国际顶尖MBA申请交流平台--TOPWAY MBA

[分享]NYU Stern MBA Interview Tips
1. Background about yourself.
Formy undergraduate studies, I attended the Richard Ivey School ofBusiness at the University of Western Ontario, a general managementbusiness program. I then spent 2.5 years working as a Senior ResearchAssistant at Standard & Poor’s. After working in finance for 2.5years, I wanted to tackle the world of entertainment, which is my firstlove in life. I had been singing in professional organizations for thepast 15 years and wanted to pursue a career in the business-side ofentertainment. NYU Stern was the only MBA program I applied to becausethey have the best media & entertainment specialization and I wasconfident that Stern could help me achieve my professional aspirations.At Stern, I interned at HBO, NBC Universal and post graduation I founda position in Strategic Marketing at NBC Universal, where I amcurrently still employed. I also finished with a 3.9 GPA as a SternScholar and placed in the top 5% of the class.

2.How has been your experience at NYU Stern? Has Stern met all yourcareer and personal aspirations? What do you like the most at NYU Stern?
NYUStern was a fantastic experience, and even thought I graduated in arecession, it met my career and personal aspirations. The schoolabsolutely permits the achievement of goals; however, the onus is onthe individual, of course, to fulfill these goals. I wanted to changecareers from finance to entertainment, which is difficult to do. Sternhas many ways of getting involved in the entertainment industry, whichmakes career changes easier. For example, I was accepted into theIndustry Mentoring Initiative; this was a small group of students whowere switching careers that were mentored by executives from differentdivisions of Time Inc. Stern also has a Media, Entertainment and SportsAssociation that went on treks to various media companies in both NewYork and Los Angeles. This club was critical in the success of mycareer change.
Stern met my personal aspirations. I wanted tolive in New York City for my whole life, and living and studying inGreenwich Village was a dream come true. The friends I made will befriends for life, and I was very fortunate to meet a group of smart,talented and down to earth students to share in the two years at Stern.
My favorite aspect of my experience was attending the CannesFilm Festival in France – a course at Stern that takes a group ofstudents to the festival in May and educates them on the business offilm transactions. The festival was a once in a lifetime experience,and on top of that, it’s a great piece of information to tell potentialemployers!

3. What is theimportance of interviews in the overall selection process at NYU Stern?Is it a make or break after the interview? Or, does it form a parameterin the applicant's candidature?
The interview is of critical importance in the selection process. Stern prides itself on having “down to earth and down to business”students, which is why the interview is crucial. Admissions officersconsistently say that it doesn’t matter how good a candidate is onpaper – it’s the personality and professionalism that counts. Sternloves to put its students in front of industry professionals and itwants to have top notch professionalism, and personalities representingthe school.

4. How should a potential candidate prepare for the NYU Stern interviews?
A candidate should do the following to prepare for NYU Stern interviews.

Be able to discuss 3 clubs or organizations of interest that you would like to join at Stern.
Be able to convey your career goals succinctly. Know your back-up career plan.
Become familiar with New York City, and be able to discuss some of the things you are excited to do when living in New York.
Meetalumni from the school and discuss this in your interview. Stern loveswhen people want Stern as their first choice, so it’s important to showthat you’ve done your homework and love the school.
Think about3 or 4 goals that you want to accomplish at Stern and be able todiscuss them. For example, become a teaching assistant, go on the Japantrek, specialize in X, become a Stern Scholar, etc.
Learn about the professors at Stern; many of them are in the news and important figures in business.

5. What dress code would you suggest for the NYU Stern interview?

Men: A nice suit with a dress shirt, you don’t need to wear a tie but you can.
Women: Skirt and blouse or suit (pants or skirt) with brightly colored blouse.

