After months of research, I narrowed down my list of schools and decided to apply to just four schools in Round 1. I figured I would “shoot my shot” in Round 1 and, if none of the below schools worked out, I would still have time to re-evaluate and apply to
I submitted my four Round 1 MBA applications to:
- Stanford Graduate School of Business
- UChicago – Booth
- UPenn – Wharton
- Northwestern – Kellogg
If you’re familiar with MBA programs you might be raising your eyebrows at this list because none of these schools can be called “safe” choices for an MBA applicant. According to the rankings, these are 4 of the top MBA programs in the world.
The only top schools missing from my Round 1 list were Harvard Business School (HBS) and MIT Sloan. While I liked the “idea” of HBS I had concerns about learning almost exclusively via the case method. With MIT, I never got excited enough to apply. Also, I don’t want to live in New England because I’m a bitter Seahawks fan.
That last sentence is a joke.
I was going to apply to the best business schools–that I was interested in–even if I wasn’t their “typical” candidate.
So, how did it all turn out? See below
| MBA Program | Did I Interview? | Final Decision? |
| Stanford GSB | No. They told me “thank u, next” about 8 weeks after I submitted my application. I wasn’t entirely surprised. This is the toughest MBA program in the world to get into. | Not Accepted. |
| UChicago Booth | Yes. I interviewed on campus with a 2nd year student after visiting the school the day before. I left Booth feeling like I belonged there and I would take their rejection hard. Plus, I’ve always liked the city of Chicago and, after a suburban undergrad experience, I liked the idea of learning in a city. | Accepted! |
| UPenn Wharton | Yes. This was my last interview. The team interview was straightforward enough. Later in the day, during the 1:1 interview, I don’t think I gave the best answer to “Why Wharton?”. | Not Accepted. |
| Northwestern Kellogg | Yes. Kellogg was top of my list at the beginning of this process because I had visited their campus a long time ago and they first got me started thinking about an MBA. I interviewed on campus with a 2nd year student after spending the day touring their new amazing Global Hub and wow what a building. | Accepted! |
It was a wild week in December when the calls and emails started filtering in about decisions. I didn’t go through this MBA application process alone and I’m grateful for the tons of support from other MBA applicants I met during the process. We’re all in a massive group chat and there was a particular 7-day period in December
The first acceptance call I received was from UChicago Booth. I was at work when my cell phone lit up with an unknown phone number from Illinois and I knew immediately what the call was about. I quickly walked to an emergency stairwell to take the call. I can’t tell you anything the admissions officer said on that call because once I heard the news, I began to cry. Real tears with snot dripping down my nose. After the call, my coworker had to rescue me from the stairwell because I had inadvertently left my work badge at my desk and had to be let back onto our office floor.
I was a bit more composed a few days later when I got the call from Kellogg but, that was only because I was in the car driving at the time and pulling over to cry would have made me late for work.
Now that the process is over, where will I be going to school for the next couple of years?
Based on the decisions above, you already figured out that I’m moving to the midwest for my MBA but, which school? UChicago – Booth or Northwestern – Kellogg?
I will be getting an MBA from this school.
Thanks for reading!
