November 11, 2020 Evening MBA and Weekend MBA Live Chat Transcript
COVID Related Questions
Chat Participant: Will there be an opportunity to sign up for class to experience the Chicago Approach way of teaching?
Marcus Wordlaw | Associate Director, Admissions: We have a masterclass series taught by some of our faculty. It is not the exact same as an actual class -- but it emulates a virtual classroom experience. You may register at the following link for the remainder of our masterclass series this month: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/events/masterclass
Chat Participant: How has the coronavirus impact evening/weekend MBA experience?
Patrick McHale | Associate Director, Admissions: In the Spring and Summer quarters this year, all of Booth's classes and events were virtual. Starting this Autumn quarter, Booth has implemented a dual-modality format where there are limited in-person opportunities to attend class if you are living in Illinois. Weekend MBA students have continued to take classes virtually. The virtual option is available for all Booth classes, so there is no difference in the course catalogue whether you are looking to take in-person or virtual classes. This format is expected to continue at least through Spring 2021.
Chat Participant: What do Clubs or Student involvement look like in this COVID world? Is it working virtually?
Sitaram Gundapaneni | Current MBA Student: Yes, most of the activities related to Student Clubs are happening through collaboration software (Zoom, etc.). Guest speakers are delivering their speech to collaboration software.
Chat Participant: What is the expected format of class next spring/summer? (In-person, virtual, etc)
Marcus Wordlaw | Associate Director, Admissions: We will continue to monitor the Covid-19 pandemic and work with our state and healthcare officials to provide the best and safest learning platform. We have yet to announce classes beyond the spring of 2021. We will have online classes at least through the spring quarter, but will re-asses next year
Chat Participant: Do you accept non-employed person for MBA program with work experience but currently unemployed?
Stephanie Gunn | Director, Student Recruitment and Admissions: Job changes/loses as a result of COVID-19 will in no way negatively impact your chances of admission or eligibility for the program. We understand this is an unprecedented time and that disruptions in your employment status are out of your control. Regarding letters of recommendation, we understand if asking your current supervisor is not the best option at this time. Feel free to ask a colleague, past supervisor, and/or anyone else from your professional life. In the application, you will be asked to explain why you selected your recommenders. We suggest you discuss your current work situation in the optional essay. If you have any work gaps, there is a questions that allows you to elaborate on why.
Chat Participant: With the current Covid situation, is it possible to submit scores upon the admit? I see this was the situation for 2020 admission in few schools.
Patrick McHale | Associate Director, Admissions: Booth requires unofficial, self-reported exam scores prior to application submission. We require official score reports after the admissions decision is made.
Chat Participant: How is the MBA run right now with the pandemic? Are weekend MBA students still able to attend in-person classes if they choose to?
Andrea Calderon | Associate Director, Admissions: Classes for our Weekend MBA are all remote due to students coming from many different states and each state having different rules and regulations. We will evaluate quarter by quarter whether or not coursework can be done in-person. There has not yet been a determination for winter quarter yet.
Chat Participant: Can you please speak to the impact that virtual learning/engagement will have on the Chicago Business Fellows Program? Thank you!
Stephanie Gunn | Director, Student Recruitment and Admissions: The only impact it has had on CBF specifically is that we are no longer offering an on campus interview day and from the student experience perspective, the professional development and networking with other CBF students is all taking place virtually. All components of CBF have gone virtual and are being offered online while trying to preserve the connections and bonds that were formed through in person gatherings with CBF students.
Admissions Questions
Chat Participant: Hi, I was wondering what the differences are between the CBF program and the regular weekend MBA?
Andrea Calderon | Associate Director, Admissions: The CBF program is geared toward early career candidates. The course taken are the same as every Weekend MBA student, but the main difference is that CBF students have additional meetings, events and workshops that are created just for them and the point they are in their careers. You can find more information here: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/mba/early-career-programs/chicago-business-fellows
Chat Participant: The information on Booth Armed Forces Group page seems to apply only to full time students. Who can I contact for questions about using GI Bill as a Weekend MBA student?
