Application Advice for the Master in Management Program

Booth’s MiM Program is for recent college graduates interested in learning fundamental business skills to jump-start their careers. MiM students typically come from liberal arts or STEM backgrounds and must have finished their undergraduate degree within two years of their MiM start date.

Individuals with a bachelor of business administration are not eligible to apply for the MiM Program due to curriculum similarities. Those who graduated more than two years prior to the program start date (before September 2024 for current applicants) are also not eligible, and may find Booth’s MBA programs to be a better fit.

Yes, most applicants will need to submit GRE or GMAT scores, unless you qualify for a test waiver. We offer waivers to current UChicago undergraduates and recent alumni (though not to students currently in a UChicago graduate program). We also offer waivers to graduates of other colleges and universities who have taken at least three quantitative courses and have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.4 on a 4.0 scale (GPAs on a non-4.0 scale will be converted). Even if you qualify for a waiver, we still recommend that you send your scores if you are already taking one of these tests for other programs.

All other applicants will be required to submit scores from either the GRE or GMAT; we have no preference between the tests. We also superscore, meaning we will evaluate your highest scores from each section of the test and across test dates. Because we practice holistic admissions and have no score cutoffs, a low score doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t be admitted.

International applicants will also need to submit scores from an English proficiency test such as the TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE. Students who completed their undergraduate degree in certain English-speaking countries or primarily in English, or who have been living full time in the United States for more than two years, qualify for waivers.

No prior business experience is required. Since the MiM Program is for those early in their careers, we do not expect you to have an extensive business résumé. Instead, we are looking for you to express a passion for business and clear goals for your management degree. We want to know why you’re pursuing a career in business, and how Booth can help you get there. We look for this in your essays and letters of recommendation, as well as during your interview later.

Your essays are a great place to explain why you want to go to Booth and what your career goals are. It’s good to be specific—mention the Booth classes, professors, or opportunities that you’re excited about and how they will help your career. (Don’t worry if you’re not entirely certain about your career aspirations: You won’t be held to the goals and intentions in your essays.) Across your essays, consider what you can contribute to the Booth community: What background and perspective do you bring to business school? This is your opportunity to pitch yourself to Booth!

Your written and video essays will be evaluated based on the quality of your writing and communication skills as well as the substance of the content. We recommend having peers or others in your network review them before you submit. For the video essay, many applicants find it helpful to have an outline of talking points to organize their thoughts, but avoid reading from a script. We want to get an authentic understanding of who you are, so focus on the content over the production.

There are three more upcoming deadlines in 2026 for the MiM Program: January 8, March 5, and April 30. We recommend that you apply when you’re ready to submit your best application. Applying later does not mean you’ll miss a spot—we evaluate based on the same criteria across deadlines.

Current seniors may find it better to apply once they have fall grades and projected spring classes listed on their transcript. On the other hand, students applying to some summer 2026 internships may prefer to apply by an earlier deadline so they have their decision during the internship application process.