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Chicago Booth is a business school that might seem to embody a number of contradictory sides, but a closer look actually reveals how these elements instead complement one another. Although the school has long been known for its leadership in the areas of finance and economics, it also offers remarkable resources for aspiring MBAs who wish to head into entrepreneurship, technology, or marketing. The individual is celebrated at Booth—students engineer their own curriculum and are encouraged to use data to guide their decisions, rather than simply following others’ leads—but at the same time, the concepts of teamwork and collaboration are integrated throughout the program. What unifies Booth’s various facets is the program’s underlying aim to teach students how to think independently and be bold. 

A complementary dynamic is evident in Booth’s application essays as well. One essay prompt is practical and tactical, whereas the other is open-ended and exploratory. Together, the essays give applicants a broad canvas on which to present their candidacy. 

Essay 1: How will a Booth MBA help you achieve your immediate and long-term post-MBA career goals? (Minimum 250 words, no maximum.)

Chicago Booth’s first essay prompt is direct and to the point, while nonetheless providing cues that should help you craft a logically sound response. This prompt falls under the “goal statement” umbrella of essay types, and we encourage you to leverage an equation of sorts in developing your response: share your vision for both the near term and the more distant future, demonstrate the connection between that vision and your past, and explain how the school will enable you to bridge the gap between your past and your future. So, your past plus the MBA equals—or in other words, will lead to—your future. Note that Booth does not explicitly ask you in its prompt to share anything about your career history. However, providing some context in this way is key; your argument for “why Booth” will be much stronger if the admissions committee can see how the program fits into your journey. 

Considering your professional past can also be an effective way of determining whether your goals are appropriately ambitious. If the connection between your career aspirations and your past is neither easily recognizable nor stated outright—say, you have been working in investing banking, focused on industrials, but now want to found your own consumer goods venture with a social impact angle—the Booth admissions committee will be left wondering how on earth you expect to achieve this pivot and/or questioning whether you are truly committed to your stated path. That said, if you are a consultant and plan to remain in consulting post MBA, you will still need to contrast the consultant you want to become with the consultant you are now. Otherwise, the school might assume that you do not actually need an MBA to reach your goals. Be sure to answer both parts of the school’s prompt: you must outline your goals for immediately after business school and your longer-term objectives. And your goals should make sense when viewed together. Your long-term objectives should naturally and understandably flow from your short-term goals, and your short-term aspirations should be building blocks toward your long-term goals. 

Why does all this matter? Because Booth wants to supports its students in reaching their goals. In a world of too many promising applicants and not enough spots in the classroom, Booth will choose the MBA candidates it believes it can genuinely help. If your goals do not make sense in the context of where you have been or where you are headed, the admissions committee will be hesitant to invest in you. 

Equally important in your essay—your argument—is demonstrating how Booth will help you in achieving your vision. To fulfill this part of the prompt, focus on the holes in your skills and/or experience that you need to fill to succeed in your post-MBA roles, and then identify the resources, programs, courses, clubs, professors, and experiences in business school—specifically, at Booth—that will allow you to do so. This is where research is critical. Spend time on Booth’s website, watch its YouTube videos, visit campus or attend local marketing events, and reach out to students and alumni. One thing we hear consistently about Booth students is that they are wonderfully warm and welcoming! Moreover, Booth is one of the few programs that invites its students, faculty members, and alumni to recommend candidates for admission, via its Shape the Class program. Your goal in talking to people in the Booth community and network is not to secure such an endorsement, however; it is to research the program more thoroughly and really come to understand the Booth MBA experience. If someone you connect with subsequently elects to submit an endorsement of you, though, that would of course be an excellent by-product! Really think about what you need from a Booth MBA, how you will engage with the community and the coursework, and how your experience will empower you to reach the goals you have put forth.  

