September 8, 2021 Live Admissions Chat
Evening Weekend Admissions Live Chat
09/08/2021
Admissions Questions
Chat Participant: What's the overall acceptance rate of Weekend MBA program? Thanks
Kara Northcutt | Senior Director, Employer Engagement and Admissions: We do not share our acceptance rates for the Evening and Weekend MBA Programs, as it varies by program and quarter. It is also impacted by the quality of the applicant pool. If we have a very strong applicant pool the acceptance rate will be higher, if not, it will be lower. We suggest you don’t get caught up in this and focus on making your application as strong as can be. We are flexible regarding our incoming class sizes. If you are a great applicant, we assure you there will be room in the class.
Chat Participant: Hi, what are the application deadlines for weekend MBA admissions?
Sarah Palomo | Associate Director, Admissions: Hi there! All the deadlines are on the website here: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/mba/part-time/admissions/how-to-apply
Chat Participant: Hi, is there a number I can call and try to set up an appointment with a weekend MBA alumni?
Patrick McHale | Associate Director, Admissions: Please email us at eveningweekend-admissions@chicagobooth.edu to request to be connected with Booth alumni of any particular background you are looking for. Then, our team will ask a few alumni to reach out to you in the following weeks.
Chat Participant: What is a typical class size for the Evening and Weekend programs?
Kara Northcutt | Senior Director, Employer Engagement and Admissions: We now bring in Evening and Weekend students every quarter, and the incoming class size varies by quarter. Autumn is typically ~120, Winter is ~50, Spring is ~100, and Summer ~50. No quarter is more or less competitive, so we advise you apply to whichever quarter is best for your timeline.
Chat Participant: Is the Booth Weekend MBA program equally competitive for early in career applicants and later in career applicants?
Patrick McHale | Associate Director, Admissions: Yes, it is equally competitive. Regardless of years of work experience, we expect any successful applicant to articulate their short/long term goals and how Booth fits into those goals. We expect to hear a strong message on why is now the right time for you to start your MBA experience at Booth in the part-time format.
Chat Participant: Is work experience considered as part of the application?
Sarah Palomo | Associate Director, Admissions: Yes, work experience is a part of the application. We ask for your resume, where you can demonstrate your career and work experience.
Chat Participant: Hello, I am working towards finishing my application for Weekend MBA starting in January 2022. I have decided on taking letters of recommendation from my supervisor and my previous supervisor. However, my previous supervisor is now working for another company. Is it fine to still get a recommendation from that person or do you need a recommender from within the same company?
Kara Northcutt | Senior Director, Employer Engagement and Admissions: It is absolutely fine to ask a previous manager who has moved to a different company. If you feel they will be able to provide a well-rounded perspective on your candidacy, they are a great choice! In the application, you will be asked to explain why you selected your recommenders, and you can share that your previous manager is now with a new company.
Chat Participant: Hi, what is the cohort size for weekend MBA program?
Vanessa Prachack | Associate Director, Admissions Marketing: I recommend checking out our class profile: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/mba/part-time/admissions/class-profile. There are about 194 Weekend students at Chicago Booth.
Chat Participant: Is CFA charter holder a strong plus in the application?
Patrick McHale | Associate Director, Admissions: Yes! This and similar certifications/charters help further demonstrate your professional commitment and ability to handle the academic rigor at Booth.
Chat Participant: How common/easy is it to transfer from the weekend/evening MBA program to the fulltime program?
Kara Northcutt | Senior Director, Employer Engagement and Admissions: Booth does not allow transfers into the Full-Time MBA. If you feel Full-time is a better fit, you should apply to such from the get go. Keep in mind that the Evening and Weekend MBA is designed for those who are working full-time. You have flexibility to increase your course load, but most students take 2 courses per quarter, which they find manageable while also working full-time.
Chat Participant: Are there any prerequisites needed to be completed based on the background of a candidate?
Kara Northcutt | Senior Director, Employer Engagement and Admissions: Booth does not have any required prerequisite courses. The program is very flexible, which allows students to take courses at the level most appropriate for them. For example, if you have never taken an accounting course, you would start with Intro Level Financial Accounting. Whereas one with a CPA would likely take a more advance course to fulfill the accounting requirement.
Chat Participant: How do class sizes compare in the evening/weekend program versus the FT program?