Marcus Wordlaw | Associate Director, Admissions: You may contact our financial aid office at financial.aid@chicagobooth.edu. There is also an Evening and Weekend Armed Forces Group of military students in the program.
Chat Participant: As an early-career professional who recently joined the workforce and wants to get a Booth MBA in 2-3 years, when and how should I start planning?
Marcus Wordlaw | Associate Director, Admissions: A great place to start is with our Chicago Business Fellows early career candidates program that allows working professionals with 3 years or less to begin their Booth part-time MBA. You are taking a great planning step today in attending this chat. Once you are confident that a part-time program is most beneficial, you can consider the things you absolutely need from a school -- and the things you would ideally want from a program. This can help you narrow down your search. Finally, look at your schedule, timeline, and try to best calculate when you'd ideally like to begin. Once you have done those things I think you will be on the right path to dive deeper into Booth, and any other programs you are considering. We are always here to help you navigate this process. Please reach out at eveningweekend-admissions@chicagobooth.edu
Chat Participant: Can I switch between Weekend and Evening program?
Andrea Calderon | Associate Director, Admissions: Students are able to make one formal switch between the Weekend and the Evening programs, but a student can take classes between the two programs any time!
Chat Participant: What is the normal class size of the Evening and Weekend MBA Program and will students have option to switch between weekend and evenings?
Patrick McHale | Associate Director, Admissions: Booth classes will typically have around 30-40 students on average. Booth students have the option to take classes outside of their home program in any quarter. You will first be able to select from classes in your home program. Then it becomes open enrollment for classes across the Evening, Weekend, and Full-Time programs.
Chat Participant: Do you have scholarships for International student and if yes, how to apply?
Stephanie Gunn | Director, Student Recruitment and Admissions: all admitted students (international and domestic) are automatically considered for a merit-based scholarship at the time of admission. There is no separate application process. We also offer private loans for international students and we lock your tuition for four consecutive years at the rate it was when you started. In terms of scholarships - we offer a limited number of merit-based scholarships and the amount and size of the award varies based on the applicant pool quarter to quarter. Keep in mind that these are competitive and successful scholarship recipients excel academically and professionally. Recipients are typically notified two to three weeks after being offered admission.
Chat Participant: Is the Civic Scholars also applicable for Evening MBA & Weekend MBA students?
Patrick McHale | Associate Director, Admissions: Yes! It is possible to apply for the Civic Scholars program as an Evening MBA or Weekend MBA candidate.
Chat Participant: Hello thank you for organizing the session. My question is on scholarships for the Weekend MBA. I understand that there are various criteria for the selection process - how important is each criterion (does GMAT score outweigh undergrad GPA etc.) and approximately how many students (or % per cohort) are awarded the scholarship?
Patrick McHale | Associate Director, Admissions: Booth offers a limited and competitive number of merit scholarships for admitted Evening MBA and Weekend MBA students. The primary areas we look at in the application to determine scholarship potential include your exam score, transcripts, and recommendation letters. We do not place a specific amount of weight on these areas. We also do not have minimum requirements (e.g. minimum GMAT score) to be eligible for scholarships. Since the number of scholarships is completely dependent on the strength of each quarter's candidate pool, we are not able to share the percentage of scholarships awarded.
Chat Participant: Does Booth have a preference on letters of support? Are they admissible? If so, should they be emailed to admissions or uploaded to the application portal?
Marcus Wordlaw | Associate Director, Admissions: Once you begin an application, there is a field designed for Letters of Recommendation. This allows you to input the names and email addresses of the recommenders you'd like to use. Once you save your application, they will be emailed by Booth and provided a rating form to fill out on your behalf, and questions about you to answer in their letter
Chat Participant: For the Civic Scholars program, are there specific non-profits or fields that are especially appealing to reviewers? For example, I work at a non-profit college, but not a direct service oriented non-profit.
