Meet Chicago Booth’s MBA Class Of 2027

A BIG JUMP IN APPLICATIONS

Taking a 30,00-foot view of the Class of 2027, one number stands out: 5,836. That’s the number of applications that Booth received during the 2024-2025 application cycle. That’s over 750 applications more than the previous class and a high-water mark over the past five years. Overall, first-year enrollment stands at 635 students, making Booth one of the largest MBA programs in the United States.

Women account for 41% of the class, with underrepresented minorities making up a 12% share. The latter represents a 6% drop from the previous year. International students constitute a 37% share of the class, up 2 points from the Class of 2026. Together, you’ll find students from 63 countries in the class. In addition, first generation students and veterans hold 12% and 11% of the class seats respectively.

The Class of 2027’s 736 average GMAT reflects a 1-point improvement over the previous class, with scores ranging from 690-770. The GRE average stood at 324 (163 Quant and 161 Verbal), as 42% of the class submitted GRE scores. The average undergraduate GPA hit 3.6, with the lowest average being a 2.5. The class – which matriculated from 286 undergraduate institutions – also values education beyond the typical four-year program. 15% of the class already hold another graduate degree, with 60 Booth first-years pursuing a joint degree as MBAs.

Looking back to undergraduate, the largest segment of the Class of 2027 – 26% – majored in Business-related fields. That doesn’t count Economics, where another 24% of the class hold an undergraduate degree. STEM majors command a 30% class share between Engineering (21%) and Physical Sciences (9%). Liberal Arts are also represented at 13%. Professionally, 23% of the class last worked in Consulting, besting Financial Services by a point. Non-Profits and Government add 12%, followed by Technology (10%), Private Equity and Venture Capital (8%), Healthcare (5%), Consumer Products (3%), and Energy (3%).

Looking for signs of a school’s health. Ask their students, alumni, and rivals. In these dimensions, the Booth School excels. In a 2024 survey of students and alumni conducted by The Financial Times, Booth posted the 6th-highest score for the effectiveness of its Alumni Network. Among the same sample, Booth scored a 9.269 out of 10 in Overall Satisfaction – the 5th-highest score in the world. True to its Chicago Approach, The Financial Times also ranked Booth 2nd for the quality and reach of its Research. When U.S. News surveyed business school deans and MBA directors earlier this year about the quality of curriculum at rival schools, Booth produced Top 10 scores in 7 disciplines. This included being the #1 program for Supply Chain and ranking #2 in both Finance and Business Analytics.

AN ENTREPRENEURIAL HUB

One area where Booth has been making strides is Entrepreneurship. That programming is centered around the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. For nearly three decades, Polsky has helped Booth MBAs – and the University of Chicago ecosystem – commercialize their ventures. Supported by a 60-member staff, Polsky has churned out companies like Grubhub, Braintree, and Simple Mills. Delivering coursework ranging from startup and venture capital fundamentals to STEM breakthroughs, the center also houses sector-specific accelerators; hosts challenges, competitions, bootcamps, lectures, and workshops; provides technical support in areas such as licensing and patents; and provides financial support, internships, and fellowships to student founders and their ventures. More than that, Polsky connects students with potential partners, experts, and investors – not to mention University of Chicago alumni.

For Monica Widjaja, Booth’s startup resources and expertise brought her from Indonesia to Chicago with the goal of her next idea forward. She points to the New Venture Challenge – “which awarded over $2.2M in 2025, the highest ever for any university-based startup competition.” Widjaja also cites the Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation as a place to gain expertise in turning ideas into impact.

“To pivot from my current traditional businesses into launching a technology-based startup, I’m excited to learn from courses like New Venture Strategy and Building the New Venture, which will give me frameworks to balance social impact with financial sustainability,” Widjaja continues. “The Polsky Center will be my launchpad — through mentorship, the Polsky Fellowship, and the Build Accelerator — to refine my model and move toward execution.”

As a student, Will Anema (’24) launched Encore, a resale startup that attracted $2.15 in investment. He credits the Booth entrepreneurship faculty, network, and programming for his venture’s success. In Michael Alter’s Entrepreneurial Selling course, for example, Anema gained an appreciation for a “need it now” solution over a “nice to have” solution – something he quickly applied to Encore. Anema is particularly appreciative to the New Venture Challenge for helping his venture take a giant step in growth.

“I applied and went through the rigorous process of refining my business model & pitch, with the help of Professors Kaplan, Tebbe, and other great mentors affiliated with the New Venture Challenge. Encore placed 2nd in the New Venture Challenge, receiving $350,000. Within 2 weeks of the final competition, a VC who participated in judging the competition agreed to lead our seed round. It’s hard to say what would have happened to Encore without the New Venture Challenge, but I can safely say Encore is a much stronger company today directly due to Booth and the New Venture Challenge.”