Patrick McHale | Associate Director, Admissions: If you are referring to the size of incoming classes, the full-time program will typically bring in 500-600 students each Autumn quarter. The Evening/Weekend programs bring in a similar number throughout 4 quarters. If you are referring to the number of students enrolled in a specific class, the average is ~40 students.
Chat Participant: In terms of deciding whether or not to accept someone for the part time MBA, what does admissions generally look for?
Sarah Palomo | Associate Director, Admissions: I would encourage you to review our website here: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/mba/part-time/admissions/requirements. Generally we look for academic preparedness, community, and career. The bottom of the website link goes into detail!
Chat Participant: Hi, What is the tuition fee for the weekend MBA, for an Indiana state resident?
Vanessa Prachack | Associate Director, Admissions Marketing: Hello, your tuition is based off of how many courses you take. We do not differentiate prices by state. Visit this link for more information: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/mba/part-time/admissions/cost
Chat Participant: I am an international student and currently do not have a visa for the US. I would like to continue to work while I pursue my MBA not to lose the experience. Does the university help such candidates, or would it be better to look for a sponsor and/or look at a Full-Time MBA?
Kara Northcutt | Senior Director, Employer Engagement and Admissions: Booth cannot sponsor an F1 student visas for our part-time programs. Our part-time international students must already be in the US on a valid work visa. The Full-Time MBA Program can sponsor F1 visas, and you will be eligible for a summer internship and to work in the US post MBA. See this link for more details about applying to the Full-Time MBA as an international student: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/mba/full-time/admissions/international-students
Chat Participant: Does holding cloud certifications (example, Azure Data Engineer, etc.) help an application?
Kara Northcutt | Senior Director, Employer Engagement and Admissions: Sure! It shows us that you have taken initiative to acquire specific skills/education, which tells us you are intellectually curious. You can list certifications on your resume and we also ask about such in the application.
Chat Participant: Is it seen as a negative if you've only just recently started full-time work? (I.e. If you've just graduated from undergrad this past year?)
Patrick McHale | Associate Director, Admissions: Not necessarily! We typically see our early career candidates get at least one year of full-time work experience before applying to one of our part-time programs. However, anyone is eligible to apply. We expect early career candidates to demonstrate a strong reasoning on why they are looking to start of part-time MBA experience at Booth at this point in their career.
Chat Participant: How's the percentage for company-sponsored MBA student?
Vanessa Prachack | Associate Director, Admissions Marketing: We do not have that information publicly available at the moment. If you are interested, you can find out more about financial aid and scholarship on this page of our website! https://www.chicagobooth.edu/mba/part-time/admissions/scholarships-and-aid. With regards to scholarships specifically, admitted students are automatically considered for scholarships and there is no separate application process. These scholarships are competitive and vary in amount based on the applicant pool and availability of funds. Additionally, we don't have an average amount as the range does differ quarter to quarter. In terms of other opportunities, students manage the cost through a combination of resources. Some have varying levels of funding from their companies that they rely on when deciding to attend the program part-time and continue working. Others rely on loans (federal or private) and then the limited number of merit-based scholarships.
Chat Participant: How many years of work experience is typically required for the program, and how are fields like design viewed for would be applicants? Also in the instance you've had extensive experiences at separate companies how should you source recommendation letters from?
Kara Northcutt | Senior Director, Employer Engagement and Admissions: The average for incoming students is typically around 6 years, but the range is very wide. See this link for student profile details: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/mba/part-time/admissions/class-profile. It is just fine if you have worked at multiple companies, in multiple industries, had multiple managers, etc. With regard to your recommenders, we do like to see one from your current supervisor if possible. The second can be from a mentor, previous manager, etc. You should select someone you feel knows you well and will be able to offer a well-round perspective on your candidacy.
Chat Participant: Do you provide scholarships to part time students?
Vanessa Prachack | Associate Director, Admissions Marketing: Yes! Excellent question. At Booth, you are only considered for merit scholarships once you are admitted. Typically you will hear if you have been awarded a merit scholarship about 2-3 weeks after you were admitted. There is no additional application, we will use your MBA application. Our merit scholarships are competitive, and they are awarded on a case by case basis. I hope that answers your question.
Chat Participant: What scholarships does Booth offer to students?
Sarah Palomo | Associate Director, Admissions: All admitted students are automatically considered for merit scholarships. You can read more about our scholarships here: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/mba/part-time/admissions/scholarships-and-aid
Chat Participant: What is the range of scholarship amount that Booth offers to Weekend MBA candidates?
