Business School
Business school can be a great way to advance your career. An MBA and other business master's programs can help boost your earning potential, position you for executive leadership roles, and give you access to a network of rising business leaders.
UChicago College students have access to extensive resources through the world-renowned Chicago Booth School of Business. Through Chicago Booth, you can take MBA-level classes as an undergraduate and access special graduate programs.
Business School Program Types
A Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree provides specialized training that prepares you for leadership roles in business.
Most MBA programs last two years.
Business schools typically require 3-5 years of full-time work experience to qualify for admission to an MBA program.
Some business schools offer specialized deferred enrollment admissions pathways into their MBA programs.
In these programs, students apply for admission while they're still in college, lock in their spot at their preferred MBA program, and then defer admission for two to five years while the student pursues professional work experience.
These are a great option for ambitious students with a strong interest in business school and moving into leadership positions.
In addition to MBA programs, many business schools offer master's degrees in areas like finance, marketing, management, and more.
These programs accept applications from seniors in college and recent college graduates.
These can be a great fit for:
Students who want to build specialized skills before entering the workforce
Students with limited exposure to business as an undergraduate who want to pivot to a new career field
Chicago Booth Programs
The Chicago Booth Scholars Program allows you to secure your spot in the MBA class during your final year in the College and then pursue work experience before starting your MBA coursework. As soon as you’re accepted, you’ll gain access to Booth’s incredible network of business leaders through events, programs, and other opportunities. The application fee is also waived for Chicago Booth Scholars candidates.
UChicago students are also eligible for the Accelerated MBA Option, a special track within the Chicago Booth Scholars Program that allows you to count Booth courses taken as an undergraduate toward your MBA. The option allows you to apply six courses you previously completed at the University of Chicago toward getting your MBA at Booth. Depending on which program format you choose, you could earn a Booth MBA in just 15 months after matriculation.
If you are a current UChicago undergraduate or have graduated from a UChicago degree program, the GMAT/GRE is test optional.
Chicago Booth's Asness and Liew Master in Finance Program supports recent graduates with strong quantitative skills who want to launch their career in finance.
In this finance masters program, you’ll build advanced quantitative, analytical, and decision-making skills that employers value in roles spanning asset management, fintech, corporate finance, investment banking, and beyond.
Chicago Booth's Master in Management is a program for recent high-achieving college graduates who want practical business fluency, greater earning potential, and accelerated career growth.
Whether you come from a liberal arts or STEM background, or have focused on business or economics as an undergraduate, you'll gain the advanced skills and knowledge to succeed in the global business world.
Common Application Requirements
In these online applications, you will fill out biographical information about yourself and your academic and professional experiences.
Business schools will typically ask you to submit either a personal statement or short-answer essay questions. In your responses, you'll want to make a compelling case for why you want to enroll in this program referencing specific pieces of the curriculum or student experience. You will also want to articulate how your previous academic and professional experiences have prepared you to succeed in the program.
Your resume will give the admissions committee a snapshot of your professional experience. To stand out, avoid merely summarizing your responsibilities and instead focus on the impact you've made at your employer, quantifying your results whenever possible.
In most cases, your resume should be 1 page, but check your target program's individual requirements for more details.
Most business schools will ask for two or more letters of recommendation. At least one of your letters should come from a recent work supervisor. For your second letter, some schools will ask for an academic reference or someone who can speak to your experiences outside of a professional environment, and others will leave it open-ended.
In all cases, it's important to ask for letters from people who know you well and are very familiar with your work. Business schools will often ask recommenders to provide detailed assessments of your strengths and weaknesses.
Your transcript will give admissions committees valuable information on your academic performance and readiness for the rigor of graduate study. Review the application requirements carefully to determine whether you should send official or unofficial transcripts. Learn more about how you can request both types of transcripts.
Most business schools will require you to submit scores from either the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).
The GRE tests general verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing skills. The GMAT also tests for verbal and quantitative reasoning skills along with data insights.
Schools will typically accept scores from either test and have no preference for which one you take. Students should review sample questions from each test and explore which is better suited to their strengths.
GRE and GMAT scores are valid for 5 years. Depending on your individual plans, you may prefer to take the test shortly after college while your test-taking skills are fresh or wait until approximately 12 months before you plan to apply.
Budget at least two to three months (or roughly 200 hours) of study time before taking the test. You may wish to give yourself more prep time if you will be studying for the GRE or GMAT on top of your full-time job.
Resources
Career Advancement advisers are happy to help you strategize for your business school application and review drafts of your essays, resumes, and more. Schedule an appointment for personalized support.
Our resume toolkit can help you create an effective resume for applications to business school and other professional opportunities.
Securing a strong post-college job will support your candidacy for business school. These programs can help you find high-quality, substantive jobs in business:
The QuestBridge Graduate School Match gives QuestBridge alumni the opportunity to apply for admission and full-tuition scholarships for Chicago Booth's MBA program. This opportunity is for students who apply through the traditional Full-Time MBA admissions process - students in the Chicago Booth Scholars or Accelerated MBA track do not qualify. Visit the QuestBridge website to learn more and apply!