In its admissions blog, the school says, “At Booth, passions and ambitions serve as a compass in navigating our choice-rich environment” and this question is designed to get specific response on this point.

Answering this prompt effectively requires you to be self-aware and analyze how you have made choices in life when faced with myriad opportunities and options. With Booth claiming to offer “the world’s Most Flexible MBA” with just one required course, you really need to be in control of the choices you make and remain aware of the factors influencing these choices. Keep in mind that there are no “right” or “wrong” choices. The admission committee simply wants to know what drives your decision-making process.

One of the ways of formulating this essay is to pick up a couple of strong examples and demonstrate a clear connect between actions and influences. You don’t necessarily need to check all boxes of interests, leadership experiences and passions on this one. 2-3 strong examples expressing your rationale behind your choices and establishing how you have pursued opportunities with a purpose, should make for a good essay.

It is also a good opportunity to showcase your skills and qualities backed by relevant interests and passions, beyond your resume and professional achievements. It is totally possible that your professional life is a derivation of you as a person – if so, explain how your passion has influenced you even on the professional front. Similarly, it may be interesting to discuss any opportunities that you were willing to let go (personally or professionally) in order to pursue certain other opportunities, and what influenced you to do so.