6. What are the three typical mistakes that the candidates commit during the NYU Stern interviews?
1.A sense of entitlement. Stern does not like people who think theydeserve to get into the School without working for their admission.
2. Attitude. Cockiness will not get you in. Stern like humble people with great personalities.
3.Canned responses. The interview is very conversational, so applicantsmust go with the flow. Do your research, but don’t memorize yourresponses, as it could come across as unnatural.

7. What are the three tricky questions that a candidate can face in the NYU Stern interviews?
1. What are you least looking forward to about NYU Stern?
2. How do you function in a dysfunctional team and what is your role in groups?
3. What are you going to do if Career Plan A and Career Plan B fails?

8. Any suggestions on the steps after the interview?
Emaila thank-you note to your interviewer. If you and your interview bondedon a certain topic, tie it into your thank-you. For example, if youboth love to cook, send your favorite recipe. If there was an answeryou stumbled on during your interview, mention that you’ve beenresearching X, since the interview. Be humble and grateful.

9. Would mock interviews help the potential candidates in their interview preparation?
Mockinterviews would absolutely help, but the best preparation is speakingwith alumni and learning about their experiences in order to help youformulate your Stern game-plan. I.e. learn from people who actuallywent to Stern what clubs are the best to join for Sales & Trading,which courses you want to take, which professors you must have, whichtreks to attend. This will help you come off as very educated aboutStern and help you develop your MBA goals and strategies, which arevery important to discuss in your interview.

10. Any special advice to international applicants on their NYU Stern interviews?
Sternwants students who want Stern. International students should scheduleon-campus interviews. This shows that you are serious about coming toStern. International students should reach out to other applicants intheir area and during the interview, discuss how you have been meetingpotential students from your area. International students must be ableto discuss their intentions in the U.S. Do you want to work in the U.S.post-graduation or work abroad? What companies do you want to work for?If English is not your native language, make sure you conduct mockinterviews. Research where Stern takes treks and if it is in your homecountry and mention that you would like to help organize the trip orgive advice on where they should go to eat, etc.

11. What advice would you give to potential NYU Stern applicants who are applying this year?
Itis very important to know why you want to attend Stern, what your planis for when you are there and what you want to achieve. This should allcome out in your written application and in your interview. Beconfident, but not cocky. Creativity is highly regarded, so takeliberties with essay #3 and don’t hold back! Given the recession,applications will be up, so the more research you do on the school andthe more detail you can discuss Stern’s offerings, the better offyou’ll be.

12. Last question, how would you differentiate NYU vs. Columbia?
NYUand Columbia can be best differentiated by the student body andlocation. NYU students are better known as being more down to earth andcollegial. Columbia is known for having a more competitive studentbody. NYU prides itself on its location in downtown Manhattan andhaving access to the top recruiters in New York City.
Good luck!

补一下NYU的面经。

感觉NYU的Adcom面试和Tuck、Ross之类略为有点不同，对Interactivity方面更加重视，面试官不会花很多时间纪录，但也不会抓住某几个Point一个劲追问，这点给人感觉比较好。纵观面试官（一个巴基斯坦MM）问的7、8个问题，大多是常规性的，但各个面试者又根据其背景不同而有所不同。

比如第一个问题是：你原来是学Engineering的，为什么去做了房地产？

其他问题包括你工作中遇到的最大的Challenge是什么，如何面对等~基本都是些再常规不过的，不用特别准备。

另外值得注意的是，NYU的面试并非Blind Interview，也就是说面试官对我的申请材料，包括Essay等很熟悉，所以未必会再问一遍Career Goal之类的问题。所以面试前多看几遍Essay很重要。

最后一个问题是，你衣服穿什么尺码的？因为有件T SHIRT作为礼物~

Status changed this morning. Bless us all. Hope new Stern students will keep in touch!

Below are th interview questions I had been asked.

