Live Chat with Executive MBA Admissions
Chat with staff and current students from our London campus
January 20, 2010 — 12:00-1:00 PM GMT
Moderator: Hello! The chat will begin in 10 minutes. Please submit your questions.
Jenny: Hello and welcome to the chat! My name is Jenny Eriksson, Marketing and Recruitment Coordinator for the London campus. I look forward to chatting with you all.
Arnie: Hello. We look forward answering your questions!
Elisa: Hi everyone, This is Elisa from the Admissions Office in London. Welcome to our chat!
Xavier: Hello all, I am Xavier, a current Executive student on the London campus. looking forward to answering your questions.
G-351846198_Guest_: Is it possible to ask for a review of a candidature? and under which circumstances?
Jenny: Hi G-351846198, yes we would be happy to give you feedback on your CV to assess your profile for the Executive MBA program. Email your CV to europe.inquires@ChicagoBooth.edu
Steve_Guest_: Hello and good afternoon everyone. My concern about taking about this EMBA will be the strength of the Alumni/Career Network that I can gain, as I wish to work in the U.S.A. (I currently reside in Switzerland). With this objective in mind, and aware that the majority of the study time will be in London with only two occasions spent in Chicago, would it be more prudent to sign up for the Chicago faculty?
Elisa: Hi Steve, 25% of the program is spent working and studying with your peers from the Chicago and Singapore campuses. The program is exactly the same at all three locations and professors fly from Chicago to come and teach in London and Singapore. The degree that you get is the same degree as for all MBA programs. If you'll be based in Europe while doing your EMBA the London Campus will probably be the most convenient choice.
Dammy_Guest_: Do you only use the GMATs to evaluate initial entry requirements prior to interviewing prospective students?
Elisa: GMAT is not an admission requirement but it is strongly recommended. We do not use it as an initial entry requirement.
Grace: Hi guys,this is Grace. I am a current student on the Executive MBA programme in London
Parisliving_All: Which is the ideal time to apply to Chicago Booth for executive MBA?
Xavier: Good question! Anytime, but I would advise not to wait until the last minute... Consider the time to prepare your essay and get recommendations.
Islem_Guest_: Hi there, I would know how long the MBA tooks to be done?
Jenny: The program is 16 weeks spread over 21 months, view the EXP-17 calendar which is the class starting in June 2010 http://www.chicagobooth.edu/execmba/docs/EXP17-Calendar.pdf
G-351846198_Guest_: What do you think about the electives? and Are there any other electives which are not presented in any brochure?
Grace: Electives are based on feedback from the students as to what they would like to take, so there could be subjects offered not on the brochure - generally there are some subjects that are always popular and is offered every year.
TBejm_Guest_: If I submit the application by the end of January - what is the earliest date of getting the answer by the selection cometee?
Jenny: Hi TBejm, once we have received your complete application and interviews have been conducted you could have a decision from us within 3-6 weeks.
TBejm_Guest_: Hello Jenny, This is Tomasz. I have few questions of the format of your programme. I see the difference between Europe and Americas programme format. Why is that?
Jenny: As we fly the facutly over from Chicago to teach at our London and Singapore campuses the weekly modules work best for us. This means you are earning a "pure" Chicago Booth MBA.
Londoner_All_: The third essay is optional...can you please share how helpful this is to complete and the most relevant topics to write about for the admissions staff?
Xavier: I would say that you should not view it as optional! This is an excellent opportunity to provide additional information about yourself (hobbies, dreams...). You want to demonstrate to the admission staff that your work and your career is not the only interest in your life!
Panos_Guest_: Can the interview take place in my country of residence?
Elisa: Hi Panos, interviews are usually held at our London Campus. If any of our admission officers are travelling to your country then we could schedule the interview locally.
Nick_Guest_: What is the average GMAT score on your programm?
Jenny: Hi Nick, GMAT and TOEFL are not admission requirements of the program, applicants may be asked to take one or both of these examinations by the admissions committee. Executive MBA students have scored between 600-700 on the GMAT; however, it is looked as part of the whole application. GMAT is particularly helpful to demonstrate your quantitative skills, if you feel that is a weak point in your application.
