The Chicago Booth School of Business extended an open invitation to both newly accepted MBA candidates as well as prospective applicants to attend one of the multiple diversity events held around the globe during the school’s 9th annual Women’s Week.

In collaboration with the office of full-time admissions and the Chicago Women in Business Alumnae Network, or CWIBAN, these events are hosted by graduates who open up their homes or host events at local hot spots, explains Joanne Legler, associate director of admissions, on the Booth Insider blog.

Whether large venues or intimate gatherings, the goal of these events is to give prospective and incoming female students a chance to speak to women who have thrived while at Booth, she explains.

“Many women are just starting their MBA research, and what better way to jump start your deep dive into all that Booth has to offer with a small event hosted by those that have already been there/conquered that?” says Legler.

For recent admits, she adds that this is the perfect opportunity to meet your future Booth network, as well as share your wisdom with applicants who are right where you were just a few short months ago.

Women’s Week 2013 will be held May 4th through 22nd in cities around the world, including Chicago, London, New York, and Singapore, among others. RSVP for an event near you today.

The waiting game at the end of round 3 is a nail-biter for MBA applicants, whether you’re hoping for an interview invitation or enduring a stretch on a waitlist. Joanna Zisis from the admissions team at Chicago Booth School of Business recently shared her tips to help nervous b-school candidates find some serenity during this time of great uncertainty.

1. What’s done is done.

“Don’t dwell on what you could have done better, how you should have included that alternate essay, second guess other offers you may have rejected, or agonize over getting into ‘the one’,” says Zisis. Keep your eyes on what matters most – choosing a school where you will  have a great experience (even if it wasn’t your first choice) and jump-start your future career, she adds. The goal is to focus on what you want your career and life to look like, not just for the next two years, but for the next ten years and beyond, she says.

2. Take care of business.

“Start thinking about how you will break the news to your employer and what strategies you will employ to do that gracefully,” Zisis counsels. She also recommends applicants begin researching the cities where their top business schools are located, and suggests applicants start putting away funds for those expenses. “Most importantly, analyze what you need to take care of at home before your transition begins,” she advises.

3. Cultivate your network.

“You’ve probably met a lot of people while on this MBA journey and that’s a good thing,” Zisis says. “No matter where you and your new acquaintances end up, this is the start of a network filled with like-minded people. Having access to people you met in the MBA search process will yield great friends, partners to exchange ideas with, or potential business colleagues for your entire career.”

4. Dream on.

“No matter what happens, life will go on – and so should you. Keep doing the things you love to do, whether it’s running on the track or developing mobile apps.  Start planning your summer as you would normally and make sure to allow time for travel, friends and family,” Zisis urges. “After all, preparing for business school is almost like a second job – you deserve a break!”

Time will soon tell whether the future for R3 applicants will include b-school in the fall, or another year in the workforce. The key now is to try to find satisfaction in having managed the application process and all it entails, and focus on the many opportunities to get to know yourself better that this journey has provided.

With just about four weeks to go until the April 4th round three deadline, Kurt Ahlm, associate dean of student recruitment and admissions at Chicago Booth School of Business, took to the Booth Insider Blog Thursday to address some common questions—and concerns—that late-round applicants have.

While Round Three is more competitive due to fewer slots available, Ahlm notes they are still continuing to shape their class and are looking for applicants who would be vibrant additions to the Booth community.  If you’re wondering whether it’s better to apply now or wait until next year, remember the advice of all programs: it’s better to apply when you can submit the best possible application.

The key is to submit an application that best represents who you are, and clearly communicates your goals for pursuing an MBA. The Admissions Committee can tell when an application has been rushed, says Ahlm, so take your time and make sure you have an application strategy in place that leverages each aspect of your application to tell your story.

“Don’t use the opportunity to reapply a few months later as a back-up plan,” Ahlm cautions.

Chicago Booth also calms concerns of international students in this post, explaining that there will be ample time to process visas for Round Three applicants. Applying earlier makes life easier, but since round three decisions are released in mid-May and orientation doesn’t begin until the first week of September, international students will have enough time to process their visas throughout the summer.

If Chicago Booth is one of your top choices, and you’ve put together a strong, thoughtful, and engaging application, then go for it, says Ahlm. “We are continually seeking those who exhibit a strong fit with Booth and who we believe will be active members within our community – and those applicants apply in every round.”

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If you’re looking for clear examples of how to address the essay questions, check out our Chicago Booth MBA essay tips post for guidance on how to successfully convey your professional and personal stories. And for insight into the interview process, read this recent post with advice from Chicago Booth interviewers.

Many blog posts offer interview tips from the admissions committee’s point of view, but today’s post from the Booth Insider blog at the Chicago Booth School of Business shares feedback straight from the Admissions Fellows who have or will soon conduct interviews with those lucky Round Two applicants.

Keep in mind that Admissions Fellows are second-year MBA students who have been chosen after a rigorous selection process to assist the Booth admissions committee in evaluating applications and interviewing for fit. They are people who, just two years ago, were in your shoes and know exactly where you’re coming from in this lengthy, often stressful process.