1.Why did you choose your current job upon graduation?
2.What do you enjoy outside of your job
3.What have you learnt from the financial turmoil?
4.What are your standards when you select B schools
5.Why do you think now is the best time to do an MBA
6.What is your plan after graduation from Stern
7.What do you think are the challenges of getting your desired position after graduation?
8.What is the biggest challenge at your current job?
9.What is your backup career plan?
10.Questions for me

NYU Stern MBA面经@SH Westin (3/18)

之前版上的NYU面经很少，我分享一点哈后面的XDJM好好准备哈。

我是今天第二个，NYU一共面3天，今天第一天，今天都是上海的，明天都是北京的，后面有香港的。韩国和日本的另外其中穿插个别零星大陆的。大陆北京加上海一共13个人面试，一个人20-25分钟。（赞一下前台漂亮MM 因为给我看面试的清单，被领导批了~~~）

隔壁会议室是面harvard的，有个会讲中文的外国哥们的面试时间和我一样，我以为会同时面两个人，吓了一跳。后来才知道是面harvard的。

AO已经看过你的essay和简历了。

问了我简历上几个问题
职业发展的考虑
工作中困难
工作中的成就
career goal, why mba, why school
如果被录取了打算什么时候去NYC
Q&A
问题都很常规，后面同学好好准备啊。good luck to all of u!

顺便说一下，上海westin比北京westin好的太多了。不是一个档次的。

血淋淋的面经 Northeastern (2-23)

刚面完估计没戏了来电说话巨快而且感觉就是在赶进度
1 介绍你自己
2 为什么是northeastern
3 工作经验过短有何看法将对班级有何贡献
4 描述下一个领导经历
5 描述一个你所观察到的未来可能发生的商业问题并提出解决方案
6 描述一段与人相处不悦的经历
中间的描述太多了到后来都快说不下去了简直是一场耻辱的经历啊
成绩单还没做WES评估招生办说现在要等WES到了才会往下大家觉得要不要花钱花时间去做啊

刚面完Northeastern，写点面经给需要的人

之前同学写过的，我就不再重复了，米看过的可以看我之前分享的帖子
这里补充两个：
1、说说你现在需要改进的方面以面对未来可能碰到的困难
2、说说你最近和co-worker/partner相处中遇到的困难
另外，MS in Finance真的是不参加co-op项目的，不知道转成MS in Finance/MBA的机会大吗？知道的同学回复下哦~

电面--Northeastern

睡前面的 2：10am 等得灰常困不是名校看这里申的人也不多写点下来给有需要的人吧

在2点左右的时候第一个打过来，拿起电话以后对方没有声音。这种情况反复发生了三次。终于我打了过去，一个MM接的，然后我跟她说我是预约面试的，她记下我的号码，然后一男的打过来了。没有其他开头，直接问问题：
1. why choose 。。。
2. what qualities do you have for the program
3. mention one activity in my resume, ask what i gain from that
4. one question based on my essay
5. career goal
6. do you think you can work under stress
7. do you prefer to work in a team as a leader or just a member to do the background research

中间过程他跟我介绍了下这个项目的主要特点（特别是6个月的实习）；总结了下我的个人经历和他们项目相关程度之类的。最后他让成绩单去做WES评估，说当他们收到评估过后的正式成绩单后才会最终进行review。那男的语速挺快的，然后我也越说越快。总共历时20分钟。整个过程基本就一问一答。后来反复说的一句就是让我跟他们保持联系。没其他啥了。
OVER

Northeastern MBA phone interview
貌似不是很好的学校牛人看不上眼但还是分享一下
我的第一个电面很紧张答不好
问了基本题introduce yourself / why MBA / why northeastern / experience – take initiative (问了他是指leadership的意思吗)/ 和同事或顾客相处不高兴的经验

Round 2 / Off-campus / Adcom Hub (Published April 23, 2010)

I interviewed in March at one of the three global hub locations with an adcom member. The interviewer has read your application materials and asks questions related to your experience.

The questions were straight forward and followed the logic of why an MBA can help you bridge the gap and transform you from where you are now to where you want to be. Be prepared to show your interaction with the Stern community, why you choose this program.

