University of Chicago, home to the Booth School of Business.

How To Get Into Chicago Booth MBA - Complete Guide

June 12, 2024
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Part 1. IntroductionBooth School of Business Acceptance Rate: 23%Booth School of Business Admissions StatisticsWhat is Booth School of Business Looking For In Applicants?Booth School of Business Admissions Requirements Booth School of Business Application DeadlinesHow to Improve Your Chances of Getting Into Booth School of BusinessBooth School of Business Essay PromptsBooth School of Business InterviewFAQs

The Booth School of Business, located in Chicago, is one of the most prestigious schools in the entire world. It boasts famous business leaders and Nobel laureates among its alumni and staff. Securing a place at this institution will make you one of the most desirable graduates in the MBA market. The only catch is securing that place. 

Established in 1898, this world-class institution means world-class applicants, and there are thousands of them. This article will explore the Booth Business School and how to get into Chicago Booth’s MBA program.

Booth School of Business Acceptance Rate: 23%

Booth School of Business’ recent acceptance rate is 23%. As a prestigious business school, this acceptance rate correlates with how competitive the school is. For context, for every 100 people who apply, only 23 are admitted. If Booth is your dream school and you want to attend, ensure you have a strong MBA profile

How Hard Is It to Get Into the Booth School of Business?

The Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago is a highly selective institution with a relatively low acceptance rate of around 20%. This indicates that it is quite challenging to gain admission. 

However, it's important to note that admissions criteria vary from year to year, and factors such as GPA, GMAT or GRE scores, work experience, letters of recommendation, essays, and interviews all play a role in the decision-making process.

Booth School of Business Admissions Statistics

As one of the most prestigious institutions in the world, Chicago Booth does not make it easy to get admitted. Below, we’ll look at the school's admission statistics to see a recently admitted student’s academic profile when applying.

Booth School of Business Average GPA: 3.6

The average GPA of recently admitted students to the Booth School of Business is 3.6. The GPA range of these applicants was between 2.4 to 4.0. To gain admission to this school, ensure you aim for a GPA of 3.6 or higher. 

Booth School of Business Average GMAT Score: 728

The average GMAT score of recently admitted students to the Booth School of Business is 728. The GMAT range of these applicants was between 600 to 780. Aim for a GMAT score of 728 and higher to ensure you're a strong applicant. 

Booth School of Business Average GRE Score: 325

The average GRE score of recently admitted students to the Booth School of Business is 325. The GRE range of these applicants was between 298 to 340. To ensure you’re a strong applicant, aim for a GRE score of 325 and higher. 

Booth School of Business Average Year of Work Experience: 5 Years

The average years of work experience of recently admitted students to the Booth School of Business is five years. The top industries that these admitted students worked in are financial services, consulting, technology, and non-profit/ government. Ensure you have at least five years of work experience when applying to the Booth School of Business.

What is Booth School of Business Looking For In Applicants?

The Booth School of Business evaluates applications by taking a holistic approach when looking at applicants' applications. They look for applicants whose personal and professional backgrounds will enhance their community. The school values qualities such as leadership, collaboration, and teamwork.

As a part of their holistic approach, admissions officers look at every aspect of an applicant’s application, such as GPA, work experience, interview, essays, and more. 

Booth School of Business Admissions Requirements 

Applications to the Booth School of Business usually occur in three rounds from September to May. For each round of applications, you will know if your application was successful around two months later. 

However, you must register with Booth’s online application service. After you have created your account, you’ll need to satisfy the Chicago Booth MBA requirements, which include: 

  • Undergraduate degree from an accredited US college
  • Transcripts 
  • English language proficiency test scores (if applicable) 
  • $250 application fee or fee waiver
  • Essay questions 

Please note that there may be slightly different Chicago Booth MBA requirements for transfer and international applicants

Booth School of Business Application Deadlines

Here are the dates for the various application rounds to help you submit your application to the Booth School of Business on time. 

Round Application Deadline Final Decision Release
Round 1 Late September Late November
Round 2 Early January Late March
Round 3 Early April Late May

These deadline dates are subject to change yearly, so ensure you check the schools website for the most up to date deadlines. 

How to Improve Your Chances of Getting Into Booth School of Business

There are several ways to boost your chances of getting into the Booth School of Business. 

Obtain Competitive Test Scores 

Make sure your test scores are competitive to show the admissions committee your capabilities and commitment to learning. 

The average GMAT score for a Booth School of Business student is 728, and the average GPA is 3.6 — if your scores are lower than this, it doesn’t mean you have no chance of acceptance. It’s not a Booth application MBA requirement; it just shows the typical student that the school admits. 

So, taking the time and effort to improve your scores to get into the bracket of typically successful applicants will not guarantee you acceptance. Still, it is one of the clearest means to gauge the likelihood of your success when applying and gives a clear way to improve your application. 

