The following is a Northwestern Kellogg MBA admissions interview description provided by a recent applicant:
We met at a coffee shop. It was very informal and relaxed. He had a copy of my resume, but it was otherwise blind. He took notes directly on the copy of my resume and said he had a report he had to submit afterward.
He started off by asking me to walk through my resume, but we didn’t get far before he interrupted with additional questions.
Some questions were why I studied what I did, why/how I did some internships and in-school jobs.
We then talked about why I chose my present company and what I/the company do/does.
Next was why business school? I’m planning to change careers, so he probed about why, short term goal, long term goal, what I know about the industry I’d like to change to, what I would do if not admitted.
We transitioned to Why Kellogg? How would I plan to be involved at the school?
What’s an example of when I showed leadership? (He prefaced this by acknowledging that relatively junior level people in my current field don’t tend to have many opportunities, at least formal ones.)
What’s your leadership style?
If you were interviewing for your planned career switch, what would you emphasize about yourself to ‘close’ the sale?
Is there anything else you would like to share with me that you want to make sure I put in the report?
Do you have any questions for me?
Nothing was very surprising. He probed a bit more about why the planned career change than I expected, but it didn’t seem unusual. These reports did a good job of preparing me for what to expect. I think every Kellogg person I’ve talked to has been friendly and approachable, and the interview matched that. Here’s hoping for good news soon!
For more Northwestern Kellogg MBA admissions interview reports, visit our Northwestern Kellogg interview archive!