Can you tell me about your previous work experience?
What's the most challenge you face at your work?
What's the main difference between your current position and your goals?
Why do you want to pursue an MBA?
What programs and activities attract you at NYU? And what clubs will you particiate?
If you are admitted to other programs, what criteria your decision will be based on?
How will your friends describe you?
Do you have any questions for me?
The interview lasted about 40mins and it was a very pleasent conversation. I appreciate NYU's effort to only have adcom members conduct the interviews which brings more insights and consistency. I received a personalized folder with materials about programs and clubs I mentioned in my application essays, and a gift Stern t-shirt. I received my admission decision 4 days after the interview.

Round 1 / On-campus / Admissions Officer (Published April 21, 2010)

January 2010/R1

Interview was in the admissions office.

On campus interview with admissions staff. Application based interview.

Tell me about yourself.
Why do you want to pursue an MBA?
Why do you think you are ready for an MBA at this moment of your career?
What can Stern offer you that others schools do not?
Is Stern your first choice?
What job do you imagine yourself doing during your first summer break?
What do you feel is the weakest aspect of your resume?
Do you have any questions for me?
The interview was fairly conversational in a nice office. The interviewer was a young woman, an ex-MBA from Stern around 35 years of age. She was always very nice and did not attack me with questions. I was surprised she was young and easygoing. However, when she detected a weak answer to the internship job question she delved into it to see how I responded. To me it seemed like the interviewer was trying to sell me on different aspects of Stern and tried to minimize the financial part. Perhaps, because of my non traditional background, she did not want to focus on only finance but wanted to highlight some of the new areas the school has been working on to obtain more variety. I had the distinct feeling Stern is trying to branch out into other sectors of business and not be pegged as the "finance" school.

Round 1 / On-campus / Admissions officer (Published February 23rd, 2010)

I visited a class with a friend (it wasn't my first visit to the school) and then came to the Admission office with 15-20 min to spare. Definitely appreciated the personalized packet of information and the t-shirt. There were several other interviewees waiting and finally my interviewer came out. She was friendly and very welcoming and there was water waiting on the desk for me when we went into her office. The interview questions were fairly straightforward (no curveballs), and I was pleasantly surprised by this. I had been expecting a few more difficult questions, so I would still recommend preparing for many types of questions (beyond my list) because I'm not sure if my interview was totally representative.

I can't remember the exact questions or the exact order, but in general, I was asked:

why I chose my undergrad/how i ended up at my undergrad
Why I chose my major/ended up studying what I studied
how I ended up at my first job out of college
how I ended up at my current job
how does that all fit into "MBA now"
why stern? what excites me most about stern?
Interview took ~40 min (I had a few questions that we got to talk about so we went a little over because it fostered a conversation. It went a lot faster than I thought and I was surprised it had already been 30 min when she asked if I had any questions.

Good luck to everyone! I heard within about 2 weeks and was accepted!

Round 1 / On-campus / Staff (Published February 18th, 2010)

My interview was with someone from the Career Center, though I had expected Adcom. She was very friendly and had work experience in my desired industry. The interview was almost exactly 30 minutes.

List of interview questions:

Tell me about your background.
Can you tell me about a time where you had to persuade someone to do something?
Describe a time where you had to manage a conflict.
What do you like most about Stern?
What would your manager say is one of your strengths? One of your weaknesses?
Can you name some companies you'd like to work for upon graduation?
Looking back at your work experience, what are you most proud of?
What do you like to do for fun?
Do you have any questions for me? (I had time to ask only 1 question)
It was the shortest interview I'd had thus far - overall, I think it went well. She told me to stay tuned for a decision within two weeks.

Result: Admitted!

Round 1 / On-campus / Adcom (Published February 18th, 2010)

I had a morning slot and I reached 15 min early. I received the welcome package containing the t-shirt and customized folder at the interview office. There were 3-4 interviews going on simultaneously.

