2010-2011 MBA essay questions
| Q1. |
Goals
(900 words)
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1. The Admissions Committee is interested in learning more about you on both a personal and professional level. Please answer the following (maximum of 300 words for each section):
a. Why are you pursuing a full-time MBA at this point in your life?
b. Define your short and long term career goals post MBA.
c. What is it about Chicago Booth that is going to help you reach your goals?
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Your mandate is to lay out how the Booth MBA will help you to take your career in the direction you have chosen. On why the MBA is relevant now - what aspects of the MBA do you think will add value to your existing professional experience and skills for e.g. international perspective through curriculum and diversity of peers, exposure to particular functional areas which will enable a career transition etc. Therefore, briefly mention what kind of experience you have had so far and thus, why the MBA fills a gap. For the next part, mention as specifically as you can, your immediate post MBA goal e.g. product marketing in a global consumer goods major etc. It is enough to mention a general direction for your long term career. Wrap up by highlighting what the Booth advantage to you is e.g highly specialized curriculum for your chosen functional area etc |
| Q2. |
Took a risk
(750 words)
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Chicago Booth is a place that challenges its students to stretch and take risks that they might not take elsewhere. Tell us about a time when you took a risk and what you learned from that experience
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The AdCom wants to know what you consider as risk taking and also your way of going about this. What do you understand by risk - is it going against popular opinion to come out with a novel idea, or taking on a critical project without adequate resources but with the promise to deliver results etc. Explain what factors made the situation risky and how you dealt with them. What were your takeaways from the incident - did you learn to tap into informal networks to garner support, or did you learn about personal response to uncertainty etc? |
| Q3. |
PDF/Slide
(0 words)
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At Chicago Booth, we teach you HOW to think rather than what to think. With this in mind, we have provided you with ?blank pages? in our application. Knowing that there is not a right or even a preferred answer allows you to demonstrate to the committee your ability to navigate ambiguity and provide information that you believe will support your candidacy for Chicago Booth.
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First things first, follow the instructions for this question to the 't'. That includes therefore, resisting the temptation to simply write everything that you think you couldn't in the first 2 essays. 'HOW' to think is about your approach to problem solving in any area, be it professional or personal ie.how you define the problem, analyze alternative solutions and select one. Of course, don't be limited by 'problem solving' - this essay could also be an example of your creative thought process and its final product/s. If you choose to make a powerpoint, be concise in your words- no point in making it read like an essay in .ppt form. Finally, remember that while you have leeway to pick what you write about, it should bring out some abilities/strengths which will support your candidature e.g. leadership, maturity, creativity etc |
