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Interviews

Keep up with our most recent interview reports, and build your skills with our interview tips.
Published: November 29, 2020
Duke Fuqua Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / Skype
I was interviewed by a second-year student via Skype. It was a blind interview so that person only knew me based on my resume. It was a conversational interview and it was for 45 minutes. The interviewer was friendly and polite and asked me the following: 1. Why MBA? 2. Why now? 3. Why Fuqua? 4. Tell me a time you led a team. 5. Tell me a time you worked with a diverse group. 6. How will you contribute to Fuqua? 7. What are your short term goals? After the questions, I was Read more
Published: November 17, 2020
Dartmouth Tuck MBA Interview Questions: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / Zoom
1. Tell me about yourself. 2. Why MBA? 3. Why Tuck? 4. What are your short- and long-term goals? 5. Tell me about a time where you had a conflict and how you handled it. 6. Tell me about a time when your boss gave you feedback and how you reacted to it. 7. How would you contribute to the Tuck community? 8. Do you have any questions for me? Read more
Published: November 13, 2020
Wharton’s Team Based Discussion Interview Prompt 2020-2021
The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania is now interviewing applicants for the Class of 2023.  As many of our readers know, Wharton’s interview process centers on a ‘team-based discussion’ (TBD), during which a small group of 5-6 prospective students are brought together to present their thoughts on an assignment they have been given prior to the interview. The team must work together to share ideas and form consensus around the best path forward. This year’s prompt for the Team Based Discussion is as follows: “Creating an engaged, supportive alumni network is crucial to an Read more
Published: November 11, 2020
UT Austin McCombs Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / AdCom / Zoom
Interview was pretty straightforward. Very conversational, I think McCombs and its interviewers do a great job creating a relaxing atmosphere. No curve balls, know your story and your why and you should be great! Not necessarily in this order. Good luck! 1) Walk me through your resume/tell me about yourself. 2) Tell me about a problem at work and how you solved it. 3) Why McCombs? 4) Short term / Long Term Goals. 5) Plan B? 6) Diversity is important to McCombs…. tell me about a time you worked with someone who had a different Read more
Published: November 1, 2020
Michigan Ross Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / Zoom
Interview was very casual and over Zoom. My 2Y student was very conversational, seemed interested in what I had to say, and was taking light notes while I was speaking and asked a couple follow ups after each question. Interview was broken up into 3 parts, which she explained the format of before we started. Interview lasted ~45 minutes. Part 1: Core Questions 1) Walk me through your resume. 2) Why MBA / Why Now (she did not ask about my goals, so had to weave that in here). 3) Why Ross? Part 2: Behavioral 1) Read more
Published: October 29, 2020
UT Austin McCombs Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / Zoom
The McCombs application submission and interview scheduling were a bit of a mess this year. When scheduling, you are able to pick a time slot. Within the time slot, you are shown your interview. After checking the LinkedIn, I selected an interviewer with a similar background to mine. When I opened the interview, a different Second Year interviewed me. This threw me off, but overall it was a good, conversational interview. It was scheduled for 45 minutes, but was made clear to me that the whole hour was booked if I had more questions (I got the feeling it was Read more
Published: October 29, 2020
Chicago Booth Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / Zoom
Interview lasted 50 minutes. First five or so was just small talk about WFH, COVID, etc. Then she got into the questions (I only remembered 3/4 of them, a few I forgot): – Tell me about yourself. – Why MBA? – Why Booth? – Tell me about a leadership situation you had? – What was challenging about it? (follow-up question) – How did you overcome? (follow-up question) – What are your short-term plans after Booth? – What is your ideal working environment and what role do you play on a team? – Read more
Published: October 27, 2020
Rice Jones Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / Zoom
Very informal and laid back. My interviewer was very down to earth and made me feel comfortable right of the bat. He started the interview by telling me about his background, why he chose to attend Rice, and what his plans are post-MBA. He stated that he did view my resume prior to the interview. The questions I can remember are below. The majority of the interview was spent on behavioral questions. 1. Walk me through your resume. 2. Tell me about a time when you had a disagreement in your professional career. 3. How did you react Read more
Published: October 26, 2020
UCLA Anderson Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-year Student / Zoom
Short interview, ~25 minutes 1. Walk me through your resume. 2. Why MBA? 3. Why Anderson? 4. How would you contribute to the Anderson community? (e.g. clubs) 5. Tell me about a time you contributed to your team’s success. Read more
Published: October 18, 2020
UCLA Anderson Interview Questions: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / Zoom
An MBA applicant to UCLA Anderson shared the following questions about their Round 1 admissions interview with a second-year student over Zoom. 1. Walk me through your resume 2. Why MBA? 3. Why Now? 4. What interests would you put at the bottom of your resume? 5. Why Anderson? 6. How would you contribute to Anderson? Clubs, etc. 7. Tell me about a time where you had conflict and how did you handle it? 8. Tell me about your greatest strength? 9. What would your back up plan be? 10. What Read more
Published: October 14, 2020
USC Marshall Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Adcom / Zoom
As a preface, this is my first and only interview for Round 1 of the Fall 2021 intake. I did two MBA interviews last year and ultimately deferred to this cycle, so I do have some experience. With that said, the interview was friendly as Grace Kim, the director of admissions, is a great interviewer. It is noticeable that she is at least using a mental list of questions if not following a prompt, which makes the interview less conversational, but she did work in a good amount of personal questions as follow-ups to my answers. The interview lasted 39 Read more
Published: October 5, 2020
Oxford Saïd Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Career Consultant / Zoom
Interview was with a career consultant who had worked in the same industry as my post MBA goal as a recruiter. Interview lasted around 35 minutes and was mainly focused on why I wanted to do an MBA, my post MBA goal and what research I had done on it and some competency based questions. Following were some of the questions asked: 1) When did you decide on pursuing an MBA and what would you like to gain through an MBA program? 2) Which other schools have you applied to? 3) Why Oxford? 4) Have you Read more