My interviewer was a lady, also a Stern alum now working in the Admissions Office. Since the NYU interview are non-blind, expect the questions to probe beyond the essay material.

Briefly talk about your background - I talked about my tech roles and MS experience.
Talk about your current job experience, duties etc. Walk me through a typical day of your routine - I used this to highlight the leadership opportunities I get at work and insights gained etc.
Talk about your post MBA goal - Being a career switcher, this was the highlight and I elaborated on my ambitions and why I want to go there.
Have you made any plans about internship/ how would you find one? - I had prepared for this, so I discussed at length the career options I could use at Stern specifically also emphasizing how I am focused enough and yet flexible about choices.
Why Stern?
What would you do if you get accepted at other schools as well? - Again, emphasizing on how Stern makes the most sense for my ambitions.
What would you contribute? - I proved how my clear goals and experience of reapplying has positioned me well to gain from the whole MBA experience and I possess an edge etc etc.
She gave me a chance to ask questions and I asked about few Stern specific experiences such as summer start etc + my career goals specific opportunities.

I didn't receive any feedback from her and she looked neither encouraging nor unimpressed.

I got my final decision within a week and I was admitted

Round 2 / On-campus / Adcom (Published April 16th, 2009)

Overall the interview was very conversational and I probably over-prepared using the questions on this site and others. My interviewer was friendly and was definitely familiar with my application and my profile.

How did you choose to attend [undergrad A]?
Walk me through your background, how did you end up at [company A) after college?
He made a reference to my post MBA goal, asked me to elaborate on specifically what I want to do.
Talked about the state of the economy, importance of students/applicants being flexible in their career endeavors. If your goal doesn't work out, what is your plan B?
Why Stern? (I had already addressed why MBA in beginning of #3, otherwise I think he would have asked that)
What 2 clubs do you see yourself engaging with?
What are 2 skills you gained at your last job?
What is the greatest challenge you faced at your job?
He turned it over to me for questions, then said I'd hear back within 3 weeks (or to call him directly if I don't by then), but said he'd expect that I'd hear back sooner than that.

Round 2 / On-Campus / Adcom (Published March 18th, 2009)

Applied to the JD-MBA at the end of January, invited to interview at the end of February. Interviewer was a very nice ad-com who had clearly read my application, but did not ask about the JD aspect of my application (although I discussed it in many of the answers). She had my resume in front of her during the interview.

Tell me about doing [a specific extracurricular interest from undergrad]? Why'd you do it?
Why MBA/Stern specifically?
Where would I find you on the Stern campus?
Tell me about a workplace conflict
How would the people who know you best describe you?
Where are you on a scale of 1 to 10, if 1 is intelligent and 10 is hard-working?
Time for questions
Also had lunch with a student and attended a class, which gave me very positive impressions of the school. Decision came 8 days after the interview.

Round 2 / On-Campus / Alum / Accepted (Published March 18, 2009)

Interview Date: Saturday, February 21 2009 Location: NYU Admissions Office Interviewed by: Alum Interview Length: 30 minutes Status: Accepted, Round 2

The interviewer greeted me with a firm handshake, quickly detailed his background (HR at Goldman Sachs, graduated from Stern 3 years ago), mentioned that he had taken the time to look at my file, and promptly began the interview:

