Booth Interview Video Question Analysis for the MBA Class of 2023 Round 2

 For my overall suggestions on Chicago Booth MBA  interviews, please see here.

 

 

For the current admissions cycle, Booth started asking for one minute video for those who receive interviews:

 

"Please submit a video response to one of the following two prompts:

• Tell us about something new you learned recently that shifted your worldview. How did it influence your behavior and/or actions?
• What is something you wish people knew about you, but you’re not sure that they do?

Please note the following:

• The length of the video submission should be no more than 60 seconds.
• You will not be evaluated on the styling and editing of the recording, only the content of your submission.
• Feel free to record the video with a cellphone, computer, or other video recording device."

 

Overall suggestions:

In general, I recommend discussing  something new that is not at all or is only minimally discussed in your application. Given that Booth has already asked a lot about you in the main essays, you should certainly give an answer that is consistent with what is found there.  However this is an opportunity to give them new perspectives and/or elaborate on  a theme found only briefly in your essays. If you choose to write about something that has already been covered, really consider whether what you are adding is really strong enough to make a difference.

 

Given the length is just 60 seconds, obviously you cannot write script in huge detail, rather think of these as one-point or two-point answers. Somewhere between 90-120 words is the likely length of a script that can be communicated effectively in one minute.

 

While video is not directly connected to the interview as the interviewer will not have access to them, do keep in mind that they will be analyzed in relationship to your application and the interview report

 

Technical considerations: The most important thing is that they can hear you and see you clearly. Don't worry about editing this or making it fancy. Focus on your content and performance, not on technical issues. Don't go for some outdoor location if you can't get good sound quality. Don't focus on any props or provide visuals just on you and your message.

 

Question Analysis

• Tell us about something new you learned recently that shifted your worldview. How did it influence your behavior and/or actions?

The point here is to focus on something you learned altered your perspective. A worldview is a rather wide perspective, so the learning should be significant and not minor.

1. Focus on a specific thing you learned. Make sure that this was a new learning.  A new learning is just that, something that you would have not known previously.

 

2. Make sure this happened recently. Recently is vague but I think the last 1-2 years would be a good timeframe.

 

3.  The topic possibilities here are really unlimited as this could be everything from a lesson learned through failure or success, a leadership story, a teamwork story,  an intellectual journey, an interpersonal dynamics (EQ) situation,  a story of your motivation towards something personal/academic/professional, etc.

 

4.  Make sure it is very clear that the following underlying pattern is present in your response:

NEW THING LEARNED RECENTLY= N

SHIFT IN WORLDVIEW= S

INFLUENCE ON BEHAVIOR/ACTIONS= I

→= leads to

N→S →I

 

• What is something you wish people knew about you, but you’re not sure that they do?

I would say the biggest limiting condition to what topic should be covered is that it must be relevant to Booth’s admission decision. As such you should be able to show how the thing you wish to people knew about you effectively answers one or more of the following:  Why would someone want to be friends with you?  Why would they want to work with you in and out of class?  How will add value to them? What does this does this surprising thing reveal about your intelligence/personality/leadership/teamwork/abilities?  The point here is to focus on something that is not obvious about you but is more than a meaningless curiosity. For example, my thumbs are  double jointed and while this can be briefly amusing when demonstrated, it is not really the kind of thing that would be worth consideration here.  You want to show something about yourself that gives Booth another reason to admit you.

 

Recommended Process for making your video

Here is what I typically do with my clients:

1. They formulate ideas for their script.
2. We either discuss them or just exchange ideas about what topic to focus on.
3. They write their script.
4. I review the script.  If it looks good,  I might give editing feedback if needed. If the script is not good, we discuss it.
5. Once the script is done, they make a video.
6. I review the video and give feedback. This might also involve editing the script.
7. They revise the video and show it to me again. They alter this as many times as necessary before submitting it.