Full-Time MBA Frequently Asked Questions

Please view our minimum admissions criteria required to apply here.

Please view our application checklist and submission requirements.

An international applicant is exempt from the TOEFL/IELTS/PTE/Duolingo requirement if the candidate:

Has earned an undergraduate degree or postgraduate degree from an institution in which English is the language of instruction; Or is a citizen or permanent resident of a country where English is an official language. Applicants should indicate the exemption in the application where appropriate.

If you are a University of Chicago current student or graduate, you may be eligible for a GMAT/GRE waiver if you have a cumulative 3.4 or above GPA.

Outside of the above circumstance, we do not waive our GMAT or GRE requirement for any reason. We also accept the GMAT Focus Edition and shortened GRE. Additionally, we do not participate in GMAT or GRE fee waiver programs. The GMAT score is valid if the test was taken less than five years before the date of your application submission. The test date for a valid score makes no difference in the assessment of an application.

You can list your internship experience in your resume.

Chicago Booth does not accept transfer credits from other institutions and we do not waive any of the total number of courses required to graduate. Booth's flexible curriculum offers options for fulfilling any required foundation areas. All Chicago Booth students in the Full-Time Program MBA are required to complete 2100 units to graduate.

If you are experiencing technical difficulties with your application, we first suggest switching your internet browser. You may also try accessing your application on a home internet network versus a work network. If that does not resolve your issue, please contact admissions@chicagobooth.edu.

During the application process, you may notice a red X next to the "Official Scores" in your status portal. This is not a cause for alarm, and we have a few important things to note:

• The red X does not mean that your application is being stalled from review, as we only ask for "Self-Reported Scores" and not "Official Scores" when you initially submit your application.
• Official scores will only be requested if and when you are offered admission.
• The red X will be removed once we receive your official score report, though the process can take some time for your red X to change to a green check.

You may apply for an application fee waiver if you are a/an:

• Full-time enrollee in an undergraduate program (non-University of Chicago student)
• Summer Business Scholar graduate
• Teach for America participant, instructor, or alumnus who completed service within the past five years
• AmeriCorps and Peace Corps participant and alumnus who completed service within the past five years
• Forté MBALaunch Member (completed program)
• JumpStart fellow
• Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholarship Recipient
• Posse Member
• Prospanica Member
• QuestBridge Member
• Riordan Member
• ROMBA Member
• Service to School Participant
• Toigo Fellow
• Civic Scholars applicants
• Working in government or nonprofit
• Active-duty military or military veteran
• University of Chicago employee
• University of Chicago student (all degree-granting programs)

Please note that Chicago Booth does not grant fee waivers on the basis of financial status or any other circumstance outside of the options listed above.

We have three rounds of application. Your application must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. CST on the day of the deadline in order to be considered for a particular application round. Applications submitted after a deadline will automatically be considered in the next round, provided that all required materials are included with the application.

If you have retaken the GRE or GMAT (including the shortened GRE and GMAT Focus Edition) and would like to share your new tests scores with the Admissions Committee, you can self-report your scores directly through your online status page. Additionally, if you have received a promotion or other professional development that would necessitate an updated resume, you can upload one through your online status page.

Please note that we begin reviewing applications as soon as the deadline passes, so we cannot guarantee that we will see new information submitted to us and will not reevaluate an application if new materials or test scores have been submitted after it has already been reviewed.

As materials are received, your status portal will be updated with this information and you can check it at any time. We will only send notifications if anything is missing from your file. If our department does not contact you, please assume that we have received all of your materials.

Unfortunately, we do not review candidacy prior to application to our program. Additionally, we cannot provide postapplication feedback. We review applications holistically and evaluate based on a variety of aspects.

An application to Chicago Booth should be submitted for the year in which you intend to enroll. Deferrals are handled on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the associate dean for Admissions. There are no guarantees that a deferral will be granted, regardless of the situation. This policy does not apply to students who are applying to Chicago Booth through a dual-degree program or the Chicago Booth Scholars Program.

If you were not admitted or if you declined an offer of admission, you may reapply in the next academic year. You are considered a reapplicant if you submitted an application for admission to Chicago Booth's Full-Time MBA Program within the past two academic years. If you applied to the Full-Time Program more than two years ago, or if you applied to another Chicago Booth MBA program, please apply as a new applicant. View the requirements for reapplication here.

