Interviews

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

Published: October 27, 2015

MBA Admissions Mashup: Breaking News from HBS, Value of Alumni Networks, and the Importance Balance

Every Wednesday, we share a round-up of the latest news from admissions blogs at the top business schools. In this week’s edition of MBA Admissions Mashup, we take a look at some breaking news from HBS, the value of a vast alumni network, careers and internships, work-life balance, on-campus conferences as well as some last minute admissions advice. This morning, Harvard Business School Managing Director of MBA Admissions & Financial Aid, Dee Leopold announced that she will be stepping down from her post in May 2016. In the post, she assures all of you Harvard Hopefuls Read more

Published: October 26, 2015

Northwestern / Kellogg MBA Interview Report: Round 1 / Alum / Off-Campus

The following Northwestern / Kellogg MBA interview report was submitted to Clear Admit by a Round 1 applicant. Good luck to them! The interviewer was an off campus Alumnus, graduated from Kellogg in 2008. He has been interviewing students for a long time now. He was very cordial and invited me to his office for the interview. Very pleasant and friendly environment. I was surprised by the friendly and conversational atmosphere. I can definitely say that the students from Kellogg are definitely very straightforward, cordial and want to share their knowledge with anyone they speak with. Started with the Read more

Published: October 26, 2015

Dartmouth / Tuck Interview Report: Round 2 / Second-Year Student / On-Campus

The following Dartmouth / Tuck MBA interview report was submitted to Clear Admit by a Round 2 applicant. Good luck to them! Walk me through your resume. Why an MBA? Why Tuck? Tell me about a time you failed. Probe into past experiences (Deal related question on my resume, how did I achieve work-life balance in IB, what would you tell classmates interested in going into PE (current industry), etc.) What clubs do you want to join at Tuck? What do you wish I asked you? They probe through your background and really try to figure out whether Read more

Published: October 22, 2015

Fridays from the Frontline: MBA Data Guru Analyzes Interview Acceptance Rates

This week, we’ve had the pleasure of connecting with Wayne Atwell, a second-year MBA student at NYU Stern School of Business, who is perhaps better known as the MBA Data Guru. In January 2014, while in the midst of applying to business school himself, he launched a website with that name after crunching numbers to figure out his own chances of getting into the various schools where he had applied. (Atwell is pictured above, far right, with his Stern block and their strategy professor, Sonia Marciano.) In using data to answer his own questions about the MBA application process, he realized he was also answering the questions of other MBA applicants, and so www.mbadataguru.com was born. As for why and how he’s kept updating it, even now amid the hectic pace of a full-time MBA program? “Mainly I like playing around with data,” he says. “I find it fun.” But he’s also gotten to chat with lots of MBA applicants, learned a bit about web development and managed to grow an audience, he adds. “Still, it’s more of a hobby than anything else." Read more

Published: October 20, 2015

U. Chicago Booth Interview Report: Round 1 / Alum / Off-Campus

The following U. Chicago Booth MBA interview report was submitted to Clear Admit by a Round 1 applicant. Good luck to them! This was a blind interview off-campus in a hub city with a 2014 alum. all they had beforehand was my resume. My interviewer was super-friendly, and the location they picked was a lot more casual than I was expecting. 1. Tell me about yourself , then the interviewer told me about themselves. 2. Why MBA? 3. Why Booth/ Why Chicago? 4. What are your career goals? 5. What Clubs Read more

Published: October 18, 2015

Applicant Reports via LiveWire Shed Light on HBS, Chicago Booth Interview Invitations

Clear Admit’s MBA LiveWire has been ablaze with submissions over the past two weeks, prompting us to perform a little data analysis. Though we’ve been hearing from people who’ve applied to a range of schools, the greatest concentration of reports have involved Harvard Business School (HBS) and the University of Chicago Booth’s School of Business, each of which has been busy both issuing invitations to interview and “releasing” candidates from consideration. So what did we find when we charted the results? Let’s take a look at HBS first. Read more

