mbaMission

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business (Chicago Booth) is known for its “Chicago Approach”—a multidisciplinary teaching framework that uses economics, psychology, sociology, and statistics in a collaborative setting to produce bold leaders with excellent problem-solving skills. With access to a huge global alumni network, a world-renowned faculty, and a pedagogy that combines theory, analytics, case study, and experiential learning, Boothies are prepared to pursue careers in diverse fields.

An M7 school, Chicago Booth is the birthplace of new classical economics, backed by an array of distinguished professors, Nobel Prize winners, and alumni. Chicago Booth offers a full-time MBA program at its Hyde Park campus, as well as part-time MBA programs (evening and weekend) and an executive MBA program at the Gleacher Center in downtown Chicago. Outside the United States, Chicago Booth offers an executive MBA program at its Hong Kong and London campuses. Candidates can also pursue joint degrees at Chicago Booth in law, arts, medicine, computer science, social work, and public policy.

Applicants interested in Chicago Booth must combine their analytical aptitude and curiosity to craft a compelling application and to interview authentically, and mbaMission can help candidates accomplish this, thanks to our consultants’ deep creativity, knowledge, expertise, and rigor.

Chicago Booth Insider’s Guide

Although its reputation as a “finance school” is warranted, Chicago Booth is also known for its flexible curriculum and hands-on, experiential opportunities. The program has demonstrated immense strengths in the areas of consulting, entrepreneurship, and marketing. Through our Insider’s Guide to the Chicago Booth School of Business, you will learn more about the school’s unique LEAD program on leadership, Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, International Business Exchange Program, New Venture and Small Enterprise Lab, multiple Nobel Prize–winning and distinguished faculty, and famous alumni, as well as opportunities to bond with classmates via the annual ski trip, Liquidity Preference Functions, Random Walks, and Thursday Night Drinking Club.

Download for Free

Chicago Booth Interview Guide

University of Chicago Booth School of Business interviews are typically “blind,” meaning the interviewers will have read your resume but not your essays or application. The interviews are usually conducted by students and alumni. Candidates have frequently reported to us that their interviews were “casual, friendly, conversational, laid back, and structured” but that sometimes they can also be “direct and very formal.” While the Chicago Booth admissions committee has evaluated your analytical and intellectual ability via your written application, the interviewer is trying to gauge your personality, style, curiosity, and communication skills through questions related to your resume and work, your behavioral attributes, why you want to pursue an MBA at Chicago Booth, and what you will bring to the Chicago Booth community. Applicants who interview with authenticity, poise, confidence, and humility tend to do well. For sample interview questions and other insights, read our Chicago Booth School of Business Interview Guide.

Download for Free

Chicago Booth Essay Analysis, 2024–2025

The two required application essay prompts for the University of Chicago Booth School of Business complement each other well, allowing candidates to offer insight into both their professional lives and their personal lives. The school also offers applicants significant leeway in how thoroughly they want (or feel they need) to respond to the questions by stipulating a minimum word count of 250 but no maximum. That said, the admissions committee does offer “response guidelines,” encouraging applicants to “think strategically” about how long their essays ultimately are. No doubt Chicago Booth is interested in learning more about you and your story (as fits the given question, of course) but is simultaneously not interested in learning absolutely everything you can think of to share.

Essay 1: How will a Booth MBA help you achieve your immediate and long-term post-MBA career goals? (Minimum 250 words, no maximum.)
Essay 2: An MBA is as much about personal growth as it is about professional development. In addition to sharing your experience and goals in terms of career, we’d like to learn more about you outside of the office. Use this opportunity to tell us something about who you are… (Minimum 250 words, no maximum.)

Click here to read our analysis

Chicago Booth MBA Class Profile (Class of 2026)

Class Size	632
Average GMAT	729
GMAT Range	590–780
Applicants Who Reported a GRE Score	38%
Average GRE Verbal	161
Average GRE Quant	163
GRE Verbal Range	145–170
GRE Quantitative Range	148–170
Average Work Experience	5 years
Average GPA	3.60
GPA Range	2.36–4.0
Average Student Age	28
Countries Represented	66
Women	42%
U.S. Minority Students (percentage of U.S. citizens and permanent residents who identify as American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian American, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx American, Native Hawaiian, or Other Pacific Islander)	48.2%
International Students	35%
Veterans	10%
LGBTQ+	9%

Chicago Booth MBA Rankings

In recent years, Chicago Booth has typically been ranked among the top ten MBA programs in the United States in the most prestigious MBA rankings. In Bloomberg Businessweek’s MBA rankings—which many consider the preeminent such survey—the school was ranked second in the United States in 2024. In the Financial Times’ 2023 survey, Chicago Booth was ranked sixth in the United States and tenth internationally. The program was listed 11th in the 2024 Poets&Quants ranking of U.S. business schools, although it stood in second place for many prior years. In the 2024 U.S. News & World Report survey, the school was ranked third. In addition, U.S. News ranked the school among the top ten in the country in the following specialty areas: part-time MBA (first), finance (second), executive MBA (third), accounting (sixth), marketing (seventh), business analytics (eighth), and nonprofit (ninth).