Nick_2_Guest_: Hello! What kind of career support is provided for the EMBA in London?
Xavier: Hi Nick. There is a career office in London, which provides you with the same support you would expect from the career office in Chicago. The focus in London is Europe, but you have access to resources from the offices in Chicago and Singapore if you were to move/ work in the Americas or Asia/ Pacific.
Wayne_Guest_: Are you now able to confirm the program fees for London class commencing June 2010.
Jenny: Hi Wayne, the tuition is not yet set for the class starting in June 2010. We will know this by Spring 2010.
Constantine_Guest_: Hi i am Constantine. A few questions and also some considerations. What do you thing is the greatest benefit derived from the Execuive MBA? The only thing that is troubling me is that there are lately many individuals within the market who opt for an Executive MBA; hence the market at some point will have many Executive MBA graduates. How does Chicago Booth differentiates itself from the other top Executive MBA's?
Grace: ChicagoBooth has always been consistently ranked as one of the top MBA programmes. The teaching philosphy of the school is different from other schools as it seeks to find answers through rigorous questioning. The programme course is structured to ensure you have a grounding on the fundamentals of business and as you go through the programme, it builds on previous subjects.
TBejm_Guest_: Another question relates to GMAT requirement. Why is not required at Booth but another schools put this as a strict requirement to submit the application?
Arnie: Good question. With our applicants we view several factors as key to success in our program, for example work experience. However, we still do reserve the right to ask certain applicants to submit a GMAT and do encourage all applicants to take it.
G-351873624_Guest_: Hi everyone! The question is about the upcoming open day on 29 Jan. How should one register for the event? Thank you.
Jenny: Register for our open day on 29 January at: http://www.chicagobooth.edu/execmba/admissions/londonsession.aspx We hope to see you there!
Angel_Guest_: I am an Engg gradute and completed an MBA curse 6 yrs aier frm one of the reputed schools in India, However, i do feel the ned to go back to school to strengthn some of the financial management aspects of Business to streamline my future growth and ensure that my profile does not stagnate. Wuld you recommend enrolling in a full time MBA or an executive MBA. where would the potential benefits be more. I have been working for years
Grace: The ChicagoBooth MBA programme is the same whether it is an EMBA or a full time programme. I understand that EMBA has more mature students with more prolific work history and therefore the dynamic of the class discussions and study groups will be different compared to a full time programme.
Constantine_Guest_: What are the key characteristics an applicant should posses in order to be accepted into the Executive MBA? DO you consider applicants that have exposure into smaller country markets?
Elisa: Hi Constantine, some of the things we look for in a candidate are career advancement potential, strong academic record, commitment to complete the program and potential contribution to your classmates. There is no typical EMBA candidate - we try to craft the most diverse class possible. Hence, your exposure into smaller country markets could be very welcome.
Moderator: There are 15 minutes left in the chat. Please continue to submit your questions and we will answer as many as we can!
JB2007_Guest_: Hello, do EMBA graduates get their degrees from all 3 Universities or only one?
Xavier: Hi there. The same programme is taught across the three campuses (the Chicago professors are teaching in London and Singapore). So this is the same degree. Just one brand! And actually, you graduate with an 'MBA from Chicago Booth', whether you took the full-time or the executive programme.
Nick_Guest_: I attended Booth event at Moscow couple years ago where was said that the interview replaces GMAT and TOEFL, that is if you have good oral English you do not need to take those tests. Is it so?
Jenny: Hi Nick, although GMAT and TOEFL are not admission requirements of the program, applicants may be asked to take one or both of these examinations by the admissions committee. Normally this would be decided after your interview.
vshibaev_Guest_: What number of applications do you expect to get for this year's class relative to the group size?
Arnie: As in previous years we always get more applications than we have spaces available. That said, our applicant numbers to date are higher than for the same time period last year. So if the trend continues we will have another very competitive year.
G-351846198_Guest_: By the way, Do you consider that if you do not have the support of your company then It would not be possible to access to the program?
Grace: I am not sure what you mean by "support" but one of the key things you will need is time off to undertake the programme and in this regard it would be important to negotiate this with the company.
