After spending months fine-tuning your MBA application essays, you’ve finally received that long-awaited interview invitation — only to discover that now you need to write more essays!
With more and more competitive candidates applying every year, elite MBA programs like Chicago Booth are always looking for new ways to distinguish the “admits” from the “dings.”
Though they may seem small and relatively unimportant at first, MBA interview essays are an important element of your overall application and should be carefully crafted. That’s why we’re sharing our top tips on how to approach and ace your Chicago Booth video essay. By following these tips, you can ensure you stand out and land a spot at Booth.
Chicago Booth’s Pre-Interview Video Essay
Photo courtesy of @chicagobooth on Instagram
For several years running, Booth has asked candidates who move to the next application phase to submit additional materials before the interview. Like last year, you’ll need to submit your response in video format.
Please submit a video response to one of the following two prompts:
- Tell us about something new you learned recently that shifted your worldview. How did it influence your behavior and/or actions?
- What is something you wish people knew about you, but you’re not sure that they do?
Please note the following:
- The length of the video response should be no more than 60 seconds.
- You will not be evaluated on the styling and editing of the recording, only the content of your submission.
- Feel free to record the video with a cellphone, computer, or other video recording device.
How to approach your answer
The most important task is first considering which prompts you will choose from each category, especially considering there is space for repeating themes.
When looking at each category, choose the question that is both easiest to answer and that allows you to shed light on a new element of your profile. If you’ve already mentioned community service in one question, for example, perhaps avoid repeating community service as the theme in other answers.
Most importantly, consider what you want Booth to learn about you. Booth’s application – like its curriculum – is incredibly flexible, but it does mean that you can end up repeating themes from your essays unless you’re very careful and strategic in how you use each and every word the interview essays give you.
Then, after choosing your best stories, use a condensed version of the STAR methodology to walk your reader through what your example is before ending with a final lesson or takeaway.
TOP TIP: Start your video script by simply writing out the story and then refining the content/length. In our experience, applicants can comfortably speak 160-180 words in 60 seconds. You may also want to review some of these best practices to ensure you’re ready for your video debut.
Make Sure You Succeed in any MBA Interview
Though you might not be practicing for your interviews, your competitors are. When you’re competing at such an elite level (and top MBA programs are about as elite as it gets), practice is the only way to get the edge you need.
Working with highly-trained professionals, like our team of interview experts, can also be an excellent step to include in your interview process.
- Maybe you don’t know where to start preparing.
- Maybe you ramble on and lose your focus while answering.
- Maybe you’re concerned about making errors, discussing your strengths, or addressing weaknesses.
- Maybe you’ve downloaded interview guides or have spent hours reading interview report forums—but still have questions and doubts.
Our interview prep and practice service focuses on helping you determine what to highlight in your interview depending on the program while using appropriate, impact-driven language without being artificial, or worse, robotic. We also help you choose (and perfect) culturally appropriate examples based on the schools you’re interviewing for.
As our client Pratik, who was admitted to Chicago Booth with a 90% scholarship, said:
“I am extremely thankful to Ellin Lolis for helping me develop my interview skills. She started out by helping me refine my story, and understand the best way to communicate my unique perspective to the admissions committee.
Ellin is really good at laser-focusing on your strengths and weaknesses and help you develop a strong narrative around your core message. I saved a ton of time in developing my actual story and could focus on having a more natural interview.
By being rigorous in the preparation phase, I could come across as more conversational, while still communicating why I was a strong candidate. Thanks to Ellin I was accepted to all the schools I applied to.”
Don’t undersell your success. Set up your 1:1 interview prep and show that you belong at a top MBA program!
Real MBA Essays That Got People In
School-specific sample essays that got our clients accepted
