The Leading Independent
Resource for Top-tier MBA
Candidates

Recent News

Published: March 15, 2020
Duke Fuqua Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Alumnus / Off-Campus
Interviewed with alum in India in early Feb, 2019. It was a blind interview where the alum only had access to my resume. The total duration of the interview was 45 minutes. Questions were mostly centered around behavioural types, my career goals and fit with Team Fuqua. Walk me through your resume. Why MBA and why now? Why Fuqua? How are you evaluated in your organisation? What is your most important accomplishment at work? Describe a time when you worked well in a team setting? What were the key takeaways? What were the key takeaways from your discussions with Fuqua Read more
Published: March 15, 2020
Dartmouth Tuck Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Second-Year Student / Skype
The interview was blind and the interviewer had me walk him through my resume. Questions included: Why MBA? Why now? Why Tuck? What are your biggest strengths and weaknesses? What is your greatest professional achievement? Tell me about a time when you had to help someone achieve something. I told him my thoughts about the motto of the school and that seemed to surprise him as he had not even considered it.  The interview process was fairly generic till I asked the interviewer personal questions about his experience, at which point he became really interested. Read more
Published: March 15, 2020
UVA Darden Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Second-Year Student / On-Campus
The interview was very open. The interviewer started with “Tell me about yourself.” I quickly brought up my upbringing, college experience, etc., but focused most of the answer on my resume. The interviewer periodically asked me questions, but nothing related to behavioral questions. He genuinely wanted to get to know me better. I went through it all in about 20 mins and then after he said, “what else?”, which threw me off guard. I started talking about my hobbies and things I did outside of work. The interviewer wasn’t taking any notes, so it was really about if I was Read more
Published: March 15, 2020
Real Humans of McKinsey: Jun Guang Da Qu, Stanford GSB ’19, Associate
Most MBAs get their feet wet in consulting interning as summer associates between their first and second school years.  Post-MBA, at McKinsey, graduates usually spend between two and three years at the associate level before evaluation for a promotion to engagement manager. The next step, in three to five years, is associate principal.  Finally, qualified candidates can become a principal or partner.  In this edition of Real Humans: Alumni, Jun Guang Da Qu, a Stanford GSB alumnus and associate at McKinsey, takes us back to the beginning of such a journey, as he Read more
Published: March 15, 2020
Episode 89: Wire Taps—Which Schools Should I Consider?
If you’re wondering where you may stack up in MBA admissions or which programs to target, Clear Admit’s admissions experts, Graham Richmond and Alex Brown, offer their related insights in another podcast episode of Wire Taps.  They also spend a bit of time on the impact of the coronavirus, particularly Harvard Business School’s cancellation of a campus event.  Also this week, they review profiles from two prospective MBA applicants who shared their stories on MBA ApplyWire and a candidate weighing their options on MBA DecisionWire. Here’s a preview of which profiles they discuss.  Read more
Published: March 14, 2020
MIT Sloan Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / AdCom / Off-Campus Hub
With AdCom member, part of traveling interview tour, application-based. Questions: Any updates to your application? Describe a time when you got pushback from a supervisor/team member. Describe how you motivate others in a work setting. Why MIT Sloan/why MBA? Post-MBA career goals? What questions do you have for me? Very conversational, laid-back discussion. In fairness, I had met the interviewer during a previous campus visit, so this might have made the introduction easier. Surprised questions nearly entirely focused on professional experiences, not any extracurriculars. Read more
Published: March 14, 2020
Duke Fuqua Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Alumnus / Skype
The alumnus had graduated from Fuqua about 10 years and the age difference made the interview a bit like briefing to my boss. Just kidding. Self-introduction and follow-up questions about my current employer. My role in the team Failure story due to my fault and my solutions.  He challenged my solutions and shared his view on this issue. Most important factor in mind when selecting school One factor that may cause me to decline Duke offer. Career goal.  Since my CG is PE/VC industry, for which MBA may not help me that much, he shared his concerns and his viewpoints Read more
Published: March 13, 2020
UVA Darden Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Adcom / On-Campus
I interviewed with a member of the adcom. They asked me to tell them about myself — it was open very open ended and the interview was blind. I was told by a friend beforehand that I should be expected to talk for 5-10 minutes in the beginning though. After my summary, I was asked about how I deal with conflict. The atmosphere was casual and my interviewer didn’t take notes/have pen or paper. It wasn’t my favorite format because I felt like it wasn’t engaging/conversational. Listening to anyone talking about themselves for 5-10 minutes is a long time and Read more
Published: March 12, 2020
