Northwestern / Kellogg MBA News

Get the latest MBA news from Northwestern / Kellogg.

Published: December 17, 2012

Kellogg MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 1 / Adcom / On Campus

I had a blind interview on campus with a member of the admissions committee. Starting with undergrad, tell me about what you’ve done. Why Kellogg? Short term, what is your dream job? What is a siituation where you took initiative/ showed leadership? What would your colleagues say is a positive quality about you? At work, who or how would you interact with others? What is something you could improve on? Outside work, what do you do? What clubs would you want to get involved in? Why have you decided on your chosen field (Marketing)? Do you have any experience or Read more

Published: December 3, 2012

Kellogg MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 1/Alumnus/Off-Campus

My interview was, from what I’ve read, a very standard Kellogg interview. The interviewer was friendly and started off with questions about my interest in the school. He probed a bit deeper really trying to get me to articulate why I was interested in the school over others. He then focused on my resume and asked me about the side business that I have been operating aside from my job. I am in banking and so was this alumnus, so he stayed away from asking me questions on my full time job and didn’t ask me anything about my undergraduate Read more

Published: December 2, 2012

Kellogg MBA Admissions Interview Questions: R2/ Ad-com/ On-campus

My interview was on Friday around 1PM. I live 5 hour drive from Chicago. My gf and I drove down that morning straight to Northwestern. We reached there around 11AM. I registered at the admission office which is on the second floor. I had some questions regarding information session later that day. We grabbed lunch downstairs and walked around the campus. Around 12.30PM, I walked back to the admissions office. There were 4 other interview candidates waiting for their interviews as well. I chatted with them a bit. All of them had pretty impressive backgrounds. My interviewer came Read more

Published: November 18, 2012

Kellogg MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 1 / Adcom / On-campus

I opted to do an on-campus interview and scheduled it for early November. Kellogg is my top choice program and I thought that taking the time to go there and interview in person with the adcom or a student would help prove my interest. Moreover, it would give me a chance to meet students and tour the campus. I don’t regret my decision to pick this option. I purposefully scheduled my interview for a Tuesday (no classes on Wednesday) so that I could spend Monday doing the class visit, building tour, etc. Doing this came in handy when my interviewer Read more

Published: August 1, 2012

One-Year MBA? Two-Year MBA? Pros and Cons

Preference for one-year MBA programs – common at European business schools, but traditionally less so at U.S. schools – is growing among prospective U.S. and Canadian applicants, according to an article this week in the Wall Street Journal. Lean economic times make the benefits of shorter programs, including lower tuition and less time and earnings lost while studying, appealing. But the WSJ article argues that these accelerated options may carry other costs that students considering them should bear in mind. In 2009, 71 percent of U.S. and Canadian respondents to a survey by business-education research company QS Quacquarelli Symonds Ltd. preferred programs lasting 19 to 24 months, the WSJ reports. This year, that figure fell to 57 percent. Meanwhile, preference for programs lasting between 10 and 18 months rose, up to 29 percent of respondents from 21 percent in 2009. Some U.S. schools are responding to this increased demand, such as Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, which announced earlier this year that it plans to double the size of its one-year option. (Check out our Admissions Director Q&A with Kellogg’s Kate Smith for more on this.) Read more

Published: July 29, 2012

Clear Admit Featured in Financial Times Article on Changing MBA Admissions

Clear Admit’s own Graham Richmond was featured as part of an article this week in the Financial Times about changes taking place this admissions season at several top business schools. The article, entitled “The Creative Route to an MBA,” highlighted the shift at several top MBA programs toward requiring fewer essays from applicants, among other changes. Several top schools, including Harvard Business School (HBS), Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, will require applicants to submit fewer essays as part of the application process than in years past. Clear Admit’s Richmond told the FT that he believes this is part of a trend by top programs to shift emphasis away from the essays and toward the interview portion of the application process. Read more

