The Leading Independent
Resource for Top-tier MBA
Candidates

Interviews

Keep up with our most recent interview reports, and build your skills with our interview tips.
Published: January 30, 2023
Michigan Ross MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Alum / Zoom
Alum Resume based Asked a lot about why I wanted an MBA and what that looked like. Dual degree applicant questions and which field I was leaning more toward. It surprised me how much I was asked about the other degree I’m currently pursuing at Michigan. Read more
Published: January 30, 2023
Michigan Ross MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Alumna / Zoom
This interview was conducted via Zoom during the last week of October 2022 for Round 1 admission. I was paired with a recent alumna and asked to reach out to her to schedule an interview. Make sure you are not using a free version of Zoom, for example, as I was cut off after 40 minutes! I was able to hop back on, but something to keep in mind. We were just finishing up so I would expect about 40 minutes for the interview length. The interview was very casual and I was admitted in Round 1. After she introduced Read more
Published: January 30, 2023
Episode 274: Tips for the Wharton Team-Based Discussion (TBD)
In this special edition of the podcast, your hosts Alex Brown and Graham Richmond break down Wharton’s group interview – known as the Team Based Discussion (TBD) – and offer a wealth of tips and background to help applicants ace it. Alex and Graham, who both formerly worked in admissions at Wharton, set out to tell you everything you need to know to be successful in your Wharton TBD. They’ll discuss: The history of the TBD Why Wharton uses it How to prepare for it How to perform in it What this year’s TBD prompt is and how to Read more
Published: January 29, 2023
NYU Stern MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 3 / Adcom / Zoom
Applied December 15th, 2022; Interview invite January 10th, 2023; Interview January 18th; Admit January 27th Overall the interview was really conversational and welcoming. The interviewer was so nice and kept complimenting my answers and providing support after each answer. The 30 minutes flew by and I thought it went pretty well. As the interviewer had gone through my file, she didn’t ask me “Why Stern” or “tell me about yourself.” The first question opened with a comment about my pick 6. 1. Why MBA? 2. What type of role do you find yourself playing in teams?/ What is your Read more
Published: January 29, 2023
Dartmouth Tuck Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Second-Year Student / Zoom
1. Walk me through your CV. 2. Why MBA and why now? 3. Why Tuck? 4. Greatest achievement – professional or personal? 5. Most useful negative feedback received? 6. Negative feedback given? 7. Question for the interviewer and her experience? Read more
Published: January 26, 2023
Interview Report Round-Up: Emory Goizueta, UVA Darden, Vanderbilt Owen
In another Interview Report Roundup, we take a closer looks at MBA admissions interview reports that Emory Goizueta, UVA Darden and Vanderbilt Owen applicants have recently shared to the Clear Admit Interview Archive. A Round 2 applicant to Goizueta had a pleasant interview experience: An MBA hopeful for UVA Darden spoke with a second-year student for about an hour for their interview: Meanwhile, over at Vanderbilt Owen, a Round 2 applicant faced the following questions: We’d love to hear how your Read more
Published: January 25, 2023
Emory Goizueta MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Adcom / Zoom
I just had my interview. I feel really good about it. My adcom made it comfortable and conversational. It was about getting to know me. Very straightforward. They weren’t trying to trick me or quiz me. 1. Why MBA? 2. Why now? 3. Why Goizueta? 4. Walk me through your resume, a few follow up or clarification questions. 5. Why your undergrad? 6. What will you bring to Emory? 7. Tell me about your current role and if you oversee anyone. 8. What’s your post-MBA plan? Which location? 9. What questions do Read more
Published: January 25, 2023
HBS Announces Timing of Interview Invitations for Round 2
If you applied to Harvard Business School in Round 2, get ready for some big application news from the school on Wednesday, February 1st at noon ET. In a post to the Direct from the Director’s blog, the school shared the following details: “Next week, on Wednesday, February 1 at 12:00 noon Eastern Time, everyone who applied in Round 2—or received a “Further Consideration” decision in Round 1—will receive an update via the Application Status page. “There are two possibilities: “Invite to Interview – you’ll receive additional information Read more
Published: January 24, 2023
Dartmouth Tuck MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Second-Year Student / Virtual
Consortium applicant. Tuck Admissions Associate (2nd-year student) showed up on the call very promptly. She introduced herself and ran through the interview format. She mentioned that it’s okay if I didn’t have an answer to any behavioral question to ask for another question. Questions were: 1. Tell me about yourself. 2. Short- and long-term career goals? 3. Why MBA and why Tuck? 4. Tell me about a time when you had to give tricky feedback and what you learned from it. 5. What is your proudest achievement? 6. Is there anything we did not Read more
Published: January 24, 2023
UCI Merage MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Adcom / Zoom