Published: October 12, 2015

Columbia MBA Admissions Interview Report: J-Term / Alum / Off campus

The following Columbia Business School MBA Admissions interview report was submitted to Clear Admit by a J-Term applicant. Good luck to them! Submitted Application: 9/13 Invitation to Interview: 10/5 Interview Scheduled: 10/13 Still waiting to hear back! I received six emails of alumni I could interview with, and like everyone recommended I looked up each one on LinkedIn to see who would be a good match. I looked for someone that had a similar background as me so that we could relate to each otehr, but not the exact same industry so that it wasn’t a Read more

Published: October 11, 2015

MIT Sloan Admissions Committee Shares Round 1 Updates

In case you missed it, MIT Sloan School of Management last week shared updates from its Admissions Committee, which is busy reviewing Round 1 applications. The committee will begin sending out interview invitations in mid-October (that’s this week!) and will continue through November 9th. Every applicant, whether invited to interview or not, will receive an updated status on that date. The interview period is slated to begin October 26th and continue through December 4th, the school reports. Applicants will have the choice between interviewing on campus in Cambridge or in a city near where they currently live. The Admissions Committee plans to visit approximately 15 cities, both within the United States and abroad, to conduct off-campus interviews. “We will give applicants as much notice as possible when scheduling interviews,” reads the website. Read more

Published: October 10, 2015

Columbia MBA Admissions Interview Report: Early Decision / Alum / Off campus

The following Columbia Business School MBA Admissions interview report was submitted to Clear Admit by an Early Decision applicant who has been accepted to Columbia Business School. Congratulations to them! The interview was formal in setting but casual in tone, and lasted about 45 minutes. I met a CBS alum (2014 graduate) at their office, located in downtown Washington, DC, and was asked: Give me your background cliffnotes. Why [current employer]? What have you done there? Immediate post-MBA goals? Why are you seeking an MBA in the context of your longer term career Read more

Published: October 7, 2015

Columbia Business School MBA Admissions Interview: Early Decision / Alum / Off-Campus

The following Columbia Business School MBA Admissions interview report was submitted to Clear Admit by an Early Decision applicant who has been accepted to Columbia Business School. Congratulations to them! My interview was genuinely pleasant. After corresponding with one of the alums provided by the school, we set up the time and date for a couple of weeks after my notification. The interview occurred in a local coffee shop near the interviewer’s office and was very relaxed and conversational. Total interview lasted about 45 minutes to 1 hour. The interview started with my interviewer giving a 5-10 minute overview Read more

Published: October 5, 2015

HBS Admissions Director “Impressed,” “Pleased,” “Proud” and on Schedule

Yesterday, Harvard Business School (HBS) Managing Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Dee Leopold had some glowing things to say about applicants in this year’s first round at HBS. “All of us in Dillon are impressed,” she wrote in a post to her Director’s Blog. “Impressed that you met such an early deadline. Impressed at the variety of ways in which you ‘introduced yourselves.’ Impressed that you have all worked so hard to do well,” she wrote. She and her team, meanwhile, are both pleased and proud to be part of a place that applicants see as “a training ground for aspirational leadership,” she continued. These warm, almost effusive words from Leopold, who is perhaps better known for her direct, no-nonsense style, suggest that the HBS admissions director is indeed quite pleased with the initial responses she and her team received from the new “Introduce yourself” essay prompt that debuted this admission season. Read more

Published: October 4, 2015

Admissions Tip: MBA Interview Prep

With MBA interview invitations from a number of programs already on their way out to Round One applicants, we wanted to offer some more advice on this element of the admissions process. Last week we posted some very basic etiquette information that will help candidates ensure that everything is in order on the big day. Today, we turn our attention to some steps one can take to prepare for the interview itself. Know what to expect. This might go without saying, but MBA interview types and duration vary across programs. For instance, nearly all invited Stanford applicants interview with alumni, while on-campus Wharton interviews Read more