Published: September 30, 2020
HBS Announces Timing of Round 1 Interview Invitations and Early Release
Did you apply to Harvard Business School in Round 1? Get ready for some big application news from the school on Tuesday, October 6th at noon EST. In a post to the Direct from the Director’s blog, Managing Director of HBS admissions Chad Losee wrote that Round 1 applicants can expect the following: “In your application status page, you will hear one of three things: Invite to interview – this is good news! Further consideration – Also positive! This is a small group of strong applicants that we Read more
Published: September 29, 2020
Vanderbilt Owen Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / Virtual
My interviewer was a second year student who was a fellow veteran. The tone was very conversational and the interviewer noted that all he knew about me was from the resume I included in my application. Questions included: Introduction (elevator speech) What is your post-MBA/short-term career goal? Why pursue an MBA now? If you were to get into every school you applied to, why Owen? What skill do you want to develop while in school? What value can you bring to your class? Describe a time you had a difficult professional relationship and what you did to resolve the issue. Read more
Published: September 20, 2020
UVA Darden Interview Questions: Early Action / Second-year Student / Skype
As expected, the interviewer gave me 15-20 minutes to run through my life story, resume, why I am seeking an MBA. Additional questions asked were regarding diversity. “Provide me with a time you worked in a diverse environment?” “Why is diversity important?” Interviewer provided 10 minutes at the end to answer questions about her background/experience at Darden. Read more
Published: September 20, 2020
Duke Fuqua Interview Questions & Report: Early Action / Second-year Student / Skype
Interview started with the standard “run me through your resume,” “why MBA, why now.” As expected, the interviewer then proceeded to ask 8-10 behavioral questions. To list a few: Tell me a time you had to win over a colleague on your viewpoint. How would you describe your communication style to those at your level versus those above you? Tell me about your greatest professional achievement. Tell me about a conflict at work and how you overcame it. Describe a time you led a team. Describe your leadership style. Interviewer also asked how I would be involved at Fuqua and Read more
Published: July 8, 2020
USC Marshall Interview Questions & Report: Round 5 / Adcom / Skype
I was interviewed by Elaine. Very similar experience as what has been reported here. She was very nice, and the interview was casual and straightforward. The questions she asked me took about 15 min, then I filled up the remaining time with questions to ask her. I would prepare 5 – 7 questions to save for the end. She was happy to hear that I had connected with current students, so definitely try to do that prior to interviewing. Questions: Tell me about your undergrad/ Why did you choose your undergrad major? Resume walk through. Why MBA? Read more
Published: June 28, 2020
Northwestern Kellogg Interview Questions: Deferred Admission / Adcom / Skype
Walk me through your resume. Tell me about a time when you showed leadership. Tell me about a time when you worked in a diverse team. Why Kellogg? What are your career goals? Read more
Published: June 28, 2020
MIT Sloan Interview Questions: Deferred Admission / Adcom / Skype
Are there any updates to your application? Tell me a time when you worked with a difficult person. Tell me a time when you demonstrated leadership. Tell me about any advice you’ve received recently. Why Sloan? What are your career goals? Read more
Published: June 24, 2020
USC Marshall Interview Questions & Report: Round 5 / Adcom / Skype
As others have already written, the interview was very laid-back and casual. Elaine was very kind and started with some small talk, which put me at ease. The questions were exactly as others have already posted, very straight-forward: resume walk-through, why MBA, why Marshall, what are you most proud of?, what do you do in your free time?, do you have any questions for me? The questions she asked only lasted about 15 minutes and the rest of the time was spent with me asking her my questions. It was a very positive experience! Read more
Published: June 22, 2020
MIT Sloan Interview Questions & Report: Round 3 / Adcom / Skype
It went pretty well. The interviewer asked me about three questions in the thirty-minute time frame and it was over before I knew it. One behavioral question she asked was about a time I had to push back or experienced conflict with a superior in the workplace. She seemed to like my answers but you can never be so sure. Hoping for the best!! Read more
Published: June 8, 2020
CBS Interview Questions & Report: Deferred Program / Adcom / Online
Went well. Very focused on undergrad experience and why I made the decisions I did. Classic Why MBA and Why Columbia questions. Hoping for good news. Read more
Published: June 8, 2020
Rice Jones Interview Questions & Report: Rolling Admission / Adcom / Zoom
The interview was for the MBA@Rice online program. The interview was conducted via Zoom and it was only 30 minutes. There are only 5 questions so make sure to fit everything you want to say in them. These were the 5 questions: First impressions are lasting impressions – give your two minute elevator pitch. Why are you pursuing your MBA? What is the specific reason you like the Rice MBA program? What is your most successful example of teamwork? What was your worst project? Read more
Published: June 8, 2020
Rice Jones Interview Questions & Report: Round 3 / Skype
The interview was pleasant and conversational, lasting 30 minutes. He asked about leadership, conflict, and my career goals; he also asked which clubs I will be interested in and how involved I will be with campus culture, and, how I plan to juggle the Professional program with a full time career. Read more
Published: June 4, 2020
HBS Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Adcom / Off-Campus
I initially scheduled a Skype interview, but finally decided to fly to Dubai for an in-person interview, which is better for me as I was not sure about how convincing I seem on a webcam.  I arrived 20 minutes prior the interview as requested and the lady called me 1 min before the interview time, allowing me to enter the room and start on time. The discussion started with 2 min news related topics and we jumped into a resume-based interview. The questions are below. Overall, the person was very friendly, no softball questions, but a lot of followup questions. 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
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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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