Part 1: The secret sauce for admission to Chicago Booth
Female, Part of Minority Group, Academic Honors, Most Outstanding International Student in U.S. Undergraduate College, CPA, Finance Work Experience, 770 GMAT.
Chicago Booth says not enough.
Baffled? So were we. This person is a rock star and you’re saying something is amiss? What can it be? Read on to find out for yourself.
Who’s that girl?
Debahuti Madan
Debahuti Madan had been an overachiever starting from school, which she attended at DPS, R.K. Puram to college, at California State University (CSU). At CSU, not only was Deba an exceptional student but she was also actively involved with various clubs and was a member of the Alpha Kappa Psi, a business fraternity. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Accounting and worked for a few years at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) thereafter.
Tell us about the secret ingredient already
While Deba was able to stand out in the eyes of AdCom, there was one hurdle before she could receive the coveted Admission to Chicago Booth, and that was showing fit. The school believed she possessed the academic and professional ability to excel at the school but they were not sure that Chicago Booth was the best possible place for Deba to realize her goals. Therefore, they put the ball in Deba’s court and she was given an opportunity to show fit.
How does one show fit?
To start out, Deba decided to make a trip from West Coast to Chicago to attend a full-day event called “Chicago Booth Live” organized on select Fridays throughout the year. On a side note, the next one is on October 26, 2012 and one can register here. The event facilitates interactions with current students, faculty, members of the admissions committee, and other prospective students. Deba met and spoke to many people, heard their stories and was truly inspired.
Second, Deba reached out to Booth alumni and had conversations to understand what people were doing after school.
While Booth was always her top choice, these conversations further fueled her ambition to pursue an MBA at Chicago Booth. Deba was convinced – Chicago Booth was the only school for her.
As Deba fondly recalls, “it is one thing to read about the school’s collaborative spirit on the website and another to experience it first-hand as you engage with students and alumni”.
You ask: “how did these efforts affect Deba’s admission decision?”
To round off her efforts, Deba was able to utilize an optional letter that she could send to demonstrate her passion for the school. She was able to show her enthusiasm in a way, which spoke to the Ad Com of her true interest. Having those stories really added a personal touch to her letter and she feels that’s what made a difference and got her to Crack The MBA admission!
You may also ask: “I am in Asia, visiting the school is not really a viable option for me. Does that mean I am at a disadvantage?”
Absolutely not. Ad Com realizes that it is not always possible for people to physically visit. In fact, there are other opportunities to meet with Ad Com, students and alums. There are off-campus events organized in China, India, Singapore, etc. Moreover, one can always reach out to alumni over phone or skype. In fact, Deba highly recommends that prospective students reach out to as many alums as they can. She says that if you do your research and genuinely display your passion, people are willing to take out time.
Today, we have learnt about how Deba’s exciting journey to enter Chicago Booth started. Do join us to read about her experiences at Chicago Booth and how she landed up in a Leadership Development Program with Johnson & Johnson in Mumbai, India.