Duke Fuqua Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Second-Year Student / On-Campus
I interviewed on-campus with a second-year student. The interview was blind and very standard. The interviewer asked the typical behavioral questions like “tell me about a time you dealt with a difficult coworker” or “tell me about your leadership style.” There were no unexpected questions and the interviewer treated it more as a conversation. One thing I liked about Fuqua compared to other schools I interviewed at was that Fuqua wasn’t trying to sell you on the school. They gave their honest opinions and experiences and wanted to see if you saw yourself there. Read more
Published: March 12, 2020
UVA Darden Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Second-Year Student / On-Campus
The interview was a blind interview. I was interviewed by a second-year student and the interview was fairly informal and conversational. The interviewer started with an open-ended “tell me about yourself,” where I was prompted to give my life story, not just what was on my resume. The interviewer took no notes, but periodically stopped me to ask for clarity or more detail. There were no situational questions. Everybody at Darden was really friendly and everybody I met genuinely wanted to get to know me. Read more
Published: March 12, 2020
London Business School Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Alum / Off-Campus
My LBS interview took place at Starbucks with an alumnus. He is working in the VC/PE space and I have worked in startups, so I think that was a common link. Interview was very casual and conversational. It started with introduction: – Schooling & family – College activities, internships – Work experiences After introduction he asked the below questions: – Goals – Why MBA? – Why LBS? Why not U.S. or Indian schools? – Geography preferences post-MBA The above 2 parts were completed in 30 minutes. Surprisingly, he didn’t ask any behavioural questions Read more
Published: March 12, 2020
NYU Stern Interview Questions & Report: Round 3 / Adcom / Skype
I had the interview via Skype with an adcom member. It was much more informal than I expected. Yet, the questions were centered around my career goals and recruitment strategy. Initial question about my pick six Two key highlights from my resume One example showing that I could derive insights from data How do you plan to benefit from Stern’s office of career development? What would be your recruitment strategy Why do you want to pursue that specific post MBA career (social impact)? Why do you want to switch careers now? Target companies Plan B if career goal doesn’t work Read more
Published: March 12, 2020
MIT Sloan Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Adcom / Skype
It was a very conversational interview. Since Sloan does non-blind behavioral interviews with admissions committee members, they are already familiar with your application and ask more targeted questions that allow you to frame your answers in ways that make sense to your story. Questions asked: Tell me about your background and how you ended up where you are today. Tell me about a challenge you faced in your current role. Tell me about a positive impact you had on a team / organization. Tell me about a time you had to convince someone of your idea. Why MBA / why Read more
Published: March 12, 2020
Fridays from the Frontline: From Boots to Suits – How Tuck Supports Veterans in Transition
Transitioning from military to civilian life presents a unique set of challenges.  Add student life on top of that when pursuing an MBA.  Fortunately, programs such as Dartmouth Tuck offer services to support veterans through and beyond the related challenges. In this edition of Fridays from the Frontline, we hear from Andrew Ho (Tuck MBA ’21) about veterans’ support and opportunities at Tuck. From Boots to Suits – How Tuck Supports Veterans in Transition By Andrew Ho T’21 Andrew Ho, Tuck MBA ’21 For most service members, the decision to separate Read more
Published: March 11, 2020
Wharton Creates Business Course on Coronavirus
Having escalated to a global pandemic, the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) is causing business, financial and personal fallout.  In the MBA admissions space, it began with cancelling entrance exams, and extended to changing in-person interviews and campus events.  To better understand the impact of COVID-19, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is launching a course, “Epidemics, Natural Disasters, and Geopolitics: Managing Global Business and Financial Uncertainty.” Wharton Dean Geoff Garrett says, “There are significant Read more
Published: March 11, 2020
MIT Sloan Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Adcom / Skype
2020: the year of…coronavirus? Yes, Round 2 interviews for Sloan conducted via Skype due to coronavirus concerns, so that was disappointing because I was banking on going to campus to see a class and be able to talk about it/express my interest. Due to Sloan’s small class size, they are very selective and really need to see that you want to be there versus other schools and aren’t just going through the motions to see if you can get in. So, I was logged on to Skype at 1:45PM, my scheduled time and started to get a little nervous, but Read more
Published: March 11, 2020
UVA Darden Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Second-Year Student / On-Campus