More than its mechanisms, Hnu Thaper has been impressed by the spirit surrounding Booth’s entrepreneurship program. “When I sat in on Mark Tebbe’s Entrepreneurial Discovery class, surrounded by classmates brimming with passion, sharp insights, and relentless drive, I knew this was where I needed to be. I wanted to be in an environment that pushes me to think bigger, move faster, and surround myself with people who inspire me to raise my own game.”

THE HAVE-IT-YOUR-WAY MBA

Along with entrepreneurship, Booth’s core curriculum – particularly its flexibility – distinguishes it from other MBA programs. Forget the idea of students completing 12 core courses in lockstep together over the first semester. Instead, students can select from a menu of foundational courses across Accounting, Microeconomics, and Statistics, followed by choices in areas like Finance, Strategy, and Operations. As a result, students can better tailor the academic experience to both their gaps and their interests.

Technically, the only ‘required’ course is LEAD (Leadership Effectiveness and Development). Facilitated by second-years, LEAD is sometimes described as a “journey.” A mix of discussions, reflections, simulations, and coaching, LEAD is designed to increase students’ self-awareness, so they can better leverage their strengths and recognize their gaps and blind spots. At the same time, the course sharpens the communication skills of first-years, along with immersing them in a team-driven environment where they can receive the unvarnished feedback needed to perfect their leadership style.

Booth’s flexibility made all the difference to Florentina Spinola. “I chose Booth because of its flexible curriculum, which allows me to take courses across all concentrations. During my MBA, I aim to fully leverage these two years to develop and refine a broad set of skills, ranging from communication to problem-solving. I believe Booth offers the strongest program to help me achieve this by allowing me to tailor my learning experience and select the courses most relevant to my professional growth.”

A NEW AI CONCENTRATION

Another Booth trademark is teaching excellence. After all, the school currently employs four Nobel-winning faculty members. More than marquee names, the faculty’s research prowess also ensures that Booth MBAs are exposed to the latest innovations and best practices in their fields. And it wasn’t just the faculty’s credentials that impresses students, says Alexandra Brown-Anderson.

“As someone who struggled with more passive, lecture-style learning as an undergrad, I was initially apprehensive about returning to the classroom,” Brown-Anderson admits. “But after sitting in on two Booth classes, my concerns disappeared. The professors were brilliant and kept me so engaged. One of those sessions, a practicum on Social Impact, showcased the kind of hands-on, applied learning I had always craved. That experience made it clear that Booth’s curriculum wouldn’t just teach me concepts, it would give me the opportunity to actually practice them as well.”

In total, Booth offers 16 concentrations, including unique areas like Analytic Finance, Behavioral Science, and Econometrics and Statistics. This year, the school also introduced Applied AI, where students learn how AI impacts finance, operations, and long-term strategy. Among the Class of 2027, Nicholas Kumamoto intends to take advantage of this new offering.

“In my three years at L.E.K. Consulting, I witnessed firsthand how rapidly AI transformed both our internal practices and the types of solutions clients demanded. That experience reinforced for me how essential it is for business leaders to pair a technical understanding of AI with strategic insight, which is precisely the focus of the Applied AI concentration. You don’t need me to convince you that AI is reshaping every industry, and Booth will prepare me to lead through that transformation.”

“MY KIND OF TOWN”

Alas, one Booth advantage remains constant: Chicago itself. Home to 30 Fortune 500 companies – 2nd-most in the United States – Chicago is also a $55-billion-dollar startup ecosystem – drawing $1.33-billion dollars in early-stage investment from 2022-2024 according to Startup Genome. Hence, Chicago is a place where MBAs can encounter “almost any employer in any industry,” in the words of Amanda Faucher. Or, “America’s best-kept secret” in the words of another first-year Boothie.

“Chicago has the energy of a major city without the cost of New York or San Francisco,” says first-year Eric Synajie, a native Chicagoan and technical product manager. “It is a business hub with countless companies headquartered or operating nearby, making networking seamless. The city’s diversity, whether through cuisine, culture, or communities, creates a vibrant backdrop for learning and socializing. For me, Chicago offers the perfect balance: professional opportunity, affordability, and an endless social scene to recharge after class. It is the kind of city where Booth students can test what they learn in real time.”

And have fun doing it too, notes Nicholas Kumamoto. “Beyond professional opportunities, the city has a vibrant culture with diverse restaurants, a great music scene, and world-class museums (The Art Institute of Chicago is my favorite). Its geography also makes it special, with the river running through the city and Lake Michigan at its edge — I especially enjoy running and biking along the Lakefront Trail. That mix of career opportunities and livability makes Chicago a uniquely rewarding place to pursue an MBA.”

It doesn’t hurt that many Boothies live together downtown in the MPP either, adds Monica Widjaja. “Living at Millennium Park Plaza (the “Boothie hub”), I can hit the gym downstairs, run along the Riverwalk with stunning views (yes, Emily in Paris vibes!), and come home to a community of classmates who are fun, joyful, and incredibly supportive to live alongside.”

Next Page: An Interview with Starr Marcello, Deputy Dean

Page 4: Profiles of 12 Members of the Class of 2027

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