Congratulations to everyone who was admitted to Booth in Round One! Our student team is psyched to welcome you all to First Day festivities this upcoming weekend in Chicago, and we at The Booth Experience figured we would give you a taste of what you can expect at this exciting event!
The First Day program is designed to give admitted students a chance to learn more about life as a student at Booth, to meet your future classmates, and to answer any questions you have about the Booth experience and living in Chicago. The weekend starts on Thursday, with a kickoff reception at the Ivy Room in downtown Chicago, and runs through Saturday evening, with a send-off reception in River North. In between, you will get to see what life at Booth is like, from all different angles. Throughout the weekend, you’ll have plenty of chances to meet and talk with current students as well as your fellow admits (lifelong friendships have begun at First Day, but no pressure… :).
On Friday, admits have a jam-packed day where you will get to see what a class is like, flex your leadership skills, and hear from students, faculty, and administrators about academics, career support, and the ever-growing range of student groups and activities. Then, on Saturday, everyone gets to see more of the city of Chicago, one of the great features of the Booth MBA experience.
We’ve put together some quick hits on how to prepare for the weekend, as well as how to connect with Booth if you can’t make it to Chicago for First Day, or are only able to join us for part of the weekend.
Preparing for First Day
- The core programming during the day is “smart casual,” so wear what makes you comfortable—jeans are great. There is, however, a reception at the (beautiful) Chicago Cultural Center on Friday evening, for which you should plan on wearing cocktail attire. Also, it will be February in Chicago, so pack something warm!
- Bring your partner! Much of the daytime programming is, of course, oriented toward admitted students, but partners are encouraged to attend a number of special events, including the evening receptions. This year, we’re welcoming over 70 partners!
- Bring your questions! Throughout the weekend, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to interact with current students & partners, faculty, administrators, and of course your fellow admitted students. The First Day team has put together a terrific agenda designed to provide you an understanding of what you can look forward to as a member of the Booth community for the next two years and beyond, but be sure to take the opportunity to ask about any elements of Booth that you haven’t gotten the chance to learn about.
- Know how to access the schedule. It’s helpful to keep track of the day and what’s next by having the full First Day schedule on hand. Make sure to download the app onto your mobile device, but you can also see the schedule on the admitted student website and it will be posted outside the Admissions suite when you are on campus. You’ll also have your specific class details and other information on the back of your name tag.
If You Cannot Attend, or if You Need to Leave Early:
We understand that admits are busy, and that many live far from Chicago, so not everyone will be able to make it to visit us this weekend, and some of you may not be able to make it to the full weekend.
If you only come to part of First Day, look through the agenda and see what resonates with you the most. I had the chance to visit for the full weekend, and I found Friday to be especially valuable for me to learn the fundamentals of life at Booth (and that reception at the Cultural Center is worth making if you can!). Then, as someone moving to Chicago for the first time, I appreciated the opportunity on Saturday to learn more about what life is like going to school in such a vibrant major city, and to see where students actually live when they are at Booth.
If you cannot make it to Chicago at all this weekend, there are plenty of ways to learn more about the community and life at Booth! Of course, you can always come visit during a time that might be more convenient for you—the rest of this quarter we have Campus Visit Days on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays where you can sit in on a class and talk to students in person if you haven’t had the chance yet.
But if you can’t make it to Chicago, you can follow along with the fun on the First Day team’s Instagram where they post pics and videos of the weekend. You can also take advantage of the special virtual chats we have for admits and the “Ask Me Anythings” on Slack as well as connect with the Booth community near you by checking our events schedule for opportunities in your area to engage.
For many, First Day is where the Booth experience starts, and there is a small army of Boothies who are fired up to make it the best weekend possible. And, for the second-year writers at TBE, we are a little envious of you who have two years at Chicago Booth to look forward to.
We can’t wait to meet you!