I interviewed for Round 2 on-campus with a second-year student. My interview was the first of the day at 8am, and there were at least a dozen other candidates at the school at the same time as me. Everyone (faculty, current students, applicants) were all very welcoming and friendly, which certainly calmed the nerves. For the interview itself, Darden is unique in its approach. My interviewer explained that we’d use about 20-25 minutes for me to “tell my story,” followed by any follow-up questions she may have. I talked through my life chronologically, making sure to spend time talking through Read more
Published: March 11, 2020
HBS Announces Admissions & Campus Visit Changes Due to Coronavirus
Harvard Business School posted several planned changes to admissions and campus visits in the Direct from the Director blog due to the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19). While Round 2 MBA applicants can still expect a final decision on March 31st, the Admitted Students Weekend for the group has been cancelled. Campus tours will also come to a halt effective March 16th, with interested parties being directed to online options. Here is the full message from Chad Losee: The situation around COVID-19 Read more
Published: March 11, 2020
Duke Fuqua Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Alumnus / Off-Campus
The interview was with an alumnus in Bangalore and was a blind interview with the alumnus having just my CV. The interviewer was friendly and the interview went smoothly. He was an entrepreneur himself and I had a similar background, so we connected really well. The questions were standard and he went into details of all the answers I gave especially the why MBA and why Duke part. The interviewer also focused on the Team Fuqua, which I mentioned was one of the reasons why I wanted to join Fuqua. In my job I had worked with different nationalities, so Read more
Published: March 11, 2020
UVA Darden Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Second-Year Student / Skype
The interview lasted for about 40 minutes. Skype is really unstable in China. I’d recommend using a VPN. It was a totally blind interview. The interviewer didn’t have my resume, so I started with an long self introduction. Tell me about yourself. It can be your personal background, academic, work or whatever is important to you. (15 min) What is your career goals? Long-term and short-term Why Darden? Why are you passionate about healthcare? Tell me about a time when you were in a diversified group. How did you handle the conflicts within the group? Any questions for me? Read more
Published: March 11, 2020
Real Humans of Google: Chris Eck, Duke Fuqua ’14, Senior Account Executive
Google is a top employer of MBAs, and we’ve already heard from graduates taking on roles in product management and engineering.  The tech giant also hires for any and all functions, from marketing to sales and strategy to operations.  In this edition of Real Humans: Alumni, Chris Eck, a Duke Fuqua MBA ’14 and senior account executive at Google, highlights what to expect in the recruiting process, what to make the most of in business school and how the curriculum carries over into the Read more
Published: March 11, 2020
Dartmouth Tuck Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / Skype
I was invited to interview via skype. My interviewer was a 2nd-year student and he started off with speaking about himself. The questions I was asked are as follows (in no particular order): Run me through your resume. What has been your greatest professional achievement? Strengths and Weaknesses? Tell me about a time you had to resolve a conflict. Why MBA? Why Tuck? How will you contribute at Tuck? Read more
Published: March 10, 2020
UVA Darden Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Adcom / Skype
List of interview questions: “Tell me about your early life.” “Tell me about your professional career.” “Why MBA/Darden?” Commentary: Did you receive your admissions decision? Not yet, expected next week. What did you think of the interview? They give you a few long answer questions and it is on you to manage that time and what you want to capture in the responses because they are unlikely to ask follow up questions on that subject. What surprised you? It is less of a conversation than other schools. Much more of a monologue. What didn’t surprise you? Read more
Published: March 10, 2020
Duke Fuqua Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Second-Year Student / On-Campus
I interviewed during a prospective student visit day at Fuqua. There were 60 or so other students interviewing on the same day to wait with. Talking to other prospective students beforehand calmed my nerves a bit. Not sure if Duke paired interviewers and interviewees purposefully, but my interviewer was second-year student who had accepted an offer in the same job function and industry that I’m working towards. It made making a connection much easier. It was a very conversational interview. My interviewer started with an introduction and then jumped into mostly standard questions: 1. Tell me about yourself. 2. Read more
Published: March 10, 2020
UVA Darden Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Second-Year Student / On-Campus
Interviewed in the afternoon with a second-year student. I waited in the lobby with 10-15 other interviewees and was the first to be taken to one of the “learning team” rooms to be interviewed. Questions were mostly as expected. My interviewer laid out the interview and explained that it was a completely blind interview (my interviewer had not even seen my resume). Spend 25 minutes telling me about yourself – where you’re from, your professional background, why you want an MBA, and why you want to come to Darden. (My interviewer guided me through this process by restating some of Read more