Your Work Experience Matters

The Booth School of Business generally expects their students to have a significant amount of business experience before they apply. 

In the case of the executive MBA, you could expect decades of experience alongside being a currently practicing businessperson. As such, making sure you have the work experience required before applying is a must. 

The Booth MBA program is not designed to necessarily benefit a fresh-faced student just coming from their Economics 101 course. It is designed to build on the knowledge and experience you already have from several years of work and develop those skills to make you a successful business leader.

Write Stellar Admissions Essays

Another good way to improve your chances of admission is by improving your entrance essay. 

Aside from test scores and work experience, the Booth School of Business will be looking at the character of its applicants to try and assess whether they will be a good match for their business education experience. 

For this reason, your entrance essay, as one of the only times you can express your personality before interviews, offers a crucial opportunity to express yourself to the school and why you would be a great fit for their MBA program.

Something that is vital to your application to the Booth School of Business that you should be trying to express in your entrance essay is your motivation for attending.  

The school will be looking for students that will demonstrably benefit from their MBA courses, so try and show how your desired course would enhance your career. Read this short passage from Rachel Waites, the Director of Recruitment and Admissions for the Executive MBA program at the Booth School of Business: 

“... motivation is very important – we want to understand why someone has chosen Chicago Booth, how they plan to fit the program around their work and family life and how the executive MBA can help them meet their mid and long-term goals.”

Your reasons for attending are a vital part of the considerations that go into recruitment at the school. You need a clear picture of how attendance will benefit your career so you can present that picture convincingly to people like Ms. Waites. 

You also need to choose the right course for you. The full-time, part-time, and executive MBA programs are suited to very different candidates with different personal situations, so assessing which one would best fit you before you apply is an absolute necessity.


Booth School of Business Essay Prompts

Your Booth MBA essays provide an opportunity to connect with Booth’s admissions committee on a personal level. 

Every MBA candidate must answer the following two prompts: 

  1. “How will a Booth MBA help you achieve your immediate and long-term post-MBA career goals? (Minimum 250 words, no maximum.)”
  1. “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.)”

You can also choose to answer an additional question, although it is completely optional. The optional essay question reads:

  • “Is there any unclear information in your application that needs further explanation? (Maximum 300 words.)

Writing a killer MBA essay is a brilliant way to speak directly to Booth’s admissions committee about your strengths. So, dedicate a serious amount of time to perfecting your responses. 

Booth School of Business Interview

If Booth likes your application, they will invite you for an MBA interview. Interview preparation is key; take the time to study commonly asked MBA interview questions and have several questions ready for your interviewer.

FAQs

You have questions, and we have the answers. See below.

1. How Much Does It Cost to Attend the Booth School of Business?

The average per-year cost of tuition for Booth is around $80,961.

However, the school estimates the total per-year cost of their MBA program, including health insurance, accommodation, and other living necessities, to total at around $110,000 on average. 

2. Does the Booth School of Business Offer Financial Aid?

Booth offers a range of scholarships and financial aid, depending on your circumstances and the course you are applying for. 

You can find more information on this topic here.

3. What is the Booth School of Business Known For?

Booth is known for its emphasis on quantitative methods, boasting more Nobel laureates in economics than any other business education institution. 

This means that almost every class at the school will have discussions and learning using data at its core. 

4. What is the Booth MBA GMAT Range? 

The booth MBA GMAT range is 600 to 780.

5. What is the Booth MBA acceptance rate?

The Booth MBA acceptance rate is 23%. 

6. How Diverse is the Class at the Booth School of Business? 

Booth’s most recent class has 36% international students, 52% US ethnic minority students, and 42% women. 

If you would like a more detailed breakdown of the class profile at the Booth School of Business, take a look at the school website.

7. How Long is a Booth MBA Program? 

For the full-time and executive MBA programs, the typical study time is 21 months. For the evening or weekend MBA programs, two to three years is typical.  

Final Thoughts

The Booth School of Business is one of the most prestigious business education institutions in the world, so you will undoubtedly have a lot of competition when applying. 

However, successfully applying and securing a Booth MBA would greatly benefit your career. This is not only in terms of increased salary but also in the recognition you would undoubtedly receive from attending such an esteemed institution. 

Suppose you believe you are a candidate fit to study at one of the best business education institutions in the world. In that case, demonstrating your personality and motivation in your college essay and letters of recommendation should earn you your place.

About Inspira Futures

At Inspira Futures, our sole focus is to get you accepted at your dream business school. Our team of experts consists of former admission committee members and alums from Harvard Business School, Stanford GSB, and other M7 schools. Our goal is to help you write great essays, ace interviews, and win scholarships. Without any stress or hassle. Our clients have gone on to secure admits at the world's top business schools while also being winners of some of the most prestigious scholarships like Stanford Knight Hennessy, HBS Baker Scholars, and many others.
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