Meet The Chicago Booth MBA Class of 2017

Kevin Xu

University of Chicago, Booth School of Business 

Hometown: Rochester Hills, Michigan

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Michigan – Industrial and Operations Engineering (BSE); University of Michigan Law School – Law (JD)

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: Reed Smith LLP – Corporate Associate; Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg LLP – Senior Corporate Associate

Recalling your own experience, what advice do you have for applicants who are preparing for either the GMAT or the GRE? The most important aspect to scoring well on the GMAT to me was mastering time management as the questions on the exam became more difficult. Being able to move on from a difficult question when I got to a certain level of assuredness of an answer, which in many circumstances was not 100% or even 90%, really helped my score in the long run.

Based on your own selection process, what advice do you have for applicants who are trying to draw up a list of target schools to which to apply? I think applicants should review closely their personal profile (undergraduate institution and GPA, GMAT score, work experience, unique factors, etc.) and their career goals for post-MBA. Based on this review, an applicant should develop a list of schools that include one or two safety schools, a few schools that fit their profile, and one or two reach schools (each based on what the applicant thinks his/her odds are of being admitted to such school). When selecting schools, make sure to research if that school is particularly well-regarded in certain industries as that should affect whether the school makes the target list.

What advice do you have for applicants in actually applying to a school, writing essays, doing admission interviews, and getting recommenders to write letters on your behalf?  Regarding essays, I would leave plenty of time to write, review, have others review, and revise. My personal essay evolved over several weeks as I received feedback from multiple reviewers through multiple drafts. It took approximately 6 weeks and 6 to 7 drafts to finalize my personal essay. Regarding recommenders, I think the most important aspect is to choose someone who knows you and your work on an intimate basis and can speak passionately about both of those topics. That, to me, is more important than the title/position of your recommender.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? I chose Chicago Booth Business School for its strength and stellar reputation in finance, its location in a large market city, and its close-knit feel due to its smaller class size.

What would you ultimately like to achieve before you graduate? I would like to attain a strong understanding of the way capital and debt markets work, an expertise in financial and general quantitative analysis, and a network of great friends and future business contacts. I also would like to take this opportunity to step back from the daily grind and really focus on the larger picture of what I want out of my career and my personal life.