Interviews

I met the alumni interviewer at a local Starbucks on a weeknight evening. He was running pretty late so we ended up meeting 15-30 minutes after the planned start time. I’d reached out to him earlier over email to introduce myself and schedule the interview, and he told me we’d have a conversation around 3 questions (listed at the end) so I knew exactly what to prepare. He only had my resume to go off of, and though we started off more formally (talked about my resume and my career goals) and talked more to the questions he asked, it Read more

I received an interview invitation fairly late (late October), and due to unavailable alumni in my area (I am from Central America, for reference) I was offered a Skype interview. The invitation e-mail stated that interview would be conducted by an admission’s member who had not previously reviewed my application, so I was surprised when I was greeted by a second-year student. The interview was fairly standard and no surprise questions were asked, except for one, later marked with **. It was evident to me that I was paired up with the student based on interests, given that he seemed Read more

HEC Paris normally arranges for 2 interviews with members of its alumni. Normally, at least one of them is kept f2f. However, in my case, both of them were to be taken via Skype. One of the interviewers was a project manager in an insurance company in Zurich, Switzerland and the other interviewer was, again, a project manager in an Agri business. Since both of them were in skype, I decided to put them on the same day to compartmentalize HEC and prepare exclusively for HEC interviews that week. The format of the interviews are such: 1) A Presentation Read more

Pretty standard interview with an admissions officer, I had prepared for a ton of edge questions but I got 3 questions that were probably the easiest to prepare for / top of the list for most people: – Walk me through your resume / background – Tell me about a time where you made an impact on your organization – Tell me about a time where you had to deal with a colleague who was challenging / hard to deal with – Why MBA/Why Sloan Relatively relaxed environment, although I didn’t feel like I made as much Read more

The interview was very informal and conversational, there were no questions that you would consider out of the ordinary or difficult and the interviewer was very friendly. I started the conversation saying hi and asking him about how the weather was in Durham, just to break the ice. He then told me about himself, his background, goals, why he chose Fuqua and his experience with recruiting. His goals/industry was different from mine. He then reiterated the fact that it was a blind interview and that he only had access to my resume. The questions that he asked were: 1. Tell Read more

Interviewed on-campus on Friday and attended the whole day activity including a campus tour and a faculty presentation. The interviewer was a second-year student, very friendly and explained the process at the beginning of the interview. The latter lasted 30 min with the last 5 min for questions and answers. The questions were the following: 1. Present yourself briefly. 2. What brings you here and why MBA now? 3. Tell me about a time you had to manage a team and how did you react? 4. Is there anything you wish you could have Read more

This was an applicant-initiated interview scheduled during Fuqua’s open interview period in late-September. The interview was conducted in Fuqua’s designated interview areas by a second-year student who also led tour groups throughout the day. The interview was also blind (only had access to my resume). Overall, the interview was very conversational, and I truly got the sense that my interviewer was trying to understand me as a person. There really weren’t any curve-balls or IB/consulting questions, so nothing was too surprising. The questions were fairly standard and mostly stuck to a script (which I assume is often the case in Read more

Started on Skype with some quick banter because my interviewer and I had a similar background. (Really wasn’t expecting this but it definitely put me more at ease.) Overall, the interview was very informal and felt like a conversation. Biggest Takeaway: Without a doubt, the interviewers are trained to find out how likely you are to pick Fuqua. As the interview neared the end, I realized that the “Why Fuqua?” question had follow ups throughout the 30 minutes. For instance, my post-MBA goals really lined up with a manufacturing firm that recruits at Fuqua. But additional questions like how I Read more

Interview was very casual. He introduced himself and then asked me to introduce myself. He had gone through my resume in advance and asked some particular questions about my schooling. Below is an overview of some questions he asked. 1. What is the most difficult experience you have been through? 2. What will you do if you don’t get a visa to work in the US? 3. Tell me more about your interests outside of work? 4. Why do you not want to go back to your family business after the MBA? (personal question) 5. Read more

The interview was very laid back and conversational. I met the interviewer, who was a Senior Admissions Officer, in the lobby of a hotel in NYC. From the lobby we took an elevator up to a top floor lobby and made small conversation about the weather in NYC as compared to Texas (It was the first sub 30 degree day of the year in NYC). We got into the room where the interview would be taking place and within the first 2 minutes cleaning staff came in and began vacuuming which made us both laugh and kind of lightened the Read more

I went to Yale on one of their Friday interview days, where the school put on a full day of programming (all optional) to learn more about the MBA program. 30-minute interview slots are available throughout the entire day, and the interviewers stayed on schedule. The interviewer had a copy of my resume but had not seen the rest of my application; the interviewer will also see the quote that you submit 48 hours beforehand but may not have it on hand, so be sure to remember what you submit! My interviewer had a print-out of the questions to ask Read more

