2009 Chicago Graduate School of Business School Packages

MBA Admissions Consulting MBA Essay Editing MBA Interview Services MBA Wait List Letter

I wish the admissions committee had asked me... “I wish the admissions committee had asked me...” OK. A number of schools have variations on this question, and over the past few days, quite a few people have asked me what they are supposed to do with a topic like this. My answer: “That depends.” (No, I'm rarely capable of just giving a simple answer! Sorry!) But I'd like to take a few minutes here to discuss exactly what that depends ON. Does the application offer an “optional” essay space *as well as* asking this question, or is this the only place where you will get to write about a topic of your choice? Have you used the other essay topics effectively to illustrate your personal background and community involvement as well as your academic professional history? Is there anything you really wanted to write about but couldn’t fit in, for whatever reason? Do you have any big “red flags” to deal with on your application? Please bear in mind that “big” is the operative word here. You don’t have to explain away a single C+ grade from your freshman year. You don’t have to justify the fact that you hadn’t started your own non-profit organization by the age of 19. You don’t have to apologize for the fact that you didn’t spend your undergrad years at an Ivy League college. But there are things that you might have to address somehow , such as a major GPA crash in your junior or senior year, a GMAT score leaning towards (or falling below) the lowest score that the program generally accepts, a major gap in work experience, and so on. Is this the place to do it? That’s where my first question comes in. If a school offers you a space to explain any academic or career “glitches,” use that space to do so, not this one. Remember, this question almost always comes right at the end of the essay portion of the application -- it will probably be the last thing the adcom reads, so if at all possible, use it to give them something positive to remember you by. (If that's not possible--if this really is the ONLY place where you can deal with the negative aspects of your application--deal with it. There are ways to do so effectively, but I'll save that for another time.) If you make the most of this space, you can really personalize your application. You may drift out of the adcom’s minds pretty quickly if you simply come across as “the project manager with the 740 GMAT,” but with this essay, you have the chance to make yourself stick with them as “the project manager who used skydiving as a team-building exercise,” “the investment banker who teaches salsa dancing to senior citizens,” or “the marketing manager who taught herself five languages in her spare time.” This positive and distinctive use of this essay will be much more effective than telling them about your SECOND most important leadership experience (since you've probably already had a chance to write about the most important one). And it would be a Very Good Idea to stay away from bland "catch all" topics like "I wish the admissions committee had asked me how I achieve excellence in everything I do." Those types of essays usually end up being a) far too much to handle in the space provided, and b) way too generic, and don't tend to offer the adcom anything much that they can't learn from other areas of your application. Assuming that you've dealt with the really important professional/leadership experiences before you hit this point in your application (and most applications give you ample opportunity to do so), you can definitely take a light-hearted (though not frivolous, of course!) approach here. You don’t have to write about anything huge, heavy or mind-blowingly important -- rather, choose a topic that adds to the adcom’s perception of your well-roundedness, your “human interest” factor, and your potential to contribute something to the groups you work with over and above your work experience and academic abilities. You’ve already impressed them with those, naturally! Finally, don’t forget to ask yourself -- and answer yourself honestly: what DO you wish they had asked you? By Sonia Michaels. Sonia is available to help you with your optional and required MBA application essays. Posted by Sonia Michaels on Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:39:00 +0000 | Permalink | Post a comment

