Originally shared by Memoirs of a MBA Aspirant
I had my interview with an Adcom member in New York. Her name was Nani and the experience was great. She was very friendly and made me feel really comfortable. After exchanging pleasantries, she briefly explained to me the interview process and the structure. She also was taking note of everything that I was saying and I think that was great as this will avoid the interviewer forgetting what i said. Overall the interview was to know about me as a person in detail, and how the decisions I’d made in the past affected me personally and professionally. It was also to understand whether I was focused on my career path or to know whether I took what came along the way.
The following are questions that I was asked (not is the exact order):
Personal:
- Tell me something about yourself.
- Can briefly speak about your childhood and what were the circumstances in which you were brought-up?
- Can you tell me about one memorable event from your childhood.
- Tell me about your parents – Where do they live and what do they do?
Academic/Professional:
- Why did you come to the US and why did you plan to do your Masters degree in Engineering?
- Why have you decided to do an MBA even though you have a Masters degree in Engineering?
- Explain to me the nature of your work and how many people do you manage?
- Why did you quit your previous job?
- Tell me once instance when you disagreed with your boss and how did you handle the situation?
- Tell me once instance when you had to work with a team member with whom you could not get along. How did you handle this?
Leadership/ team work
- Leadership experience and an example. What did you learn from this experience?
- Team work example in which you succeeded and what was your takeaway?
Other Ques.:
- Why IESE?
- Why now?
- Tell me one instance when you used a contact from your network to get a task/project done.
- Why is your short term and long term goal and name some companies that you would be looking to work in post MBA?
- What other schools have you applied and why?
The interview lasted for about 1hour and 15mins. Although it was the longest interview that i had, it was pleasurable because the questions were based on me and my experience. Plus the adcom was extremely friendly which really helped me to stay composed.
Here are a few tips:
- Read your essays and explore yourself and your experiences before hand.
- Relax during the interview, the adcom is merely trying to know more about you.
- Note down some of your achievements when you prepare for the interview and think about why you think its important to you. Also think about what were your takeaways from each experience.
- Research about the school and be absolutely sure about your reasons for wanting to do an MBA at IESE (Hopefully you would have done this before applying.)
- Be prepared to ask a few question as you will be give 15 mins at the end of the interview.
Over all the interview was a great experience and I truly enjoyed the time. I got accepted to IESE and will be starting this September (2010).
