Meet Chicago Booth’s MBA Class Of 2025

ENERGY AND EXCITEMENT OF CHICAGO

Booth boasts another asset: The city of Chicago itself. Think 31 Fortune 500 companies, not to mention a GDP as big as Switzerland. Picture Lake Michigan beaches, diverse architecture, four distinct seasons, a wide range of cultures, and nearly 20 miles of lakefront jogging trails. Plus, you have the Bulls, Bears, Cubs, and Black Hawks. Never a dull moment and something for everything – all accessible within 30 minutes from by train, says Florida native Kevin M. Hernandez. More than a city, as the cliché goes, Chicago is a piece of mind.

“It’s a place where energy surges in every corner,” says Enrique Rodriguez Chernilo. “From the electric atmosphere of a Bulls game and savoring deep-dish pepperoni pizza, to immersing in its blues roots at spots like Blue Chicago. You can have a memorable time exploring its iconic architecture through the Chicago Architecture River Cruise Tour or countless visits to the beautiful Art Institute of Chicago and make the most of your MBA experience.”

Rodriguez adds that Chicago is an innovation hub. Not to mention, the city also features O’Hare International Airport, the fourth-busiest airport in the world, handling nearly 60,000 countries to and from 45 countries in November 2023 alone. In other words, MBAs can easily head anywhere for events, networking, business, or just fun. In addition, Chicago’s expansive business ecosystem means there are plenty of companies available for recruiting – or even in-semester internships. Even more, Booth’s Hyde Park digs make the school easily accessible to company representatives and speakers.

“The University of Chicago does a great job at getting its graduate students involved in activities across the city and provides opportunities to explore, says Alexa Serra. “At the same time, there is an abundance of communities outside of the university that allow current students to tailor their own Chicago experience outside of the MBA program. I have lived in Chicago for over a year now, and I have been diving into what this city has to offer. You really can’t go wrong by living in Chicago, especially because it is quite affordable compared to other major cities.”

And let’s not forget Chicago’s mouth-watering cuisine, according to alum Jeff Yao. “Italian beef dipped, Harold’s chicken fried hard with mild sauce, and the religious observance of Chicago dogs (ketchup is heresy, celery salt is life) are the better-known ones. However, my son and I have a cherished weekly ritual of picking up carnitas and menudo from neighborhood fixture Carnitas Uruapan on our way home from toddler gymnastics. The gorgeously diverse architecture, the picturesque lakefront, and the friendly Midwestern vibe are all honorable mentions.”

A PLACE TO START A BUSINESS

Chicago has also emerged as a tempting startup hub, attracting $2.3 billion dollars in early-stage investment from 2020-2022 (and spinning out 14 unicorns during the same period). At Booth, the entrepreneurship landscape is centered at the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Think training, funding, and support: accelerators, coursework, mentorships, bootcamps, labs and workshops, conferences, networking events, internships, and competitions. The center is also designed for a variety of constituencies beyond founders, such as students looking to enter private equity or acquire an early-stage company.

“I am very excited about engaging in the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation programs,” says Vanessa Abundis Correa. “Looking back at my previous professional experience, I now realize there is no secret formula to starting and developing a venture. Receiving guidance to validate and/or grow a business model and having access to valuable connections can make a difference throughout the entrepreneurial journey. I am eager to participate in (hopefully a lot of) Booth’s more than 20 courses on entrepreneurship to learn not only about how to build and grow a business (from scratch or through a Search Fund), but also on how to raise funds and manage investors.”

Lori Ebenstein and Anna Jacobs, who earned their MBAs from Booth in 2023, paired up to create inclusive+ as students. Together, they found the Booth curriculum invaluable to launching a venture.

