30 minute interview in an office in NYU Shanghai. I booked it in the morning at 10:30 so the office itself was really empty. I booked it with an admissions officer, who had already looked through my files. Her first question was “what do you wish for me to ask you?” which took me by surprise and I didn’t have a good response.
The interview went a little downhill from there. She had clearly read my materials, so she went through the typical why NYU, why MBA, whether I was stuck on my career path or would I listen to the Career Development office. She brought up my lack of quant background as well as some specific programs I wrote about in my application that I wasn’t qualified for. She also asked about my plans for moving back to America. This interview was conducted with a “challenging” tone, if I could describe it, and maybe it was done on purpose to throw me off guard.
I was a bit surprised because I thought these interviews were supposed to be pretty pleasant, but this one was very tough. It actually made me like NYU Stern a little less, since it just gave me an impression of Stern as stuck-up. Finally, I did get accepted, so I wonder a little about my performance—it was hard to get a read on the admissions officer.
Clear Admit Resources
Preparing for your NYU / Stern MBA admissions interview? Check out Clear Admit’s other resources:
- Clear Admit NYU / Stern Interview Guide: Strategic tips for approaching NYU / Stern’s interview questions, and more.
- Interview Archive: More firsthand accounts from Stern MBA applicants themselves
- Understanding the MBA Admissions Interview: Blind vs. Non-blind Interviews
- Podcast Episode 23: 5 Most Common MBA Interview Questions You Need to Ace