So, why are you here? – This question threw me a bit off, as it was definitely not how I expected the interview would begin.
What do you think the qualities of a good leader are? – Described how a leader is someone able to build consensus and offered an example.
How would your friends describe you? – Described myself as diligent, approachable and team oriented, offering an example of each.
Why an MBA? – I used this as an opportunity to transition into my present skill set, my short and long-term goals, and how Stern’s resources would enable me to achieve my goals.
Why Stern? – Spoke in detail about Stern’s Entertainment, Media & Technology (EMT) specialization, clubs, culture, and my past experiences visiting.
What other schools are you applying to and why? – Quickly rattled off my list of schools and a reason or two for why I was applying to each.
Is Stern your #1? – I made a joke that, within this context, Stern is everyone’s #1 (he laughed), and then proceeded to reiterate the points I made when asked “Why Stern?”.
Is there anything else you’d like me to know that we haven’t discussed? – Addressed the quantitative courses I’ve recently taken, discussed my decision to leave my last job, and spoke about my passion for the business side of media.
What questions do you have for me? – I first asked about the growth of the EMT specialization over the last several years. I then asked what he attributed Stern’s collaborative nature to. I also asked what steps he suggest I take to prepare myself for the academic rigor of the program.
We shook hands, I asked for his card, and I promptly e-mailed him a three line thank you note, reiterating the answers he gave to my questions.

Round 2 / On campus / Adcom (Published March 4th, 2009)

Applied in late December, received the invitation to interview roughly four weeks later. My interview was conducted on campus by a female member of the admissions committee. The Adcom seemed to be intimately familiar with my application, resume and essays and many of the common questions listed in other posts on this site were asked in a way that was specific to my background. The interview last roughly 45 minutes, after which I had the opportunity to have lunch with a current student. I received my decision via email less than a week after my interview.

Here are the questions I was asked (as best as I can recall, and in no particular order):

Why NYU?
Why an MBA and why now?
Where else have you applied?
If you're admitted to all of the schools you applied to, how will you decide which to attend?
Which two clubs are you most interested in?
If 25 years from now you were asked to return to Stern to speak, how would you want to be introduced?
Why i-banking ?
What are some companies in this field that you might like to work for?
What if you can't find a job in this field?
Tell me about a time when you were on a team that didn't work well together?
How did you end up in your current position? Take me through your career to this point.
Tell me about a time you failed.
She concluded by asking me if there was anything else the adcom should know about me that we didn't cover
Make sure you work details about the school into your answers.

Very conversational, not many follow-up questions. Much less stressful than other interviews I've been through. I got the feeling that she was pulling for me.

Round 1 / On-campus (Published February 11th, 2009)

The interview itself was only 25 minutes long, with a very young woman -- perhaps a recent graduate, though she did not say. Interestingly, she didn't even ask me, Why an MBA or Why now! She asked me (in roughly this order):

Why did you choose UndergradA?
How did you go about choosing UndergradA?
What will you do at CompanyA when you go back tomorrow?
How did you find your job?
How did you choose CompanyB right after college?
What's 1 thing you liked and didn't like about CompanyB?
What's a challenge you faced at CompanyB?
What do you want to do when you're at Stern?
What companies do you want to work for?
How will brand management be different from your role now?
What are 3 transferable skills you'll take from your current role to brand management?
What if you can't find a job in the field you're looking for? What will you do?
If you were to be introduced to Stern in 25 years (e.g. you're giving a speech) how will you want to be introduced?
What two clubs do you want to join at Stern?
What else do you want me to know about you?
What questions do you have for me?
The interview was only 25 minutes long for me, so shorter than the normal 30 min. I strongly encourage you to do a class visit AND a lunch. The stats are like 50% chance of getting in when you get an interview, but it helps to show strong enthusiasm for Stern - even during the class lunch. Good luck all.

Round 1 / On-campus / Adcom (Published December 16th, 2008)

I interviewed for NYU's fulltime MBA program (rd 1).

I met with a female adcom member and another woman from admissions sat in to listen. She took notes and made one or two comments throughout the conversation, though I tried to make eye contact with her so she felt involved. The discussion lasted 40 minutes.

I thought that this would be a non-blind interview, but I did not get any questions on my application or essays. She had my resume in front of her and asked a few questions from it.

