I interviewed on campus in mid-November for Round 1. This was my first time visiting the school. The Harper Center was beautiful, and the admissions office is right inside the front door. A current student was waiting in the interview room to help applicants relax. Another student relieved the first one a few minutes after I arrived. Both were friendly, although perhaps a little geeky. I also met a student in the foyer who was very nice but on the square side.
My student interviewer came out to greet me a few minutes late. She gave me a nice, warm smile that persisted throughout the interview.
All interviews at Chicago are blind. The questions were standard, and I did not feel surprised by anything asked.
- Why MBA?
- Why GSB?
- Why now?
- Questions pertaining to my career and extracurriculars shown on my resume.
After the first question, I weaved in a few points and the interviewer rolled with it. I was well prepared so we blasted through the standard questions in about 15 minutes. She offered to answer my questions and I had about 4 good ones specific to the program (e.g. Lab Courses) and my interests. She could not answer 1 or 2 specifically, but she commented that my in-depth questions showed a deep knowledge of the program. My questions lasted about 10-15 minutes, so the entire interview took 25-30 minutes. The interviewer was easy to talk to and I felt comfortable throughout our conversation.
I was later admitted to the GSB and strongly weighed the offer. However, I decided to attend Columbia instead due to the allure of its value investing program.