Marcus Wordlaw | Associate Director, Admissions: No, there isn't necessarily one non-profit that is more or less important than another. We are concerned with your specific daily impact at your organization. Your role in leading success, and the greater good it does for the people you work for/represent. This can certainly be subjective when it comes to many different roles having impact, but it is up to you to build your importance within the application and how a Booth degree will have significance moving forward.
Chat Participant: If you have 3 years of work experience or less, do you have to apply to the Chicago Business Fellows (CBF) program? Or can you apply to the regular Weekend MBA program? Is it possible to apply to both?
Andrea Calderon | Associate Director, Admissions: You are not required to apply to the CBF program with 3 years of work experience or less, but we do recommend it because we feel the programming for CBF is terrific! You cannot apply to both at the same time.
Chat Participant: Since the evening/weekend program admission is on a rolling basis, is there an advantage to apply early?
Kayla Anderson | Office Manager, E&W MBA Programs Office: Correct. There is no advantage to applying early. Please submit your application when it is as strong as possible!
Chat Participant: If you want to work for a nonprofit or government organization in the future, but currently work for a private company, are you eligible for Civic Scholars Program?
Patrick McHale | Associate Director, Admissions: In order to apply for the Civic Scholars Program, you must currently be working in the non-profit or government sector. Multiple years of experience in either sector is preferred, but not required.
Chat Participant: Do you know what is the average number of students who apply for evening MBA Program and how many do you accept?
Stephanie Gunn | Director, Student Recruitment and Admissions: We do not report our acceptance rate because it varies given that we bring in a class every single quarter. No one quarter is more competitive than another but we recommend that candidates familiarize themselves with our student profile and focus on putting together the strongest application possible to gain admission.
Chat Participant: From around the country, where do most of the Weekend MBA students matriculate from? Any students from California or mostly the Midwest?
Sitaram Gundapaneni | Current MBA Student: For the Weekend program, we have students flying from all over the country. I know a lot of students who come from California such as Bay area, and Los Angeles. I know people who flew from Seattle, Austin, Miami, New York, Boston, Dallas, and Washington DC.
Chat Participant: If you have 3 years of work experience or less, do you have to apply to the Chicago Business Fellows (CBF) program? Or can you apply to the regular Weekend MBA program? Is it possible to apply to both?
Andrea Calderon | Associate Director, Admissions: You don't have to apply to CBF- you may apply to either the Weekend program or CBF, not both. Let us know if you have other questions! We encourage those with 3 years of work experience or less to apply to CBF. Find out more information here: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/mba/early-career-programs/chicago-business-fellows
Chat Participant: Hello Panelist, My Company typically sponsors for part time MBA. What is the best time to get the company involved? After admission or you prefer to have a letter from Employer beforehand?
Patrick McHale | Associate Director, Admissions: Great question! There is not necessarily a right or wrong way to go about this. In the application, we ask if your employer will be sponsoring any portion of your MBA experience. However, this is just for data collection purposes and does not have any impact on your admission decision. Admissions will never ask you for a letter from your employer. We have found that applicants typically prefer to have at least a baseline understanding of their employer support before submitting their application. However, most official, final steps for employer support typically happens in the month or two leading up to your first quarter at Booth.
Chat Participant: It looks like folks who live in Chicago choose both the evening and weekend MBA programs. What have you see as the driving factors behind their decisions to choose one over the other?
Sitaram Gundapaneni | Current MBA Student: If a person needs to travel a lot as part of his/her job, then he/she prefers Weekend program. Also, if a person lives far away from the Downtown, they could prefer the Weekend program as it might take them a while to reach downtown during the evening rush hour. If you choose the Evening Program, you can pick the classed offered from Mon to Fri (6pm to 9pm) class in the first round. So, you have more broad (5 options) choice to pick a class in the first round. If you choose the Weekend program, you can pick the Friday evening class, Saturday morning and Saturday afternoon class. So, you have three options.
