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In general, the
admissions committee
will be "grading" you in a number of areas. They'll be
watching your personal presentation, looking at things
like your maturity, your energy and motivation, your
self-confidence, and your communication skills. They'll
be looking to see if your goals are clear and if they
fit well with the school to show your true interest in
the school. The delivery is as important as the content.
A positive first impression (smile, normal grip
handshake, nice business suit) are obviously the way to
start off.
This "fit" with the school also means they'll be looking
for evidence of your leadership and teamwork abilities,
so you'll want to show those through examples. They'll
also be watching for interesting things in your story,
things that really set you apart from others - just
don't give them any negative things that set you apart!
Prior to your interview, you should come up with 4-6
situations from your past that could be used to answer
several different types of questions. For example, a
teamwork story could also be used to illustrate
leadership, working under pressure, or influencing
others. In answering the question, you should obviously
focus on what is asked, but you can also subtly
reference these other things in telling the story. Being
able to answer what is asked and even what is *not*
asked shows sophisticated interviewing skills. If you
have several examples that you are comfortable
discussing, you will have something to reference in you
mind regardless of the question. It is fine to pause for
a few seconds to compose your thoughts before answering
a question.
Don't ramble, but don't be too brief, either. Giving a
2-3 sentence answer sounds terse and does not provide
enough information. 2-3 minutes is more appropriate.
Speak clearly, and pay attention to the interviewer’s
eyes and body language.
And one last point – the skill of the interviewer can
really vary! Some interviewers may be very experienced
and may ask questions that are almost conversational –
the interviewer may be able to read you well enough just
through a directed conversation. On the other hand, some
students and alumni, and even new admissions people, may
follow a provided format because they are less
comfortable with interviewers. You should read your
interviewer and react to the tone that is set!
COMMON QUESTIONS
Here are some common questions you
should be prepared for, but by no means is an exhaustive
list. The main idea here is to help you be prepared for
any type of question so that you are comfortable in your
reply.
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Discuss yourself.
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Why the MBA? Why now? / Why are you
applying to business school? / Why are you
interested in a general MBA program?
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Why does this school appeal to you?
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Name three words or phrases to
describe yourself. / How would co-workers describe
you?
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Have you worked in a team
environment? What were your contributions to the
effort?
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Describe an ethical dilemma faced at
work?
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What is an activity you are involved
in? Why is it important to you?
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What would you do if not accepted?
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Describe a typical work day.
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How did you choose your job after
college?
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What do you do to relieve stress?
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Describe a situation where you
brought an idea forward, and it failed.
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What differentiates you from other
applicants? What makes you unique?
Additionally, do you see any weaknesses
in your application? If you are asked a question like
this, then most likely there is a weakness from the
committee’s perspective – not always, but most likely.
Address it! You should know what it is already –
GMAT,
GPA, unusual work history…whatever. Even if you already
mentioned it in your application, answer it again.
QUESTIONS FOR THE INTERVIEWER
You should also have a few questions ready to ask the
interviewer, ones that deal with your particular
situation and your particular needs. Avoid generic
questions that can be easily answered by the school's
brochure and website.
Your questions should be appropriate to the interviewers
– an admissions person, student, or alum can certainly
address the same topics, but all have different
perspectives, so keep this in mind as you ask your
questions.
–Susan is a Stern MBA and former Senior Associate Director of MBA Admissions at New York University.
Unsure how to prepare for the
interview? Our consultants
know what questions the admissions committees like to
ask and they have an excellent intuition about the types
of questions you can expect based on your unique
background and experience. Call us at 703.242.5885 or
email
us to sign up today!
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