Chicago Booth 2018-2019 MBA Deadlines

While most of the elite business school are moving their 2018-2019 MBA application deadlines up by a day or two, the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business is playing a contrarian game. Booth today (June 7) announced that its round one deadline will fill back six days to Sept. 27th from last year’s Sept. 21st cutoff. Yet Booth will release its admission decisions for R1 candidates on Dec. 7, just a day later than last year’s schedule.

The round two deadline at Booth is Jan 3, with decisions due March 21, while the round three and final cutoff will be April 4, with decisions out on May 16. Booth does not report a specific date for invites to an admission interview, preferring to note that all its interview invites will be released by the mid-decision dates for each round.

Booth’s 2018-2019 MBA Application Deadlines

Booth Rounds	Application Deadline	Interviews	Decisions
Round One	September 27, 2018	NA	December 6, 2018
Round Two	January 3, 2019	NA	March 21, 2019
Round Three	April 4, 2019	NA	May 16, 2019

At Booth, a candidate who receives an invitation will have only one interview. Interviews are conducted by admissions staff, students, or alumni. They are held on campus or in a location convenient for the prospective student. All interviews, regardless of who conducts them, receive equal weight in the evaluation process. Decisions are released through the applications status section on the school’s online application system. The school has yet to update its essay questions for what would be the Class of 2021.

Booth’s decision to move back its round one deadline runs counter to a trend in which there has been some slight admissions deadline creep in this year’s deadlines, with Wharton and Stanford scheduling its round one cutoff a day earlier than a year ago on Sept. 18th, along with several other leading schools, including Harvard Business School and Columbia Business School.

BOOTH RECEIVED 4,674 APPLICATIONS FOR 580 CLASS SEATS

During the 2016-2017 cycle, Booth netted 4,674 applications, up 11.2% from last year’s haul – a further sign that the school’s message of data-driven approach coupled with flexible structure is a winning combination among potential candidates. By the same token, the school accepted 23.5% of applicants, nearly identical to last year’s class. That said, the class size declined from 585 to 580 members.

Booth also boasts an enviable streak. Since 2002, the school has produced classes whose average GMAT scores have risen year-over-year. The Class of 2019 was no exception. Last year, the incoming class broke a new barrier, hitting an all-time high of 730, tying it with Wharton. How impressive is this? Just look back at the Class of 2013, wich arrived with a 715 GMAT. Better yet, Booth’s media GMAT – 740 – was ten points higher than Harvard Business School. These scores weren’t anomalies either, as the school’s average undergraduate GPA climbed from 3.58 to 3.61 (with the median going from 3.61 to 3.65 as well).

ADVICE FROM RECENT GRADUATES & CURRENT STUDENTS:

“Be confident in and excited about the unique set of experiences and qualities you are bringing to the program – regardless of whether you are a “traditional” or “non-traditional” student. Although the incredibly high caliber of professors, proprietary curriculum focused on theory and practice, and diversity of opportunity and activity in Chicago attracted me to Booth initially, it was the student body and culture at Booth that sold me. Booth is composed of wildly intelligent and accomplished students who are intensely motivated, but also incredibly humble, and excited to be a part of the Booth community. This results in a supportive environment, where students want to see each other succeed, both in the classroom and in professional endeavors. There’s an incredible energy in Harper Center, and it echoes a strong drive, passion and a pay-it-forward system of values that trickles down from the student body year over year.” — Jonathan Osser, Class of 2018 MBA graduate from Chicago Booth

“Don’t be afraid to show your personality and soft skills in the application. Some people think they should focus only on their successful achievements and career goals. Booth cares a lot about you as a person and how you will get involved with the community. When I visited Booth, I was impressed with how I related to everything: the community, the classes, the campus and the city. While attending to classes, I saw how students were impressively smart. At the same time, they were very friendly, and invited me for a blues concert and dinners, as I was spending the weekend in town. Also, the fact that Booth’s building itself is the second largest modern art gallery in Chicago subtly showed me how the school cares about a MBA experience beyond the classroom. Finally, I believe Chicago is the best place to spend two years abroad. The city offers great food, friendly people, impressive cultural scene and amazing parks.” — Rodrigo Studart, Class of 2018 MBA graduate from Chicago Booth

“The most important piece of advice I can give is to be 100% honest with yourself. Think long and hard about your deep-rooted motivations for applying to business school and then figure out how to articulate that exceptionally well. Your GMAT scores and GPA are obviously important, but they do not explain what kind of person you are and they should not be your biggest strength in the application. I believe the defining factor in the MBA application proess, regardless of the school you apply to, is being clear, confident and emphatic in communicating your story. If you don’t really know who you are, why are you applying, and why this school is the best for you, it’s impossible for an admissions council to piece it together and make a fair decision. Seek out every opportunity, whether it be in your essays or during your interview, to take charge of how your story is shared.” — Caitlin Geehan, Class of 2019 MBA student at Chicago Booth

DON’T MISS: 2018-2019 MBA APPLICATION DEADLINES FOR LEADING BUSINESS SCHOOLS or FREE 91-PAGE MBA INSIDER’S GUIDE TO CHICAGO BOOTH