Luc_Guest_: What are the pros and the cons of an EMBA versus a full time MBA?
Grace: Hi Luc, ChicagoBooth MBA programme is the same for full time and Executive. I chose an EMBA as I wanted to continue working. Also with the EMBA, the students have at least 10 years working experience and therefore the class discussions and study group are very dynamic as people draw from their work experience and industry knowledge.
Yiannis_Guest_: Coming back to my question above, does your answer Grace imply that also a project of interest to my current employer could form part of the program, in a similar way like electives are provided for?This might be of substantial help when negotiating the financing with the employer.
Grace: Topics are provided for electives and students can register their interest. If there is not sufficient interest then it is unlikely to be offered. A better way to put it to your employer is that you will obtain knowledge and skills which you can take away and apply to your current work. This is what my employer have found to be a benefit of the course.
Londoner_All_: What type of financial assistance available? How do you help students getting financial assistance?
Jenny: Hi Londoner, currently Chicago Booth are not offering any financial aid to our Executive MBA students. You can get up-to-date information from our website and see what different countries can offer in terms of loan program: http://www.chicagobooth.edu/execmba/admissions/financialaid.aspx
G-351846198_Guest_: which are the requirements of the program?
Elisa: Hi, requirements include a complete application form (available online) essays, CV, academic transcripts and company supprt letter (required prior to the start of the program if admitted). You can find further information at http://www.chicagobooth.edu/execmba/admissions/index.aspx. We also encourage you to explore the online application at www.chicagobooth.edy/apply.
Wayne_Guest_: Is career support from the career office in London available for life as an Alumni member?
Xavier: Once you graduate you still have access to Career Services, and not only London but from Chicago and Singapore. A great asset if you want to move out of Europe.
Yiannis_Guest_: This is Yiannis, does the program provide for working on a project specified by my employer as part of the qualification to the EMBA title?
Arnie: Hi Yiannis. Many of our courses will require you to bring in real-life examples from your company. In courses like Competitive Strategy, you might be asked to work on a project involving your company and/or industry. However, there is no guarantee that projects that you are working on with your employer will be pertinent to the course you are in at that time.
G-351846198_Guest_: By the way, Is it possible to ask for a review of a candidature? and under which circumstances?
Elisa: Hi, you can send your CV to europe.inquiries@chicagobooth.edu and we will give you feedback on your profile for this program.
Londoner_All_: What is the best time to schedule an interview?
Jenny: Anytime, as long as we have members of the Admissions Committee on campus we would be happy to schedule your interview. Please note we need your submitted application 7 days before your interview to be able to process it.
mm_Guest_: I had a very senior position and responsibility before the recession. I had an employment contract cancelled as a result and I had to settle for a lower raking and paying job? Would this affect my elligibility for admission?
Grace: Your elligibility is not necessarily affected by changes in your job. Admission is based on a number of criteria.
Dammy_Guest_: Elisa, thank you for the response to my first question. The second is, considering the fact that the EMBA is quite an investment, what role can you guys play for graduates who hope to progress their careers after graduating considering the current world economic challenges i.e securing new roles in companies. Thank you.
Elisa: Dammy, as a member of the Chicago Booth Community you would have access to Career Services on all three continents for life. In the current economic environment, while many schools have cut resources we have actually ncreased the number of full time staff in our Career Services Office.
Moderator: Thank you for joining our live chat!
Jenny: Thank you for joining us! If you have any further questions contact us at europe.inquires@ChicagoBooth.edu
Grace: Sorry if we didn't get around to answering all your questions, I hope that what we did answer was helpful to you. Best wishes!
Elisa: Thank you for joining us today. Please feel free to send your questions to europe.inquiries@chicagobooth.edu. Bye!
Moderator: The chat has now ended. You can read a transcript of this chat within 48 hours at http://www.chicagobooth.edu/execmba/chat/archive.aspx
Arnie: Bye bye from London.
Xavier: A lot of good questions today! Hope we managed to answer the burning ones in this short period of time. All the best for those considering applying in the next few days. Bye for now!