Interviews

Keep up with our most recent interview reports, and build your skills with our interview tips.

Published: November 6, 2024

Stanford GSB MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Alum / Off-Campus

Overall I had a really positive interview experience! I was matched with an interviewer who was in an industry I’d previously worked in and they were very friendly and down to earth. There weren’t any questions out of left field, I think if you go through past interview reports you can get a pretty good idea of the types of questions you’ll be asked (for me they were: what accomplishment are you most proud of, a time when you found an insight no one else could, a time when you convinced someone to do things differently, how have you helped Read more

Published: November 5, 2024

MBA Admissions Post-Interview Next Steps

To help applicants navigate the often stressful MBA interview process, we turn to post-interview next steps, e.g. the development and submission of a ‘thank you’ letter (or in the case of Harvard Business School, a post-interview reflection). Timing A ‘thank you’ note is an important next step to the MBA interview, and should be sent to the interviewer, ideally within 24 hours of the interview itself. As a reminder, this entails collecting the contact information from the person with whom you are interviewing. In the rare case that you fail to get your interviewer’s email address, Read more

Published: November 4, 2024

Berkeley Haas MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Pre-Recorded / Kira

On October 29th, when I received the invitation, I could only choose the pre-recorded video option. The interview questions I had are as follows: 1. What do you hope to accomplish out of your business school experience and why is Haas the right place for this? 2. Describe an experience in DE&I, whether in the workplace or at a community organization, that will enhance your contribution to the Haas community. 3. TMAT when you worked on a project where there was trouble getting alignment. How did you build consensus? What was the outcome? 4. TMAT you Read more

Published: November 3, 2024

Yale SOM MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / Zoom

The interviewer was extremely nice and friendly! They had reviewed my CV and didn’t ask typical questions like “introduce yourself” or “walk me through your resume.” The experience was really pleasant and laid back, but the timing is important to keep an eye on. The questions were (not necessarily in order): – What are you most proud of? – TMAT when you worked with someone with a different opinion than yours. – Tell me something about you that’s not in your CV or application. – What research did you do prior to deciding to pursue an MBA? Read more

Published: November 3, 2024

Texas McCombs MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / Virtual

Overall very friendly and conversational interview. The interviewer made it clear from the beginning that it is only a chance to get to know you better. First 15 minutes asking about my experience and goals and then 15 minutes of questions back and forth about the program and MBA experience. No behavioral questions. Some of the questions: Tell me about yourself and what you are working on now? Are you looking to transition to a different industry? Which and why? Why McCombs? Anything else you want to talk about? Read more

Published: November 3, 2024

UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Adcom / Zoom

For UNC I was asked the questions below: Why Kenan-Flagler? Why MBA now? My strengths? My values and examples of professional applications of such values? My experience in leading teams? A difficult situation of handling a team? Some cross questions on my profile. What is your biggest achievement? Read more

Published: November 3, 2024

Wharton’s Team-Based Discussion (TBD) Prompt 2024-2025

The prompt for the Wharton Team-Based Discussion (TBD) for the 2024-2025 admissions season is below. The exercise this year focuses on two Impact Communities around social equity and the environment. Here is the prompt: “The Wharton MBA program is dedicated to developing impactful, globally conscious leaders who are passionate about meaningful change. To advance this mission, Wharton has introduced two Impact Communities: Social Equity and Environment. MBA students interested in one or more of these critical issues are invited to join the associated Impact Community to discover the many resources available at Wharton. These communities Read more

Published: October 31, 2024

Indiana Kelley MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / Zoom

No information on whether this was a blind interview. Was a really conversational interview trying to gauge why the candidate is interested in Kelley. Here is how the interview went: – Began with standard question, tell me about yourself. – Followed up with why did you choose MBA and Kelley? – Follow-up on alternate career paths as I spoke on main career path in why MBA? – What will you bring to Kelley? – Explain a time when you influenced a team and what is your way to get things done through others? – Read more

