Breaking Down Chicago Booth's 2011-2012 Application Essays - This year's essay questions are different, but essentially the same.

1. Breaking Down Chicago Booth’s
2011-2012 Application Essays
http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com/
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com/

2. Breaking Down Chicago Booth's
2011-2012 Application Essays
Well, we wanted to get a quick analysis up
and let all those applying to Chicago Booth
that the more things change, the more they
stay the same.
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com/

3. Breaking Down Chicago Booth's
2011-2012 Application Essays
This year's essay questions are different,
but essentially the same.
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com/

4. Essay One
1. What are your short- and long-term goals, and
how will a Chicago Booth MBA help you reach
them? (600 words)
Booth’s essay one (Goals) is a shortened version of last
year's three-part, 900-word essay one. Booth must have
gotten sick of cutting up the question way too specifically
-- my guess is that they have to read three “differing” 300-
word answers for essay one that pretty much said the
same thing (or had significant overlap.)
That is, many applicants simply did not do a good job of
bifurcating their thoughts on paper.
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com/

5. Essay Three
3. Considering what you've already included in the
application, what else should we know about you?
In a maximum of four slides, tell us about yourself.
Ye Ole Four PowerPoint Slides -- We like how Booth
specifically points out that they want something that has
not already been stated in other parts of the application.
We suspect that the Booth admissions committee has
seen what we have seen.
Most of the bad Booth PowerPoints that we have seen are
just a rehash of already stated information, but in a sloppy
graphical format.
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com/

6. We have even seen some failed PPT's that are basically
all bulletpoints. Somehow, the word has gotten out that
this PowerPoint essay is supposed to be closer to MIT
Sloan's cover letter essay.
But really, summaries (and bad ones at that) need not
apply.
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com/

7. Moving onto the "real" change ....
Chicago Booth's new essay two.
So this post is only going to address the new
coat of paint applied to essay two It is important
to note that Chicago Booth has eliminated the
traditional, tried and true "risk" essay.
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com/

8. Our theory is that the program realized, to a certain
extent, that they were showing their hand a bit too much.
So what did they try to do, our belief is that they tried to
mask the question with a more "personal" bent -
something that has been a trend with quite a few top
programs (i.e. Two years ago Columbia essay two
changed from "Master's Classes" to a more touchy-feely
play.)
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com/

9. Last year's question two –
2. 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 (750 words).
This year's question two –
2. At Chicago Booth, we believe each individual has his
or her own leadership style. How has your family, culture,
and/or environment influenced you as a leader? (750
words)
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com/

10. Sure, at face value, it may seem like the question has
completely changed. But let us face it, there is no way that
the culture of Chicago Booth could have changed markedly
from one year to the next. The school is still looking for the
same types of people, and undoubtedly, will attract and types
of analytical and finance oriented people.
Ultimately, what will separate the rock stars from the
groupies, is the applicant's ability to speak to taking smart
risks. So while this may seem like an exercise in talking
about your mom and dad, perhaps your family pet or crazy
Uncle Larry or Auntie Uma, it is really about defining the
values your family and personal background have taught
you.
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com/

11. The critical component to fully answering the question is
to also talk about how those values, norms and beliefs
have instilled in you and appreciation, and perhaps
propensity, for taking smart risks.
Again, the influence of your personal surroundings has
injected a willingness to accept risk, and you have
subsequently learned evaluate that risk from an objective
point of view.
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com/

12. Let's be fo' real, real and relatively sophisticated
at the same time. It would really flow (logicallly)
like this (as an example):
1. This is what I learned from my parents.
 This is the example they set for me. These are the
defined set of values I learned from them.
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com/

13. 1. This is where I took their values and made them my
own. Here is a leadership example of that - a
leadership example that incorporates elements of
evaluating and taking smart risks to achieve a goal.
 Here is (perhaps) another leadership example -- maybe a
more personal one or one that combines personal and
professional elements.
2. These are the results (based on my personal and
professional leadership accomplishments - and beliefs)
that I hope to bring to your Chicago Booth program to
the benefit of all involved -- and through initiatives X, Y
and Z.
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com/

14. The representative structure above is pretty much the same
that applicants should have been using last year. The only
difference is that in prior years, Chicago Booth pointed out
introducing the element of risk ( a theme central to the
school), this year they point to the impetus (parents, culture,
etc.) of what drives your risky (yet smart) leadership
behavior.
This is why we say that a long line of consistent leadership
characteristics always convinces a reader, rather than a
recent one-hit, Johnny-come-lately applicant.
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com/

15. If you are interested in becoming a client of Amerasia Consulting
Group, please email mba@amerasiaconsulting.com for information on
prices and services, or to request a free initial consultation.
http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com/