Had my Columbia interview on January 13th, it is 3 weeks pass it, and I still haven’t heard… Below is my description of the event:
Were you given options as to the date of the interview?: Yes – My interviewer proposed flexible dates and time a week ahead of our initial contact Could you choose the interview’s location?: Yes – We both agreed to meet a Starbucks near my office How many interviews were scheduled?: 1 – I had the option to choose between 3 interviewers. I reasearched google to find out their backgrounds and picked the one that seemed the easied interviewer based on what I found in google. He did not respond and then I chose the second easiest. He responded the same day in the afternoon. How many interviewed you?: 1 How long were the interviews?: 1 hour and 15 min Who were the interviewers?: Alumni What was the most difficult question?: No difficult questions generally…
- Explain a time you have been faced with an ethical dilemma. How did you react? What would you have done differently?
- What do you get excited about? What turns you on? Why?(sports, hobbies etc.)
- Why Columbia, why now and why not wait a few more years (especially since I am a young candidate), why MBA. Backround questions on my career progress. What I do at work, etc. Very high level questions.
Did you feel prepared?: Yes
How did you prepare?: Researched CBS website, memorized courses I am interested in, professors that are teaching interesting coursed. All the names of people I have met and know from CBS. Practiced the answers to the general questions out loud. Practiced my body language. Made sure I stressed key points in my story that will make me unique, and not really answer all the possible questions in that could come up
Did you receive any feedback at the end?: No – He just said he will send the feedback the same day and that I should expect to hear back from CBS soon. It has been already a week since the interview, but I haven’t heard back yet.
What was your opinion of the Alumni?: Very casual and very good at breaking the ice. He made me very relaxed. He was wearing khaki pants, and a sweater and a big shopping bag with stuff he just bought. He started the conversation asking me to explain how the ipod function works on my iphone….
Did you receive a tour?: No – Interview was off campus
What was most impressive?: Very casual. Surprised that he wanted to just have a chat, rather than a formal interview that you would have inteviewing for a job in finance for example
Did anything change your opinion of the school? : No – Still my top choice. He was very honest as to what he wished he did at Columbia. Basically giving me general and very useful advice how to make the most out of my MBA experience not only at CBS but everywhere I go
Was there something you wish you had known ahead of time?: No
What other advice can you offer future interviewees?: Relax, relax, relax. The interview is very different from a job interview. It is mostly a fit interview, and you need to be yourself…