Published: October 30, 2024

Vanderbilt Owen MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / Zoom

This was a blind interview and the interviewer didn’t read my application before-hand. The questions asked are as below: – Tell me about yourself. – Why MBA and why MBA now? – Why Owen? – What will you contribute to Owen? – What do you expect from the Owen community and how will contribute to it? – Owen’s motto is ‘Business and Beyond’. How will an MBA contribute to your growth Beyond? – What are you looking forward to while attending Owen? – What is weakness that you will use an Owen Read more

Published: October 30, 2024

Berkeley Haas MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Pre-Recorded / Kira

The interview was fairly straightforward and structured. Typical questions. Went good, but thinking back, it could have gone much better. Primary challenge that I faced was, looking at the timer and myself on the screen instead of an interviewer did feel a bit weird so I felt that I could not articulate my responses properly, since my mind kept thinking about the time left. The software was user friendly. No complaints there. The structure is that it starts with a quick intro video and then you get to test your system and ensure that your camera and mic Read more

Published: October 30, 2024

Northwestern Kellogg MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / First-Year Student / Virtual

Interviewer was a 1y student at Kellogg. She started by giving a brief on the process and was taking notes during my answers (approx 30 min incl. 1 of my question) Questions covered (not necessarily in order): – Tell me about yourself. – ST/LT Goal? – Why MBA? – Why Kellogg? – Follow up on one point in my resume (a UG activity I was involved in). – TMAT faced a challenging situation. – TMAT you received critical feedback. – Biggest professional accomplishment? – 3 words your colleagues would describe you Read more

Published: October 30, 2024

Spooky Admissions Mistakes: Nightmares for AdCom Members

Let’s pumpkin spice things up! On this Halloween, we wanted to take a look at some of the most chilling nightmares that adcom members can face when evaluating MBA applicants. So, what are the scariest mistakes an MBA applicant can make? Clear Admit co-founder Graham Richmond shares his insights below so you can avoid admissions missteps like the houses that hand out raisins for Halloween treats. 1. Don’t Wear an Icarus Costume One of the scariest things for an admissions office is to encounter an applicant with a Read more

Published: October 29, 2024

Vanderbilt Owen MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / Zoom

Very friendly and outgoing person. Made the interview very conversational and it put me at ease tbh. 20 min of questioning and 10 min of me asking questions. Started off with: – Walk me through your resume. – Why Owen? – Why MBA and why now? – One thing you want to improve at Vanderbilt and how? Good Luck!! Read more

Published: October 29, 2024

Dartmouth Tuck MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / On-Campus

– Walk me through your resume. – Why Tuck? – Why MBA? ST and LT goals, why now? (all asked in on breath) – Time you had to give constructive feedback. – Time you received constructive feedback. – You have quite a bit of community service experience, why is giving back important to you? Read more

Published: October 29, 2024

UVA Darden MBA Interview Questions & Report: Early Decision / Adcom / On-Campus

– Tell me about yourself/walk me through your resume (she straight up said take 5-7 mins to walk me through your resume/story/tell me about yourself so its a bit longer than most schools). – Why MBA? – Asked about some career transitions I had made. – Short-term & Long-term Goals? – Why Darden? – Tell me a time you had a challenging situation at work. – What do you like to do for fun? – Tell me about a time you worked with someone different than you. Read more

Published: October 29, 2024

Duke Fuqua MBA Interview Questions & Report: Early Action / Second-Year Student / On-Campus

My interview was with a 2nd-year student. Fuqua’s was a bit more conversational style compared to any other school I’ve interviewed with so far, she sprinkled in the questions throughout the conversation organically. – She opened by asking me about one of the hobbies I had on my resume and we talked about random hobbies for almost 15 mins. – Asked me about some career transitions I had made. – Why Fuqua? – Short-term and long-term goals? – Tell me about a time you failed. – Tell me about your greatest success. – Chatted Read more

Published: October 29, 2024

UVA Darden MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Adcom / Zoom

Great virtual interview with a really friendly member of the adcom via Zoom. Lasted 45mins and was broadly structured around the following questions (although it was very conversational and free-flowing across multiple smaller topics as well): – Provide a 10-minute overview of your career and academic history. – Discuss a challenging situation in the workplace, and how you managed it. – Describe your experience with diversity in the workplace. – Why do you want an MBA and how does this align with your career aspirations? – Why Darden? There was then an opportunity for any follow-on Read more

