Booth Class of 2028 Essay Analysis

Booth has released its 2025-26 application. While the first question remains unchanged, Booth returned to an image-based question for their second question that will be new for applicants.

2025/26 essay questions

Essay 1: How will the Booth MBA help you achieve your immediate and long-term post-MBA career goals? (250-word minimum)

Essay 2: Chicago Booth appreciates the individual experiences and perspectives that all of our students bring to our community. This respect for different viewpoints creates an open-minded environment that supports curiosity, inspires us to think more broadly, and take risks. At Booth, community is about collaborative thinking and learning from one another to better ourselves, our ideas, and the world around us.

The photos below represent some of the values described above that we uphold at Chicago Booth. Select one and share how it resonates with one of your own values. (250-word minimum)

Additional information: Is there any unclear information in your application that needs further explanation? If so, please use this section to clarify. (300 word maximum)

2025/26 essay question analysis

Essay 1

While this essay is similar to those you will craft for most MBA applications, the challenge with Booth is to avoid going too long given the lack of formal word limit. To help, make sure your immediate and long-term goals are clear in your short answer section, and use this essay to dive directly into how Booth will help you achieve them. Be as specific as possible, use examples, and highlight how your background and past experiences makes you the right person to pursue your goal. That will help differentiate you from other applicants. Aim for 600-800 words total, though initial drafts can be longer to get your ideas down on paper.

Essay 2

Similar to a photo prompt that Booth used years ago, this is an open-ended essay that could take a variety of directions depending on themes the applicant wants to share. Aim to relate the essay towards something personal, linking to your own experiences rather than generic references that other applicants could also mention.

The lack of an upper word limit on this essay will tempt some to discuss all of their activities. The optimal word length on this essay is 600-800 words (readers are human), so choose a theme of your essay and stick to it. There is wide latitude to interpret the pictures and relate any of them to your own experience, so take advantage of that latitude to center the essay around your own experiences and perspectives rather than explain the pictures themselves.

Optional essay

The optional question is available for you to explain any additional information that you may not have had the space to clarify in other parts of your application.

Other application details

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Click here to access the application portal.

Re-applicant?

Check out information here (near bottom of page).

School resources

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