Chat Participant: If an MBA candidate applies and is denied admission, is there a grace period for reapplicants?
Patrick McHale | Associate Director, Admissions: Yes, we ask denied candidates to wait 6 months from the time they submitted their first application to submit their next one. This allows candidates to use at least 6 months to focus on improving their application.
Chat Participant: What if I'm not sure at the point of application if my company would sponsor for MBA? If i answer yes for sponsorship in the application, I'm hoping i can still fund myself upon MBA?
Patrick McHale | Associate Director, Admissions: This prompt in the application does not have any impact on your admissions decision or your status as a student. Use your judgment for this question based on the time you would like to submit your application. If employer support is not confirmed at the time you are submitting your application, you can leave this question in the application blank.
Chat Participant: If I applied to the Chicago Booth Scholars program (https://www.chicagobooth.edu/mba/early-career-programs/chicago-booth-scholars) in 2019 and am now applying for the CBF program, would I be considered a reapplicant for this year?
Andrea Calderon | Associate Director, Admissions: You would be considered a reapplicant because you would have applied to multiple Chicago Booth programs. We consider a reapplicant anyone who applies and then reapplies to any Chicago Booth program. We encourage reapplicants and see them have success in the process each year!
Chat Participant: After we apply for MBA Weekend program what is the next step? Will we have a video interview or something?
Stephanie Gunn | Director, Student Recruitment and Admissions: After you submit your application you will hear from us within 10 days whether you are invited to interview or not. If you are invited to interview you move onto the next phase of the application process. If not, that means you are denied without an interview. Our entire application review takes 4-6 weeks.
Chat Participant: How has a Booth MBA helped them excel in the work that they were already doing?
Sitaram Gundapaneni | Current MBA Student: I implemented at work what I have learned in the class at Chicago Booth. Some of colleagues were surprised and asked how I know that? Also, Chicago Booth MBA has opened many doors for me. I was contacted by many recruiters for positions that I like.
Chat Participant: Hi! Thanks for organizing this information session. Is there a min / max work experience requirement for applying to a weekend M course?
Stephanie Gunn | Director, Student Recruitment and Admissions: Nope! It's all about when is the right time for you in your life and career. We have a very broad range of work experience and in fact the mid 80% has anywhere from 2 - 10 years of work experience with the average being 7. Again, these are by no means cutoffs and the answer comes down to your personal situation and goals.
Testing Questions
Chat Participant: What is the score range on the Executive Assessment that is accepted by the Evening and Weekend MBA Programs?
Marcus Wordlaw | Associate Director, Admissions: We do not have a minimum requirement on the Executive Exam. However we have not been accepting it for long enough to accurately accumulate data for an average or range. Once you have a specific score, you can email eveningweekend-admissions@chicagobooth.edu and we can speak more directly to your question
Chat Participant: Is there preference/requirements for GMAT over GMAT online?
Patrick McHale | Associate Director, Admissions: Great question! We do not have any preference for the GMAT whether you take it in-person or online.
Academics Questions
Chat Participant: If a weekend batch student registers for 3 courses in a quarter, how will he attend 3 classes on Saturday alone when there are only 2 classes, morning and afternoon ones on Saturday?
Andrea Calderon | Associate Director, Admissions: If a Weekend student wanted to register for more than two courses, one of those must be taken on a weekday during the Evening program or during the day with the Full-Time program. You are correct that you would only be able to take two courses on a Saturday. Thanks!
Chat Participant: If I want to get an MBA but also want to keep the door open for a PhD after, are there any additional considerations I should make now or during my time at Booth that would help me do so?