Published: July 23, 2012

Admissions Director Q&A: Kellogg School of Management’s Kate Smith

When Beth Flye, Kellogg admissions director since 2003, returned to her native North Carolina in spring 2011 to head up admissions for Kenan-Flagler’s new online MBA program, Kellogg decided to mine its own alumni for a replacement. Kate Smith, a 1998 graduate of the Kellogg MBA program, had spent the past 15 years building a career in brand management, first at General Mills and then at Pepsico. When Kellogg came calling, she was ready. “It’s just incredible to have the opportunity to come back to Kellogg,” Smith told us. “For me, having a deep understanding of the school’s culture and heritage is really what’s most exciting,” she said. “My personal experience was truly life changing on so many levels.” Smith returned to Kellogg in February 2012 as assistant dean for admissions and financial aid across all of the school’s programs. Having remained engaged with the school as a recruiter and in other capacities as an alumnus, she was able to hit the ground running and hasn’t had any major surprises since she got there, she tells us. Read on to learn more about what she’s most excited about in the year ahead, how she views the admissions process, her advice for applicants sitting down to write their essays and more. Read more

Published: March 19, 2012

Kellogg MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 2 / Alum / Off Campus

I am an international applicant and had interview on Feb 29th with an alumnus, off-campus. My interview was held in interviewer’s car as she had to go somewhere and we had to complete the interview within a day according to school deadline. I was asked by her to meet at airport. The interview began about half an hour late, when she came out of the airport and it began as soon as she met me on airport itself. The interview questions were mostly standard: Where are you working and whats your job responsibilities? What is your background? Why you want Read more

Published: March 13, 2012

Kellogg MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 2 / Alum / Off Campus

The interview was in my city with alum in a cafe. It was the most stressful interview I have ever had. I had to defend every thing I told, like -“I don’t know your company, what do you do?” I explained. “Is this profitable? To my mind, you are the odd link” The questions were: Walk me through your resume What are your short/long term goals? Why Kellogg? What other universities are you applying to? Why them? Why not Stanford… etc? What is your main choice? Tell me about your leadership experience? Tell about a time you had to convince Read more

Published: February 28, 2012

Kellogg MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 2 / Alum / Off Campus

Everything was very standard/something I had seen before on Clear Admit except for these questions. What are three adjectives your mother would use to describe you. If you don’t get in to business school, what will you do? If you do get in to business school and you have time off before, what will you do? Read more

Published: February 28, 2012

Kellogg MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 2 / Alum / Off Campus

Thanks to this page, I walked into my interview feeling pretty good. Thanks, ClearAdmit! Good thing I brought extra resumes as my interviewer did not have mine. The questions were pretty standard: Walk me through your resume What are your short/long term goals? Why Kellogg? Tell me more about the organization you started during your undergraduate days (I was the founder of a cultural organization in college, and my interviewer asked a few follow-up questions after this) Tell me three traits that you believe a good leader possesses? Tell me about a time you dealt with conflict with a co-worker Read more

Published: February 25, 2012

Kellogg MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 2 / 2nd Year Student / On-campus

I was asked pretty standard questions: Walk me through your resume. Why do you want an MBA? Why Kellogg? What clubs would you be a part of and why? What do you want to do after Kellogg? Overall it was a very comfortable interview. I was happy I had a chance to speak with a student this time and was able to ask more student focused questions. Get there early, get a feel for the campus and sit in a class or two. The culture there is fantastic and everyone is very nice. Good luck! Read more

Published: February 19, 2012

Kellogg MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 2 / Alum / On-campus

I completed my Kellogg on campus interview on 9th Feb 2012. I am a R2 candidate. I had scheduled my appointment at 2 PM. I flew to Evanston Illinois on 6th Feb to visit the school and interact with the students. This experience definitely helped me in my interview. I reached my destination well before time and I was chatting with other candidates while I was waiting to be called. This interaction definitely took some pressure off my mind. My interview began at 2:00 PM sharp and my interviewer was a 2010 Kellogg alumni. He was very friendly and he Read more