Chicago Booth MBA 2024 Acceptance Rate

The Chicago Booth MBA program boasts an acceptance rate of approximately 27%. This prestigious program attracts ambitious and driven individuals who seek to thrive in a rigorous academic environment that emphasizes analytical thinking and leadership development.

Prospective students are drawn to Chicago Booth not only for its esteemed faculty and innovative curriculum but also for its vibrant community and extensive alumni network. The competitive acceptance rate reflects the program’s commitment to assembling a diverse cohort of future leaders who are ready to make a significant impact in the business world. If you’re ready to join the ranks of Booth’s accomplished graduates, you’ll find a transformative experience that equips you with the skills and connections to excel in any industry.

Chicago Booth MBA Admissions Deadlines (2024–2025 Application Season)

Round 1 Application Deadline
September 19, 2024

Round 1 Decision Notification
December 5, 2024

Round 2 Application Deadline
January 7, 2025

Round 2 Decision Notification
March 27, 2025

Round 3 Application Deadline
April 3, 2025

Round 3 Decision Notification
May 22, 2025

Chicago Booth Scholars Application Deadline
April 29, 2025

Chicago Booth Scholars Decision Notification
July 1, 2025

mbaMission Testimonials from Chicago Booth Applicants

Look no further!

I highly recommend working with Harshad [Mali] to help you with your business school applications. Through his help and a long few months, I got into GSB, Wharton, and Booth!

I actually started a little late (in November) for Round 2 deadlines, but Harshad was more than up for the challenge. He set expectations up front—we knew going in this is going to be an uphill battle.

From the onset, it was clear that Harshad was highly organized and methodical in his approach. Harshad is definitely not someone who will beat around the bush and/or sugarcoat. He is direct but thoughtful, which is the exact duo you will need while going through this process, especially when you get to a point where every day matters. I did this application process while working full-time, which definitely made my availability difficult, but Harshad was very flexible and available for late nights and weekends, whenever I needed him! He is unparalleled with his turnaround time, which definitely surpassed my expectations.

Part of the challenge of building out your application is not just having a good story but showing the story rather than telling the story. This is where I found Harshad to be a differentiator—he takes the time to get to know you, your interests, your passions, and who you are as a person and makes sure to reflect that in his process to helping build out your application. He will steer you away when you think certain information is valuable to have but is really just fluff (which was extremely useful when trying to meet those pesky word counts!) and push you to write more impact even when you think there isn’t anything left. During the mock interviews, he falls into school-specific persons that allow you to really practice through different styles of interviews.

Overall, Harshad genuinely wants you to succeed and will do his best to get you to the best place you can be. I recommended Harshad without reservation and to the fullest extent!

Harold Simansky—Superb Hourly Service

I highly recommend Harold Simansky for his hourly services. Through Harold’s resume and essay reviews, I was accepted with scholarship to Booth, Kellogg, Tuck, and Columbia.

Harold was extremely timely and communicative. His reviews—even when it was busy season for Round 2—were extremely efficient. When I had an urgent request due to an upcoming deadline, Harold was understanding and was quick to prioritize my work.

In terms of the feedback, it was clear that Harold had extensive experience in reviewing essays and tailoring them to each school. The essay feedback was very helpful and prescriptive, allowing me to quickly edit and turn around versions. Harold even shared my essays and resume with other reviewers at mbaMission for no charge. I really felt that I received more value than what I was paying for!

Highly recommend Melissa Merchant!

When I first started the MBA application process, I doubted whether my profile was competitive enough to get in to a top school. Melissa helped me identify and capitalize on the unique stories and experiences from my background, helping me craft applications where I could highlight my strengths and mitigate my weaknesses. I thought I knew what I wanted to write in my essays, but Melissa helped fine-tune my ideas and pointed out experiences that she felt were unique which I wasn’t considering before. She’s also a skilled editor—I tend to be a verbose writer, and Melissa easily cut 200+ words from my essays while still maintaining the content and emotions of my story. Additionally, she is an incredible mentor and cheerleader, answering my questions candidly but compassionately and reassuring me when I was overwhelmed or anxious about the process.

Ultimately, with Melissa’s help, I landed interviews at 4 M7 schools, and was admitted into two of them—Chicago Booth ($70k merit scholarship) and Columbia ($50k merit scholarship)! Melissa even went out of her way to review my scholarship negotiation essays and a waitlist update essay for another program. I’m extremely happy with these results and am confident that Melissa’s support and guidance were instrumental in helping me land them. If you’re in the market for an admissions consultant, look no further!

Chicago Booth School of Business: Everything You Need to Know