If you want to complement the MBA experience and develop specialized expertise and credentials, Chicago Booth offers you several options to do so. With access to courses at the University of Chicago, you can further tailor your program of study to suit your career goals through our joint-degree and certificate programs. Learn more about our programs and how to apply.

Early career candidates are identified as those with three or fewer years of full-time, postundergraduate work experience, including current undergraduate students. If you are considering an MBA program at an early stage in your career, we welcome your interest. Chicago Booth has several programs that cater to early career MBA program candidates. View program options.

A scanned, unofficial transcript is needed at the time you apply. We require a copy of both sides of your transcript to be attached to your application at the time of submission. An official transcript will be required only if you are admitted to the MBA program. Review our transcript requirements.

Any transcript that is not in an official, sealed envelope from your registrar is unofficial. Additionally, any transcript that is scanned, copied, faxed, emailed, or sent directly from the applicant is considered unofficial.

No. We ask that you refrain from providing any official transcripts until you have been admitted. If you send in an official copy before that time, we will not keep it.

Please list all institutions that you have attended in the Academics section of the application. You must include a transcript for each institution listed in this section. If the transcript from your degree-granting institution includes the name of the outside institution(s), course title(s), and credit granted you do not need to submit a separate transcript.

You can upload your unofficial transcripts into your online application. Once you've entered your educational institution in the Academics section, you will be prompted to upload your transcript.

You need to provide unofficial copies of your transcripts from the beginning of your studies up to the time you submit your application. If you receive an offer of admission, it will be contingent upon submitting your degree certificate and degree-granting official transcripts in time for orientation activities.

Our Admissions Committee is familiar with grading systems around the world and will review your grades within the context that they were awarded. Please do not attempt to convert your grades to the GPA system. You can send your transcripts, as they are, via a scanned JPG or PDF version.

Yes. Degree certificates are required from all universities attended outside of the United States.

We require that you submit official transcripts in their official language as well as an English translation.

All applicants must submit two letters of recommendation. Generally, one should come from a supervisor and the other can be professional in nature or come from an individual who has worked with you in an organization, club, or volunteer project. View more details.

Former supervisors or colleagues can be used as recommenders if you are uncomfortable requesting one from your current employer. Your recommender should know you and your work well enough to tell us about your abilities and address the areas indicated on the reference form. If you do not use a current employer, you should comment on the reasons for this in the Additional Information section of your application.

Email Booth Admissions at admissions@chicagobooth.edu and our Admissions coordinators will assist you with the change.

The security features of certain companies can prevent your recommender from receiving their letter of recommendation request. We encourage you to have your recommender check their spam folder for the request. If it is not present, please reach out to admissions@chicagobooth.edu. Please allow 24–48 business hours to process your request.

Please view our admissions criteria here.

All international applicants are required to be in their final year of a college or university degree program equivalent to a four-year American baccalaureate degree. In light of the Bologna Accord, Chicago Booth will also consider students in a three-year international degree program to fulfill the academic prerequisite for admission. You will be asked to provide an unofficial transcript at the time of application. If transcripts are not in English, please be sure that you provide an English translation.

An English language proficiency test (TOEFL, IELTS, PTE) is required. International applicants are exempt from the TOEFL/IELTS/PTE requirement if they:

• Have earned an undergraduate degree from an institution in which English is the language of instruction
• Are citizens or permanent residents of a country where English is an official language

If you are a University of Chicago current student or graduate, you may be eligible for a GMAT/GRE waiver if you have a 3.4 GPA in at least four (4) 200- to 400-level BUSN classes and have no BUSN grades lower than a C+.

Outside of the above circumstance, we do not waive our GMAT or GRE requirement for any reason. We also accept the GMAT Focus Edition and shortened GRE. Additionally, we do not participate in GMAT or GRE fee waiver programs. The GMAT score is valid if the test was taken less than five years before the date of your application submission. The test date for a valid score makes no difference in the assessment of an application.

Yes, the $250 application fee is waived for students applying in their final year of undergraduate study to the Chicago Booth Scholars Program.

Candidates selected to move on in the application process will be invited for an in-person interview with a member of the Chicago Booth community. Following the interview, the Admissions Committee will review your application again, with the added insight provided by your interviewer.

All candidates will be informed of their admissions decision by the Chicago Booth Scholars decision notification date.

