long history of breaking idea barriers and are constantly looking at technology and trends to inform how we can enrich the efficacy of our evaluation process. We’ve explored PowerPoint presentation essays and, most recently, essay questions using visual prompts.
Whether it is virtual interviews or analytical examination, we’ll always bring our application process back to the fundamental objective of genuinely getting to know candidates and understanding why Booth is the best place for them to pursue an MBA.
Regardless of any future changes or advances, the focus on our core values and purpose will always remain.
Student Reviews
The University of Chicago Booth School of Business
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