Sarah Palomo | Associate Director, Admissions:: This varies quarter to quarter depending on the budget and the application pool, but typically merit scholarships start at 10k and go up from there.
Chat Participant: Can we get an assessment of our candidacy before formally applying for the program?
Sarah Palomo | Associate Director, Admissions: We do not offer a pre-review, but I do encourage you to set-up a time to speak with an Admissions Director to discuss your questions and profile. Please email eveningweekend-admissions@chicagobooth.edu to set up a time
Chat Participant: What does Booth look into in regards to background checks?
Sarah Palomo | Associate Director, Admissions: Hi! We do not ask for a background check as part of the application.
Chat Participant: On average, how long does it take students to complete a Weekend MBA?
Sarah Palomo | Associate Director, Admissions: 2.5 years is the average time to complete the part-time programs.
Chat Participant: Are interviews conducted with alumni and/or students? Does Booth try to schedule interviews for all applicants to the part-time MBA program?
Vanessa Prachack | Associate Director, Admissions Marketing: Interviews are by invitation only. Within 10 days of receiving a completed application you will be informed of this decision. If you are not invited to interview, then you are denied from the program. If you are invited, you advance to the next phase of the admissions process. The interview is conducted virtually by a member of our Admissions Committee (students and alumni). They are conversational and more of an evaluative assessment on fit and contributions to the Booth community.
Chat Participant: What percentage of part-time student can get scholarship?
Patrick McHale | Associate Director, Admissions: Unfortunately, we do not disclose the percentage of students who are awarded scholarships. This is because the number of scholarships given out each quarter is not set in stone and is completely dependent on the strength of the applicant pool. Merit scholarships are considered to be very limited and competitive in nature.
Chat Participant: How is company financial sponsorship weighted in the admissions process?
Kara Northcutt | Senior Director, Employer Engagement and Admissions: While we ask about this in the application, it does not influence our admissions decision.
Chat Participant: What's the percentage of company-sponsored students?
Kara Northcutt | Senior Director, Employer Engagement and Admissions: In recent years, around 50% of students have some sponsorship from their company. However, the amounts of sponsorship vary widely. While it is great if you are sponsored, this will not influence our admissions decision.
Chat Participant: Does it help an application if you are getting sponsored by a company?
Kara Northcutt | Senior Director, Employer Engagement and Admissions: While we ask about this in the application, it does not influence our admissions decision.
Chat Participant: In my field there are no promotions vertically, its either engineer level position or manager (15+ years’ experience). So my first question is does this affect? Should I provide this in optional essay or not?
Patrick McHale | Associate Director, Admissions: We are mindful of the various career progression structures from industry to industry. We will thoughtfully review your background and go beyond traditional assumptions of looking at promotions to fully assess your career trajectory and potential alignment with Booth's offerings.
Chat Participant: Are there special admission programs/ Aid for folks that are working at a Non-profit?
Sarah Palomo | Associate Director, Admissions: I would encourage you to read about the Civic Scholars program here: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/mba/civic-scholars which is exclusively for folks who work at non-profits.
Chat Participant: Can you switch between Weekend MBA and Evening MBA from quarter to quarter?
Sarah Palomo | Associate Director, Admissions: Evening MBA students are able to take Weekend MBA courses and vice versa. You are able to officially switch programs only once -from Evening to Weekend or vice versa. This is a one-time change.
Chat Participant: After getting an offer for admission, is it possible to take the some courses before the program begins to complete the degree early?
Vanessa Prachack | Associate Director, Admissions Marketing: No you can't take courses before the Program begins but Evening and Weekend students tend to take 2 classes per quarter and on average complete the degree in 2.5 years. However, you can dictate your pace and graduate in less time if you take 3 classes per quarter. Fair warning - that is considered a fairly heavy load for working professionals.
Chat Participant: How many years work experience do applicants usually have for the weekend and evening programs & is there a preference/recommendation to this length?
Vanessa Prachack | Associate Director, Admissions Marketing: We do not have a preference regarding years of work experience. We see a wide range of work experience- anywhere from 1-15 years or so. We encourage you to apply for your MBA when you feel the time is right for you- and to be able to speak to why in your essays and interview. We do have a program for candidates earlier in their careers called the Chicago Business Fellows program. I'd highly recommend you look into it! Find out more info here: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/mba/early-career-programs/chicago-business-fellows
Chat Participant: Is the Civic Scholar program different than the Obama Foundation Scholars program? I have 12 years of experience working for a state government and I work for a non-profit right now and I am wondering which program would be the best fit for me.