“The Booth MBA program has played a pivotal role in driving both our startup’s growth and my entrepreneurial journey,” Ebenstein tells P&Q. “Before even starting Booth, my internship through the Startup Summer program provided valuable insights into the startup world, and during my first-year summer, Booth’s supplemental funding allowed me to take on a product manager role at another startup. These experiences in other startups proved invaluable in launching and scaling our own venture. At Booth, inclusive+ was able to actively participate in various entrepreneurial programs, including iCorp, the New Venture Challenge, the Launch Accelerator, and the Polsky Founders Fellowship. These experiences provided us not only with funding, but also allowed us to refine our business ideas, speak to relevant people within the space, finalize our business model, begin creating our product, and secure our pilot partnerships.”

Thus far, Laura Mattos – another ’23 MBA grad – has generated nearly $200,000 in funding to her startup, Zelia. In her case, being able to take courses in the order she chose enabled her to address startup issues as they came up. Even more, Austan Goolsbee’s Platform Competition course was a game-changer to her.

“[It] was instrumental in deepening my understanding of the challenges faced by ‘challengers’ in an industry and the typical responses from established incumbents. The most profound insight I got from this course – and I often say to the team that we should print this on a t-shirt – is that technology, by itself, is not a long-term sustainable competitive advantage. This realization prompted me to closely reflect on how we could create moats around our business model that extend beyond just technology and to prioritize their implementation from the outset.”

A YEAR OF FINISHING FIRST

Among the Booth headlines for 2023 would be rankings. In March, the school ranked #1 in the U.S. News MBA ranking, topping intracity rival Northwestern Kellogg to make the news even more satisfying. Notably, Booth ranked 4th for Research Output and Quality and 6th in Career Services in The Financial Times rankings. Booth also nabbed the top spot in P&Q’s Executive MBA ranking. When U.S. News surveyed business school deans and MBA directors, Booth garnered the 2nd-highest scores for Finance and Top 10 rankings for Accounting, Marketing Accounting, Business Analytics, and Nonprofit curriculum. In Bloomberg Businessweek’s MBA ranking, Booth finished 2nd overall (and 3rd for Compensation and 4th for Entrepreneurship).

While Booth has been slapped with the “quant school” tag, Saron Strait was the reality was far different during her two years in the program.

“As someone with a “non-traditional” background – having spent my career to date working in the entertainment, media, and advertising industries – I was apprehensive about pursuing an MBA, let alone an MBA from a school with such a quantitative reputation as I had limited quantitative exposure but knew many of my fellow applicants possessed these skills. However, this notion of homogeneity couldn’t be more of a myth. Many of my classmates hail from “non-traditional” backgrounds spending their pre-MBA years teaching in elementary schools, working on oil rigs, and serving across the military branches. I spent my first year at Chicago Booth pleasantly surprised to learn about the unique paths that brought them to Chicago Booth. This professional diversity has fostered such incredible learning and growth opportunities in the classroom and beyond.”

AN INTERVIEW WITH THE DEPUTY DEAN

Beyond ranking highlights, Booth grads achieved record-breaking pay in 2023. The school also launched a Master in Management program, a joint MBA/MS Biomedical Sciences, and a Healthcare concentration. What are the next developments at Booth likely to make headlines? In November, P&Q reached out to Star Marcello, deputy dean for MBA programs at the Booth School. Here are her thoughts on what to expect in the near future.

P&Q: What have been the two most important developments in your MBA program over the past year?

Marcello: “As Chicago Booth is celebrating 125 years of transformative business education this year, we continue to build on our distinctive approach to the study of business and expand our program offerings. Our discipline-based core curriculum with many interdisciplinary electives is a powerful combination that prepares current and future leaders, innovators, and collaborative changemakers for meaningful impact in various industries across the globe.

As part of the increasing research, curricular, and cocurricular resources Chicago Booth is devoting to healthcare, the school recently launched a joint-degree program in biomedical sciences and business (MBA/MS Biomedical Sciences) and an MBA concentration in healthcare, equipping students with the tools needed to excel in a wide range of in-demand healthcare career paths. Together with the Biological Sciences Division at the University of Chicago, this enhanced curriculum prepares students for a variety of career paths—from healthcare consulting and hospital administration to business development, insurance, private equity, and corporate finance. Students learn leadership and management skills with the research, applied, and clinical skills needed to transform healthcare. Booth graduates will be prepared to enter fields such as biotechnology, policy, government, and pharmaceuticals. This new degree adds to a growing number of other accelerated-degree options, joint-degree, and certificate programs that Chicago Booth offers.