A note on the word limit for this essay—or rather, the lack thereof. Booth states that your submission must be at least 250 words. Beyond that, the sky is the limit; the school stipulates no maximum. The good news is that you have as much room as you need to make your argument for a spot in Booth’s class. The bad news is that the number of words you use is fully up to you, a decision that can easily cause angst and uncertainty. The second piece of bad news is that an overly verbose essay will tire the admissions committee. So how can you know what is “too long” or “just right”? There is no hard and fast rule here, but one tip is to consider the word limits that other schools set for their goal statement essays. Several in Booth’s peer group offer applicants roughly 500 words. Can you go over 500 words for your Booth essay, then? Of course! But ask yourself whether everything you are considering including in your response is truly critical to shoring up the “why Booth” element in your essay’s “equation.” Anything that is secondary can likely be removed. 

Watch our video workshop Your Career Statement – Fact, Fiction, and How to Build One for additional guidance on developing your goal statement essay.

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.)

We at Gatehouse Admissions love this essay prompt. For any of you reading this post who are already working with us, that statement will not likely surprise you. We not only enjoy learning about our clients—who they are—but we also enjoy helping our clients then convey who they are in their essays. Some of your personality and character will be revealed in your goal statement essay, but in responding to this prompt, you have no boundaries. The “something” you share with the school can be “anything,” which makes for a tall order, but a rewarding and exciting one. 

Before jumping in, invest some time in thinking expansively about who you are. Contemplate the crucible moments that have tested and shaped you, the hobbies and activities you are passionate about, the people and experiences that have influenced you, your wins and losses, and the source of your drive and ambition. And do not ignore your work experience! Although Booth wants to hear about who you are “outside of the office,” sharing some of your workplace experiences could be helpful in most effectively communicating the “something” about yourself you want the admissions committee to understand. If so, this is okay—as long as you ultimately showcase something more about yourself, beyond what Booth will already know from your resume and goal statement essay. In short, after all this reflection, you will likely find that you have a plethora of ideas for how to respond to this essay prompt. 

Homing in on which of your potential responses is “best” will take judgment and strategy. Even then, “best” is a misnomer—the truth is that you will likely have several options that would serve you well in your application. What is important is choosing something you can support with evidence and stories. Say, for example, that you would like to communicate your interest in advocating for underserved communities. Rather than simply stating this interest, consider communicating where it came from, how your interest has manifested itself in your actions, what you have learned from it, and/or how you have grown in your journey of supporting this interest. As always, include specific, vivid details so the admissions committee can “see” your world and your essay echoes in the admissions readers’ minds long after they have read it.  

Also consider your “so what?” For example, if you are thinking about writing your essay about participating in Spartan Races as part of a team, why do you believe Booth would want to hear about this aspect of your life? What does competing in a Spartan Race have to do with business school? In other words, what is the “so what?” We can imagine that this interest offers a lot of “so what?” Competing in a Spartan Race takes discipline and a willingness to challenge yourself and risk failing; it takes teamwork to succeed and effort to stay motivated and consistently show up for others. All these traits are ones that business schools appreciate. You could craft a strong essay response using this perhaps otherwise surprising topic by connecting the dots between what you share about it and who you are and will be as a leader.

As with its first essay, Chicago Booth suggests a minimum of 250 words, with no maximum. To determine the ideal length, try to find the sweet spot that allows you to give the admissions committee enough information to know you better but not so much that you risk losing the reader’s attention or prompt them to wonder about your judgment skills and level of self-awareness. (Admissions readers have busy lives and a lot of applications to get through, so you want to stay on their good side, not make them wonder why you think your story deserves so much of their time.) As a rule of thumb, keep in mind that most business school essays fall within the range of 300–650 words. You can of course exceed 650 words for this essay, given the lack of a stated maximum, but if you start inching above 650 words, ask yourself whether you can maintain the reader’s interest throughout the additional text—and adjust accordingly, if not. 

For additional tips on crafting business school essays, watch our video The Importance of Business School Application Essays (and How to Write Them).