Sarah Palomo | Associate Director, Admissions: Yes they are different. I would encourage you to read about the Civic Scholars Program here: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/mba/civic-scholars. You have to apply for the Civic Scholars Program while you apply for admission. You cannot apply for this program after you are a student. The Obama Foundation Scholars program is only for current students, and you can only apply as a student. You can also apply for The Obama Foundation Scholars program if you are a Civic Scholar.
Chat Participant: As someone who is considering pursuing an MBA, can you speak to the strengths of the part time MBA program at Booth and where there is opportunity for improvement? Also, any insight to how the program will change/evolve in the next few years?
Sarah Palomo | Associate Director, Admissions: I think the biggest strength about our program is the flexibility. Students are able to really customize their program and pick the courses they want. There are only 3 required courses and the rest are electives. You are also able to select how many courses per quarter you want to take. 1-3 courses. So it is very flexible. As far as improvement, we are always trying to adapt the program to meet the needs to current business students which includes reviewing courses and adding more. Likely in the coming years the program will continue to evolve in course offerings.
Chat Participant: I am applying for the spring part-time MBA. When will the results be out those who get accepted?
Sarah Palomo | Associate Director, Admissions: Results will be released 4-6 weeks after your application is completed.
Chat Participant: I just started a new job. Is it a requirement to get a letter of recommendation from a current supervisor?
Patrick McHale | Associate Director, Admissions: You can use your judgment on this based on when you apply, but we typically do not expect an applicant to use a current supervisor recommendation if they have only been working with them for 6 months or less. In this case you can rely on former supervisors, colleagues, clients, among others.
Chat Participant: Are early career applicants who are interested in the Business Fellows program evaluated primarily within the context of the early career applicant pool, or are they evaluated against the greater PT applicant pool as a whole?
Patrick McHale | Associate Director, Admissions: Chicago Business Fellows applicants are technically reviewed in a separate pool. However, each applicant is reviewed individually and not compared to fellow Chicago Business Fellows applicants or general Evening/Weekend applicants.
Chat Participant: If I complete my application before the due date, will I get the results 4-6 weeks of the completion or 4-6 week of the deadline date?
Sarah Palomo | Associate Director, Admissions: You get the results 4-6 weeks after your application is completed.
Chat Participant: Is there a link to where I can find application deadlines
Sarah Palomo | Associate Director, Admissions: Yes, the deadlines are here: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/mba/part-time/admissions/how-to-apply
Chat Participant: Will recommendation letters carry more weightage if the person recommending is a higher level executive compared to someone like an immediate supervisor?
Kara Northcutt | Senior Director, Employer Engagement and Admissions: The quality and recency of your relationship is more important than the person's title. We prefer you select people who know you well and can offer a well-rounded perspective, which tends to be people you report/reported to directly.
Chat Participant: Is there an age limit to the part-time or weekend programs? Is equally competitive to gain admission and complete both programs? I am a physician who works independently and do not really have a supervisor. Is there a suggestion for reference letter? Will an online option be given for either or both in the near future?
Patrick McHale | Associate Director, Admissions: Great question! There are no age limits to apply for the Evening/Weekend programs. We share average age on our website just to share more information about or current student population for prospective students. Both programs are equally competitive for both applications and program completion.
Chat Participant: Is there a link to find out how many students have been accepted and how many spots are still open (for weekend MBA winter 2022)
Sarah Palomo | Associate Director, Admissions: We do not publicly share how many students are accepted. The deadline for Winter Weekend is September 27th and we will accept applications up until that date!
Chat Participant: When evaluating undergraduate transcripts, how closely does admissions look at individual courses and grades? Or is the emphasis primarily on the overall GPA?
Sarah Palomo | Associate Director, Admissions: We look closely at the whole transcript so we will look at all the courses on your transcript, as well as grades, and overall GPA. We don't emphasize one more than another.
Test Score Questions
Chat Participant: Is it better to take the GMAT or is the EA acceptable for the part time MBA?
Patrick McHale | Associate Director, Admissions: Booth views the GMAT, GRE, and Executive Assessment equally throughout the entire review process. Feel free to take the exam that best fits your strengths.
