How to apply to an Evening & Weekend MBA

Evaluation and assessment

When we evaluate our applicants, a few qualities really stand out to us, including the ability to push past comfort zones and question the norm. These qualities help us understand if an applicant is ready to seize all of the opportunities that come with joining Kellogg.

The committee assesses your:

• Application responses
• Essays
• Transcripts
• Academic readiness and test scores
• Letters of recommendation
• Resume
• Interview report

Professional experience

The Evening & Weekend MBA program is designed as a part-time graduate program for fully employed working professionals within the United States. The admissions committee values professional experience, including military service, that has provided a breadth and depth of skills and experiences to serve as a foundation for the MBA classroom. Overall, we look for people who can motivate a team to drive impact and are eager to dive in and collaborate with an engaged, ambitious community of peers. 

Domestic and international applicants in the country on a valid work visa are eligible to apply. The part-time MBA program cannot be used to maintain legal status in the United States and students are not eligible for student visas. If you are an international applicant interested in studying at Kellogg on a student visa, please consider our Full-Time MBA or Executive MBA Program.

To apply, submit your responses to the application form, essays, transcripts, test scores, letters of recommendation and resume. The admissions team will consider each of those items, along with your professional experience and interview report. Collect these application requirements ahead of time to ensure a smooth process.

The resume or CV you submit as part of your application should be slightly different than the one you would typically use for a job interview. You’ll want it to translate your professional background and accomplishments to a broader audience, since it will be reviewed by an admissions committee of people with different backgrounds. There is no specific format or length required.

Along with your resume or CV, we ask that you fill out the employment section of the application. Although it may seem repetitive, this gives you the opportunity to go into greater detail about your career achievements and history, including key transitions between jobs and any promotions you’ve been awarded. Make sure to double-check the accuracy of information in this section.

We also ask you to include your short-term and long-term career goals in your application. It’s possible for your goals to change as your career journey unfolds, but we want to see that your goals have been thought through and make sense for an MBA.

To ensure you have built the most effective resume, you can schedule a resume review with one of our team members.

Part of your history includes your educational background. You must have completed an undergraduate degree at an accredited U.S. college or university, or its equivalent in another country, before you can apply to Kellogg.

On your application, you will list all colleges, universities and programs you have attended or are currently attending and provide a transcript. You do not need to list study abroad programs or transfer institutions as long as all transfer courses and grades are reflected on your transcript.

For the initial application process, our admissions committee can review the uploaded copy of transcripts from institutions in the United States. Once admitted, we require that official transcripts from each institution attended be sent directly to our office from the institution.

International Transcripts: If you have transcripts from an institution outside the United States, you must have it evaluated on a course-by-course basis by a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) in order to submit your application. The course-by-course evaluation will serve as the official transcripts for studies completed outside the United States. Visit naces.org/members for a list of all university approved agencies.

Official electronic transcripts can be requested from the Institution and emailed to:
eveningweekendmba

Mail official sealed transcripts to:
Kellogg School of Management
Evening & Weekend MBA Program
340 E. Superior St., 2M
Chicago, IL 60611

All records must show your name, the name of the institution, enrollment dates, courses taken, units of credit, marks or ratings in each subject, and rank in the total class or group (if available).

Kellogg accepts GMAT, GRE, EA, MCAT and LSAT test scores for the Evening & Weekend part-time program. If you graduated with an undergraduate GPA of 3.4 or greater with a degree in business, economics or STEM-related major from an accredited institution, you are eligible to apply without a test score. Graduates from Northwestern University’s undergraduate programs are eligible to apply without a test score, regardless of degree.

Meeting test score requirements for optional submission does not guarantee admission to Kellogg. Instructions on how to apply with or without a test score can be found in the application for admission.

You can request official GMAT and EA score reports to be sent to Kellogg through www.mba.com by using code 6WZ-3J-66.

To submit official GRE score reports, please use the code 7921.

GMAT, EA and GRE scores expire after five years, so it’s important to submit your completed application before the expiration date.

If you’ve taken either test more than once, we strongly encourage you to submit all scores. Retesting demonstrates your commitment, work ethic and ability to advance. We will only record the highest score.

The essays are your opportunity to talk directly to the admissions committee and tell your story. We encourage you to think about the information you are sharing in your two essays and to make sure they share a balanced view of who you are as an applicant. Professional or personal examples are welcomed inclusions.

Question 1 (450 words)

Intentionality is a key aspect of what makes our graduates successful Kellogg leaders. Help us understand your journey by articulating your motivations for pursuing an MBA, the specific goals you aim to achieve, and why you believe now is the right moment. Moreover, share why you feel Kellogg is best suited to serve as a catalyst for your career aspirations and what you will contribute to our community of lifelong learners during your time here. 

Question 2 (450 words)

Kellogg leaders are primed to tackle challenges everywhere, from the boardroom to their neighborhoods. Describe a specific professional experience where you had to make a difficult decision. Reflecting on this experience, identify the values that guided your decision-making process and how it impacted your leadership style. 

Additional information: If needed, use this section to briefly describe any extenuating circumstances in your application (e.g., unexplained gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, etc.).

Kellogg asks for two letters of recommendation. We’ve found that this gives us more insight into who you are as an employee and a leader. One letter should come from your current supervisor or manager. The second letter should come from someone who can evaluate your professional performance and your managerial/leadership potential (e.g., former supervisor, previous employer, client). Additional letters of support are neither required nor encouraged.

All letters should be submitted via the online application. They must address the following questions:

• Kellogg has a diverse student body and values students who are inclusive and encouraging of others with differing perspectives and backgrounds. Please tell us about a time when you witnessed the candidate living these values.
• How does the candidate’s performance compare to those of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? Please provide specific examples.
• Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the candidate. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response.
• Is there anything else you would like us to know? (optional)

*Please note: as long as your online application is submitted by the posted deadline, recommenders may submit their letters up to two weeks after the application deadline. However, formal application review cannot begin until all required materials have been received so please encourage them to submit as soon as possible.

The application fee is $185, which can be submitted via credit card with your application. We cannot accept payments sent directly to us through mail or wire transfer.

Fee waivers are granted to:

• Active duty U.S. military applicants or U.S. military veterans who have been on active duty within three years of applying
• Candidates employed by Teach For America, Title 1 schools, AmeriCorps or the Peace Corps within the past three years
• Forte MBA Launch, JumpStart Network, Posse Scholar, Reaching Out MBA (ROMBA) and Riordan Program members, fellows and alumni. Those who request an application fee waiver at the time of submitting their applications will be prompted to provide supporting documentation for review.

Active duty U.S. military or U.S. military veterans, Teach For America, Title 1 schools, AmeriCorps and Peace Corps applicants:

If you qualify for a fee waiver, send a formal request to eveningweekendmba before you submit your application. Provide supporting evidence of your current employment or military status. Military applicants should submit either a pay stub or letter from a commanding officer to verify active duty status. For military veterans who have completed service within the last three years, please submit a copy of Form DD-214.

Please note that all application fees are non-refundable.

You’ve invested time, energy and resources into completing your Kellogg application, so no doubt you’ll want confirmation that your application was received. And we want you to have that peace of mind, too! So, once you submit your application, you can log back in at any time to view the status and double-check that all sections were successfully completed.

Most applicants can expect to receive a decision within six to eight weeks of submitting their application.