Why Apply Early

As the proverbial saying goes, the “Early bird catches the worm” and though there are many clear applications for this wisdom, you may not be seeing a clear connection between it and applying to an MBA program. Well, when it comes to applying for admission to the Executive MBA Program at Chicago Booth, there are many “early bird” benefits to submitting your application early and here are a few.

More Seats

Each year, we admit 80 - 90 students at each of our Chicago, London, and Hong Kong campuses, and the earlier you apply the more seats are available at each campus. As admission offers are accepted and seats fill in the classroom admission to the program becomes more competitive toward later application deadlines. We encourage you to improve your chance for admission by applying early when more seats are available.

More Scholarships

Booth’s Executive MBA Program recently began awarding a limited number of merit-based scholarships. This is great news if you are looking for assistance with financing your degree, but with a finite amount of scholarship funds available – the longer you wait to apply, the less funding will be available to you.  A few scholarships are also deadline driven and once the deadline passes you will no longer be eligible for consideration. By applying early, however, you'll not only have a greater chance of admission, but you'll also increase your odds for receiving a merit-based scholarship. To learn more, visit our scholarship page.

More Preparation

We’ve found that for many of our students, it’s been years since they last entered a classroom. When considering the academic rigor associated with Chicago Booth, this may seem like a daunting reality. By applying early, however, you will be giving yourself the necessary time to prepare for the Executive MBA Program. You'll be able to analyze your admission test to gauge the areas where you may need further preparation and if you're unsatisfied with your test score, you'll have time to retake the test before submitting your application. If admitted, you can also use this extra time to take the online refresher courses available to all admitted students and brush up on key subjects.  

With all this in mind, my only question for you is, “Why wait?” Don’t put off your application and risk limited space, scholarship opportunities and preparation time by applying too late. Apply now and enjoy the many benefits of being an “early bird” applicant. The Early Application and First Round deadlines are October 2 and December 3.