Preparing for R2 at Booth

The Round 2 deadline for Chicago Booth School of Business is just days away (January 6th), so if you have some last-minute questions that need answering, you may find what you’re looking for in this transcript from a recent chat with full-time admissions.

Rose Martinelli, associate dean for student recruitment and admissions, updated her Rose Report Blog yesterday with some Round 2 reminders…check those out here.

And now, for a sampling of the Q&As of interest to anyone applying in an upcoming round…

I have taken the GMAT test late, therefore it is very difficult for me to apply in Round 2. Do the chances of an admit drop in R3?

If you have taken the GMAT by the Round 2 deadline, you can still apply in Round 2. That said, you are welcome to apply in Round 3 as well. We do admit fewer applicants in Round 3, as we have fewer spots available. We suggest that you apply when your application is at its best.

Please highlight the difference between the two rounds, R1 and R2.

There are very few differences between Rounds 1 and 2. Round 1 starts the entire process, and the slate is clean when we begin. Round 2 is typically our largest round, and as a result, we make the most offers of admission.

I don’t see any limit about the number of words for the optional essay. In your opinion, how long should the optional essay be?

There is no limit; however, we encourage you to keep the optional essay brief, and to be judicious about how to use this portion of the application. It should be utilized to explain any anomalies in the application, or to talk about some aspect of your candidacy that can’t be discussed elsewhere.

I have heard that a few MBA programs avoid people with more experience due to difficulty in placing them. I have nine years of experience in IT , a GMAT score of 760, and am currently a project manager. How would you look at my CV?

To be candid, we do not focus a lot of attention on years of experience, rather an applicants ability to convey their sense of urgency for enrolling in an MBA program at this stage of their career. Why is now the essential time for you to get an MBA? For some they come to that realization early in their career for others it takes longer, but we need to understand why this makes sense for you at this stage of your career and why it makes sense at Booth.

Could you please elaborate on the slide presentation? Should it take form in a picture format? Essay? What is rewarded for this task? Creativity? Innovative thinking? What exactly is a slide presentation? Can it simply communicate our interests and goals?

The slide presentation is an opportunity for you to share additional information with us in a format that bests suits you. There are no strict guidelines for this, as we would like to give you the freedom to express yourself. The only restrictions to the slide presentation are including sound or motion graphics, as we print out the presentation (in color). Our best advice for the presentation is to use it strategically within your application. Make sure that the information you choose to share is not included elsewhere in the application, and that it answers the question posed.

How long does it generally take for interviews to get scheduled after the second round application deadline?

Invitations for interviews will begin after 1/20/09. If you choose to conduct an alumni interview it can take a few days for you to connect to one of our alums.

Are Early Career Applicants at a disadvantage to regular applicants? Do you have any recommendations to someone who is planning on applying to Booth early in their career?

Early career candidates are not at a disadvantage. We are looking for the best applicants. Many of our early career candidates do a great job explaining their career path, work experience (if any), level of maturity and reasons for getting an MBA from Chicago Booth.

For more from this live chat with admissions, see the complete transcript here.

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