Stephanie Gunn | Director, Student Recruitment and Admissions: There's over 130 courses at Booth to select from so plenty for both an MBA and PhD. Keep in mind that based on someone's background, an MBA student could take PhD level courses at Booth with faculty permission, so perhaps avoiding doing so while in the MBA Program and saving those for when/if you pursue the PhD. Another option is to use the time as an MBA student as a general management degree as opposed to specializing in a specific area. Again, the curricular experience is very much choose your own adventure.
Chat Participant: Is the healthcare focus still an option for the evening/weekend MBA program?
Stephanie Gunn | Director, Student Recruitment and Admissions: We continue to offer the MBA/Graduate Program in Health Administration and Policy for Booth students who wish to enter the field of health-care management and policy. You can learn more here: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/mba/joint-degree/gphap-mba?sc_lang=en
Chat Participant: In the event that "life happens" and one must miss class on a particular Saturday, are there options to make up the curriculum? Is there a policy for this? Thank you.
Andrea Calderon | Associate Director, Admissions: We of course know that life happens! Most of the courses offered on Saturdays are also offered during the week. We will at times see students drop in on these courses during the week with a heads up to the professor.
Chat Participant: Where can I find an example curriculum for a weekend student?
Vanessa Prachack | Associate Director, Admissions Marketing: Weekend students will typically travel to Chicago Saturday morning. We have a free shuttle service that picks up at both airports if needed. But I should note that current Weekend students are taking online classes this quarter due to COVID-19. The morning section of classes is 9am-12pm. The afternoon section is 1:30-4:30pm. Various student group events take place between and after class. You can find more information on classes offered during the weekends through our course search tool: https://intranet.chicagobooth.edu/pub/coursesearch/coursesearch.
Chat Participant: If a student registers for 3 courses every quarter, can he not complete the course in 21 months instead of the mandated minimum 2 years?
Andrea Calderon | Associate Director, Admissions: Yes, a student could complete the MBA on a faster timeline if one was to take 3 courses at one time.
Chat Participant: What does a joint-degree (e.g. JD-MBA) look like with E/W students?
Marcus Wordlaw | Associate Director, Admissions: This is less typical for Evening and Weekend students, given the balance of work, plus two degrees. However if your work is flexible you can have an accelerated 3 year joint program or a traditional 4 year program. To see the breakdown of classes and the difference between the two you can access the following link: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/mba/joint-degree/jd-mba?sc_lang=en
Chat Participant: Yes, how many classes are offered in the Evening MBA Program in an year?
Stephanie Gunn | Director, Student Recruitment and Admissions: We have over 130 courses to choose from. The classes that are offered in any given year can vary based on multiple factors, but you can check out the course schedule here and see how many are being offered for the year (you can also view last year's information) - https://intranet.chicagobooth.edu/pub/coursesearch/coursesearch
Chat Participant: What is the typical class size for the Weekend MBA program?
Marcus Wordlaw | Associate Director, Admissions: Overall, we have roughly 375 weekend students at any time in a given year. The average class size per course is roughly 50 students
Chat Participant: Does weekend MBA program offers joint MBA/JD track?
Stephanie Gunn | Director, Student Recruitment and Admissions: Yes, but it is really only for full-time students since the law school does not offer classes in the evening or on the weekends. However, an Evening or Weekend student can take up to 6 classes outside of Booth within the greater University of Chicago without enrolling in a joint degree. What this means is that you could take a class here and there at the law school and that might be more feasible with a traditional work schedule. Learn more here: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/mba/joint-degree/jd-mba
Chat Participant: Have you been conducting course exams virtually? What has that been like?
Patrick McHale | Associate Director, Admissions: Yes, exams are being conducted virtually. How it is carried out will vary with each course/professor. Traditional exams will be virtually proctored by faculty and teaching assistance. Many course also offer take-home exams/projects, which do not require supervision.
Chat Participant: Hello! Thanks for organizing. For the Weekend MBA program, are student required to show up physically for the classes (assuming no restrictions on Covid), or is Online attendance always an option. I live in a different State so would like to know if I need to accommodate weekly travel in my schedule.
