Tuesday Tips: Chicago Booth MBA Essay Tips for the Class of 2028
The University of Chicago Booth School of Business consistently ranks among the world’s top MBA programs—and it’s not just because of the school’s reputation for academic rigor. Booth attracts intellectually curious, independent thinkers who thrive in an environment that values inquiry, innovation, and challenge. Along with solid academics, Chicago will look for leadership, team-building skills, and community involvement. Review our Booth MBA essay tips to strengthen your application strategy.
Chicago Booth MBA Essays
Response Guidelines: We trust that you will use your best judgment in determining how long your submission should be, but we recommend that you think strategically about how to best allocate the space.
Format: Submissions must be entered into the text box provided in the application.
This set of essays focuses on both your career goals and your personality. The second essay is about your interests. Also, note that Chicago sets a word minimum for the required essay responses, while most schools list a maximum. Therefore, Chicago Booth seeks to evaluate your judgment on the submission length. Aim to be concise but complete, using specific examples and evocative details.
Do as much school research as possible before brainstorming responses, especially for the second essay about Booth’s community. Attend virtual or in-person events, explore Booth’s Student Stories blog, and talk to current students or alums. If possible, visit the campus and experience the culture firsthand. The more grounded your knowledge, the more tailored and persuasive your essays will be.
The Chicago MBA admissions committee can see your academic skills from your GPA/GMAT, transcripts, and other fixed data points. You should cover your personal qualities, leadership, and career goals in these essays.
Essay Question #1
How will a Booth MBA help you achieve your immediate and long-term post-MBA career goals? (Minimum 250 words, no maximum.)
This essay is your opportunity to connect the dots between your past achievements, future ambitions, and why Booth is the essential bridge between the two.
Think about what you have done so far in your career. What have you learned? How can you use your experiences to inform your future goals? Then, think about how a Booth MBA can fill in any gaps. What classes or experiential learning opportunities are most relevant? Which professors, clubs, or career resources will help you achieve your goals?
This question asks for short- and long-term goals, so keep your long-term path in mind as you answer. Ideally, your short-term job goal leads directly to your long-term career goal, and an MBA education is necessary for both paths. Examples from your prior roles will support achieving your goals with the required education and experience.
Avoid generic statements like “I want to make an impact” unless you can support them with specific goals and relevant career context.
Remember, this essay asks why Booth is the right place for you. Research the classes, clubs, faculty, and career resources that align with your goals. The more specific and relevant, the stronger your case.
Curious about your chances of getting into a top B-school? Contact us to talk strategy with a free 15-minute advising session with an SBC Principal Consultant.
Essay Question #2
Chicago Booth appreciates the individual experiences and perspectives that all of our students bring to our community. This respect for different viewpoints creates an open-minded environment that supports curiosity, inspires us to think more broadly, and take risks. At Booth, community is about collaborative thinking and learning from one another to better ourselves, our ideas, and the world around us.
The photos below represent some of the values described above that we uphold at Chicago Booth. Select one and share how it resonates with one of your own values. (250-word minimum)
This prompt invites you to reveal something deeper: What truly matters to you, and how does Booth’s community resonate with that value? You’ll choose one of Booth’s provided images and reflect on how it connects to a core personal belief or formative experience.
When you choose the photo, consider how it represents the Booth community. As the prompt describes, the Booth community is about “collaborative thinking and learning from one another to better ourselves, our ideas, and the world around us.”
Each photo depicts a very different setting, from the classroom to a live event. Some photos show camaraderie with your classmates, others with the broader community of faculty and staff. When you describe your chosen photo, consider what drew you in. Was it the energy of the moment? A sense of connection among the people? What did it make you feel, and why?
Don’t just name the value—illustrate it. Maybe a photo reminds you of a moment when you helped lead a team through adversity or forged unexpected bonds across cultures. The strongest essays will pair introspection with vivid storytelling.
Then, link the feeling you felt when viewing the photo with your own core values. When describing your own values, think of personal details and stories to illustrate the essay. Have you done something in a volunteer capacity that shows who you are? Or does your cultural background have an impact on your personality? What experiences have made an impact on you?
After you tell the story, reflect on the meaning. How did these experiences help you grow as a person? And what does that illustrate about your values? This Booth MBA essay should communicate who you are and what motivates you. Overall, your goal with both essays is to give the admissions committee a holistic sense of your potential in academics, business, and life.
Optional Question
Is there any unclear information in your application that needs further explanation? (maximum 300 words)
This optional essay is flexible, allowing you to provide as much information as you need. Use this space to clarify any gaps or concerns in your application—such as academic issues, career breaks, or a lack of traditional experience. You can also share a compelling story or achievement that didn’t fit elsewhere but adds valuable context. Just be sure it adds insight, not repetition.
For inspo, check out B-Schooled Podcast Episode #83: Spotlight on Booth
Reapplicant Question
Upon reflection, how has your perspective regarding your future, Chicago Booth, and/or getting an MBA changed since the time of your last application? (Maximum 300 words.)
This is an interesting re-applicant question because instead of asking how your candidacy has improved, Booth asks how your perspective has changed. Improvements such as better test scores, a promotion, or a new job would still be helpful information. However, the focus is on reflecting on yourself and your goals since you applied to Booth.
Booth wants to understand how your thinking has evolved—not just what’s new on your resume. Reflect on what’s changed in your perspective on your goals, Booth, or the MBA path in general. Have your motivations deepened? Has new experience reshaped your plan? Show growth, clarity, and resilience.
When writing this essay, consider what has changed since your last application. For example, have you learned more about your career path, formed new relationships, or changed your career goals? Also, this is an ideal essay to demonstrate self-awareness and leadership qualities. Another essential angle is communicating a realistic sense of how the Booth MBA fits your future professional plans.
