The updated Chicago Booth Essay Questions are posted for this admissions season, along with the deadlines . The admissions committee has provided some tips to make sure you approach the questions as they would prefer. The overall goal of this application is to evaluate you on clear criteria around your ability to handle curriculum, contribute to the community, and your career potential. Curriculum refers to your demonstrated academic ability, and will largely be communicated through your GPA/GMAT, transcripts and other fixed data points, though intellectual curiosity can be demonstrated in essays and the interview. Community focuses on your demonstrated leadership, team building skills and community involvement, as well as your fit with Chicago Booth and the perspective you will share with your classmates. All MBA candidates are ultimately looking for a degree that will enhance their career. Chicago Booth wants to know about your track record of success, expectations for the MBA, and plans for the future.

Chicago Booth’s famous power point question is back this year, and confounds many candidates. Take a step back from the unique format and think about the question as if it was an essay. The power point format simply gives you the freedom to express that answer in words, images, graphics or some combination. The best presentations will be simple, evocative and expressive. Remember, content is far more important than creativity of presentation.

Chicago Booth 2011-2012 essay questions
Essay One: What are your short and long-term goals, and how will a Chicago Booth MBA help you reach them? (600 words)

Re-applicant Essay:
Upon reflection, how has your thinking regarding your future, Chicago Booth, and/or getting an MBA changed since the time of your last application? (300 words)
As you explain what your goals are and incorporate your background into that discussion, make sure you describe both why you made the choices you did, and think about why you didn’t make other choices. Self-awareness about your career and goals will go far to distinguish you in this essay.

When you address how a Chicago Booth MBA will help you reach your short and long-term goals, think about the specific classes and programs at Chicago Booth that appeal to you. Are you looking for flexible program? International experiences? How will these aspects of the program fit with your future career goals?
If you are reapplying, make sure you have done the work to evaluate your candidacy and have made changes this time around. The word reflection is explicit in the question, and the admissions committee will be looking for your revised thinking as well as any new accomplishments you can describe. This is your opportunity to show the adcomm why Chicago is a great fit for you and your refined career goals.

Essay Two:
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)
This question is the ideal place to describe what sets you apart from every other applicant, and to address the “community” part of the Chicago Booth Criteria. Leadership is often a result of your own personality and background. Think about your early experiences that may have shaped the way you approach leading others. If you have worked or lived across cultures that is always a strong leadership attribute that could be described. If your experiences have been more typical, think about what your family and cultural background has contributed to your approach in key interpersonal situations.

Leadership is very much about self-awareness and your relationship to others. If you can provide one or two examples that clearly show your own leadership style and how it was forged, this essay will be successful.

Slide Presentation
Essay Three:
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.
The power point question offers you a blank slate to express yourself with any content you choose. When approaching the question focus first on content, and then on delivery.

This is the ideal opportunity to bring in any aspect of your overall story that does not fit in any other essay. Think about the aspects of leadership, team work and intellectual curiosity you have already presented in the previous essays, and where the gaps are. If you wrote about your professional leadership in essay 2, consider a personal or community story in essay 3.

To present the content effectively in a power point or pdf slide, refine your story to its key elements. Four slides is limited space to communicate a lot of detail, and you are discouraged from simply pasting an essay into the slides. Can you use photos? Drawings? If you use words, keep them clear and focused. Take every point up a level, so you are communicating a vision rather than a thesis.

The updated Chicago Booth essay questions have been posted with commentary from Admissions. Chicago Booth Business School evaluates candidates on three core elements: Curriculum, Community and Career. Curriculum refers to your demonstrated academic ability, and will largely be communicated through your GPA/GMAT, transcripts and other fixed data points, though intellectual curiosity can be demonstrated in essays and the interview. Community focuses on your demonstrated leadership, team building skills and community involvement, as well as your fit with Chicago Booth and the perspective you will share with your classmates. All MBA candidates are ultimately looking for a degree that will enhance their career. Chicago Booth wants to know about your track record of success, expectations for the MBA, and plans for the future.

Chicago Booth’s famous power point question is back this year, and confounds many candidates. Take a step back from the unique format and think about the question as if it was an essay. The power point format simply gives you the freedom to express that answer in words, images, graphics or some combination. The best presentations will be simple, evocative and expressive. Remember, content is far more important than creativity of presentation.