Published: October 29, 2024

MBA Admissions Interview Tip: Questions for the Interviewer

In this MBA Admissions Tip, we highlight the importance of thinking about what questions you might ask your interviewer when you’re interviewing. Virtually all business school interviewers conclude their discussion by offering the applicant a chance to ask some questions about the program. While it might be tempting to claim that you’ve already learned all you need to know about the school, this is actually a great opportunity to gain additional insight, show your enthusiasm about a specific element of the curriculum or community, and demonstrate that you appreciate the opportunity to learn from your interviewer’s Read more

Published: October 29, 2024

USC Marshall MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / AdCom / Zoom

– Walk me through your career since graduation. – Why MBA? – Why Marshall? – Things you do for fun? – Time you had a team conflict? – How do you see yourself contributing to an academic team? – Time you had a challenging situation? – Last book you read? Read more

Published: October 28, 2024

Yale SOM MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Alum / Zoom

Standard questions. Introduce yourself. Career goals? Why MBA? Tell me about your experience with conflict management. What achievement are you most proud of? What’s your quote and how will you contribute to Yale? Is there anything else you’d like to mention? Very conversational, relaxed, interviewer gave positive feedback all the time (I liked this conversation a lot!) Read more

Published: October 28, 2024

Yale SOM MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Alumnus / Zoom

Was a pretty good interview. Fairly structured and to the point. Lasted exactly 30 minutes (including questions that I had). The interviewer was an alum who graduated this year (in 2024). Started off with him sharing some details like how he would be taking notes and how the interview report that he sends will be one additional data point that will be considered in the application, but the result will look at the application holistically (seemed as though stakes of the interview were not too high). The following were the questions: 1. He said that he has seen Read more

Published: October 27, 2024

Michigan Ross MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Alum / Zoom

Was super nervous before the interview, but the Alum made the environment really comfortable. Started off with a brief overview of alum’s background and asked me the following: Tell me about yourself. Why MBA? Why Ross? TMAT you assisted a team member. TMAT you dealt with a conflict when working with others. TMAT you led a team and faced challenges. Compared to other schools that I have interviewed with, Ross definitely asked more of struggle/perseverance questions. Just something to be aware of. Good Luck. Read more

Published: October 27, 2024

Dartmouth Tuck MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-year student / Zoom

The interview was with a second-year student and was a pleasant, stress-free experience—quite the opposite of what I had expected. The interviewer seemed genuinely interested in getting to know me and gathering the insights needed for the report to the admissions committee. Overall Structure: Introduction, Why MBA, Why Tuck? Introduce yourself. Provide an overview of your professional experience, focusing on the reasoning behind each role you’ve taken on. Why an MBA? What are your short-term and long-term goals? Follow-up on short-term goal: specify the role I aim to pursue and why I chose that role specifically. Why Tuck? Behavioral Questions: Read more

Published: October 27, 2024

Michigan Ross MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Alum / Online Google Meet

The interview was a very comfortable experience. The interviewer had to reschedule at the last moment due to a health issue, which spiked my anxiety with the sudden change in plans. However, he quickly put me at ease, maintaining a friendly demeanor and asking thoughtful follow-up questions. He often rephrased my answers to ensure he understood everything accurately and captured it all in his notes. The interview began with a few technical hiccups on his end. After resolving them, he took a few minutes to review my resume and then asked me to introduce myself and share some background. I Read more

Published: October 27, 2024

Columbia MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Alumnus / Virtual

The interview was very conversational. I was interviewed by a recent alumnus from CBS in a resume-based format, with no prior knowledge of my full application. It began with a brief introduction by the interviewer and an overview of the interview structure. The entire process lasted 40 minutes. I was responsible for sending my resume, sending the initial calendar invite, and setting up a video chat link before the interview (CBS provided plenty of notice for these tasks). Questions during the interview: Tell me about yourself. Why are you pursuing an MBA at this point in your career? Why Columbia? Read more

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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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