Published: September 30, 2015

USC Marshall Interview Report: Round 3 / Adcom / On-Campus

The following USC / Marshall interview report was submitted to Clear Admit by a Round 3 applicant who was admitted. Congratulations to them! Had my interview in May 2015as a Round 3 applicant. Interview actually was with two Adcoms (seemed like one was relatively new) and was fairly straightforward. Worth noting that I have a relatively unconventional background, so a lot of the questions were rather pointed in what I perceived as an attempt to explain my path to and out of Marshall. Why do you want to pursue your MBA right now? Why Marshall? Can you explain the reasons Read more

Published: September 24, 2015

Harvard Business School Admissions Director Shares Plan for Round 1 Interviews

In case you missed it, Harvard Business School (HBS) Managing Director of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid Dee Leopold let Round 1 applicants know what to expect in terms of interview invitations via a post earlier this week on her Director’s Blog. Invites will go out in batches on three days: October 6th, 8th and 14th. “The day one which you receive an interview invitation does not signal ANYTHING about your candidacy,” Leopold stressed in her post. “We spread out the invitations over three days in order to avoid congestion in the online sign-up stage.” Read more

Published: September 2, 2015

UCLA Anderson MBA Admissions Interview: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / Skype

The following UCLA Anderson MBA Admissions interview report was submitted to Clear Admit by a Round 1 applicant who has been accepted to and decided to enroll at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Congratulations to them! The MBA section would be incomplete, if I do not share the interview experience of the school, which I ultimately decided to join. I distinctly remember Anderson’s application primarily because of the tricky essay question – “3 defining principles- Share Success, Think Fearlessly and Drive Change define UCLA Anderson. What principles have defined your life and pre-MBA career? How do you believe that UCLA’s Anderson’s principles Read more

Published: August 25, 2015

Columbia MBA Admissions Interview Report: Early Decision / Alum / Off campus

The following Columbia MBA Admissions interview report was submitted to Clear Admit by an Early Decision applicant who has been accepted Columbia Business School. Congratulations to them! This website has helped me greatly to get accepted to Columbia Business School! I want to share my experience here and hope it can help others who are going through the application process. Below is the timeline of my application: Submit all materials: 6/21/2015 Interview invite: 7/13/2015 Interview date: 8/5/2015 Interview feedback submitted: 8/12/2015 Acceptance call: 8/24/2015 The interview was scheduled at a local cafe at 9am. Read more

Published: August 24, 2015

MBA Interview Jitters? Don’t Miss Clear Admit’s Latest Interview Guides

We know. The interview can be one of the most nerve-wracking components of the entire MBA application process. But it doesn’t have to be. Clear Admit’s in-depth Interview Guide Series provides expert advice and insider tips on what to expect and how to prepare—helping you quash the MBA interview jitters and ace the interview. A sample page from one of the guides. With interview invites already rolling out at schools like Columbia Business School and Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, now’s the time to check out these valuable guides. Five in the series have just been updated for the 2015-16 application season: CBS, Tuck, INSEAD, HBS and Fuqua. Read more

Published: July 31, 2015

Columbia MBA Interview Report: J Term / Alum / Off-campus

The following Columbia MBA interview report was submitted to Clear Admit by a J-Term applicant. I just completed my interview for the J Term entry with an alum. We met at a coffee shop in a five star hotel. The interview was conversational and the alum was forthcoming and made me relax throughout. We ordered our coffees and the interview began. These were the questions I was asked: 1. Why are you joining company X? ( I was between jobs and was about to start a new job) 2. Why are looking to do an MBA? Read more

Published: July 31, 2015

Columbia MBA Admissions Interview Report: J-Term / Alum / Off campus

The following Columbia MBA Admissions interview report was submitted to Clear Admit by a J-Term applicant who is awaiting a decision from Columbia Business School. Best of luck to them! I just completed my interview for the J-Term entry with an alum. We met at a coffee shop in a five star hotel. The interview was conversational and the alum was forthcoming and made me relax throughout. We ordered our coffees and the interview began. These were the questions I was asked: 1. Why are you joining company X? ( I was between jobs and was about to start a new Read more

