There’s good reason for the uncertainty, too: b-school admissions interviews take nearly as many different forms as do job interviews. Nearly (but not all) schools require interviews of candidates before an offer of admission is extended.
Interviews may be conducted by a school’s admissions professionals, alumni, or current students. They may take place on campus, in cities around the globe, or via phone- or videoconference.
Some interviews are formal while others are relaxed. Candidates may be allowed to request interviews prior to submitting a completed application or interviews may be offered on an invitation-only basis.
In the United States, there are at least as many interview style variations as there are business schools. There is, however, one winning approach to all. I like to call it the Four P approach: be punctual, be prepared, be professional, and show your personality.
Be punctual
Surely this point speaks for itself, right? Not necessarily. Cultural norms vary, and international students applying to American business schools may not be as finely attuned to the U.S. of A.’s fixation on punctuality. If you’re a candidate coming from a society where time isn’t particularly of the essence, be forewarned: in the American business environment—and, by extension, business schools—time is money, as the cliché goes.
Nothing will get you crossed off of a business school’s candidate list faster than disrespecting the interviewer’s time by arriving late or being a no-show. If a genuine emergency arises, contact the interviewer or the admissions office as soon as possible to explain your predicament. Be sure to begin with a sincere apology and ask how and when to reschedule the appointment. But better yet, just don’t be late for or absent from your scheduled interview.
Be prepared
Do research on what to expect in the interview: questions, style, location, etc. Several business school forums online compile lists of interview questions and firsthand reports from prior interviewees.
Research your interviewer whenever possible. British product, advertising, and marketing guru Russell Davies of Ogilvy & Mather writes in his blog, “The way to be interesting is to be interested.” [Emphasis mine.]
Knowing who you’ll be speaking with will allow you to target your responses and your questions to subjects relevant to the interviewer—and doing so will make you infinitely more attractive a candidate to the interviewer. [Feel free to apply this advice more generally; I promise it’ll work in any interpersonal communication!]
Be able to clearly articulate your reasons for pursuing a MBA, your short- and long-term career goals, your reasons for applying to this particular school or program, and how your background will allow you to make meaningful contributions to your potential future classmates.
Prepare questions of your own. Ask the interviewer about his/her experience in school, internships, and beyond (if relevant). Ask whether you may contact alumni in or current students pursuing your desired career. Ask about the work of particular professors that interest you. Ask about unique programs or practices you may have read about. Ask about career.
My point? Ask questions, and make sure you’ve taken care to prepare quality questions. They will convey your genuine interest to the interviewer and can, when posed properly, show the interviewer that you are a conscientious applicant, one who knows what you are expected to contribute and what you should expect to receive in return from business school and a MBA.
Be professional
Dress appropriately. Research or inquire whether “appropriately dressed” means business professional or business casual. If you’re unsure, always veer on the side of caution by overdressing.
Don’t badmouth former employers or companies where you’ve previously worked. Business schools are looking for candidates ready to grow their careers, and this means each candidate must be marketable. Marketability, of course, includes likeability. Trash-talking certainly won’t win you likeability points any more than it will help you secure job offers. [Read: it will hurt you on both accounts.]
Answer questions thoroughly but succinctly. In the business world—where time is money—pithiness is paramount. Incomplete answers and rambling will both convey a lack of preparation on the part of the candidate.
Show your personality
Interviewers are also looking to identify “soft” skills such as leadership, confidence, communication, and coolness under pressure. Know how to work your best traits into your responses.
Tip: make a list of three to five priority points to work into your responses. You may not get the questions you expect, but having those points prepared and keeping them at your mental fingertips will help you interject them at an appropriate conversation point.
Interviewers may try to stump you to see how you handle the challenge. Be prepared with a battle plan and know how you’ll react to every potential interview situation. Practice interviewing with friends or mentors who can put you “in the hot seat” to test your composure.
Finally, relax and have fun. Sure, the business school admissions interview is part interrogation, but it’s also part date. Interviewers are looking for the right “fit” for the program. This is as much your opportunity to identify a mismatch as it is theirs, so be honest and true to yourself. Keep in mind that, no matter how important you have made this interview, it’s really just a conversation with a person who was once in your shoes.
And when it’s all said and done, you can share your tips with other business school hopefuls to pay forward the good karma!
About the author
Heather Gilchrist, one of the original Grockiteers, is a rising third-year JD/MBA candidate at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. For over a decade, she taught collegiate- and graduate-level admissions tests, helped applicants craft winning applications, and prepare for interviews.
She serves as a Student Ambassador for the Admissions Office of Georgetown University Law Center, as a Class Host for the Admissions Office of Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, and as JD/MBA Ambassador for prospective and new students in both programs.
Compare b-school rankings from the FT, BusinessWeek and Economist on the MBA rankings table
RECAPTHA :
a5
87
b9
8c