Chicago Booth 2010-2011 essay questions
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?
d. RE-APPLICANTS ONLY: Upon reflection, how has your thinking regarding your future, Chicago Booth, and/or getting an MBA changed since the time of your last application?

These three short essays make up your entire career goals essay. As you explain what your goals are and incorporate your background into that discussion, make sure you describe both why you made the choices you did, and think about why you didn’t make other choices. Self-awareness about your career and goals will go far to distinguish you in this essay.
Why Chicago Booth and Why Now are explicitly asked this year. Think about the specific classes and programs at Chicago Booth that appeal to you. Are you looking for flexible program? International experiences? How will these aspects of the program fit with your future career goals?
If you are reapplying, make sure you have done the work to evaluate your candidacy and have made changes this time around. Reflecting upon why you want to go to Chicago Booth and the MBA process will certainly be part of that work. This is your opportunity to show the adcomm why Chicago is a great fit for your and your refined career goals.

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 (maximum of 750 words).

This situational essay question is seeking to understand how you think about risk, and what you do in a situation that challenges you. Though the admissions committee says there is endless latitude about the type of risk you describe, it will be useful to you’re your story based on the entire application strategy you have mapped out. What are the personal qualities you want to highlight in this set of essays? Do you have a story from work that can also demonstrate teamwork or leadership, or is this essay an opportunity to showcase your activities outside of work.
While your risk does not have to be something that ultimately paid off, it should be a situation that was defining for you, taught you a valuable lesson or otherwise can reveal a bit about how you think, act and approach life.
Spend a significant amount of time in this essay describing how you felt, what you said, and what you did. Be truthful and introspective here.

Slide Presentation
3. 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.

The power point is back, though the question has changed. This time Chicago Booth offers you “blank pages” that will allow you to express yourself with any content you choose. When approaching the question focus first on content, and then on delivery.
This is the ideal opportunity to bring in any aspect of your overall story that does not fit in any other essay. Think about the aspects of leadership, team work and intellectual curiosity you have already presented in the previous essays, and where the gaps are. If you wrote about a professional situation in essay 2, consider a personal or community story in essay 3.
To present the content effectively in a power point or pdf slide, refine your story to its key elements. Four slides is limited space to communicate a lot of detail, and you are discouraged from simply pasting an essay into the slides. Can you use photos? Drawings? If you use words, keep them clear and focused. Take every point up a level, so you are communicating a vision rather than a thesis.

A couple of weeks ago I posted on our Back to B-School blog on BNET about whether someone can be taught how to be an entrepreneur.  Today I continued the conversation.  Ultimately I do think the an MBA is very helpful to someone who wants to start their own business, but I question the value of specific “entrepreneurship” courses and other offerings.  Take a look at my post and let me know what you think.  I would love to hear how others weigh in on this topic!

U.S. News & World Report recently released its best business schools 2009 rankings. No big surprise – HBS, Stanford GSB, Wharton, MIT Sloan, University of Chicago, and Kellogg topped the charts. As compared with last year’s rankings, Stanford moved up to tie Harvard for the #1 spot, Wharton remained solid at #3, and Chicago/Kellogg bumped up to tie Sloan for #4 (triple tie). Triple ties among top ten business schools are not uncommon in U.S. News rankings, and occurred in 2003, 1999, and 1998, to name a few instances.

Rising Stars: Stanford, Chicago, Kellogg, UC Berkeley

Moving Down: Michigan, Duke, UVA

The 2009 rankings reflect data collected in fall 2007 and early 2008. U.S. News utilizes a ranking methodology whereby programs are assessed in three broad categories: quality assessment (weighted 40%), placement success (weighted 35%), and student selectivity (weighted 25%).

Curious about other rankings? Check out Financial Times (global rankings), Business Week (click “Full-Time MBA” tab), and Forbes.

HBS announced its decision yesterday to appoint Anjali Raina to serve as Executive Director of its India Research Center (IRC) in Mumbai, India (see AScribe Newswire article). The IRC was established in 2006 to support the school’s efforts to research economy and business related matters in India and South Asia generally.

Also in recent news, the 12th annual Wharton India Economic Forum concluded successfully last Saturday, 3.22.08. The event, organized around the theme “India ¦ Imagine” drew a diverse array of business professionals and luminaries, including the former President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, who delivered the closing speech.

