Planning for your MBA Interview
By Chioma Isiadinso
Admissions Consulting and Personal Branding Expert
Next to the actual application, the interview is your best chance to
make a case for why an Admissions Board should admit you. It is important
to understand how the Admissions Board uses the interview when evaluating a
candidate. They use the interview as a way to check whether your "story"
Chioma founded EXPARTUS based on her vision of
personal branding as a key component of a successful
admissions process and her passion to enable others
to realize their life's dreams. Previously, Chioma
served as an Assistant Director of Admissions and a Member
of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School, where
she reviewed applications, interviewed U.S. and international
candidates, and developed a marketing strategy focused
on minority candidates and the MBA program.
is authentic. It is also a way for the MBA Board to assess whether they missed
anything else about you (positive or negative) that didn't come through in your
application. Another value of the interview is that it can actually sway an
admission decision when the board is on the fence about a candidate.
Most interviews are based solely on your resume. That means that your
interviewer will not familiar with your essays so it is important to convey
key messages in your interview even if you feel you have provided the same
information in your essays. The exceptions to this are programs like
Harvard Business School,
where your entire application is scrutinized and follow-up questions
are raised based on your actual application.
Interviews at MBA programs are either open (any applicant can sign up) or
by invitation only from the MBA board. They usually last for 30-45 minutes.
Recent trends in admissions show many MBA programs moving toward interviewing
their entire class
(HBS is a case in point).
Also popular is a move from open interviews to invitation-only interviews demonstrated
by schools like U. of Chicago's GSB.
However, there are still a decent number of top programs that maintain an open
interview policy (for instance,
Tuck and
Kellogg).
Admission interviews can be conducted by board members, alumni, and current students.
Interview options are offered at the school, in your city of residence, or over
the phone. Regardless of which option you select, it is important to make sure
that you take the time to visit the campus and attend a class to better
understand the MBA program. You should visit each school's website to confirm
their interview policy.
Regardless of whether a program has an open or invitation-only policy, you want
to be prepared since lack of preparedness is a top reason to reject a candidate.
Here are some things you can do to proactively prepare for the interview ahead of time:
-
Speak to alumni and current students of the MBA programs you are interested
in to learn about their experience and the school.
-
Visit the schools and attend classes to get a firm handle on the MBA
programs prior to an interview. It gives you a credible vantage point
to speak from when you convey your interest in the program and why the
school is a fit for you during your interview.
-
Update your resume and make sure that it focuses more on your impact
instead of just your job description.
-
Reread your application to ensure that you remember all the facets
of the application
-
Dress appropriately (business attire) and show up on time.
-
Practice, Practice, Practice.