Kayla Anderson | Office Manager, E&W MBA Programs Office: Yes - students are expected to attend classes in person every weekend. We do not typically offer online courses, except in extraordinary times (like now). If you live out of Chicago, you will need to incorporate weekly travel into your schedule.
Student Life/Career Development Questions
Chat Participant: In regards to career services - what opportunities are available for part time students who are looking for a longer term career pivot?
Andrea Calderon | Associate Director, Admissions: Part-time students have access to a full suite of career services - about 70% of part-time students do make a career pivot and have access to career coaches, on-campus recruiting and other resources. You can find out more here: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/mba/part-time/career-impact
Chat Participant: Are there global treks available for Weekend MBA students?
Marcus Wordlaw | Associate Director, Admissions: Yes, we have and International Business Exchange Program (IBEP) which has short and long term study abroad programs. You may find more information at the following link: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/mba/international-programs-and-study-abroad
Chat Participant: When it comes to one campus full time recruiting, will employers know whether you are an evening/weekend student versus a full-time student?
Patrick McHale | Associate Director, Admissions: Employers will not know what MBA program you are in unless you tell them directly.
Chat Participant: What sort of employment opportunities are available post MBA for a technical Individual? In other words, can we expect any tech companies at the career fair? And as an existing working professional, will we have buffer time to end in good terms with current company upon new offer?
Patrick McHale | Associate Director, Admissions: If you haven't done so already, I recommend taking a look at our career data (https://www.chicagobooth.edu/mba/part-time/career-impact). Many students come into the program with a technical background. They make career advancements and pivots in a wide variety of ways. Several tech companies prefer to hire soon-to-be MBA grads from the part-time and full-time programs through on-campus recruiting. Throughout your time at Booth, you can work with the career services team and often have a direct 1 on 1 contact to navigate the job change process, including ending on good terms with your current employer.
Chat Participant: I am not looking for a career change immediately, but I am wondering if there is any career resource available for evening and weekend MBA students, and if part time MBA students have access to alumni network and industry/networking events on campus. Thank you!
Sitaram Gundapaneni | Current MBA Student: Yes, career resources are available for Evening and Weekend MBA students as soon as you join. You have access to the job board at Chicago Booth where many companies post jobs. Also, you have access to the library at Career Resource Center, and you can attend various sessions that are arranged by Career Services.
Chat Participant: Do Weekend MBA students at Booth have the opportunity to join International projects and / or study opportunities?
Andrea Calderon | Associate Director, Admissions: Students have the opportunity to participate in study abroad opportunities as well as projects with international clients. You can find out more here: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/mba/international-programs-and-study-abroad
General MBA Questions
Chat Participant: Can you talk about the profile of a typical Executive MBA student in regards to amount of experience (managerial/non-managerial), industries and more? Also, would like to know if these students make any big pivots in regards to career post E-MBA?
Andrea Calderon | Associate Director, Admissions: Generally students in our EMBA program are in senior roles at their companies (near the C-Suite). They tend to manage teams. The EMBA program is geared toward those managing teams and who help shape strategy at their companies. Students in the EMBA program don't usually make significant career pivots and tend to grow within their own company.
Chat Participant: Also, I would love to hear from an Alumni on what difference have they seen between how they manage people, strategize, and in general go about being a manager after getting a Booth EMBA?
Sitaram Gundapaneni | Current MBA Student: I am not a graduate of the Booth Executive MBA. I am a graduate of the Evening MBA Program. One difference you will see after you graduate is how you think. You have a broader view on how you tackle an issue, you try to collaborate with necessary folks, come up with a high level strategy, get consensus as much as possible, and solve the issue. If you don't know the solution, you talk to your friends who are working in that area and get their opinion. You have a different outlook and have a different perspective on solving issues.