The push to establish a presence in Asia (including India) is not exclusive to Harvard. INSEAD and Chicago GSB both have campuses in Singapore. Other business schools have established programs dedicated to Asian studies, such as Haas, which launched its Asia Business Center this year. For more on the rise of Asian business schools, check out this CNN article discussing global program rankings.

The QS World MBA Tour offered a chat recently on navigating the MBA admissions process. Here are some of the highlights of that session, led by Zoya Zaitseva, manager of the European leg of the world’s biggest international MBA fair.

What is a real difference between European and US MBAs? What are the reasons to choose each of them?

We all have different reasons for choosing the schools. Somebody doesn’t want to travel too far and prefers to study in Europe; others need guaranteed loans and apply to top American schools only. I would put it this way: if you want to be able to work in the US, Europe or any other part of the world, American schools would be your choice. It is much more challenging to find a good job in States after a European or Asian business schools (but I am not saying it is impossible). Most of the American schools offer two-year programs; students are a bit younger than in Europe. At the same time, there are two-year program in Europe and one year programs in States.

Do the top schools have seats for applicants from different counties? If I’m a Filipino and 25 years old, is that diverse enough for the admissions committee from the top 10 schools?

Being just “a Filipino and 25 years old” might not be good enough. Think of yourself as of the candidate who needs to get in, but stand out. You will be competing with hundreds of international candidates from around the world, so your age and nationality is not what you sell. Before you start working on your application package, write down five-six selling points that make you different from other candidates. While working on your essays or getting ready for the interview always remember these points and prove your uniqueness in all possible ways, not just by the ethnic background.

I face some financial difficulties. What are my chances for them to offer me a considerable scholarship that could cover at least 3/4 of my tuition fees?

Scholarships are rather limited in the MBA world, but at the same time there are millions of dollars of unclaimed scholarships so please do your homework and study the web for the opportunities. QS World MBA Tour offers over $1M in scholarships, schools do it every year on need-based or merit-based grounds; independent providers are there for you: www.myrichuncle.com, www.fastweb.com, etc. In the US most of the top business schools will be also able to provide you with the loan, which is also a great option for an MBA candidate.

If I want to stop being an employee and start my own business, which Executive MBA is the best choice for me?

Executive MBA programs are actually not that great for career switchers. Why not do an Executive MBA while you are still working and then set up your own business? The school will give you not just knowledge and tools, but also a fantastic network that might generate new ideas for your career future.

If you plan to combine work and study, check out modular MBA programs. For the candidates located in Central Europe or ex-USSR countries something like one week every two months works better than every second weekend in London. Chicago GSB in London, INSEAD in Paris, IMD in Lausanne, Duke-Goethe in Frankfurt, IESE in Barcelona – this is not the full list of the modular MBA programs that you may consider. IE Business School in Spain and Ashridge in the UK are good in entrepreneurship, check them out, too.

I have good school and college background and can get LoRs (letters of recommendation) from both my deans. However, when it comes to an LoR from my workplace, my client, who is a senior project manager, is one difficult fellow who might give me just a “Good” LoR, while my direct manager would give me a “Great!” LoR but is just a team lead and not a very high ranked person in the organization. Whom should I take an LoR from?

Which one of your prospective recommenders has wider experience with you and had a chance to observe you in a team environment or stressful situations when you had to demonstrate your leaderships skills, creativity, problem solving talents, etc? I mean, the recommendation is not about the title, but about how well the recommender actually knows you. A good LoR from a client with whom you’ve been working for over a year will be better than a great LoR from a team lead who has known you for just a couple of months. Besides, you can always balance good recommendation with great essays – just tell about what you think would be missing in the recommendation there.

What would be your personal advice about the best European/UK EMBA program?

Depends upon where are you based, how flexible you are in terms of the traveling, your background and career goals. There are a lot of strong Executive MBA programs in Europe – European, joint international, American, so it is up to you which one you pick up.

From my previous experience I can say that the candidates from Russia and Ukraine usually prefer modular programs that allow them to travel for not more than six weeks a year or so (except for IMD). Here are some of the Executive MBA programs that you may consider: Chicago GSB – London, IESE, INSEAD, IMD, TRIUM, One MBA, LBS/Columbia and LBS Executive MBA, Duke Fuqua, IE Business School.