Chat Participant: What is the cut off for GRE and GMAT?
Vanessa Prachack | Associate Director, Admissions Marketing: We don't have a "cut off" test score per se, we take a holistic approach when evaluating applications. But if you are more curious about our test averages, I recommend checking out our class profile page for more information: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/mba/part-time/admissions/class-profile
Chat Participant: What is the approximate GMAT/ GRE/ EA weightage in the admission process?
Sarah Palomo | Associate Director, Admissions: This is a great question. We do not weigh the test scores in any specific way. No part of the application is more important than any other parts. We review your application holistically and look at everything very closely
Chat Participant: Does Chicago Booth accept GRE for the Full-time MBA program?
Sarah Palomo | Associate Director, Admissions: You can see the full-time application requirements here https://www.chicagobooth.edu/mba/full-time/admissions/requirements
Chat Participant: Are there any exemptions for GRE and GMAT?
Sarah Palomo | Associate Director, Admissions: At Chicago Booth we do not have any exemption. We require either the GRE/GMAT/EA.
Academic Questions
Chat Participant: Hello, what does the scheduling process usually look like for new and existing students? What time slots are most popular and most available for the Weekend MBA program? Thanks!
Vanessa Prachack | Associate Director, Admissions Marketing: We have a bidding registration system. It's similar to an open market, consistent with supply and demand principles of economics (sound like Booth right?). It's actually quite simple and our Academic Advisors help with navigating the strategy for bidding on classes. Essentially you earn points for every course you complete and get to decide when to spend them. As a new student, you get a certain number of points to start out. When the registration period opens you bid on a class/professor you want. If you really want to take a specific professor then you'll bid more points. Weekend classes take place on Saturdays from 9am-12pm and again from 1:30pm-4:30pm.
Chat Participant: Hi! Can you talk more about the process of registering for classes?
Patrick McHale | Associate Director, Admissions: Students bid on classes at Booth. The only way that students gain points are upon their first quarter (4,000 points) and after taking each course (2,000 each). Students can freely use these points to enroll in courses. More popular courses will often require a higher point allocation. Students have access to years of previous data related to average bidding price per course as a helpful reference.
Chat Participant: Can the weekend MBA student also take evening and FT MBA classes?
Vanessa Prachack | Associate Director, Admissions Marketing: Weekend classes take place on Saturdays from 9am-12pm and again from 1:30pm-4:30pm. That said, Weekend MBA students can take Evening and Full-Time classes throughout the program.
Chat Participant: Generally speaking, are classes mostly online or in person right now?
Sarah Palomo | Associate Director, Admissions: Starting this Autumn Quarter, classes will be back in person, with only a few virtual options remaining.
Chat Participant: How are electives chosen in the program? Does the cohort vote?
Sarah Palomo | Associate Director, Admissions: This is a great question. Students pick their own electives themselves. You do not take any electives as a cohort, but are able to take courses that interest you.
Chat Participant: Does Booth plan to offer short-term study abroad programs in 2022?
Sarah Palomo | Associate Director, Admissions: This is a great question and we do not yet have the answer as the situation continues to change. We encourage you to check-in with us as we get closer at eveningweekend-admissions@chicagobooth.edu
Chat Participant: Do full-time, evening and weekend students share the same class registration priorities?
Sarah Palomo | Associate Director, Admissions: You will have priority registration for your program only.
Chat Participant: Do we need to select the MBA track we need to pursue? I am not sure what track to follow.
Patrick McHale | Associate Director, Admissions: Booth does not provide "tracks" for students to follow. Rather, students can pursue degree requirements and electives that fit their interests and goals. Booth offer 13 concentrations, where students can acquire one or multiple organically as they progress through the program.
Chat Participant: Do students have much flexibility in the specific industries they choose to focus in on at Booth, or does it more so come down to what industries are covered in class?
Vanessa Prachack | Associate Director, Admissions Marketing: Great part about the Chicago Booth MBA Program is that we offer ultimate flexibility. The academic experience is the same across programs and you have access to the same curricular experience as full-time students. You can choose from 13 different concentrations and tailor your experience that way. You can see the different concentrations here: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/mba/academics/curriculum/concentrations. Again, these are all available to Evening, Weekend, and Full-Time students and classes are offered across all programs to allow anyone to obtain these concentrations.
Chat Participant: Are the weekend MBA classes every weekend or every other weekend?