As Round 1 interview invitations roll out from MIT / Sloan, we gathered advice from actual interviewees to help the Class of 2022 hopefuls prepare.  Over the years, hundreds of MBA applicants have shared their interview experiences. For today’s post, we’ve culled through this to pull out top tips from those who experienced MIT / Sloan’s Behavioral Event-based Interviews (BEI) first hand. For anyone unfamiliar with the BEI, it’s a style of interview that centers on a description of one or more specific situations or Read more

Are you getting ready for the Wharton Team-Based Discussion (TBD)? We’re excited to bring you a bonus podcast episode to review this year’s prompt and to help you excel in this step of the admissions process. In this episode, Clear Admit’s co-founder, Graham Richmond, and resident admissions expert, Alex Brown, dive deeper into this year’s prompt (ICYMI, you must also listen to their overall key advice about the TBD here). The exercise for the 2019-2020 admissions season focuses on Tangen Hall (pictured), Wharton’s first on-campus space dedicated to student entrepreneurship and innovation activities. The TBD prompt for 2019-2020 is: Read more

I had my Yale SOM interview with the Adcom in Tokyo. It was a busy day for the Adcom as she also organized the info session before we met. The interview was very short, but very conversational. I thought it would not be blind as it was an Adcom interview (though usually, Yale interview is blind), but it was indeed a blind interview. The questions that we discussed include: 1: Why do you come to Japan (from China)? 2: Tell me what you are doing recently at work. 3: What’s your biggest accomplishment? –> Why do you regard Read more

As MBA candidates for University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business prepare for their interviews, we’re taking the opportunity to round up useful advice from the Clear Admit Interview Archive, as passed on by interviewed candidates themselves. Before we dig into the key takeaways from prior lucky invitees, here are a few basics about the structure of the interviews at Booth. MBA candidates who interview with Booth may interview on-campus with a second-year student, or off-campus with an admissions officer or alum. On-campus interviews generally run from 30 to 45 minutes with time at the end of the interview for questions. Alumni interviews can be more varied, in terms of time. Either way, it’s important to prepare thoughtful questions for your interviewer. All interviews are blind, meaning that your interviewer may have access to your resume, but you should still make sure you bring copies to your interview. Booth interviews are generally considered to be very straightforward, in a reasonably relaxing atmosphere, as the following excerpts from interview reports attest. Interview Logistics This candidate thinks there might be an advantage to schedule your interview early in the day, if you are interviewing on-campus: “The organization of the interviews was excellent. I would recommend to schedule your interviews for an earlier spot — my interviewer, while attentive, was already a little worn off.” This candidate noted the advantage of doing the campus visit, before the interview: Read more

The interview was very structured and the interviewer was extremely friendly. Questions: – Walk me through your resume – Greatest success at work – Failure at work – Why MBA? – Why now? – Why Yale? – Why did you select your quote? How will that impact your contribution to Yale? (We were requested to submit a quote beforehand.) There weren’t any surprises. Yale SOM is such a friendly school. They make an effort to ensure that you feel comfortable throughout the interviewing process by explaining the questions very clearly and laying Read more

The interview took place on campus in the MBA admissions office. The interview was led by a second-year student who had a copy of my resume and likely had reviewed it shortly before the interview itself. The interviewer had not read my application. The interview was laid out in a pre-printed form and we stepped through questions one-by-one while the interviewer took notes on my responses. Overall questions were straight-forward and expected for an MBA interview. These questions included: – Walk me through your background/Introduce yourself – What is an accomplishment/success you are proud of? – When was Read more

As interview invitations roll out, we wanted to remind MBA hopefuls that Clear Admit can help with the final hurdle to acceptance: the interview. The Clear Admit Interview Archive is a repository of first-hand accounts shared directly by MBA applicants after they have interviewed with one or more of their target top-tier business schools. The details shared in these reports—from the questions asked to what the applicant would do differently if he or she had it to do over—provide invaluable information as you prepare for your interviews. 1. You Won’t Find a More Robust Resource Anywhere With more than 2,000 MBA admissions interview reports, the Clear Admit Interview Archive has you covered no matter what type of interview you’ll be facing. In some cases, your interviewer will be familiar with your entire application; in others, just your résumé. Candidates who’ve encountered both scenarios can tell you how best to prepare for each. The wide range of interview accounts also includes advice on how best to prepare based on who you your interviewer will be, whether a second-year student, alumnus, or adcom member. Read more

