Curious about our deferred MBA Program? Jaire Augusto Byers, full-time student and UChicago grad, AB 鈥�20, shares insight on the process and perks of applying early!
- By
- March 24, 2025
- Chicago Booth Scholars
Jaire Augusto Byers
In this blog, first-year student in the Full-Time MBA Program, Jaire Augusto Byers, (1) shares what attracted him to the Chicago Booth Scholars Program; (2) provides perspective on what the deferral period was like; and (3) talks about his time at Booth since starting his MBA experience. Before diving into Jaire’s insights, here’s a brief overview of what the Chicago Booth Scholars Program is all about:
The Chicago Booth Scholars (CBS) Program is our deferred MBA program at Chicago Booth open for undergraduate students to apply during senior year. This program is great for college students who have interest in pursuing an MBA in the future. Because you apply during undergrad and secure your seat early, you alleviate any stressors associated with applying to our Full-Time or Part-Time MBA Programs while balancing job responsibilities. The added flexibility to defer your admission for 2-5 years allows you to go out and explore your career interest.
Continue reading to learn more about the CBS Program with Jaire, a proud Boothie who made an early decision to take the next step to secure his future at Booth.
More about Jaire and His Journey to Booth…
Jaire is a proud Double Maroon after graduating from UChicago for undergrad with a major in Comparative Human Development and a minor in Media Arts & Design. Jaire grew up in Michigan and had always been enamored with Chicago since he was a kid. Pursuing an MBA at Booth was an easy decision for Jaire since he knew that he wanted to return to business school to sharpen his skills, revitalize his network, and position himself for a total lifestyle shift. Jaire also believed in the academic quality of Booth’s MBA Program, having already experienced UChicago’s culture during undergrad.
Fun Facts about Jaire: In his spare time, Jaire enjoys collecting Japanese stationery & fountain pens, reading (proud member of the Booth Book Club), and attending concerts (he’s seen Charli XCX 5 times and counting).
More on the Chicago Booth Scholars Program with Jaire…
What attracted you specifically to the Chicago Booth Scholars Program?
Completing the admissions materials while I was still academically sharp was a great opportunity to demonstrate my prowess and still have the flexibility to consider the decision on my own timeline. Having the support of the Chicago Booth Scholars community with admissions programming throughout my deferment allowed me to continue to stay plugged into the prospect and Booth community, as well as make the decision to return to school at the time that best suited my career and personal life trajectory.
What did you find advantageous about applying for your MBA through the Chicago Booth Scholars Program?
I found this to be advantageous in one particular way: I was able to spend my time in my deferment period with clearer intention and a 4+ year time horizon in front of me. My matriculation became a career measuring point as I progressed through roles post-college and monitored my personal development. Call it a carrot-on-a-stick method, but it kept me focused and gave me direction in an otherwise amorphous time post-college (and especially graduating in 2020 into the pandemic). It was also a reference point that allowed me to form professional contacts to learn more about career options I might want to pursue through the MBA program.
What type of work did you do during your deferral period?
I was in a series of talent acquisition and employee engagement roles during my 4-year deferment period before starting at Booth. I spent most of this time at Kraft Heinz as a Talent Intelligence Partner doing internal consulting projects using labor market and people analytics data, and later as a Learning & Development Lead for their disability employee resource group. My exposure to the broader CPG industry through my roles at Kraft Heinz deepened my interest in the industry, and the MBA has given me a launching point to break out of my internal support function roles and pursue potential careers in external client-facing roles in the consumer and retail practice areas. I also took a brief two-month break between full-time work and beginning the full-time MBA, which I highly recommend.
What career path are you pursuing at Chicago Booth? Furthermore, what course have you found most beneficial in helping you come closer to reaching your career goals?
Post-Booth, I’m pursuing a career path in economic consulting, with a certain interest in working with consumer & retail clients on antitrust, consumer protection, and other regulatory cases. More immediately, I’m focusing on gathering strategy experience before recruiting for full-time consulting roles in the fall. It may seem dry, but the course that has by far had the most impact in my professional development is Financial Accounting. Not having a formal business background, Financial Accounting is a fundamental class that equipped me with the basic knowledge, language, and principles to speak closer to critical business problems. It’s only an introductory course, but I already feel so much more attuned to how businesses make decisions and the forces at play that influence the actions management can take. If somebody told me eight years ago that I would be raving about an accounting course, I wouldn’t have believed them, but here I am! I can’t wait to take more classes in this area of focus.
What are some of the ways you’ve been able to get involved at Chicago Booth?
I have found that student-led groups at Booth have been a great place for me to explore and enrich my interest. I’m looking forward to participating in the Japan Trek for Spring Break, organized by the , and I recently had the not-so-often-in-a-lifetime opportunity to form a band through and perform to audiences of hundreds of students at Boothapalooza and Booth Battle of the Bands!
We encourage you to learn more about the Chicago Booth Scholars Program and apply before the upcoming deadline on April 29, 2025. If you'd like to receive more information about the Chicago Booth Scholars Program before the upcoming deadline, we encourage you to sign up below.
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