Sarah Palomo | Associate Director, Admissions: Weekend MBA classes are every weekend.
Chat Participant: Can MBA students take classes outside of the Booth School of Business?
Sarah Palomo | Associate Director, Admissions: Yes, Booth students can take up to 6 electives at other schools in University of Chicago.
Chat Participant: If due to some reason I am unable to travel to attend the in-person class for a weekend, will I have the option of taking the class online?
Sarah Palomo | Associate Director, Admissions: We are committed to working with Weekend students who are unable to travel because of the pandemic. If you have concerns we will work with you to figure out a solution. This will vary person to person, but we will be flexible and have a select amount of virtual options for Autumn quarter.
Chat Participant: I would like to continue working for my current organizations. This may require me to travel to different cities. For the Weekend MBA is there an option to sometimes take classes online?
Kara Northcutt | Senior Director, Employer Engagement and Admissions: As of now, we are offering a limited number virtual classes for our Evening and Weekend MBA students for Autumn quarter. Whether or not we will offer them Winter 2022 depends on the state of the pandemic later this fall. We do not yet know if these options will be available long term. We hope to know more in the next quarter or two. We apologize for not being able to provide a more satisfying answer at this point.
Chat Participant: If you take 2 courses per quarter, is that geared towards a 3 year program?
Sarah Palomo | Associate Director, Admissions: On average students take 2 courses per quarter in order to graduate in 2.5 years. You have up to 5 years to graduate. Students pick how many courses they want take per quarter.
Chat Participant: Are PT MBA students allowed to take elective courses with FT MBA students?
Vanessa Prachack | Associate Director, Admissions Marketing: Yes, Evening MBA and Weekend MBA students can enroll in full-time MBA courses. You can take courses across the full-time, evening, and weekend MBA programs.
Chat Participant: If you've taken a Booth class before as part of a previous graduate degree, would that course count towards either the course or elective requirements for an MBA?
Patrick McHale | Associate Director, Admission: Possibly, but you will need to submit a Petition for Prior UC Course Credit form once you are enrolled in the program. If you have taken the course recently (within the past couple years), the credits can potentially count towards degree requirements.
Chat Participant: How many courses are required to complete the degree. Is it 20?
Sarah Palomo | Associate Director, Admissions: Yes, it is 20.
Chat Participant: As a working professional, I have to sometimes work late hours so I might miss lectures. How can I catch up on missed classes? Are there recording s available or can evening students take the class on weekends and vice-versa?
Patrick McHale | Associate Director, Admissions: The policies around making up missed classes will vary by professor and they are often laid out in the syllabus. Recordings are typically not available. Most faculty are understanding of the reality of the full-time working professional and needing to miss class in extreme situations. Students will commonly work with the professor, TAs, or fellow students to stay caught up on the coursework. If multiple sections of the course are offered, students can attend a different section that week to stay caught up on coursework.
Chat Participant: Are weekend/evening students able to take classes different from general schedule (like some weekdays)?
Vanessa Prachack | Associate Director, Admissions Marketing: Yes! Weekend/Evening students are able to take classes that best fit their schedules across programs.
Chat Participant: Hi I am an independent physician and do not report to any supervisor. Are there any suggestions for the reference letter?
Patrick McHale | Associate Director, Admissions: Applicants without a current supervisor are welcome to use others in the professional network for recommendation letters. This can include former supervisors, colleagues, clients, as well as former professors and mentors.
Chat Participant: Can someone apply in weekend and evening MBA for same session?
Vanessa Prachack | Associate Director, Admissions Marketing: No, you can only apply to one program at a time.
Chat Participant: Can a student graduate in 2 years instead of 2.5 years if he is willing to take additional courses? Are additional courses provided in the weekend MBA program?
Sarah Palomo | Associate Director, Admissions: It is extremely rare as the average amount of years is 2.5. Weekend students are able to take Evening and Full-time courses. For example, you could take a Friday full-time course, or a Friday evening course, and then 2 courses on Saturday to get at 3 courses.
Chat Participant: Do I still get the same quality of education if I do weekend MBA as those who do the full-time MBA?
Sarah Palomo | Associate Director, Admissions: This is a great question. All courses are offered across all programs, and faculty teach across all programs. It is essentially the same MBA experience, but part-time students continue working full time, which is the big difference.
Chat Participant: Do you have a list of courses that are required and electives available for the program?