Published: February 19, 2012

Kellogg MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 1 / Adcom / On-campus

My interview was at 11:00 am. I did not realize it was a holiday week for the students, so I had no student interaction. My interview was conducted by an adcom. Overall everyone at Kellogg was very friendly Questions were all standard , all available on the Clear admit page Walk me through your resume Why Kellogg? Why MBA? What is your biggest strength? What is your biggest weakness? What do you want to do after your MBA? It is obvious you want to be an entrepreneur, tell me more about your entrepreneurship experience and how Kellogg will help (I Read more

Published: February 16, 2012

Kellogg MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 2 / Alum / Off-campus

My interview was given by an alumni at his office. It lasted for one hour and a half. Questioned that were asked: Can you tell me about yourself starting from college? Explain your work history. I told him that I had my first job at the age of eleven; which led to pretty much giving him my life story. Why Kellogg? What did your company do?… I wasn’t sure why he asked this because I thought my resume answered this question. How did your company generate business? What would your employees say about you? What do you want to do Read more

Published: February 14, 2012

Kellogg MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 2 / Alum

The interview was pretty straightforward, and the interviewer told me that it was mainly intended as a chance to show I’d prepared for the interview. All of the questions were ones that I’d seen on this wiki, with the exception of: When you were growing up, what was your dream job? (I had mentioned on my application that I only recently realized I wanted to go to business school.) How would you divide your time between academics, social, clubs, and personal time at Kellogg? Read more

Published: February 13, 2012

Kellogg MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 2 / Adcom

List of interview questions: Walk me through your resume Follow-up questions of why transition from job X to Y Career goals Why MBA? A teamwork experience A leadership experience How will you contribute to Kellogg? Follow-up questions of what specific professional highlights I would like to share with my classmates My favorite books and why? Do you have any questions for me? The interviewer is very detailed-oriented and made effort to dig into my stories to understand what I learned from every experience Read more

Published: February 13, 2012

Kellogg MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 2 / 1st-year student / On-campus

Interview was about 45 minutes or so and was pretty strightforward. I felt it was a little less conversational since she seemed a bit green being a first year and all. Overall questions I got were very similiar to ones already posted with the exception of: What will you do if you don’t get in Tell me about a time when you were given very ambiguous instructions and how you handled it. Read more

Published: February 13, 2012

Kellogg MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 2 / 2nd-year student / On-campus

My interview was conducted by a second-year student in a large conference room of the Admissions Office. My interviewer wasn’t super friendly but wasn’t trying to stump me and made me feel very comfortable. The interview was very conversational. He asked me the following questions: Tell me your story beginning with college until now but don’t mention why an MBA yet. Why an MBA? What are your short-term (i.e. immediately after MBA school) and long-term goals? Can you tell me what percentage of your time is spent as a manager as opposed to a team member from when you began Read more

Published: February 12, 2012

Kellogg MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 2 / Ad-Com Interview / On-Campus

The interview lasted around 35 minutes. Besides the questions already posted here, a few interesting ones were: What’s the culture at your current company? Why do you think they offered you a job? What’s the long-term vision of your current company? What steps have you taken towards achieving your goals? Interview style was very casual.Talking to other candidates in the waiting room helped me relax right before the interview. Best of luck! Read more

Published: February 10, 2012

Kellogg MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 2 / Alum Interview / Off Campus

The interview lasted for around 40 minutes. Walk me through your resume How has your leadership role changed at your current organization since your last progression. Tell me about a situation where you managed conflict. Why MBA and immediate career goals. Why Kellogg, followed by why not Sloan/Tuck. Specific business areas you intend to develop/advance at Kellogg. What do you intend to do at Kellogg apart from study. Shared his own experience of working with clients in the same industry. Shared his Kellogg experience and the culture – how everything at Kellogg is student driven. Any questions for me ? Suggestions: Read more

Published: February 5, 2012

Kellogg MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 1 / Alumni / Off-campus

