Application Requirements

Below you'll find guidance and best practices for completing the key components of the business school application, along with an overview of the most common application requirements for these programs!

Make an appointment on UChicago Handshake by navigating to Career Center → Appointments → Advanced Degrees Advising → Business Advanced Degrees Advising to review your application materials and receive personalized guidance.

Resume

Your resume will give the admissions committee a snapshot of your professional experience. To stand out, focus on the impact you've made at your employer, quantifying your results whenever possible. Your resume should be no more than one page.

Click here to access resume resources and templates!

Essays and Personal Statements

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.

  • Articulate how your previous academic and professional experiences have prepared you to succeed in the program.

Letter of Recommendation

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; others will leave it up to you.

In all cases, it's important to ask for letters from people who know you well and are very familiar with your work.

Visit our Writing Letters of Recommendation page for additional best practices on asking for and following up on letters of recommendation.

Transcripts

Review the application requirements carefully to determine whether you should send official or unofficial transcripts.

Standardized Test (GMAT or GRE)

Most business schools will require you to submit scores from either the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT):

  • GRE: The GRE tests general verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing skills.

  • GMAT: The GMAT tests for verbal and quantitative reasoning skills along with data insights.

Schools will typically accept scores from either test with no preference for which one you take.

For some programs, submission of a standardized test score is optional. In these cases, a GMAT or GRE score is still worth submitting in the following scenarios:

  • You have a score that meets or exceeds the median for your target program

  • To signify quantitative readiness if you are a career changer or are from a non-traditional background

  • You are an international student trying to demonstrate English proficiency through the verbal section of the test

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. Budget at least two to three months (or roughly 200 hours) of study time before taking the test.