MBA Applywire

1
November 28, 2024 10:49pm ET
Applying: Arizona State / W.P. Carey
Intake Year: 2025
Pre-MBA Career: Accountant
Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting Companies: Booz Allen Hamilton , Ernst & Young
GRE: 311
GPA: 3.22
Years of Work Experience: 2.5
Location: Ghana
Post MBA Location: Accountant/Public
6
November 28, 2024 8:12am ET
Applying: Berkeley / Haas, Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, Northwestern / Kellogg, Stanford GSB, UPenn / Wharton
Intake Year: 2025
Pre-MBA Career: Consulting
Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting, Technology
GMAT: 645
GPA: 84%
Years of Work Experience: 3
Location: Brazil
5
November 27, 2024 5:44pm ET
Applying: Berkeley / Haas, Duke / Fuqua, MIT Sloan, Stanford GSB, UPenn / Wharton
Pre-MBA Career: Corporate Communication Specialist
Post-MBA Target Industry: Other
GPA: 3.9
Years of Work Experience: 6
Location: Indonesia
4
November 27, 2024 12:00pm ET
Applying: Berkeley / Haas, London Business School, Northwestern / Kellogg, Stanford GSB
Intake Year: 2025
Pre-MBA Career: Eingeneer
Post-MBA Target Industry: Other
GMAT: 675
GPA: 3,5
Years of Work Experience: 4.8
Location: Chile
4
November 27, 2024 9:07am ET
Applying: Duke / Fuqua, Michigan / Ross, Northwestern / Kellogg, NYU Stern
Intake Year: 2025
Pre-MBA Career: Finance Manager
Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting Companies: Accenture , AT Kearney , Bain , BCG , Deloitte , Ernst & Young , McKinsey , PWC
GMAT: 690
GPA: 3.79
Years of Work Experience: 2
View or Submit Entries

MBA LiveWire

November 29, 2024 9:05am ET
Accepted to Cornell / Johnson
Round: Round 1
Received via phone on November 25, 2024
GPA: 3.52
GMAT: 635
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Consulting
Application Location: Northeast
Note:

Received a call on Nov. 26. Prior background is work in communications/marketing.
November 29, 2024 5:15am ET
Accepted to UVA / Darden
Round: Early Decision
Received via phone on October 15, 2024
GPA: 67%
GMAT: 705
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Consulting
Application Location: India
November 29, 2024 2:45am ET
Accepted to Cornell / Johnson
Round: Round 1
Received via email on November 26, 2024
GMAT: 740
Program Type: One Year Program
Target Career: Entrepreneurship
Application Location: India
November 28, 2024 4:55pm ET
Applied to Emory / Goizueta
Round: Round 2
Received via email
GPA: 3.19
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Finance
Application Location: Nigeria
November 28, 2024 1:14pm ET
Interview Invite to Berkeley / Haas
Round: Round 1
Received via email on October 27, 2024
GPA: 84%
GMAT: 645
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Technology
Application Location: Brazil
View or Submit Entries
Live
Wire