The alumnus is a 1983 graduate and a very big venture capitalist. I had expected him to be aggressive and ask difficult questions since my goal is to become an entrepreneur. He was in a board meeting when I reached his office. He came 45 minutes late, but then apologized. Contrary to my impression, he was very gentle and the interview was extremely relaxed. He had not read my resume or the interview guidelines sent my the school. He did so in my presence and humored that the school has asked him to ‘have an open mind’ and not ask personal questions like race, religion etc. His son is currently studying in the same college that I graduated from. So, he had a good idea about the departments and clubs in my undergrad institution. Here are the questions he asked me:-
- What does your designation X signify?
- What were your favorite courses and professors in college? Why
- Describe your current job
- What is your biggest achievement at work? Why do you think it as an achievement?
- Have you ever faced a situation when you thought you made an impact but did not get credit for it?
- Have you ever dealt with a person who was difficult to work with? How did that relationship go?
- Why do you want an MBA?
- What other colleges have you applied to? Why Chicago?
- Do you have any questions for me?
He gave me sufficient time to respond and gave detailed responses to my questions. The interview continued for about an hour.