***
Ready to take the next step toward your MBA goals? Visit the Chicago Booth admissions website to learn more about applying. Then, connect with Stacy Blackman Consulting to put your strategy into motion. From our comprehensive All-In Partnership to targeted, hourly support for your essays or MBA resume, we offer services tailored to your needs.
Contact SBC today for a free 15-minute advising session with a Principal Consultant, and get expert insight on how to stand out at Booth.
Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our SBC team.
Ashley
Ashley is a former MBA Admissions Board Member for Harvard Business School (HBS), where she interviewed and evaluated thousands of business school applicants for over a six year tenure. Ashley holds an MBA from HBS. During her HBS years, Ashley was the Sports Editor for the Harbus and a member of the B-School Blades Ice Hockey Team. After HBS, she worked in Marketing at the Gillette Company on Male and Female shaving ...
×Pauline
A former associate director of admissions at Harvard Business School, Pauline served on the HBS MBA Admissions Board full-time for four years. She evaluated and interviewed HBS applicants, both on-campus and globally. Pauline's career has included sales and marketing management roles with Coca-Cola, Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and IBM. For over 10 years, Pauline has expertly guided MBA applicants, and her clients h ...
×Laura
Laura comes from the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS) and is an HBS MBA alumnus. In her HBS Admissions role, she evaluated and interviewed hundreds of business school candidates, including internationals, women, military and other applicant pools, for five years. Prior to her time as a student at HBS, Laura began her career in advertising and marketing in Chicago at Leo Burnett where she worked on th ...
×Andrea
Andrea served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years. In this role, she provided strategic direction for student yield-management activities and also served as a full member of the admissions committee. In 2007, Andrea launched the new 2+2 Program at Harvard Business School – a program targeted at college junior applicants to Harvard Business School. Andrea has also served as a Career Coach for Harvard Business School for both cu ...
×Jennifer
Jennifer served as Admissions Officer at the Stanford (GSB) for five years. She holds an MBA from Stanford (GSB) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Jennifer has over 15 years experience in guiding applicants through the increasingly competitive admissions process into top MBA programs. Having read thousands and thousands of essays and applications while at Stanford (GSB) Admiss ...
×Erin K.
Erin served in key roles in MBA Admissions--as Director at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Assistant Director at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB). Erin served on the admissions committee at each school and has read thousands of applications in her career. At Haas, she served for seven years in roles that encompassed evaluation, outreach, and diversity and inclusion. During her tenure in Admissions at GSB, she was responsible for candidate evaluation, applicant outreach, ...
×Susie
Susie comes from the Admissions Office of the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she reviewed and evaluated hundreds of prospective students’ applications. She holds an MBA from Stanford’s GSB and a BA from Stanford in Economics. Prior to advising MBA applicants, Susie held a variety of roles over a 15-year period in capital markets, finance, and real estate, including as partner in one of the nation’s most innovative finance and real estate investment organizations. In that r ...
×Dione
Dione holds an MBA degree from Stanford Business School (GSB) and a BA degree from Stanford University, where she double majored in Economics and Communication with concentrations in journalism and sociology. Dione has served as an Admissions reader and member of the Minority Admissions Advisory Committee at Stanford. Dione is an accomplished and respected advocate and thought leader on education and diversity. She is ...
×Anthony
Anthony served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise. During his time as a Wharton Admissions Officer, he read and reviewed thousands of applications and helped bring in a class of 800+ students a year. Anthony has traveled both domestically and internationally to recruit a ...
×Meghan
Meghan served as the Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute, a joint degree program combining the Wharton MBA with an MA in International Studies. In her role on the Wharton MBA admissions committee, Meghan advised domestic and international applicants; conducted interviews and information sessions domestically and overseas in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe; and evaluated applicants for admission to the program. Meghan also managed ...
×Amy
Amy comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was Associate Director. Amy devoted 12 years at the Wharton School, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team. During her tenure at Wharton, Amy served as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students. She conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions ...
×Ally
Ally brings six years of admissions experience to the SBC team, most recently as an Assistant Director of Admission for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS). During her time at Columbia, Ally was responsible for reviewing applications, planning recruitment events, and interviewing candidates for both the full-time MBA program and the Executive MBA program. She traveled both internationally and dome ...
×Emma
Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director. Emma conducted dozens of interviews each cycle for the MBA and EMBA programs, as well as coordinating the alumni ambassador interview program. She read and evaluated hundreds of applications each cycle, delivered information sessions to audiences across the globe, and advised countless waitlisted applicants. ×
Dana
Dana served as Assistant Director of Admissions at Columbia Business School for the Full-Time MBA program and has over 10 years of experience working in higher education. Known as a scrupulous file reader, Dana reviewed countless applications and assisted in rendering final decisions for the Admissions Committee at CBS. While leading information sessions at Columbia and on the road, Dana met and advised myriad applicants� ...
×Holly
Holly worked as a member of the NYU Stern MBA Admissions team for seven years and holds an MBA from NYU Stern. In her tenure as Director of NYU MBA Admissions, Holly worked closely with admissions teams from Columbia, Michigan Ross, UVA Darden, Cornell Johnson, Berkeley Haas, Yale SOM, and Duke Fuqua on recruiting events domestically and internationally. On the NYU Stern admissions committee, Holly conducted interviews, planned and hosted events, and trained staff on reading and interviewi ...
×Mark
Mark has been working in global higher education for nearly ten years, focusing on MBA Admissions at European programs including Oxford Said Business School and London Business School (LBS). At the University of Oxford’s Said Business School, Mark was the Associate Director of MBA Recruitment, leading the recruitment of all applicants to the Oxford MBA and 1+1 MBA programs. In this role, Mark advised countless MBA applic ...
×
