Booth has a myriad opportunities for its students and some of the coolest opportunities come from the student-led groups at Booth. As a prospective student, I heard about these groups, but didn’t realize just how active they were until I actually became a full-time student. Booth’s pay-it-forward culture plays a big role in keeping these groups active, as the 2Ys leading them make a huge effort to make meaningful and enjoyable events happen all year. Here are answers to some of your common questions about these fantastic groups at Booth!
Q. What types of groups are there?
A. There are four main categories of student-led groups at Booth:
- Business and Professional Groups (e.g., Management Consulting Group, Investment Banking Group)
- Cultural/Regional/Religious/Personal Affiliation Groups (e.g., African American MBA Association, Chicago Women in Business)
- Social Groups (e.g., Epicurean Club, Wine Club)
- Special Interest Groups (e.g., Net Impact, Booth Analytics Club)
- Sports Groups (e.g., Booth Dance Club, Chicago Booth Ski and Snowboard Club).
Q. Who are the student groups open to?
A. All full-time groups are open to all full-time students at Booth (E/W groups are open to E/W students). Each student group also has the choice to be open to partners of its members, and many of the groups are either fully open to partners or host certain events where partners can sign-up. Most groups have membership fees that vary by length of membership (one or two years) and whether or not your partner is included in the membership.
Q. How do I find out about all of the different groups at Booth?
A. At the beginning of the year, 2Y co-chairs will post information about their group on the all-student Slack channel. 2Y co-chairs also attend First Day events and the Student Activities Fair in the Fall! All Student Groups are also listed here.
Q. What opportunities will joining these groups provide?
A. For groups that have a professional focus, joining these groups will allow you to connect with their sponsors (i.e., companies that are interested in recruiting Booth students and hold events with the affiliated student group), and prepare you for interviews in the relevant field. For groups that have a social focus, joining these groups will allow you to meet new Boothie friends and attend cool events set up by the group’s co-chairs.
Q. Could you give an example of the opportunities professionally focused groups provide?
A. An example of a professional group I am involved with is the Marketing Group. In order to allow students to connect with our sponsors (ranging from companies like Molson Coors to Abbott Laboratories) we co-hosted 11 Lunch & Learns in the Fall Quarter. These Lunch & Learns allowed our members to hear all about these companies, their internship opportunities, ask questions, and connect with firm representatives in an intimate setting. In order to help prepare our members for their upcoming interviews, first-year students are assigned to a ‘Marketing Group Family’ that is led by a second-year student. The second-year students pay-it-forward by holding weekly sessions in which they help the first-year students practice interview questions.
Q. Could you give an example of the opportunities socially focused groups provide?
A. A cool event the Wine Club hosted this quarter was called “Martini Making 101 with Gibson’s Restaurant Group ” at which students could learn how the Gibson’s Restaurant Group makes their world-famous martini while getting to try different varieties along the way. This event provided a unique opportunity for students to learn something new and meet new people as well!
