How To Get Into Chicago Booth MBA - Complete Guide

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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.

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

• Business school resume 

• Two letters of recommendation

• Transcripts 

• GMAT or GRE scores   

• 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. 

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. ‍

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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.)”

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.)”

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.