The MBA Exchange is featuring a series of articles showcasing graduate management programs that our 2,000 clients have found most rewarding.  Our content is compiled from a number of credible sources and articles and expanded with our own observations based on nearly two decades of advising applicants. This profile looks at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Founded in 1898, Chicago Booth (previously called the Graduate School of Business) produces students who become confident, competent, and widely respected leaders of companies and organizations across the globe.  Today, Chicago boasts more than 42,000 alumni around the world.  A great choice for those considering international careers, Booth is consistently ranked among elite MBA programs by BusinessWeek.com, FT.com, The Economist, and other experts. Our clients describe Booth as combining the academic rigor of an MIT, the diversity of a Stanford, the prestige of a Wharton — and the world’s best physical facilities.

Booth provides what is arguably the most comprehensive and flexible set of academic offerings for MBA students.  This is reflected by the fact that Booth grads have had their ideas, theories and insights published in more than 200 economic and business journals.  Unique to Booth, there is only one required course.  After that, the student takes charge of his or her own education by choosing classes that align directly with career interests, needs and goals.  Coursework addresses the management and business environment, as well as traditional business functions such as marketing, finance, and operations.  The Leaderships Effectiveness and Development program (LEAD) is especially valuable as it focuses on negotiation, team building and giving feedback. For those seeking careers in research or teaching, the school offers the oldest doctoral business program in the US with seminars spanning 30 diverse topics.

Another key asset of the Booth School is its amazing faculty.  Six professors have been recipients of Nobel prizes while others have been awarded the John Bates Clark Medal, the Bernacer Prize and the MacArthur Genius Grant.  However, the faculty doesn’t rest on its laurels; Booth students find their profs accessible, supportive and sincerely interested in advising and mentoring them outside the classroom.

Attending b-school in a dynamic and diverse city like Chicago is a bonus for Booth students.  Chicago was named the fourth most important business center in the world in the MasterCard Worldwide Centers of Commerce Index.  Additionally, the Chicago metropolitan area recorded the greatest number of new or expanded corporate facilities in the United States for six of the past seven years. Chicago is also a major world financial center, with the second largest central business district in the U.S.  The city is also home to three major financial and futures exchanges, including the Chicago Stock Exchange, the Chicago Board Options Exchange, and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.  On the personal front, Chicago features an unequalled mosaic of cultures, cuisine and entertainment that easily fill the weekends of Booth students.  And the climatic reputation of Chicago as the “Windy City” is a gross exaggeration.

A useful resource for applicants considering Booth is the Admissions Blog.  There, members of the admissions staff give updates, answer questions and describe what an MBA experience at Booth is like.

If this is an MBA program that appeals to you, please visit our website for a free evaluation of your candidacy.  The MBA Exchange admissions consultants – including a former Booth admissions officer and several Booth MBA grads — can help you develop a strategy and tactics to maximize your chances for admission at the University of Chicago and other top-tier schools.