As reports of Stanford GSB interview invitations continue on LiveWire, we’re taking the opportunity to round up useful advice from the Clear Admit Interview Guide, as passed on by interviewed candidates themselves. Before we dig into the key takeaways from prior lucky invitees, here are a few basics about the structure of the interviews at Stanford. Most Stanford MBA interviews are conducted by trained GSB alumni, but the school says that an adcom member may also serve as an interviewer. In any case, Stanford interviews are “blind,” meaning that the interviewer will only have had access to the résumés of invited candidates, not their entire files. Stanford admissions interviews are behavioral in nature, with the school seeking to understand applicants’ past actions and responses in certain situations. That being said, candidates should still be ready for the basic questions such as “why an MBA,” “why now,” “why Stanford,” etc., as some applicants have reported being asked about these topics. Go With the Flow As interviewers try to dig deeper for details, candidates can expect a particular style of interview: “All questions were followed by a lot of in-depth questions asking for more details, like: what did I do or say at a specific moment, how did I started the conversation, step-by-step description of how I acted, etc. And after answering each question, I was asked to talk about the outcomes of my actions/decisions and if I could quantify them.” “The whole thing was comfortable and conversational, though not informal, and the format really doesn’t let you get away with general statements. After he asked questions, a few times I had to take 15-30 seconds to think quietly before I started to answer, which was totally fine. It was better to take the time than to start an answer that I wasn’t prepared to provide specifics for, because he would definitely ask for specifics.” “He explained that he had a certain set of questions to ask me and he had to identify certain behaviors, so not to be surprised if he needs to interrupt me while speaking.” “The interviewer ‘interrupted’ casually many times along the way to ask for details or follow-up questions.” “He asked behavioural questions and wanted situations where I exhibited a given behaviour (i.e., tell me a time when you look on a leadership position). He then started to deep-dive on specific moments and the actions and decisions that I made. It was very specific and detailed to uncover my motivations and underlying values.” “After each response, my interviewer continued to probe into how I felt and what I said and did. She went into much greater depth than my previous b-school interviewers had.” Others offered insights into the content: Read more

The prompt for the Wharton Team-Based Discussion (TBD) is below.  The exercise for the 2019-2020 admissions season focuses on Tangen Hall (pictured), Wharton’s first on-campus space dedicated to student entrepreneurship and innovation activities. “Entrepreneurship and innovation are at the forefront of Wharton’s focus for the future of the school. Last year, the University of Pennsylvania announced a $25 million gift that will spearhead construction of a transformative new building. Tangen Hall is the first-ever dedicated space for Penn Wharton Entrepreneurship and other student entrepreneurship programs across the University. Here students will Read more

As LiveWire lights up with interview invitations from the Wharton Admissions Committee, we wanted to help the latest crop of candidates by sharing tips from those who have experienced the Wharton Team-Based Discussion (TBD) and personal interviews first-hand. Wharton introduced the TBD a few years ago and considers it to “model the highly collaborative nature of the Wharton MBA environment.” Five to six candidates are grouped together and asked to develop a presentation around a specific prompt, which invited applicants are sent in advance of the interview. After the group exercise, candidates have about 10 minutes one on one with an interviewer—usually a trained second-year student, but sometimes a member of the adcom. Many candidates report that the TBD gives them insight into Wharton’s atmosphere, but can feel difficult to prepare for. The Clear Admit Interview Guide for Wharton feature more personal experiences of several interviewees. Below, we’ve compiled some of the best insights from recent Wharton candidates as reported in the Clear Admit Interview Archive. Show That You Are a Team Player Several candidates recommended arriving with enough time before the TBD to get to know the other members of your group and settle in a little: “Since no one knows what to expect in the team-based discussion (TBD), it is a good idea to arrive early in order to know the people in your group.” “I highly recommend arriving 15-20 minutes before your interview, as the time spent in the waiting room chatting and getting to know the other applicants in the same TBD group was useful, so you can get a handle of the various personalities early on.” Another candidate remarked that it’s not always easy to determine your team members, but it still makes sense to arrive early: Read more

As Round 1 interview invitations from The Wharton School roll out, we wanted to make sure you’re ready for their MBA interview.  In this episode, your hosts Alex Brown and Graham Richmond break down Wharton’s group interview – the ‘Team Based Discussion’ (TBD) – and offer a wealth of tips and background to help applicants ace their Wharton admissions interview. Alex and Graham, who both formerly worked in admissions at Wharton, discuss the history and purpose of this interview format.  They also provide sage advice on how to deal with different personality Read more

My interview was blind with a GSB alum. Received an email matching me with my interviewer ~7 days after receiving my invite (I’m in the southeast U.S.A and there aren’t as many alumni here to support as there are in NY, Chicago, Boston, west coast). I was extremely pleased with how strong of a match the AO was able to make with my interviewer. We worked at the same company pre-MBA. He had the same post-MBA goals as I do, and we had very similar interests in our personal lives. ~15 minutes before my interview was scheduled to start, I Read more

The interview was fairly standard and conversational. The interviewer was an admissions committee member and had not viewed my application before. He appeared to be given a packet, of which one page was my resume, which he did not appear to have reviewed ahead of time (this was evident when I began my “tell me about yourself” answer and mentioned something and he interrupted asking where on my resume it was). Questions that were asked were (in order): – Walk me through your resume. – Can you tell me about your day-to-day responsibilities in your current role? Read more

Since we know some of you may be waiting anxiously in the next few weeks for MBA interview invitations, we wanted to remind you about two key resources that can help you through this busy—and often stressful—time: MBA LiveWire: Live reports from real candidates throughout the admissions process. Find the profiles of other applicants who applied to your target schools. Get live updates of those who have received an interview invitation or an admissions decision. Sort by school, admissions round, and the status of each entry to find the information you’re looking for. MBA Chats: Chat Read more