I interviewed with a local alum. After going back and forth over email, we found a mutually convenient time to meet at his office. There was _nothing_ surprising about the interview. All the questions were asked in a very conversational, yet professional, tone.
- 10 minutes of icebreakers/small-talk.
- When did you realize you needed an MBA?
- Time when you saw poor leadership at work?
- Time when you did something that impacted people (in work or outside of it).
- Why Stanford?
- Favorite course at school, and why?
- <insert more generic questions here>
Overall, it was a very pleasant conversation. My interviewer was several years out of school, yet very active on the alumni circuit. He did make it clear that the interview was only one part of the process, and that career/grades/gmat/recos/essays are equally important. He also raved about how exceptional people are at Stanford, and commented on how important fit is while deciding where to go. He gave me time to ask questions, and went into great detail to describe his experiences at Stanford.
My advice to people is to relax, keep some frameworks in mind about the things you want to talk about, and be yourself. I dont think there’s much you can do wrong with that.