Chicago GSB 2009 MBA Application Essays, Deadlines, Tips CHICAGO GSB 2009 MBA DEADLINES                      Deadline               Notification Round 1     Oct 15, 2008          Dec 18, 2008 Round 2     Jan 7, 2009            Mar 25. 2009 Round 3     Mar 11, 2009         May 13, 2009 CHICAGO GSB 2009 MBA ESSAY QUESTIONS   My comments below are in red. The Chicago GSB has once again changed their essay questions  and in accordance with long Chicago tradition -- not to mention its "Challenge everything" motto, -- they are distinctive.  At the same time, Chicago has abandoned the "off-the-wall" question that used to be its signature. It has retained the slide presentation, in a slightly modified form. Essay Questions and Slide Presentation Essay questions for the Fall 2009 application are below. The Fall 2009 Chicago GSB application will be available in late-July 2008.   Essays Why are you pursuing an MBA at this point in your career?  (750 word maximum). This is similar to last year's Essay 1, but less directed and shorter. Here is one way to approach the question (and there are definitely others): Identify two or three critical elements in your life that have convinced you now is the right time to pursue your MBA.  Describe what you want to be doing, highlighting both the foundation provided by your chosen experiences and the gap between where you want to be and where you are.  The question does not ask specifically "Why Chicago."  While you will explicitly tie your answer to Chicago in the next essay, in this essay you should reveal the elements in your decision-making process and  goals that demonstrate fit with Chicago.  Please select one of the following two questions to answer. (1000 word maximum) Option 1 a) Please provide an example of a time when you had to make a choice between two equally important obligations. How did you decide which obligation deserved your attention? b) Did you try and predict other people's reactions to your decision? If so, how accurate were you? Why do you think you were or were not accurate in your prediction?  c) Reflecting on this experience, how do you think an MBA from Chicago GSB might have aided in your decision making process? -or- Option 2 a) Have you ever made a decision that caused you to go against popular opinion? Please describe that situation and your rationale for you decision. b) Did you feel at any point that people misperceived your motives? Explain. c) In retrospect, how do you think an MBA from Chicago GSB would have affected your decision? The first task: choosing Option 1 or 2. Select the option that allows you to show yourself forging your own independent path in a venue not revealed either in your Essay 1, the Slide Presentation, or your optional essay. Realize that both options ask for an experience. These are behavioral questions, and they reflect Chicago's focus on ethics and values. Option 1 starts as the flip-side of a classic ethical dilemma question.  The B and C elements of that question are where Chicago adds its own unique twist. Make sure you answer all parts of the questions. Option 2  asks for a time when you did something unpopular.  I can imagine many situations, especially in volunteer organizations where people act with only the noblest of intentions, when an idiosyncratic approach or novel idea is negatively received.  And because opponents are motivated only by the good of mankind or at least of the group, they find it easier to attack the motives of the person behind an unpopular idea than the logic underpinning the idea. Has that happened to you? There's your  A & B. Now just add C. Slide Presentation We have asked for a great deal of information throughout this application and now invite you tell us about yourself. Using four slides or less, please provide readers with content that captures who you are. We have set forth the following guidelines for you to consider when creating your presentation. The content is completely up to you. There is no right or wrong approach this essay. Feel free to use the software you are most comfortable with. Acceptable formats for upload in the online application system are PowerPoint or PDF. There is a strict maximum of 4 slides, though you can provide fewer than 4 if you choose.  Slides will be printed and added to your file for review, therefore, flash, hyperlinks, embedded videos, music, etc. will not be viewed by the committee. You are limited to text and static images to convey your points. Color may be used. Slides will be evaluated on the quality of content and ability to convey your ideas, not on technical expertise or presentation. You are welcome to attach a document containing notes if you feel a deeper explanation of your slides is necessary. However the hope is the slide is able to stand alone and convey your ideas clearly. You will not be penalized for adding notes but you should not construct a slide with the intention of using the notes section as a consistent means of explanation. Rose Martinelli emphasized when AIGAC met with her in Chicago and in a recent BW interview that the best slides were not the boring, bulleted summary of the applicants life. As BW put it:   The ones that stood out were from the students who showed a side of themselves that wasn't in the rest of their application, Martinelli said. "You could tell when someone figured out how to work with the ambiguity and really embraced that, rather than saying, 'I'm going to play it safe and regurgitate what is in my application already.'" There are an infinite number of good approaches to this question. Here is one: If you have a hobby, use the slides to celebrate it. Take pride in it. Share it. Show that you could be a fun contributing member of the Chicago GSB community. Optional Essay If there is any important information that is relevant for your candidacy that you were unable to address elsewhere in the application, please share that information here. Last year Chicago specified that this question was intended  to discuss "anomalies": gaps in your resume, a bad year in college, the absence of a recommendation from your current employer, etc. Certainly that possibility remains, but until Chicago posts similar limitations on this question for this year, I view it as a broader optional question. IN the absence of instructions to the contrary, If there is something positive, important, and relevant to your candidacy that you are unable to address in the two essays and slide presentation, then use this question to present it. I would stay under 500 words. If you would like help with your Chicago MBA application, please consider Accepted's MBA essay editing and admissions consulting or a Chicago MBA Premier Comprehensive Package, which includes essay editing, interview coaching, consultation, and a resume edit for the Chicago MBA application. Posted by Linda Abraham on Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:16:17 +0000 | Permalink | Post a comment

Average 2007 GMAT: 709
Average 2006 Acceptance Rate: 25%
Average 2007 GPA: 3.5
Class Size: 560
2009 application deadlines: Oct. 15, 2008, Jan. 7, 2009, March 11, 2009
University of Chicago Admissions

Chicago Graduate School of Business Application Tips

Date Rating Course 06/2008 Other 02/2008 4.00 Finance 02/2008 4.50 International Business 02/2008 4.00 General Management 02/2008 4.00 General Management

All Entries

Date Title 10/16/2006 Chicago GSB Admissions Chat with Rose Martinelli 11/14/2005 Chicago GSB MBA with Rose Martinelli 1/4/2005 Chicago GSB MBA with Kristen Pawlowski 11/4/2004 Chicago GSB MBA Chat 12/18/2003 Chicago Chat with Kristen Pawlowski 10/20/2003 Chicago Chat with Eddie Pulliam 11/4/2002 Chicago Chat with Don Martin 2/4/2002 University of Chicago Chat 10/10/2000 Chicago, Michigan, Duke & Tuck