Patrick McHale | Associate Director, Admissions: Yes! You can review them here: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/mba/academics/curriculum
Chat Participant: For the Evening MBA, how many times do you meet per week?
Sarah Palomo | Associate Director, Admissions: If you are taking one course, then you will meet for one evening course a week. If you are taking two courses then you can expect to meet twice weekly.
Student Life and Career Services Questions
Chat Participant: Can weekend MBA students also participate in FT MBA clubs?
Vanessa Prachack | Associate Director, Admissions Marketing: Evening /Weekend students have their own Student Body organization called as SAC (Student Advisory Council). Also E/W members have their own set of clubs offerings, similar to FT students.
Chat Participant: Did any of you attend the Evening MBA program as a non-IL resident, and if so how was your experience?
Patrick McHale | Associate Director, Admissions: Unfortunately, we do not have any students/recent alumni in attendance today. However, I recommend emailing us after the session at eveningweekend-admissions@chicagobooth.edu and we will be happy to connect you with a few students/alumni who are outside of IL.
Chat Participant: Does the Evening & Weekend MBA have the same access to career coaching service, company engagement and recruiting events as the Full-Time MBA program?
Vanessa Prachack | Associate Director, Admissions Marketing: Booth largely allocates its career services resources across its programs. One main exception is that only Full-Time students are able to access internship recruiting. Otherwise, resources are the same! We do not secure roles for our students, but our career services team has a full suite of offerings you can take advantage of such as 1-1 coaching, small group workshops, interactive sessions, alumni advisors, research terminals, resume database, etc. They are there to really help you with your job search every step of the way!
Chat Participant: Can weekend MBA students start a new club? For example a Latin American business association club?
Patrick McHale | Associate Director, Admissions: Students interested in forming a recognized student group must submit a proposal by Friday, Week 4 of the Winter Quarter to Student Life. It must include the following: A mission statement, which includes why the group fulfills a unique need not addressed by current Chicago Booth groups, a budget that states how the group will generate revenue as well as projected expenses, and a calendar of events for the first year of operation.
Chat Participant: Is the job fair different for Full-Time and Part-Time MBA Candidates?
Kara Northcutt | Senior Director, Employer Engagement and Admissions: : Evening MBA and Weekend MBA (EW) students are able to participate in the same campus recruiting program as our Full-Time MBA students for full time jobs. The main difference regarding Career Services is that internship recruiting is open to full-time MBA students only. If you feel an internship will be an important part of your career goals, we suggest you explore full-time programs. Please keep in mind that Campus Recruiting is only one of many sources students use to find a new job- the job posting database, student and alumni network, etc. are also common sources
Chat Participant: Hello, thank you for hosting this Live Chat. How does the career coaching/advising differ for part time Evening & Weekend students who are established in their industry from those full time students looking to change careers or pivot to another industry?
Patrick McHale | Associate Director, Admissions: The only career services resource that is only available for Full-Time students is internship recruiting. All other resources, including recruiting for full-time positions, are available to Evening/Weekend students. While career services is helpful for those looking to make a pivot, many Evening/Weekend students are not actively seeking a change. These students can still utilize career services, including meeting with career coaches, attending events (building positive career momentum, practice/improve your career story, building professional relationships), connecting with alumni advisors, and more!
Chat Participant: What resources are available to connect with alumni or current students?
Sarah Palomo | Associate Director, Admissions: I would encourage you to use this tool on the website here: https://apply.chicagobooth.edu/portal/studentvolunteer. This tool is for prospective students. Once you are a current student you will easily be able to connect with current students and alumni through the Booth network.
Chat Participant: With the understanding that Part-Time students do not have access to formal internship recruiting, are there Part-Time students that choose to pursue an internship after their first year?
Patrick McHale | Associate Director, Admissions: There are a small number of part-time students that pursue internships outside of recruiting. This is typically uncommon as the vast majority of students seeking internships will pursue full-time programs.
Chat Participant: Are there formal opportunities for individuals in the Evening & Weekend MBA program to connect with either alumni or those individuals in the Executive MBA program in a mentor-like setting? Kind of like the Executive-in-Residence Program but more 1:1 oriented. Thank you.
Sarah Palomo | Associate Director, Admissions: Yes, there are many opportunities to connect with alumni at Booth through networking events, as well as, as a student you will have to access to the Booth alumni database. As a current student, you would also be able to connect with Exec MBA students, but there is no formal mentorship program.