1. Walk me through your resume. 2. ST goal (specific company/position) & Plan B. 3. Why Merage & what other schools? 4. TMAT working with difficult people. 4. TMAT receiving feedback & how you dealt with it. Read more
Published: January 24, 2023
Emory Goizueta MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Adcom / Zoom
I obtained an interview from Emory a week after the Round 2 application deadline. I had a virtual interview with and Admissions Advisor. She was extremely kind and the interview was very professional and conversational. It was a blind interview and resume based. Asked my background, walk through my background. Why I decided to move from company to company. An example of teamwork and leadership. What those teammates would describe me as. I only had time for 1 question, but was able to follow-up with more through email. For my interview, I prepared for all the possible question variations from Read more
Published: January 23, 2023
SMU Cox MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Adcom / Zoom
1. Why did you choose your undergrad major and school? 2. Walk me through how you ended up at your current role. 3. What’s one of the most difficult things about your job? 4. When did you decide to get an MBA? Why? 5. What are your post-MBA goals? Will you continue in the same industry? What’s your backup plan? 6. Why Cox? 7. How will you contribute to the Cox community outside of the classroom? 8. How will you measure at your graduation ceremony if your time was successful? 9. Tell Read more
Published: January 23, 2023
UVA Darden MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Second-Year Student / Zoom
Very conversational and easy-going interview, lasted about 1hr. My interviewer laid out the structure for me in the beginning to give me an overview. 1. Tell me about yourself (very open-ended, I talked for about 15ish minutes and combined the why MBA into this question). 2. TMAT you worked with someone different from you. 3. Follow up questions on something I mentioned in Question 1. 4. Why Darden? 5. Interviewer’s self intro + Questions. Very good experience, honestly I wish more interviews could be like this lol Read more
Published: January 23, 2023
Vanderbilt Owen MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Second-Year Student / Virtual
It was a pretty chill interview: 1. Walk me through your resume. 2. Why an MBA now? 3. What are your short-term goals? 4. Tell me about a time you made a mistake. 5. What is a common misconception about you? 6. What value will you bring to Vanderbilt and what value will Vanderbilt add to you? 7. What would you like to be involved in on campus? Read more
Published: January 19, 2023
Interview Report Round-Up: CMU Tepper, Texas McCombs, UCLA Anderson, Yale SOM
In this week’s Interview Report Roundup, we’re highlighting MBA admissions interview reports that CMU Tepper, Texas McCombs, UCLA Anderson and Yale SOM applicants have recently shared to the Clear Admit Interview Archive. A couple of Yale MBA applicants shared their on-campus interviews: Meanwhile, an MBA hopeful who completed the Texas McCombs video assessment offered some useful insights: A candidate for Carnegie Mellon Tepper posted the following questions from an adcom member: Finally, a UCLA Anderson applicant reported Read more
Published: January 15, 2023
Yale SOM MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / On-Campus
I received my interview invite about a week after submitting my application and emailed the admissions office to schedule my interview during the campus visit I’d already scheduled. I arrived on campus at 9:30AM and was able to store my luggage in their coat closet. I attended the class visit, campus tour, Q&A with students, and lunch before starting my interview. After lunch, I met the second-year student at the lobby, and we went to a small study room for the interview. She started by talking a little about her background before diving into the interview. She had a list Read more
Published: January 15, 2023
Texas McCombs MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Video Assessment / Virtual
The application deadline was January 5th, and I did my interview on the 12th. All applicants must take the Video Assessment as part of their requirements after submitting the rest of the application by the deadlines. I have not heard about a decision one way or another yet. Here are the questions to the best of my memory: 1. Tell me about a time when you failed. What did you learn from it? 2. What do you expect to get out of the McCombs MBA program? What do you expect will challenge you? 3. Tell me about Read more
Published: January 12, 2023
Interview Report Round-Up: HBS, INSEAD, MIT Sloan
Welcome to another edition of Interview Report Roundup. This week, we’re taking a closer look at MBA admissions interview reports that HBS, INSEAD and MIT Sloan applicants have recently shared to the Clear Admit Interview Archive. A Round 1 MBA hopeful for Harvard Business School faced an adcom member very familiar with their application, as the contributor noted, “The interviewer had read the entire application in detail (including details I had mentioned only in the application form) and had done basic research on some of the niche parts of my work.” Read more
Published: January 11, 2023
Yale SOM Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / Zoom
The interview went for 30 minutes, with the standard questions Why MBA/Why Yale/Why now questions. The interview felt very scripted as the second-year student clearly had to get through the list of questions she had in front of her. After the 30 mins was done, we spent another 15 mins chatting about Yale and why she picked SOM. Overall a great experience. Read more
