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For the most part the MBA admissions process is
standardized. That is, all applicants are required to
submit essays, letters of recommendation, test scores (GMAT
and/or TOEFL), and transcripts. However it seems that
when it comes to personal interviews, there are no
rules. Harvard Business School, Chicago and INSEAD organize
informal interview sessions with their alumni. Schools
like Wharton and HEC Paris coordinate formal interviews.
In Wharton's case, the formal interview is in front of
an admissions officer. For HEC Paris, applicants are put
in front of a jury of admissions personnel.
Unless personal interviewing is one of your worst
weaknesses, MBA Center advises you to take advantage of
the personal interview. Interviewing is an irreplaceable
opportunity to meet and talk with admissions
representatives in person, and to add another asset to
your application file.
MBA Center advisors are happy to help you prepare you for
personal interviews. We can put you in touch with
recognized MBA experts ready to advise and prepare you
for your interview.
Our goal is to help you get into an outstanding MBA
program. To achieve our goal, we will prepare you to:
- Introduce yourself and clearly state the reasons
for your application.
- Answer questions about your weaknesses (as well
as your strengths).
- Know the specialization of the program(s) you've
chosen.
- Anticipate the types of questions commonly
asked.
- Have some questions of your own ready.
Don't be just another MBA applicant. Start your MBA
success now!
What are the interviews like?
While intimidating for some MBA-hopefuls, the
personal interview represents a prime opportunity.
Interviews allow you the chance to not only put a face
and personality to the name and credentials on your
application file, but also to express your academic,
personal, and professional accomplishments, experiences,
and intentions.
Duration of interview sessions can vary widely. For
busy admissions officers, 15 minutes is not uncommon.
For some alumni interviewers, one hour is often the
minimum, with the maximum sometimes stretching beyond
two hours. Typically, expect interviews to last between
30 and 60 minutes.
Most business-school interviewers pose similar
questions. Usually, they're interested in what you've
accomplished and experienced (academically, personally,
professionally), and why you made the choices you did.
In some cases interviewers are intimately familiar with
your application file, and simply want more detail
expressed live and in person. In others, interviewers
know only your academic or professional credentials and
count on the interview to hear your story for the first
time.
Our b-school admissions sources hint that while some
questions differ from one school or interviewer to
another, most adhere to three lines of questioning:
- Why do you think now is the right time to
pursue an MBA?
- How will you fit into our program? What will
you bring? What will you add?
And,
- How will you do in the real world after you
graduate?
Why do you think now is the right time to pursue
an MBA?
For this question, interviewers are looking for
responses incorporating specific examples from your
academic, personal, and professional experiences.
Further, they want to know the reasons behind your major
life decisions. Our advice to tackle this kind of
question is to focus on that school's strengths, and
answer the "Why Now?" query in terms of both your short-
and long-term objectives.
Interviewers also want to determine how serious you
are about attending their particular school. If a
school is interested in you, they want to find out how
interested you are in them.
To this end, it's not unusual for interviewers to ask
you where else you're applying and why. Also, it's in
your best interest to demonstrate that you've done your
research by asking about specific aspects of a school,
like their curriculum, class size, facilities, faculty,
or alumni network.
How will you fit into our program? What will you
bring? What will you add?
Most b-school class sizes are relatively small and
take on characteristics of small societies. Coursework
is more often than not organized around a team approach,
so teamwork becomes critical in and out of the
classroom. For many admissions directors, establishing
and maintaining effective, successful teamwork is a top
priority. Therefore they're looking for applicants who
will flourish in a team atmosphere.
Emphasize your most successful team experiences.
Highlight too your critical thinking, leadership, and
social abilities. Don't be shy about expressing yourself
confidently, but avoid egotism, or bragging. Admissions
reps are looking for personalities who will fit into
their program's culture, and add value to it.
How will you do in the real world after you
graduate?
After graduation when you're back out in the real
world, you represent the MBA program you were a part of.
Admissions officers care greatly about the reputation of
their program out in the world marketplace, knowing well
that their graduates can add to it, or bring it down.
Your skills in personal interviewing give them a sense
of how you'll do in the job market. Listening skills,
professionalism, and that intangible, confidence, are
the three principal attributes interviewers listen and
watch for to indicate how you might do down the road,
with your MBA in hand.
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