As we walked into her office, she mentioned one of my volunteer activities. She was very friendly, but she asked this before we were even sitting, so I wasnt sure if this was part of the introduction small-talk or if we had already begun the interview. She did not ask many follow-ups, which is why we were able to cover so much material. The questions were more rapid fire as opposed to other interviews which were much more discussional.

I was asked the following questions:

What are three words to decribe Stern?
What do you like about NYU?
If you got into all the schools you applied to, how would you decide?
Example of a difficult interaction with a coworker
When was the last time you were happy at work?
When was the last time you were frustrated?
How will you get an interview in the industry you want to work in?
What is different about what you do now compared to the industry you want to work in?
What will you do if you cant get a job in that industry?
What are some examples of companies in that industry?
What clubs will you join?
She asked if there was anything else I wanted her to know about me. I blanked on this and stupidly said no, but I included something in my thank you note. She replied and said that she would include it in my file.

Round 2 / On-campus / Adcom / Accepted (Published April 3rd, 2008)

I was interviewed on campus on March 17 by an AdCom. She was really easygoing and after some general small talk she went in on the usual questions-

Why an MBA?
Why Stern?
How will you contribute to Stern?
Tell me about a time you were on a team?
Tell me about your achievements?
Where do you want to work the first summer?
What type of companies do you see yourself working for?
Most of the questions were team oriented...they really focused on how I worked in teams and the results of those situations. The most interesting question was to describe how I would want to be introduced if I was invited back to the school to speak in 20 years.

I would say the most important thing to do is to prepare for how specifically you would fit in and lead at Stern. Know what activities and clubs you are going to be involved in and how you would contribute. If you really want to impress them, have a specific idea or too that you would want to implement to enhance a school activity. Also, you should definately know where you want to work and how you will get in there.

They say that they will give you notice in up to 3 weeks, but they actually get back to you pretty quick. I received notice about 10 days later that I was accepted. I will be attending.

Round 1 / On-campus / Adcom (Published March 10th, 2008)

I interviewed on campus in January for Round 1. This was my first time inside the Kaufman Center, which is an attractive building. I took a tour later in the day of my interview and thought it could have been better. The student leading the tour was quite knowledgeable and well-spoken, but verbose. The tour needed less "student" and more "tour." The tour group visited several floors but we often found ourselves standing outside of the elevators--I feel like we could have been shown more of the facilities.

Back to the interview itself:

An admissions committee member greeted me on time and made small talk as we walked back to her office. Stern is not a blind interview, and it was my first interview where the interviewer had read my application. Even so, I didn't do much extra preparation (just know your essays and application well). While the interview wasn't blind, I was still asked the standard set of questions plus a few others (but even these weren't tailored to my file). I noticed that the Stern interviewer asked me more follow-up questions than interviewers at other schools. Her questions included:

Why MBA?
Why Stern instead of other leading programs?
Why now?
What would you contribute to the program?
Describe some firms you are interested in working at (NY-based)?
What are you going to do to get hired?
At graduation how would you want your classmates to remember you?
I was quick to answer most questions. The only one that caught me slightly off-guard was the one about how I would work to find a job. I also made sure to prepare several things that differentiated Stern from competing schools (such as things Stern has that Columbia doesn't).

I know that Stern admits a higher percentage of interviewed applicants than other schools, but my sense is that this percentage is a little lower this year (waitlist seems to be heavy). Nonetheless, I was offered admission within 2 weeks after my interview. While I believe Stern is an interesting program, I plan to attend another school.

Round 1 / On-campus / Adcom from Achilles (Published February 18th, 2008)

As is required by Stern, I went for an onsite interview at Stern campus in New York for the interview. Anyways, since I didn't visit the school before so I really wanted to experience everything first hand.

My interview was taken by an Associate Director of admissions. She was really a very nice lady and made me feel comfortable before we jumped on the actual questions. She asked me about my plan for the New York trip and how I am finding the city and also talked about SF (where I am living presently) weather. Then she mentioned to me that this interview is not a blind interview and she has already read my essays, recommendations, resume and my application well. Also she clarified that this is not going to be an interrogation but will just be a casual chat which really helped in calming my nerves. Actually it was my first ever B school interview, so was a little tense but i was also confident on my preparation.

