Tips on Chicago Booth Admissions

Want to know more about getting into the nation's top-ranked business school? Here's a transcript of our most recent online chat

Rosemaria Martinelli
University of Chicago

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The University of Chicago business school has had a big year. Recently, alumnus David Booth gave the school $300 million, the largest gift ever given to a business school by an individual, which prompted the school to change its name to the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Shortly afterward, the business school was named number one in the U.S. by BusinessWeek for the second ranking in a row.

Recently, Rosemaria Martinelli (RosemariaM), associate dean of student recruitment and admissions at Booth, took questions from BusinessWeek reporter Francesca Di Meglio (FrancescaBW) and an audience of aspiring MBA students. They were joined by second-year student Rachel Patton (Rachel), whose concentration is in strategic management, marketing, and organizational behavior. Patton interned at Dow Chemical (DOW) over the summer and will be returning there to work after graduation. Here is an edited transcript of their conversation:

FrancescaBW: Rosemaria, please tell us a little bit about the culture at Chicago Booth.

RosemariaM: Chicago is an amazing place to be at this time. Our community is actively engaged in questioning and debating the issues of our times. Students are engaged, collaborative, and supportive of each individual's personal and professional pursuits.

Rachel: One of the great parts about Booth is the supportive environment. For example, I was involved in the Corporate Management and Strategy Group, and this group was absolutely instrumental in me securing my internship. All of the members of the group did everything they could to prepare me for my internship interviews.

adi83: I have six years of experience in marketing. I want to switch to finance, especially investment banking. Considering today's economy, how can the University of Chicago help me in this transition?

Rachel: One of my classmates actually made a transition from a nontraditional background into investment banking. She was a teacher and then worked in PR before coming to Booth, and she ultimately got an internship and full-time offer from Goldman. Is it easy? No, but it's possible. She worked very hard to get that position, but the curriculum at Booth really helped her build the skill set she needed to move into banking.

crack_the_gmat_2: What's the main difference between part-time and full-time programs at Booth?

RosemariaM: The education is exactly the same—same professors and courses. The difference is in the experience. Part-time students are working professionals and therefore do not have the full immersion experience of the full-time. We all make tradeoffs—whether to continue working or to take the time off to attend a full-time program. This is an important consideration to make from the get-go when evaluating your options.

sudhir3127: How does Chicago looks at a low GMAT score (less than the mid range), if the applicant has done very well in academics?

RosemariaM: The GMAT score is just one component of many that we evaluate in your application. If you feel your score does not fairly represent your abilities, take it again (of course with preparation). If it is still below what you think it should be, don't get bogged down. Work on the other aspects of your application. You might want to write a brief note in the optional essay to state the disparity between your academics and GMAT.

booth_aspirant: I have a question for Essay 2. What are you looking for from a candidate in the essay 2 question?

RosemariaM: Question 2 is a request for you to talk about an experience in your life/career.