Chicago Booth Alum -answers some of my queries

I had written a post earlier that Chicago Booth is one of the best schools with one of the best faculty. But after my interaction with a guy i decided not to apply to Booth. Somehow, i stumbled upon 2 alums of Booth and my view completely changed.

I had imagined Booth students to be ultra-competitive and non co-operative. I would say never make an impression about a school basis your conversation with a single student. Explore many forums and then decide.

Here's an excerpt of my conversation with a super cool Booth alum:

Q: how are the students at GSB? are they ultra competitive or
collaborative? I would prefer a school with a strong inclination
towards team work {That's why Kellogg is my fav}.

before i answer your questions, please remember that this is just my opinion, and i very well might be wrong. and not everything i will say will work for you because i write from my perspective and our profiles (and timing of application) were very different. now to your questions.

i dont think gsb students are ultra competitive. i dont think we are overly friendly as well. the fact that we are more of a commuter school i.e. people travel from various parts of the city and not evryone lives in a close vicinity means that you can never get a experience which a school like darden or tuck might offer. but if you live in a popular neighborhood, there are enough people around to coordinate with, and have beer with. and although we arent necessarily always mushy about our teamwork, there is a lot of teamwork in the school. people collaborate for not just school work, but for competitions and a lot of businesses get started with a collaboration of students who had never met before school. i think that is testament enough that we like to work with other smart people. that doesnt mean that you will gel with everyone, simply because a big school like gsb attracts all kinds of personalities. but there are a lot of people whom you will like and enjoy being around. i found my classmates to be fun, smart, having a point of view, and relatively easy to work with and be around.

*QUES: Will Job switches go against me??* {I have 3 in 5 years}

i dont think 3 job switches is a big worry. you should explain why you made the switch in your career goals essay. it will help the adcom understand that your career moves are well thought after, and not just because you wanted more money (honestly there's nothing wrong in that, but i dont think it sells in a bschool essay).

*QUES: Does Booth promote entrepreneurial spirit? or can you suggest any
other b-school? Its really hard to explore b-schools sitting in India.
I am trying to explore websites and call students but till now I have
only been able to hear back from few students.

gsb is big on entrepreneurship these days, and i think that has been the case for quite some time. you should explore the course offerings, and what's going on in the polsky center. also get in touch with the co-chairs of the EVP club
(http://student.chicagobooth.edu/group/evc/index.htm) - i think it is one of the most popular clubs on campus, is high profile as well because some star professors are involved, and a lot of money is also being pushed into the group and students who want to start ventures. the new venture challenge is a big attraction on campus every year.

*QUES How would you describe your experience at Booth? Given a chance to
go back in time would you again choose Booth or will you prefer some
other college??

my experience was very nice and i think i will suggest gsb to many, although not everyone. the school has its own personality and you have to gel with that. and since i have not seen another school i cant really answer if i will go to a different school if i have to redo my experience. i believe gsb was fun, intellectually stimulating and energetic - all of which i wanted in a school. there are only 2 things which i would have liked to be different - a little less focus on finance and econ (and that is already happeneing with many new things coming up in other departments, but chicago still remains a finance&econ powerhouse, that is our strength and i wont want to change that necessarily). secondly, our alumni network in india isnt as high profile yet, but that's because chicago didnt focus on admitting indian students around 20 years back. this has progressively changed quite a bit, and i forsee our brand name in india to be better each year. overall, i think gsb is a great school, and depending on how you shape your experience there you can achieve anything - it's actually a lot up to the student.

Chicago GSB

Class profile:
Median work ex: 60 months

Median age: 28 yrs (entering class)
Median GMAT: 720 (Must say its quite high)
Acceptance Rate: approx 14%

School at a glance:
Chicago is one of the best b-school that one can get into. Chiacgo's strength are its "flexible curriculum"{Leadership Effectiveness and Development (LEAD) is the only required course in entire curriculum. } and a steller roster of faculty {Both the factors are imp for me}. This college has a very strong alum network and a tremendous international brand name {This is another plus for those who are looking for a global career}. Another highlight is the rigor of the academic program at Chicago. Chicago GSB students are the hardest working of the lot.

Finance is the most popular major at the college followed by strategy. No doubt that top consulting and finance firms recruit heavily at Booth. The curriculum is inclined towards quant{which i won't mind at all} and therefore college somewhat attracts students who have a flair for quant. From what i have heard, Chicago's class is not as diverse as those of H/S/W {Can any alum throw light on this? } . But a sudden rise in ranking should see a lot more candidates from diverse backgrounds applying to this school.

Careers pursued by grads:
Majority of the grads go to consulting and i-banks. I want to get into consulting post my MBA (a logical progression from analytics to consulting) so Chicago fits my post MBA plans.

Top 3 consulting firms Mckinsey, Boston and Bain recruited 62 people from the class (more than 10%). And if we take into consideration other consulting firms then the %age shoots upto 22%. 110 students out of 484 students were absorbed by consulting firms.

Placement source:

If a school can facilitate 87% of the total placements then it shows how strong its Career development services are. This again is a big plus. Approx 20% of the class gets placed in Europe and Asia.

faculty:

Chicago has more nobel laureates in its faculty roster than any other school. So one can expect a high quality of learning experience. On the basis of what i have heard from my friend {a booth student} Chicago offers an amazing classroom experience. It forces you to stretch your boundaries {i think every top school does that}.

Given its strong International Brand and a strong presense in Consulting industry i think it makes sense for me to apply to chicago. I think i have got my first school to which i will be applying next year.