The interview setting was extremely informal – we met for coffee at a local coffee shop and spent the first 10 minutes talking about the neighborhood and local restaurants. The alum interviewer did not have a script or set list of questions – also the interviewer did not bring a copy of my resume so I was thankful to have brought a copy to provide him with. Questions: Tell me about why you left [previous firm] to go to [current firm]. Why did you decide to adjust your specialization? Why do you want to go to Kellogg? What do you Read more

Published: February 5, 2012

Kellogg MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 2 / Adcom / On Campus

Walk me through your resume. What were the highlights of your undergraduate experience? Why do you want an MBA? Tell me about a time you worked on a team. Have you had any professional experiences that required you to work internationally? Tell me about a time you led a team and failed. Why did you switch from investment bank to hedge fund? How would you describe the culture at both companies? What would you contribute to Kellogg, both as a student and an alum? Is there any weakness in your application that you want to explain to me, so that Read more

Published: February 5, 2012

Kellogg MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 2 / Alum / Off-campus

We both showed up early, so although he’d only allotted 45 minutes, the interview lasted about an hour before he had to catch his train. He didn’t have a list of questions and didn’t take any notes. He asked me questions based off of my previous answers and didn’t appear to have any checklist that he was trying to get through. We walked through my resume, my reasons for wanting an MBA at this point, and what I think makes a school the right fit for me. He asked some questions about the Economist, which I was reading when he Read more

Published: February 5, 2012

Kellogg MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 2 / Alum Interview / Off Campus

Met with the alumni at a local coffee shop .The tone of interview was quite professional,the interview got wrapped in less than 30 mins. Tell me about yourself (was asked to give a short summary) Why MBA Why Kellogg ( Weaved my goals into it) Follow up on Career goals Why did i leave my first job (changed industries) Tell me about a difficult experience Example of working in a team (couple of follow ups) What do you do outside of work Any questions Suggestions: Prepare well for Why Kellogg question and have good examples on behavioural questions. Good Luck! Read more

Northwestern / Kellogg

CLASS SIZE: 524

Women: 50%

MEAN GMAT: 733

MEAN GPA: 3.7

Livewire Decisionwire Interview Reports Essay Topic Analysis MBA Admissions Deadlines View Full Profile

MBA Applywire

November 20, 2024 9:42pm ET

Applying: Babson / Olin, , Carnegie Mellon / Tepper, Emory / Goizueta, Rice / Jones, Rochester / Simon, SMU Cox, UCI Merage, Washington U. / Olin

Intake Year: 2025

Pre-MBA Career: Technology - Entrepreneurship

Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting, Technology, Entrepreneurship

GRE: 333

GPA: 2.56

Years of Work Experience: 5

Location: Lagos

Notes:

I just got rejected for WashU Olin and I have an interview invitation with Questrom. GPA continues to bother me but I addressed it in my supporting essays.

November 19, 2024 12:51pm ET

Applying: Berkeley / Haas, Cornell / Johnson, Dartmouth / Tuck, Duke / Fuqua, INSEAD, Michigan / Ross, MIT Sloan, Northwestern / Kellogg, U. Chicago Booth, UPenn / Wharton, Yale SOM

Intake Year: 2025

Pre-MBA Career: Tech in government

Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting, Entrepreneurship Companies: Bain , McKinsey

GRE: 319

GPA: 2.9

Years of Work Experience: 7

Notes:

I got cancer when I was undergrad that's why my undergrad GPA is low. After MBA I want to work in consulting then make a social impact in Africa through entrepreneurship

November 19, 2024 12:06pm ET

Applying: Duke / Fuqua, Harvard Business School, Michigan / Ross, Northwestern / Kellogg, Stanford GSB, U. Chicago Booth, U. Washington / Foster, UNC Kenan-Flagler, UT Austin / McCombs, UVA / Darden

Pre-MBA Career: Wealth Management and Military

Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting, Asset Management, inc. HF, Other Companies: Bain , BCG , Deloitte , McKinsey , Goldman Sachs , JP Morgan Asset Management , State Street , Vanguard

GPA: 3.80

Years of Work Experience: 7

Location: San Diego

Post MBA Location: Chicago, Seattle, Minneapolis, Charlotte

Notes:

UG Degree: BBA Financial Markets at an Accredited Institution.