Yes. All Chicago Booth Scholars will be given scholarship consideration. All scholarship and fellowship are decided on the basis of the merit of each individual candidate. Chicago Booth does not offer need-based financial aid. If admitted, you will be evaluated for scholarship in the year in which you matriculate to the program. You will not be considered for scholarship during the deferment period.

No. Chicago Booth Scholars may not matriculate before two years of deferment are completed. If they wish to delay their attendance longer than five years, they are required to reapply to the MBA program of their choice. Previously paid deposits will not be refunded.

All admitted students are required to:

• Secure and maintain full-time employment status throughout their deferral period and to make professional progress satisfactory to Chicago Booth’s admissions process
• Submit an annual form with updated employment information for each year of their deferral period, and provide supplemental material at Chicago Booth's request
• Pay a series of nonrefundable deposits in their first, second, third, and fourth year of deferral

As a Booth Scholar, you are part of the Chicago Booth community and have access to support and resources, including the following:

• Access to select Chicago Booth community events
• Dedicated Admissions team support throughout your deferment period 
• Special access to current Chicago Booth Scholars and alumni of the program

Upon completion of the 2–5 year deferment period, Chicago Booth Scholars have the option to matriculate to our Full-Time MBA, Evening MBA, or Weekend MBA Program. If you are a Booth Scholar interested in the Evening MBA or Weekend MBA options, you must be authorized to work in the United States, as you will continue to work full time while completing the program.

If Chicago Booth Scholars are interested in a joint-degree program at the University of Chicago (e.g., JD/MBA or MPP/MBA), they will need to apply separately to the second program. We recommend that applicants get in touch with the admissions office corresponding to the second program of interest regarding their timeline for applying to that program.

As per the Area Admission Review policy, authority to revoke admission for any misconduct before matriculation rests with the Area Admissions Review Committee. Chicago Booth reserves the right to revoke an offer of admission at any point during the deferral period, if candidates:

• Show a significant drop in academic performance during their final semester or quarter of their program
• Do not have a degree conferred from their undergraduate institution by the time of matriculation
• Have engaged in fraud, misrepresentation, material omission of fact, dishonesty, or any other misconduct, including prematriculation misconduct
• Have a prolonged gap between full-time positions or fail to make professional progress satisfactory to Chicago Booth’s admissions process

Our informational events will give you a comprehensive look at our Full-Time MBA Program and help you understand how a Booth MBA will impact your career. Visit our events page.

We encourage you to personally make those connections with current students through our Connect with a Current Student feature on our website. We also host a variety of events throughout the year where alumni and students are present to share their Booth stories and to engage with prospective students.

You can learn more about Booth's commitment to diversity and inclusion here.

Explore funding options here.

No, there is no thesis required to complete your Chicago Booth MBA.

Visit our Campus Visit page to learn more about your visit options.

Yes, you can find out more about our campus visit options here.

Information about application requirements for international applicants can be found here.

Yes. Information about financing your MBA can be found here.

Booth's TOEFL test code is 1832.

Financing is available for all admitted students in the form of student loans and merit-based scholarships and fellowships only. Learn more about financing your MBA.

For more information on the standard cost of attendance—including tuition and fees, books, rent, food, personal expenses, transportation, and a computer allowance—visit our Cost page.

Yes. Yellow Ribbon awards are available to all veterans at Chicago Booth who qualify under the Veterans Affairs guidelines. Chicago Booth is the only top MBA program that offers Yellow Ribbon scholarship with no maximum match. The Yellow Ribbon awards are in addition to other VA programs. You can find the application through the University Registrar. For additional information, please contact Admissions.

The Yellow Ribbon program allows institutions of higher learning in the United States to enter into an agreement with the VA to fund tuition expenses that exceed the highest public in-state undergraduate tuition rate.

The Armed Forces Group at Chicago Booth is a student-run organization open to both current and former members of the US and international armed services. One of the group’s goals is to assist prospective military candidates with the Booth application process. Contact the group to learn more.

Students admitted to Chicago Booth who are called to active duty prior to matriculation will be granted a deferral of their admission to the following year. Deferrals will be reviewed/extended on an annual basis.

Chicago Booth financial assistance will also be deferred to the following year and reviewed/extended on an annual basis.

Information about readmission, taking a leave of absence, resuming studies, academic grievance policies, and add/drop requirements may be found in the Chicago Booth Student Handbook.