Through a series of quotes from ten Admissions Fellows, a few common threads emerge: be prepared; come with stories; strike a balance between professional and personable. It’s interesting to note that the advice given by each individual probably reflects the personality of the interviewer. For example, Juan says, “Relax! It is a conversation, not a job interview!”. I surmise that his interview style is pretty laid back and off the cuff.

Dane, on the other hand, reminds candidates to really prep for the interview with a friend to ensure you’ve eliminated excessive industry jargon that could cast doubts about your ability to communicate. This is solid advice that everyone should pay attention to, but one can likely imagine a more traditional interview experience with Dane.

My general preference is to interview with an alum or second-year, since it’s often a more relaxed exchange. But only you can know which option is the best fit for your personality style. In any scenario, it’s always good advice to try and develop a rapport with your interviewer. People tend to hire, or recommend, those with whom they’ve made a personal connection.

Check out the original post to see what each of this year’s crop of interviewers has to say, and for more interview advice, read my recent US News post, How to Master MBA Interviews.

The Chicago Booth School of Business has received a founding gift of $5 million for the school’s Social Enterprise Initiative, which supports student, faculty and alumni interest in the social sector, Chicago Booth announced earlier this week.

Given by John Edwardson, retired chairman and chief executive of CDW, chairman of the Council on Chicago Booth and a member of the university’s board of trustees, the funds will help support the core activities of the Initiative.

In addition to helping students launch and grow businesses in the social sector, the gift will also fund faculty research and data collection—a major activity of the Initiative. The Chicago Booth business plan competition for social ventures has now been renamed the John Edwardson Social New Venture Challenge.

“John Edwardson’s philanthropic leadership will help us integrate academic research on issues that are important to the social sector with educational activities. In turn, we can effectively study and help develop more effective organizations,” says Sunil Kumar, dean of Chicago Booth.

“The social sector can benefit from proven market-oriented ideas and best practices from the for-profit sector.” 

Edwardson says the Social Enterprise Initiative is a natural outgrowth of the interests and approaches Chicago Booth students and alumni take to their work.

“I am delighted to support Booth’s Social Enterprise Initiative,” Edwardson continues. “Booth students, faculty and alumni are engaging in a variety of ways in the social sector, from starting their own social ventures, to choosing a career in the impact economy, making a meaningful commitment to philanthropic and volunteer activities, and doing academic research.”

Current and recent research on the social sector by Booth faculty includes field experiments on financial literacy and financial decision-making by the poor, studies on the impact of health and education reforms on development, and social psychology foundations of altruism and volunteerism. The Social Enterprise Initiative will host a conference on impact investing for academics and practitioners later this year.

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business today announced changes to the curriculum for its Executive MBA Program. The changes include the addition of new courses; increasing the international exchange component of the program from four to five weeks; and restructuring its elective offerings –integrating directly into the core program the ability for all students to specialize.

The changes take effect beginning with students who enter the program in June 2013. Students will be offered a capstone course that provides the opportunity to integrate concepts and tools from much of the Executive MBA curriculum in a complex, multi-round simulation culminating in presentations to a panel of investor-judges.

In addition, students will be able to specialize by choosing elective courses in a particular academic area. Those areas are expected to be capital markets, corporate finance, entrepreneurship, strategy, marketing and leadership and management. Previously, specializations were only possible by taking an optional week of classes at the end of the program, meaning only a fraction of students were able to take advantage of this feature.

By shifting these into the core, all students will be able to take advantage of the school’s well- regarded research faculty in these disciplines. The elective courses will be taught at Harper Center, Chicago Booth’s state-of-the-art facility on the University’s main Chicago campus, which also houses the school’s full-time MBA program.

The length of the program will remain at 16 weeks of instruction spread over 21 months, the school said. With the exception of the elective courses taught at Harper Center, students in the U.S. take classes at Gleacher Center in downtown Chicago, students in Europe take classes at the school’s London campus in the City and students in Asia take classes at the school’s Singapore campus adjacent to Orchard Road.

“With these changes, students will be exposed to more members of our faculty, create closer connections with our other MBA programs and will spend more time studying alongside Executive MBA students from all of our campuses,” said Dean Sunil Kumar.

“Many students have told us the international exchange is important and creates a unique learning environment.”

Before the changes, Booth Executive MBA students spent four weeks of class sessions studying with students from the school’s other campuses, with all students spending time in Singapore, London and downtown Chicago. Beginning next year, students will spend five weeks studying with students from the other campuses and will also spend two weeks on the main campus of the University.

To make room for the added courses, classes in strategic leadership and quantitative marketing have been shortened and some offerings such as technology strategy have been reorganized and will now be part of the elective offerings.

Booth has more than 500 students studying in its part-time Executive MBA Program on campuses in Chicago, London and Singapore. All courses are taught by members of Booth’s faculty.