The Chicago Booth MBA application is now live, meaning that the Booth MBA recommendation questions are now available for applicants targeting Chicago for the 2020-2021 admissions season.
2020-2021 Chicago Booth Recommendation Questions
Recommenders are asked to provide a bit of context on their backgrounds and relationship with the applicant, to rate the applicant’s skills and qualities via a grid, and to provide a letter that addresses two required questions.
How long have you known the applicant?
Do you have an MBA degree?
Are you in any way affiliated with The University of Chicago or Chicago Booth?
Skills Assessment
Recommenders are asked to rate the candidate on a handful of leadership traits and skills on the following scale: Unable to Assess, Area of Concern, Opportunity for Development, Solid/Meets Expectations, Strength/Exceeds Expectations.
Please assess the candidate’s skills in the following areas. Your honest and candid assessment greatly helps the Admissions Committee in evaluating the candidate.
Most candidates will have a range of marks; it is extremely rare for a candidate to exceed expectations in all areas.
- Ability to adapt to change
- Awareness of self and others
- Maturity
- Openness to feedback and constructive criticism
- Interpersonal skills (with colleagues/subordinates)
- Interpersonal skills (with superiors/executives)
- Confidence
- Initiative/Self-Motivation
- Collaboration/Teamwork
- Critical Thinking Skills
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Problem Solving Skills
Peer Comparison
Based on your professional experience, how does the applicant rate within his or her peer group?
- Best in Career
- Truly Exceptional (top 5%)
- Outstanding (top 10%)
- Very Good (top 25%)
- Average (top 50%)
- Below Average
- Unable to Assess
Please indicate the reference group for this comparison.
Overall I:
- Enthusiastically recommend this candidate
- Recommend this candidate
- Recommend this candidate with reservations
- Do not recommend this candidate
Letter of Recommendation
Finally, the recommender is asked to upload a letter of recommendation, which should respond to the prompts below.
Please provide a written letter of recommendation in support of the applicant addressing the following questions:
- How do the applicant’s performance, potential, background or personal qualities compare to those of other well-qualified candidates in similar roles? Please provide specific examples.
- Please describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response.
