For those wishing to apply in the 2022-2023 admissions cycle, the University of Chicago has recently released its MBA Application essays, which remain topically unchanged from last year’s. As a general note, when it comes to the two main essays, there is no word limit. However, based on our experience, we recommend that successful candidates keep their responses to between 500 and 1,000 words for each. Of course, there are always exceptions, so there’s no need to panic if you fall outside the norm.
You can also find details on Booth’s MBA application deadlines by following the link.
ESSAYS
How will the Booth MBA help you achieve your immediate and long-term post-MBA career goals? (250 word minimum)
There is no maximum length, only a 250 word minimum. We trust that you will use your best judgment in determining how long your submission should be, but we recommend that you think strategically about how to best allocate the space.
For the first part of this essay, it’s important to state your immediate and long-term post-MBA career goals. Booth likes to see goals that are ambitious and actionable. In order for your goals to meet both standards, they should be related to or, at a minimum, take advantage of your previous professional experiences. This can also provide you with the opportunity to briefly mention what sorts of previous experiences or accomplishments you’ve had that make your short and long-term goals more realizable.
The second part of the essay should concentrate on how a Chicago Booth MBA will help you reach these objectives. Here, try to point out the specific attributes of the MBA program that will be useful for you career. This is a chance to show the research you’ve done and knowledge you’ve gained from Booth events and meetings with alumni, as well as the research you’ve done into the courses, professors, and student organizations on offer. It’s important to avoid generality, so make sure that any Booth advantages that you mention are directly linked to your goals.
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… (250 words minimum)
There is no maximum length, only a 250 word minimum. We trust that you will use your best judgment in determining how long your submission should be, but we recommend that you think strategically about how to best allocate the space.
Our lives are filled with a plethora of experiences. And Chicago Booth is looking to understand who you truly are through the motivations and experiences that have driven your life beyond your work. Moreover, they’re trying to understand how you connect yourself to communities outside of the construct of a job, and, potentially, how characteristics demonstrated through your career ambitions also translate into non-professional areas of your life.
Therefore, this essay is an excellent place to recount your history from a personal lens and to highlight the impact of successes that may not be located on your resume or appear in other parts of the app. When working on the stories you’d like to include, it’s usually easier to work backwards. What are your focuses beyond work, and what big moments have occurred in those personal areas of your life? What choices were at the root of those moments for you? How did those moments and actions reveal something deeper about who you are?
Perhaps there is a value that guides your decision-making, both in your profession and beyond, that can be linked back to family upbringing. Perhaps you come from a unique background that this essay offers a chance to flesh out in more detail, exposing your diversity. Whatever the lens you chose, just remember that the goal is to clarify who “you” are, while not falling back onto your professional identity.
When approaching this essay, it’s also vital to make the admissions committee feel engaged with your narrative. That doesn’t mean that you can’t mention different points, however finding a link that connects, at least to some extent, those various instances you wish to share will help strengthen your answer.
Optional Question: Is there any unclear information in your application that needs further explanation? (300 word maximum)
In this essay, Chicago Booth is only interested in information concerning issues in your profile. If you don’t have any problems—such as, gaps in your job history, poor academic performance, uneven job progression, lack of a supervisor recommendation, etc.—it’s best to leave this essay blank.
However, if you do have an apparent weakness, make sure to deal with it in this section. Explain why that particular issue or situation was an anomaly, and how you have since proven that it will remain firmly in the past. For example, if you had poor academic performance during your university studies, you could show how you have since dealt with it by taking and acing additional courses in a local college and receiving a strong score on the GMAT.
Re-applicant 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? (300 word maximum)
It’s vital to approach this essay carefully. You might feel the need to rush into an answer that simply focuses on showing changes in exam metrics or your professional responsibilities, however, you’ll most likely need to dig deeper to develop a convincing response. Booth is asking about how your perspective has changed, meaning how has your view of the process and your future evolved. Try to convince the admissions committee that, more than before, you understand how you fit into Chicago Booth and how Chicago Booth fits into your future.
To develop a winning application for the Booth MBA, you’ll need to approach the process carefully. So, be sure to connect with a Chicago Booth Expert who can help you develop the best admissions strategy for the program. And, if you need more technical information on the application process, you can head on over to Chicago’s MBA site.
