Booth Pre-Interview Essays for Class of 2022 Round 2

Booth Pre-Interview Essays for Class of 2022 Round 2

Jan, 31, 2020

For my overall suggestions on Chicago Booth MBA  interviews, please see here.  For my Class of 2022 Booth essay analysis, see here. The interview essay R1 and R2 questions are not the same.

For the current admissions cycle, Booth started asking for essays for those who receive interviews.In addition to the essays required for applying to Booth, my R2 clients received the following:

 

There’s still more we want to learn about you! Please respond to one question from Group A and one question from Group B (two responses in total), each in 250 words or less. Submit your responses by February 14 at 11:59 PM CT.

• Name an experience that changed your perspective, and how.
• What is an unexpected collaboration you’ve experienced in your life?

• What about you surprises people?
• What is something you’re curious about?

 

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Overall suggestions:

 

In general, I recommend writing on something new that is not at all or is only minimally discussed in your application. Given that Booth has already asked a lot about you in the main essays, you should certainly give answers that are consistent with what is found there.  However this is an opportunity to give them new perspectives and/or elaborate on themes found only briefly in your essays. If you choose to write about something that has already been covered, really consider whether what you are adding is really strong enough to make a difference.

 

Given the length of  250 words each, obviously you cannot write in huge detail, rather think of these as one-point or two-point answers. That is to say try to make one or two clear points when providing the answer.

 

While these questions are not directly connected to the interview as the interviewer will not have access to them, do keep in mind that they will be analyzed in relationship to your application and the interview report.

 

Regarding the questions themselves, see below.

 

The point here is to show a specific experience altered the way you look at yourself, others,  or something in the world.

1. Focus on a specific place and time and situation.  You are telling one story here.

 

2.Explain what your prior perspective was and how it was changed.  What occurred in this situation that altered your thinking? How is about process, so make sure you are really explaining not what perspective changed but how it changed.

 

3.  The topic possibilities here are really unlimited as this could be everything from a lesson learned through failure or success, a leadership story, a teamwork story,  an intellectual journey, an interpersonal dynamics (EQ) situation,  a story of your motivation towards something personal/academic/professional, etc.

 

What is an unexpected collaboration you’ve experienced in your life?

Collaboration implies working with others. So whatever the topic you will be focused on how you worked with some other person/people/organization/animal (yes it would be theoretically possible to write about that). Writing about collaboration per se is not the hard part of the question.  The limiting condition, “unexpected,” makes this question tricky. An unexpected collaboration is one that is surprising.  Hence you can’t pick a routine collaboration with someone you would be expected to work with.  There has to be something about this situation that makes the collaboration one that you could not have anticipated.   Think about a situation where the was no reason to assume collaboration was possible, yet you could achieve it.  The classic Hollywood movie version of this situation is turning an enemy into an ally.  Consider what this story says about your leadership, teamwork,  and/or EQ.

Surprising would mean just that. Not something expected. I would say the biggest limiting condition to what topic should be covered is that it must be relevant to Booth’s admission decision. As such you should be able to show how this surprising thing about you effectively answers one or more of the following:  Why would someone want to be friends with you?  Why would they want to work with you in and out of class?  How will add value to them? What does this does this surprising thing reveal about your intelligence/personality/leadership/teamwork/abilities?  The point here is to focus on something that is not obvious about you but is more than a meaningless curiosity. For example, my thumbs are  double jointed and while this can be briefly amusing when demonstrated, it is not really the kind of surprising thing that would be worth consideration here.  You want to show something about yourself that gives Booth another reason to admit you.

 

What is something you’re curious about?

This is an opportunity to discuss some subject, academic, professional or otherwise,  that you are interested in. I recommendation would be to focus on something that highlights an interest not covered in the Booth application at all or in any depth.  I would say the biggest limiting condition to what topic should be covered is that it must be relevant to Booth’s admission decision. As such you should be able to show how this interest can effectively answers one or more of the following :  Why does this interest make you a better student?  Why does this interest show your ability to succeed in the future? Why does this interest show your ability to contribute to Booth? Why does this interest show your fit with Booth?   Finally, Booth (and the University of Chicago as a whole)  is intellectually serious place, so this question is a great opportunity to showcase your focus on intellectual inquiry, especially if that was not part of the focus of Booth Essay 2.

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Finally, don’t treat these questions casually but given the deadline, think quickly and deeply. Then, write fast.

Best of luck!