The interview was fairly standard and conversational. The interviewer was an admissions committee member and had not viewed my application before. He appeared to be given a packet, of which one page was my resume, which he did not appear to have reviewed ahead of time (this was evident when I began my “tell me about yourself” answer and mentioned something and he interrupted asking where on my resume it was).
Questions that were asked were (in order):
– Walk me through your resume.
– Can you tell me about your day-to-day responsibilities in your current role?
– What has been your greatest accomplishment in this role?
– Did you work with your supervisor to accomplish this? What was your thought process as you approached this situation?
– Can you tell me about a situation in which you had to work with a diverse team? This can be the previous situation or a new one of your choosing.
– Can you tell me about a time when you failed or did not accomplish what you wanted?
– What would you say are some words your colleagues would use to describe your strengths as a leader?
– What are some areas of constructive criticism you’ve received in the past?
– As a team leader right now, what are some areas as a leader you would consider improvement areas?
– Why are you pursuing an MBA now?
– Why are you hoping to get into the MBA program at Kellogg specifically?
– How would you contribute to the Kellogg community if you were accepted here?
– Is there anything else you’d like me to know?
– Do you have any questions for me?
The interview was very relaxed and the interviewer put me at ease fairly easily. We talked a bit about the weather, my travel plans, and about my family/connections to Chicago. The only thing that surprised me was being asked about my weaknesses, and then in the next question being asked about my weaknesses as a leader. I had prepared my weaknesses ahead of time, and being asked a very similar question immediately afterward caught me off guard since I had to think of new things to say on the spot.
Otherwise, I enjoyed this interview and the interviewer very much.
Clear Admit Resources
Preparing for your Northwestern / Kellogg admissions interview? Check out Clear Admit’s other resources:
- Clear Admit Northwestern / Kellogg Interview Guide: Strategic tips for approaching Kellogg’s interview questions, and more.
- Interview Archive: More firsthand accounts from Kellogg MBA applicants themselves
- Understanding the MBA Admissions Interview: Blind Interviews vs. Non-blind Interviews
- Podcast Episode 23: 5 Most Common MBA Interview Questions You Need to Ace