In addition to the new joint MBA degree, Booth launched a Master in Management (MiM) program for recent college graduates with little to no work experience to help kick-start their career trajectory early. The 10-month MiM program is designed to provide foundational management skills for ambitious individuals with liberal arts and STEM backgrounds (humanities, arts, social sciences, biological sciences, or physical sciences) who are interested in jobs that value business-oriented skills and knowledge. Applications for the first class are open now.”

P&Q: What type of impact will they have on current and future MBAs?

Marcello: “Chicago Booth’s joint-degree offerings continue to bring diverse experience into the classroom, for both students and faculty, and draw upon vast resources, research, and expertise throughout the university. The multidisciplinary curriculum expands students’ perspectives, bringing together relevant knowledge from various fields.

Employers have indicated that they often seek out Booth students because of their ability to assume critical leadership roles across diverse teams and organizational structures, and to define and execute strategic plans. Booth’s emphasis on analytics and empirical data gives our students an edge by preparing them to take on any evolving business landscape. This, in turn, allows them to launch their careers, becoming highly marketable and impactful in numerous competitive industries, and speaks to the overall value of a Booth MBA.”

P&Q: Give us your one-minute pitch for your business school. What makes you unique?

Marcello: “Chicago Booth is the best academic business school in the world. Period. It is a school with the power and potential to transform a student’s life, and with a global community and immense support systems in place to foster student success. The Booth experience is a manifestation of the unique goals and passions of each student—providing countless opportunities to lead effectively and build tight-knit relationships that define our pay-it-forward culture. Flexibility and choice are intentionally built into the program in ways that enhance all parts of the student journey, from communal living in downtown Chicago to recruiting support; from curriculum flexibility to leadership development. Our renowned faculty, including several Nobel Prize winners, combine pathbreaking research and inspirational teaching to shape current and future leaders of the world. Graduates leave with the confidence, connections, and skills to develop groundbreaking ideas and drive meaningful impact throughout every stage of their career.”

P&Q: Sustainability has emerged as a major attraction to prospective MBA students. How does your full-time MBA program integrate sustainability across its curriculum?

Marcello: “As MBA students and future business leaders, graduates will inevitably face decisions around sustainability and social responsibility. Chicago Booth equips students, alumni, organizations, and policymakers with the knowledge and tools to prepare for those challenges. Across numerous areas of study, Booth faculty bring to students—sometimes within the first week of class—their research and scholarly work on subjects such as the importance and benefits of sustainable investing. Additionally, we have created new courses that explore issues of sustainability across several disciplines, including Real Estate and Equity; Navigating the ESG Landscape: Information, Sustainability Reporting, and Analysis; Marketing Strategy (with Sustainability Simulation); Business with Purpose, and our Global Social Entrepreneurship Lab. We also offer lab classes like Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Social Impact Practicum, in which students work with corporate clients on sustainability-related projects.

Booth student groups and clubs also provide opportunities for students to explore their interests in sustainability. Current student groups include the Booth Energy Group, FEAD (Food, Environment, Agribusiness, and Development Group), and the Business and Sustainability Club.

Those interested in developing their own sustainability-related or climate change solutions are often drawn to the John Edwardson, ’72, Social New Venture Challenge, the social impact track of the University of Chicago’s nationally ranked Edward L. Kaplan, ’71, New Venture Challenge. Recent student-led, sustainability-focused ventures coming out of the competition include: LivingWaters Systems (rainwater catchment units for refugee camps), Alina enèji (solar electricity in Haiti), and demi (composting solutions for apartment buildings).

Next Page: Profiles of 12 MBA Students

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