One of the key steps in getting into the business school of your choice is acing the admissions interview. The admissions interview seems like a high-stress, high stakes situation, and rightly so. Much hangs in the balance.
Although it is not the only factor the school takes into account when deciding whether to admit you to the program, the recommendation of your interviewer carries a lot of weight with the admissions committee.
With that in mind, this lens offers some basic but important steps that any MBA applicant should follow to improve his chances for getting into the program of his choice.
Know Your Interviewer
In most cases the interviewer is either a member of the admissions office staff, a school alum or a member of the faculty.
In either case, most schools will give you the name of the interviewer well in advance of the interview. When you get the name, start the research. Find out everything you can about the interviewer and his background.
If you can obtain some basic information from the admissions office regarding your interviewer prior to the interview, be sure to do so. For example, ask whether the interviewer is an alum of the school and if so, when he or she graduated.
If your interviewer calls in person to schedule the interview, try to collect a few harmless pieces of information that will allow you to obtain more information about him online. For example, which company he works for or what city he lives in.
The following resources can prove invaluable when collecting information about your interviewer.
- Google - tried and true Googling the name of your interviewer is a great way to find some information about him. The down side, is that if your interviewer has a common name, this strategy may not yield the desired results.
- Social and Business Networking Websites - sites such as LinkedIn and Zoom Info can provide you with not only basic information about your interviewer but often information about his entire career progression.
- Company Web Site - if you find out which company your interviewer works for, you can often learn a great deal about him or her through the company website. If you obtain the person's job function, you may even be able to dig a little deeper.
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Prepare Your Story
A successful story will address all of the following issues (among others):
- Have a Coherent Story - interviewers are looking to see a logical and clear thought process in your decision to pursue an MBA. Even if your sole reason for wanting to pursue an MBA is to move to a different part of the country, telling that to the interviewer is a horrible idea. Build your story around career development, personal growth or desire for academic grounding in business. If you seem impulsive, your chances of getting in are slim.
- Positive Story - tell your story in a positive rather than in a negative way. For example, rather than explain that you are trying to get away from a dead-end job, explain that you are trying to take your career to the next level. Interviewers don't want to hear about things that are not going well, we are interested in recruiting winners and problem solvers to our school.
- Be Decisive - invariably you will be asked what you plan to do after graduation. Even if you feel that you are not sure yet, saying it to the interviewer will be a disasterous move. Interviewers are looking for proactive people who have a firm career plan in mind, even if that career plan is likely to change. Prepare a plausible and convincing career story and tell it like you mean it. Although this is not always the case, you will probably make a better impression if you explain that you plan to stay on your current career track and are pursuing your MBA to improve your professional skills.
- Be Aware of Weak Spots and Tackle Them - if you think that your application suffers from some defficiencies, prepare a convincing story to address those perceived deficiencies (without directly mentioning them). For example, don't wait until you are asked why your undergrad GPA was 2.3, before he asks the question, find a way to tell the interviewer how you had to work a full time job to support yourself through college.
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The All Important Questions
Don't leave this critical part of the interview to chance. Prepare some questions in advance, and make sure that they are smart, original and show that you understand the program and have done your research.
Here are some areas you may want to ask about:
- Specific Classes - I am always impressed by candidates who ask me questions about specific classes or professors. You can't fake such questions. If you are able to ask an intelligent question about a specific class, I know you have done your research.
- Alumni Network - explain that you are looking for a school with a strong alumni network, since you will be a member of that network much longer than you will be a student. Ask the interviewer to explain some of the resources that are available to alumni and some of the activities that alumni are able to participate in. Better yet, if your interviewer is a school alum, ask him or her to give an example of how they used the alumni network with successful results.
- Competitive Questions - if this works well with your application story, ask about some of the school's areas of specialty as it compares to other schools with the same area of specialization. For example, if you are applying to Chicago and are interested in finance, ask them how their finance track differs from the one offered by Columbia.
- Questions that Demonstrate Intention - if your interviewer thinks that you are very interested in the school and are likely to accept an admission offer, you have a better chance of getting in. Therefore, asking questions that demonstrate specific intentions is not a bad idea. For example, you can ask the interviewer which part of town most student live in; you can ask about how you can meet other student before school starts etc.
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The Interviewer's Perspective
Appearance - is the candidate dressed appropriately?
Punctuality - is the candidate on time for the interview?
Communication Skills - is the candidate coherent, clear and articulate?
Story - does the candidate have a plan? Does he know what he wants?
Preparation - has the candidate done his research? Does she know anything about the school or did she apply because of school rankings?
Personality - does this person strike me as someone I would like to be associated with my alumni network?
Intelligence - is this person smart?
Maturity - does this person understand the importance of our discussion? Does she understand the cost and consequences of the choices she is making? Will he be able to add intelligently to a classroom discussion?
Important MBA Applicant Attributes
bschooltalk - Best Applicant Attributes
In this episode of bschooltalk, Judith asks her panel of business school admissions experts a very specific question about Donald Trump and the application essays . Is referencing "The Donald" a good or a bad thing to do in your essay? This episode includes remarks from the following business school experts: * Monica Gray, Georgetown, www.georgetown.edu * Alice Huang, Hult International Business School, www.hult.edu * Gaynor Jones, Freeman School of Business, Tulane University, www.freeman.tulane.edu * Gunnar Stenvall, Stockholm School of Economics, www.hhs.se * Wendy Huber, Darden School of Business, University of Virginia, www.darden.edu * Glen S. Burman, Rutgers Business School, business.rutgers.edu * Cynthia Perez, Fordham Business, www.bnet.fordham.edu * Richard G. Miller Ph.D., Carey Business School, John Hopkins University, www.carey.jhu.edu * A. Keith Vaughn, Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California, www.marshall.usc.edu
Ask the Interviewer
This is your chance to ask any questions you may have with respect to the interview process. I promise speedy and honest answers.
Your lens is great. It is good to know the important steps that any MBA applicant should follow to improve their chances for getting in to the program of their choice.
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Posted August 13, 2008
Great lens here, I really learned more information and interview tips of my career.
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thanks for sharing your great lens.
Posted May 12, 2008
priya wrote
what do i need 2 say when im asked 2 spk bout yourself?? wat are the things the interviewer actually wants 2 know in dis question??
Posted January 15, 2008
