MBA Interview Tips: 3 Common Questions
Round 2 applicants, get ready for your interviews!
Whether youve already received an interview invitation or are hoping to get an invite over the next few weeks, you want to make sure youre prepared to do your best when the big day arrives.
Here are tips for three common MBA-interview questions:
1. Tell me about yourself.
Our first piece of advice: dont go on and on. Its easy to do when youve been asked such an open-ended question, so make sure you practice your response out loud a few times. Theres no need to recite your lifes storytalking about where you were born, your family, or your childhood is not what theyre looking for here.
We recommend quickly summarizing the highlights of your college years and then moving on to your professional career. Explain why you took the roles you did, what your main responsibilities were, and what you enjoyed or took away from each position. If youve stayed at the same company for several years, you could talk about how your responsibilities have increased over time.
2. Why do you want to go School X?
If you havent discussed your short- and long-term career goals yet, you could begin your response by briefly explaining what youre hoping to do after graduation. Then you can state the specific skills and knowledge youll need to be successful in the futureand how School X can help you fill those gaps.
You should be prepared to mention school-specific examples of courses, clubs, and other aspects of the curriculum that fit with your career goals. In short, do your homework and refresh your memory of School Xs program before your interview!
3. Is there anything else youd like to add?
The worst thing you could say in response to this question is No. Even if youve had an hour-long discussion that covered everything under the sun and youre feeling confident about how things have gone, you still should take this opportunity to reiterate why youre excited about the program and why youd be an asset to the incoming class.
And, of course, if theres something specific about your candidacy that you feel could improve your odds and you havent been able to discuss it up to this point, nows the time to do so.
Our parting advice: Be yourself. You want the AdCom to admit you for who you really are, right?
Finally, you might want to jot this down the morning of your interview:
Looking for additional interview help? Check out Stacy Blackman Consultings school-specific interview guides here.
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