Chicago Booth
Why Chicago Booth?
At Booth, everything starts with the Chicago Approach: a belief that business problems should be tackled with deep thinking, data, and open debate. Students here are drawn to the freedom to challenge ideas, speak their minds, and pursue answers through evidence, not intuition. It's a place that values independent thinkers, especially those who want to build strong analytical foundations that apply across industries. This mindset has made Booth a powerhouse in finance, consistently ranked among the top programs in the world for those looking to deepen their understanding of markets, investing, and financial decision-making.
With a highly flexible curriculum, Booth students have the autonomy to shape their education to match their goals, supported by faculty who push them to think harder and classmates who thrive on discussion. It's the right place for people who don't just want an MBA; they want to learn how to think in a way that sets them apart for the rest of their careers.
🎓 MBA Class Profile (Class of 2024)
Key Demographics
- Enrolled Students: 620
- Acceptance Rate: 23%
- Women: 42%
- International Students: 38%
Academic Profile
- Average GMAT Score: 729
- Average GRE Scores:
- Verbal: 163
- Quantitative: 164
- Average Undergraduate GPA: 3.6
💼 Employment Statistics
Job Placement
- Employment Rate: 97% (within 3 months)
- Median Base Salary: $175,000
- Median Signing Bonus: $30,000
- Received Job Offers: 95%
Top Industries
- Consulting: 35%
- Financial Services: 30%
- Technology: 15%
- Healthcare: 8%
🎤 Interview Tips
Unique Interview Feature:
Chicago Booth conducts blind interviews, meaning interviewers have access only to your resume, not your full application. Interviews are typically conducted by alumni, current students, or admissions committee members and last between 30 to 60 minutes. Booth places a strong emphasis on behavioral questions, operating from the belief that past behavior is the best predictor of future performance.
| Unique Questions Common to Booth | Prep Tips |
|---|---|
| "How do you motivate others?" | Choose a situation where you had to rally a team under pressure or in the face of resistance. For example, you might describe leading a junior analyst team on a tight client deadline, where you boosted morale by breaking down tasks into achievable milestones, publicly recognizing small wins, and stepping in to handle the most complex portions. Highlight how you adapted your style, like offering more autonomy to one teammate and hands-on guidance to another to meet individual needs. |
| "Share an instance when you convinced your peers of your ideas" | Pick a moment where influence, not authority, drove alignment. For example, describe how you persuaded skeptical peers to adopt a new client onboarding workflow by running a small pilot, presenting data on time savings, and facilitating an open Q&A. Highlight how you combined logic with empathy to build buy-in and drive consensus. |
Note: For a full list of potential interview questions, check our MBA interview guide.
✍️ Essay Tips
Essay 1: "How will the Booth MBA help you achieve your immediate and long-term post-MBA career goals?"
(250-word minimum)
🎯 What Booth Is Really Looking For
Clarity and Cohesion in Your Goals
Booth wants evidence that you've thought seriously about where you're headed and how an MBA fits into that path. Your goals should build logically on your past experience and connect meaningfully to each other.
Tip: State your short-term and long-term goals in clear terms. Include role, function, industry, and geography. Show continuity with your background while also explaining the pivot.
Intentional Fit With Booth's Strengths
Booth is known for its data-driven, flexible curriculum, world-class faculty, and culture of intellectual rigor. They want to see that you've done your homework and can articulate exactly why Booth is the right place for you.
Tip: Tie your goals to specific Booth resources; think lab courses (like the LEAD program or the New Venture Challenge), student groups, professors, and the pay-it-forward community ethos.
Intellectual Curiosity and Independent Thinking
Booth values students who are rigorous thinkers and thoughtful doers. You don't need flashy goals, but you do need a strong sense of why they matter and how you'll use Booth to get there.
Tip: Show your reasoning behind the path, what excites you about it, what challenges you expect, and how Booth will prepare you to rise to them.
❌ Common Pitfalls
- Writing generic goals that could apply to any MBA program
- Focusing too much on past achievements instead of the future
- Using vague language like "business leadership" without specificity
- Giving a long Booth "course list" without tying it to your goals
- Overemphasizing brand value or prestige without a personal connection
Booth Essay #2: "Select one image and share how it resonates with one of your own values."
(250-word minimum)
🎯 What Booth Is Really Looking For
Personal Values With Emotional Weight
This is not a surface-level "match the photo" question. Booth wants to know what matters to you and how a moment in your life reflects that value in action.
Tip: Choose an image that immediately sparked a memory or a gut feeling. Then use storytelling to unpack the value underneath — something that has shaped how you work, lead, or live.
Connection to Booth's Culture
The prompt is rooted in Booth's belief in open discourse, mutual learning, and diverse viewpoints. Use your story to show how you'll add to that, in the classroom, in groups, and in casual hallway debates.
Tip: Draw a clear line between your value and the Booth culture. How does this make you a better peer, collaborator, or leader?
Authenticity Over Perfection
Booth prides itself on students who are intellectually honest and personally grounded. You don't need a dramatic story, just a genuine one that reveals something real.
Tip: Reflect on why this value has shaped you. What challenges has it helped you navigate? How has it evolved?
❌ Common Pitfalls
- Picking an image just because it seems "impressive"
- Writing about a value without illustrating it through a story
- Being overly abstract or philosophical
- Forgetting to show how this connects to your impact at Booth
- Writing a response that could have been used for any school
📅 Application Deadlines
| Round | Submission Deadline | Decision Notification Date |
|---|---|---|
| One | September 16, 2025 11:59 p.m. CT | December 4, 2025 |
| Two | January 6, 2026 11:59 p.m. CT | March 26, 2026 |
| Three | April 2, 2026 11:59 p.m. CT | May 21, 2026 |