2019–2020 MBA Essay Analysis: Chicago Booth, Columbia, Harvard
How can you write essays that grab the attention of MBA admissions committees? With these thorough essay analyses, our friends at mbaMission help you conceptualize your essay ideas and understand how to execute so that your experiences truly stand out.
This week, we round up essay analyses for The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Columbia Business School, and Harvard Business School.
Chicago Booth Essay Analysis, 2018-2019
How can you write essays that grab the attention of MBA admissions committees? With this thorough Chicago Booth essay analysis, our friends at mbaMission help you conceptualize your essay ideas and understand how to execute, so that your experiences truly stand out.
After maintaining its somewhat unique “choose a photo” essay prompt for three years in a row, the University of Chicago Booth School of Business has completely overhauled its application essays this season, transitioning from that single open-ended and creative option to two short, direct essay questions. And notably, the school has shifted from having no limits at all to having a minimum expectation with respect to word count. In some ways, the minimum sets a range that a lack of limit does not. We have often suggested 1,000 words as a guide for the unlimited Chicago Booth essay, but now, we suggest keeping responses to 500–600 words each. Approximately double the minimum seems to be a reasonable high-end target, though you will not be thrown from the applicant pool for going even higher. That said, we do think 1,000 words would be as high as one might go, and only in exceedingly rare cases. Read more
Chicago Booth Essay Analysis, 2017-2018
How can you write essays that grab the attention of MBA admissions committees? With this thorough Chicago Booth essay analysis, our friends at mbaMission help you conceptualize your essay ideas and understand how to execute, so that your experiences truly stand out.
For the third year in a row, the University of Chicago Booth School of Business is maintaining its rather unique “essay” question in which it asks applicants to select from a group of images depicting key moments in the Chicago Booth MBA experience and explain why the chosen image “best resonates” with them. When this prompt was first introduced in 2015–2016, the school offered a collection of 16 photos from which candidates could choose; last year, the group was reduced to ten. This season, Chicago Booth is presenting just six image options. We are unaware of the exact reasons behind this continued minimizing, but we theorize that certain types of photos were rarely chosen or did not elicit the kind of response the admissions committee ultimately felt was helpful in evaluating candidates. Another possibility is that multiple photos may have inspired very similar essays, so only one such picture was needed. Or Chicago Booth may have wanted to focus applicants on specific aspects of its program and therefore eliminated any images not related to those elements. This year’s photos again come with captions describing the depicted scene—an important factor in this equation in that an individual might be strongly drawn to a particular image, but the associated caption might influence his or her initial interpretation of it in some way. The bottom line is that with this nontraditional prompt, the school puts a significant amount of power in candidates’ hands in letting them select from a group of options, which thereby lets them better control the impression of themselves they want to present. We hope that you will find the essay question exciting and inspiring, rather than intimidating, and offer the following Chicago Booth essay analysis to help you plan your response. Read more
mbaMission: University of Chicago (Booth) Essay Analysis, 2013–2014
We’ve invited mbaMission to share their Business School Essays Analyses as they’re released for the 2013-2014 application season. Here is their analysis for University of Chicago (Booth).
Why not start our analysis of the University of Chicago Booth’s essay questions for this season with a few important words directly from the school’s admissions committee?
“This year’s questions have been specifically designed to get to know you on a deeper level and to go beyond why it is that you want an MBA. As you review the essay questions … we encourage you to think about the experiences that have shaped and influenced you, your passions and interests (professionally and personally), and what you think the Admissions Committee needs to know about you in order to fully understand your candidacy. While essay questions are just one part of a holistic evaluation process, they are still a very relevant and valuable component for our Admissions Committee.
You may notice that we do not have a formal essay question asking you to outline your career goals and reasons for an MBA. Our full online application, which will go live within a couple of weeks, will offer an opportunity for you to share this important information as well.”
So what is the admissions committee saying here? The message is that the school values applicants’ essays/presentations as vehicles through which to gain a profound sense of who its candidates are and what they stand for. Chicago Booth is essentially asserting the importance of this part of the admissions process—to ensure that you take it seriously. So, perhaps more than ever, you will need to think very carefully about what stories and messages you want to share with the school before you start writing. Brainstorm thoroughly and create a personal inventory of sorts, then plan your essays so that as much of that inventory as possible finds its way into your submissions. Do not worry about showing that you have many strengths and talents. Effective business leaders are not one-dimensional, but are quite the opposite. The admissions committee will be happy to discover that you have a depth of skills and experience.
Short Answer Essays
1. My favorite part of my work is…. (250 word max)
Ideally, you will have multiple ideas for how to respond to this query, but what should you avoid writing? Definitely do not write about how you can become completely consumed with a singular aspect of your job, like spreadsheets! Although the admissions committee wants to know that you are a passionate person, that passion has to have external implications. In other words, your passion needs to have an impact on others (and please don’t make the contra argument that this can be achieved through spreadsheet modeling!).
Your favorite aspect of your work might be your company’s annual off-site, the generosity that your boss shows in mentoring you, the creative process involved in launching a new product/campaign or even the satisfaction of winning a mandate or earning praise from a client for a job well done. What is important in this essay is not the particular aspect of work you choose, but that it reveals a character trait or skill that reflects a contribution you will make to the Chicago Booth community. You should not just write, “My favorite part of my work is the company off-site.” Even though you have only 250 words for this essay, you can still convey in some detail how you experience this aspect of your work—not just what it is, but what kind of reaction/emotion it triggers in you and how this relates to who you are as an individual and what you value. Relay the story of why the off-site is so meaningful for you.
Read more
Business School Admissions Panels in Chicago, New York
Manhattan GMAT is very proud to announce its first business school admissions officer panels of the season. We often partner with top business programs to give our students the inside track on what’s on the minds of school administrators even as many students are starting to work on their application essays.
In our Chicago center, on Thursday evening, September 24th, we will be joined by admissions officers from Kellogg, Chicago Booth, and Columbia Business School. The moderator will be our own Chris Brusznicki, himself a Kellogg alum (though he promises to be impartial). The admissions officers will present and then take questions from attendees. Click here to sign-up – attendance is free but space is limited.
The following week we will have an additional panel here at our New York center on Thursday evening, October 1st. Admissions officers from Columbia, NYU Stern, and Kellogg will each be in attendance to convey their thoughts and take questions. Click here to sign-up in order to attend. Chris Ryan will be moderating the New York panel.
If you can’t make it to either of these panels, we will be hosting other seminars later in the season, including online events with admissions consultants and others. You can also sign up for our free events mailing list to stay informed of future events.
If you’re in Chicago or New York, we’ll see you soon!
mbaMission events in NY, Chicago, Silicon Valley
As application season just starts to get underway, Manhattan GMAT is proud to host mbaMission events in its New York, Chicago, and Silicon Valley centers this Thursday, May 14th.
This is your chance to talk to an expert and get your application off on the right foot. Admissions consultants from mbaMission (each with an MBA from Harvard or Chicago) will be answering such questions as:
* “What do B-Schools want to see from me?”
* “What can I do to improve my chances of getting in?”
* “What sort of GMAT score should I be aiming for?”
Each session will also include a Q & A to make sure you get your questions answered.
Click on your city for event details in NY, Chicago, or Silicon Valley. Space is limited.
If you’re not located in one of those cities, you should feel free to visit mbaMission’s website for a free consultation. They’re very helpful over there!