Published: June 23, 2015

NYU Stern MBA Admissions Interview Report: Round 1 / Adcom / On-Campus

The following Stern MBA interview report was submitted to Clear Admit by a successful Round 1 applicant to NYU. I arrived for my interview about 15-20 min early. When I checked in, they handed me a packet they had prepared for me based on what I said I was interested in studying and the student groups I might be interested in joining. Read this while I waited for my interview to begin. My interviewer was very nice and approachable. First thing I did was hand her an updated resume and explain what had changed. Read more

Published: June 23, 2015

CMU / Tepper MBA Admissions Interview Report: Round 1 / Adcom / Skype

The following interview report was submitted by a Round 1 applicant to the Tepper MBA program. To give a background, I had applied to 5 schools - Booth, Ross, Tepper, Anderson and Stern. I was dinged without an interview from Booth and Ross but did get interview calls from the rest. Booth and Ross were the first couple of schools, that I had applied to - So I guess you do get better in the application process. I distinctly remember Tepper's application, as it was one of the lengthiest. There were 6 essays in all including the short-term / long term goals and the re-applicant essay. I was ecstatic at having received an interview invite within a couple of days of submitting the application. I chose to interview over Skype as Tepper does provide you an option to do that. Read more

Published: May 26, 2015

Columbia MBA Admissions Interview Report: Regular Decision / Alumnus / Off Campus

We just received the following Columbia MBA admissions interview report from an applicant who is waiting on a decision from Columbia. Best of luck to them! This site was extremely helpful when preparing for the CBS interview, so I wanted to make sure I gave back. I applied Round 3 and submitted my application on April 14. I received an email inviting me to interview on May 6. The AdCom gives you 5-6 people in your area for you to chose from. I contacted an individual and the interview was set up for 2 weeks from when I emailed my interviewer (Memorial Day weekend didn't help for scheduling it any sooner). Read more

Published: April 16, 2015

Fridays From the Frontline: UCLA Anderson Interview Debrief

The following is a guest post from Pulling That MBA Trigger that was originally published on her blog. Pulling That MBA Trigger works as a software engineer for a product development startup, and she has started her own venture in the content writing/educational consulting space. You can follow Pulling That MBA Trigger’s application journey on her blog. I just finished my interview with a second year student from UCLA Anderson and it went so much better than I imagined it would! I think I got lucky on several counts. Firstly, my interviewer was a woman. This was actually a perfect match since a lot of my leadership stories are related to the struggles of being a woman in the male-dominated tech industry and it seemed like she could really relate. Secondly, she also comes from a background in technology so I’m certain that all of my stories made sense to her. Finally, she was just a really nice, fun person to talk to! Lots of smiles, lots of jokes and just a real sense of comfort that I have yet to experience in an MBA interview. No awkwardness whatsoever! What also helped was the fact that it was a Skype interview, so I was sitting in the comfort of my bedroom and it felt like I was talking to a friend across the continent. Overall, a great experience. Read more

Published: April 9, 2015

Georgetown McDonough MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 1 / Second Year Student / On Campus

The interview was on campus and conducted by a current student. We went into an interview room in the career center. It took about 30 minutes. It was mostly behavioral type questions: Read more

Published: March 23, 2015

Berkeley Haas MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 2 / First-Year Student / On Campus

The following UC Berkeley Haas MBA admissions interview questions were provided by an applicant: Blind interview with a first year Haas student on campus. It was a relaxed environment and overall felt very conversational. 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

View or Submit Entries

MBA LiveWire

November 23, 2024 7:37am ET

Accepted to NYU Stern

Round: Round 1

Received via portal on November 21, 2024

GPA: 6.42

GMAT: 760

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: Technology

Application Location: India

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

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