Previous posts provide a good array of the questions I received, so I will focus more on the environment of the interview. I also posted information on my visit to Kellogg in general. Please visit my blog for more details – NoKeating. Good luck!
My interviewer was a 2nd year student with an interest in Marketing. She worked for General Mills prior to obtaining her MBA, and would return in a similar capacity when she is finished. She attended Northwestern undergrad as well. Needless to say, we had absolutely nothing in common – which I actually used to tweak some of my responses (providing a little more background). So if your interviewer doesn’t offer up their brief bio, it may be worth asking.
The questions were exactly as I had anticipated based on research performed, which was extremely comforting. While answering her questions, she wrote like mad, filling an entire sheet of paper in the tiniest of print in two-column form. The admissions rep reviewing my file (if they ever find it) will certainly have a holistic perspective of my interview. She was attentive and polite and provided a very relaxed atmosphere. The interview was conducted in an office exactly as you would imagine an admissions office at any school. However, she did not sit behind the desk (like the guy at Indiana) so I had to watch my body language the entire time, making sure I wasn’t shaking my leg or twiddling my thumbs.
After the typical round of questioning she asked if I had any questions for her, as usual, but she really seemed to focus in on the types of questions I was asking – even writing them down. I could tell this because her answers were the corporate line for the most part and were of little value to me. I would be sure to study specific aspects of the program prior to your interview, and even if you know the answer, asked more pointed questions.
Lastly, at the end of the interview she asked if I wanted to share anything with the admissions office that may not be apparent in my application or essays. Knowing my chances of acceptance are slim to begin with, I swung for the fence. I told her that I was only applying to two schools, which I know can be perceived as a candidate not taking their MBA “seriously,” but that my decision was the result of thorough research into various programs, taking some personal issues into account – including geography. Ultimately, I’m not sure how she took it, which highlights another characteristic present throughout the interview: little or no body language feedback. I have not received a decision as of the date of this post. I hope the information is useful.
