Yale MBA Round 1 / On-campus / Second Year Student (January 16th, 2009)
I interviewed on Dec. 18th, the last day of exams so there were no classes to visit. Many of the candidates I met were from diverse backgrounds (a reporter, someone who had worked in public school management, alternate energy, etc.) which adds to Yale's appeal if you aren't looking to be in a traditional MBA environment.
My interviewer was a second year student who had reviewed my resume quite extensively before I entered. We had some interests in common and we discussed them extensively. Key questions are below.
What I was asked
Why did you pick your university and later why your major?
Walk me through your resume
Why MBA?
Why Yale?
What extracurriculars at Yale are you interested in? Who have you spoken to?
Give me an example of time when you led a group through a difficult period. How did you motivate the team?
Discuss one of your extra
What I asked
Tell me about how you got to Yale?
What do you think of the change in leadership? (SOM had a new dean as of Fall 2008)
I asked her opinion about changes to the leadership in the Program on Social Enterprise
What do you like about New Haven?
Overall it was a stimulating and challenging interview. One twist was that she asked me about other clubs on campus beyond the ones I initially mentioned (question 5). I discussed one that I was interested but which I hadn't thoroughly researched. She was surprised that I hadn't researched the club and proceeded to mention two people I should get in touch with. I made a mental note to contact these individuals later and mention them to the interviewer in my follow thank you email.
My advice: Come prepared but be relaxed. The interviewers are smart and have personality so just be confident and be yourself. |
