I had an alumni interview in my city a couple weeks before the holiday weekend. It was located in a conference room where he works. He arrived a little late, but he was extremely nice which put me at ease and started talking about himself and his background. He didn’t print out a copy of my resume, so I gave him a copy I had. The questions he asked:
- So why don’t you walk me through your resume?
- Why business school, what are your goals? (A follow up on my goals on specific companies, job positions)
- Specifically why Columbia? (When I told him about my visit, he jotted down some notes which was the only time he wrote anything, so I think visits are important)
- What kind of extracurriculars at CBS I want to join.
- An ethical dilemma and how you handled it. (Then a follow up)
- A conflict in my group and how I handled it.
- Then some questions for him.
Overall a very pleasant interview and I felt that we’ve established strong rapport. My advice is to practice your answers to the tell me about yourself, why now, why MBA, why CBS, and have some relevant questions to ask. Remember to smile and send a thank you!
Result: Admitted!
