Question by Basu: Chicago Booth Weekend MBA essay and career switch advice please?
Hello everyone.
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Background
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I am a Manager in an Information Technology company that develops software for the insurance and financial industry. I am of Indian origin and have a 730 on my GMAT.
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Applying To
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Chicago Booth Weekend Program ( I am not based out of Chicago so I can only apply to the Weekend program)
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Goal
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I would like to major in Finance (take the 10 Finance electives that Booth offers on Saturdays to compensate for my background) and make a career switch probably into money management. Investment Banking and PE are more appealing, but the PT program does not offer internships, and getting a foot into either of those doors is almost impossible without one. So I am not trying to aim for the impossible.
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Question
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Considering my age and background,
1) Should I even mention the desire for a career change in my “goals” essay? I am afraid the Admissions Committee might feel that I will not be able to make the switch, hence not offer me an admission. My perception is that Admissions Committee pick candidates whose goals the MBA program can meet.
2) Is a career switch possible for me or am I just expecting too much?
I would really appreciate any feedback I can get.
Thank you.
Best answer:
Answer by Michael Scarn
I agree with you. Would have looked at it the same way
Give your answer to this question below!
I don’t see much benefit to hiding the truth in your application. Rejecting you because they can’t do anything for you goes both ways: if they can’t give you what you need, then it really isn’t worth your time or investment to attend. However, it is important that you demonstrate that you have some plan for how you’re going to make the shift beyond just getting the degree, since they couldn’t do everything for you even if you were going to have the internship opportunity. If you’re not sure how you’d go about that, then your best bet is to talk to people in the field – Booth alumni, if at all possible – and find out your options.
I am in Booth’s evening program and am pursuing a career change, too. If there’s any way you can swing entering the full-time program, I would recommend it. The career services really cater to the full-time students and as a student of the other programs (weekend or evening), you’ll find that you won’t really be included in news about the heavier networking and recruiting efforts on campus. It can be frustrating for those whose companies are not assisting them with their education.
Nonetheless, many of my peers seem to come from engineering/IT backgrounds and several are pursuing some financed-related career post-MBA. It seems like it would be common for the admissions committee to see applications like yours and admit them.