Civilian Work History: 3 years as Wealth Advisor under an RIA in Minneapolis and Denver. Total AUM of ~$350-400M, served as a salaried advisor in a primary and secondary capacity. Holistic services to include investment management, estate planning, retirement planning, insurance planning, tax planning, etc.

Military History: 4 years as a supply/logistics officer heading efforts for air/ground mobility, defense contracting, supply and procurement, and fiscal budget management while located at various bases within CONUS and multiple forward deployed locations.

Professional Certifications: Obtained Certified Financial Planner designation (2022) and Series 65 (2019).

November 18, 2024 12:50am ET

Applying: Columbia, Dartmouth / Tuck, Duke / Fuqua, Emory / Goizueta, NYU Stern, UNC Kenan-Flagler, Yale SOM

Intake Year: 2025

Pre-MBA Career: Consulting

Post-MBA Target Industry: Investment Banking Companies: Bank of America , Barclays , Citibank , Credit Suisse , Goldman Sachs , JP Morgan Chase

GRE: 323

GPA: 3.32

Years of Work Experience: 7

Notes:

Education:
- Combined Major in Economics and Statistics
- CFA Charterholder (passed all three levels on the first attempt)

Professional Experience:
- Manager at a Big 4 firm Specializing in capital projects and infrastructure, with a role similar to investment banking
- Seven years of experience, mainly in financial services in Ghana

Extracurricular Activities:
- Pro bono capital-raising services for SMEs
- Aspiring to run a full advisory firm for SMEs in the future
- CFA exam coaching and tutorial classes for candidates
- Founder of a travel and tour club offering affordable trips to explore beautiful and historic scenes in Ghana

Will being 32 years old affect the attractiveness of my candidacy?

November 17, 2024 9:24am ET

Applying: Columbia, , Georgetown / McDonough, Harvard Business School, INSEAD, NYU Stern, Oxford / Saïd, Stanford GSB, UCLA Anderson, Yale SOM

Pre-MBA Career: Higher Education

Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting, Technology, Investment Banking, Venture Capital, Private Equity, Media, Undecided Companies: Bain , BCG , McKinsey , JP Morgan , Morgan Stanley , JP Morgan Chase , Apple , Google , Microsoft , Andressen Horowitz , Charles River , Sequoia Capital , Blackstone , KKR , 21st Century Fox , Comcast , Walt Disney

GPA: 3.97

Years of Work Experience: 5

Location: Denver, Colorado

Post MBA Location: New York City

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MBA LiveWire

November 23, 2024 12:41am ET

Accepted to SMU Cox

Round: Round 1

Received via email November 22, 2024

GPA: 3.6

GRE: 331

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: Marketing

Application Location: Delta, Nigeria

November 22, 2024 11:09pm ET

Accepted to NYU Stern

Round: Round 1

Received via portal November 22, 2024

GPA: 3.65

Program Type: One Year Program

Target Career: Technology

Application Location: NY

Note:

Submitted on 9/1, interview invite on 10/8, interviewed on 10/30. No phone call but portal updated on 11/22 around 1pm est. No scholarship..

November 22, 2024 8:42pm ET

Accepted to SMU Cox

Round: Round 1

Received via phone November 22, 2024

GPA: 3.9

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: Consulting

Application Location: Mississippi

November 22, 2024 8:34pm ET

Rejected at SMU Cox

Round: Round 1

Received via portal on November 21, 2024

GPA: 3.89/4

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: Consulting

Application Location: Asia

November 22, 2024 8:33pm ET

Accepted to Georgia Tech / Scheller

Round: Round 1

Received via email November 22, 2024

GPA: 3.76

GRE: 329

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: Technology

Application Location: Pakistan

Note:

Accepted with Full GRA

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