Published: January 10, 2023
Yale SOM MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / On Campus
Interview invite in October. Questions were provided by adcom as they wanted to limit bias. Walk me through your resume. Why MBA now? Why Yale, SOM school? What are your short- & long-term goals? What is your submitted quote? How is it related to the Yale SOM community? Tell us your proudest leadership experience, and how you can apply this experience in MBA study. Any questions? Read more
Published: January 10, 2023
CMU Tepper MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Adcom / Zoom
The adcom had reviewed my entire application before our interview. Give me a one-minute introduction to who you are. Why an MBA? Why now? What is your criteria in selecting a business school? What are your post-MBA goals? Give an example when you accomplished something to bring better results to your team. What’s your definition of diversity? Give an example when things didn’t go according to plan as a leader. What would you have done differently? Is there anything you’d like to add that you haven’t shared today or in your application? Do you have any questions for me? When Read more
Published: January 10, 2023
Texas McCombs MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Video Assessment / Online
7 questions with 30 seconds to prepare and 3 mins to answer for each question. Used Kira system for recording, allowed to start questions on your own pace. 1. Short-term goal and Plan B 2. TMAT working with competitive people, how did you navigate it? 3. Proudest achievement? 4. TMAT people were treated unfairly, what did you do? 5. TMAT you were judged unfairly / received unfair feedback. 6. Why McCombs? Not sure the words are accurate since the questions are quite lengthy. Also, make sure your background is clean, I don’t think there’s an Read more
Published: January 10, 2023
Yale SOM MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / Skype
The interview was scripted in advance with specific questions that the second-year student had been told to ask – which meant that it was difficult to have a free-flowing conversation and create a genuine connection. But the tone of the interview was friendly and the questions were relatively standard and focused around why an MBA and why Yale, some resume questions, and a question focusing on giving an example of something I had learned by looking at a situation through someone else’s perspective. I was surprised by the focus on diversity (the quote + an additional question around how I Read more
Published: January 10, 2023
UCLA Anderson MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / Zoom
I was matched with a second-year student and felt that the school aimed to align applicants with interviewers with similar backgrounds, post-MBA career goals, and interests. Very laid-back atmosphere. I didn’t feel like the interviewer was trying to trick me. She was genuinely interested in my background and work experience. The interview was resume based. I was surprised by how fast the time went. There were no trick questions or anything that I wasn’t prepared for. These are the questions I remember: – Walk me through your resume. – Why Anderson? Why LA? – What are your Read more
Published: January 10, 2023
UCLA Anderson MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / Zoom
1. Introduce yourself (A lot of follow up questions regarding career goal). 2. Where do you want to work post-MBA? 3. Why Anderson? 4. Short-term/Long-term goal? 5. What’s your strength in a teamwork case? Tell me an example from your previous work. 6. When you join a student managed fund or a learning team, you have to work with a team and maybe there’s some situation, how will you deal with it? 7. As for recruitment, how do you expect Anderson can help you? 8. Plan B? Interviewer was really nice, and asked Read more

MBA Applywire

9
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.
11
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
10
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).
7
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?
10
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
View or Submit Entries

MBA LiveWire

November 22, 2024 1:39am ET
Rejected at Columbia
Round: Round 1
Received via portal on November 14, 2024
GMAT: 695
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Consulting
Application Location: India
November 22, 2024 1:07am ET
Interview Invite to Carnegie Mellon / Tepper
Round: Round 1
Received via email
Note:

Interview with admissions team member
November 22, 2024 1:02am ET
Accepted to Rochester / Simon
Round: Round 1
Received via phone November 21, 2024
GMAT: 625
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Entrepreneurship
Application Location: India
November 21, 2024 6:44pm ET
Accepted to Rochester / Simon
Round: Round 1
Received via phone November 21, 2024
GPA: 3.82
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Operations Management
Application Location: Nigeria
Note:

Application submission was on the 14th of October. Interview was on the 7th of November. Admitted with scholarship.
November 21, 2024 5:41pm ET
Accepted to Rochester / Simon
Round: Round 1
Received via email November 21, 2024
GPA: 7.4/10
GRE: 321
Program Type: Traditional Two-Year
Target Career: Healthcare
Application Location: India
View or Submit Entries
Live
Wire