Interviewee: 2nd-year MBA Student
Interview Duration: 30 minutes
Start: The interviewer started by outlining the agenda and introducing himself. The interview was more structured than previous ones I had experienced, but it was still very relaxed and casual.
Interview Questions and Responses:
1. Introduce yourself (2 minutes)
2. Why MBA now? (Quickly explained career goals. Tied the timing to reasons for pursuing an MBA now.)
3. Why UCLA Anderson?
4. What are your short-term and long-term goals? (Initially surprised by the question since goals had been previously discussed. But answered it in more detail.)
5. How will you contribute to Anderson? (Described contributions in two parts: within the classroom and in the broader Anderson community.)
6. Have you been to the UCLA campus? (I had mentioned having visited California previously, which led to this question.)
7. Do you lead a team, and can you tell me about the team structure?
8. [Behavioral question] How have you overcome a challenge as a team, and what was the result?
These eight questions took up the first 24 minutes. Then I got the chance to ask 2 questions.
1. How has your experience been at UCLA after working in the industry? What do you love the most about Anderson, and what has been your biggest learning?
2. What is the classroom experience like? Is it more academically oriented, or is it more independent for students to choose their own paths? Asked about the balance between classroom learning and extracurriculars, specifically if it was a 50-50 split with club activities.