She started with my present experience. She was so well acquainted with my present profile that she asked me a very specific question about the work I am doing presently and that really impressed me a lot. As I am working in a technology consultancy firm I have worked for several Big Retail clients at multiple locations within US and in India. She also asked about my experience on that. It never seemed like she was just asking me questions. In fact it felt like we were just discussing things.

As I have worked with two biggest US retailers she asked me about what is my opinion about their working and what will I suggest them if I need to devise a strategy for them. This question caught me a bit off guard. I though about it a bit and then was able to answer it well.

Then we moved on to my short term goal and she asked me very specific question on that which again was impressive. This interview can really be called a personal interview and I was really impressed on the amount of effort she had put in going through my application material

Type of question which was asked was:-

Why I wanted to make a career switch?
How will I make the career switch?
How will Stern help me in making this switch and reaching my goals?
What will be the biggest obstacle I will face in getting to my short term goal/making the career switch?
How will you decide on which company you will join after passing out from Stern and why?
I was also asked:

If you are selected by several top schools how will you make your final decision?
I am unable to recall some of the questions but will update this post here if I am able to recll more.

The duration for my interview was 40 minutes including the time for my questions.

She mentioned to me after the interview that - "You really have done your research so well - Why was I asking you questions - you should have asked me" . So that really gave me a very positive feeling and I was just waiting for the results.

I was really impressed by the Stern campus, though it's a small campus. But the facilities were really excellent and all of the people were so friendly. After giving admits, the initiative which Stern has taken to connect all the admitted candidates and the way they reply to any of the queries which I have really shows the cooperative and collaborative culture which Stern has. Also its location in the heart of Manhattan - nothing can beat that. Just hop 2-3 subway stops and there you are standing on the Wall Street

For the interview one thing which is very important is:

You may not be asked on many of the things and thus may not get the opportunity to speak whatever you would have thought. So you need to plan during the interview itself that you speak everything you thought of conveying to the admission committee. Don't miss this opportunity and just space out various points in your replies and keep them impressed. It's important that whatever question you answer, you are able to convey one important point so that the interviewer remembers that. This becomes a little difficult when the interview is not blind since you need to go one step further from what you wrote in the application.

Round 1 / Adcom (Published February 14, 2008)

20 mins for Adcom questions:

Tell me about Accenture - you haven't been there that long - it seems like a significant step up - tell me about your role
How do you get the client managers and directors to accept the solutions you present?
Why Stern?
What do you want to have accomplished 15 - 20 years from now?
10 mins for questions from me.

December 2007 - Round 1 - Adcom/on-campus (Published Jan 15, 2008)

As you probably know, the interviewer has reviewed all of your material. So obviously it is a bit different from most interviews.

She asked a lot of the standard interview questions:

Walk me through resume?
Career goals?
Why Stern?
If you get into all the schools you applied to which will you choose?
I think the most interesting question was: Compare Stern's culture to your companies culture? (I am an entrepreneur)
How would your current colleagues describe you? How do you want your classmates to describe you when you graduate?
Strengths and weaknesses.
She asked about specific aspects of my application. Nothing too difficult. Mostly just looking for clarification.
Acdom was very friendly. Although she didn't seem as interested in my small talk as other interviewers I've met. The admissions office is very professional and has less of an academic feel than most programs I've visited.

January 2007 - Round 1 - Adcom/on-campus (Published Feb. 1, 2007)

I recently finished an interview for Round 1 at Stern. While the questions were fairly straight-forward (many are seen further down on this page), the overall interview was more challenging than others I had this year. This is because the adcom really does know/read your file before the interview, and comes prepared with specific questions about your career history. After a quick 30-second chit chat, we dove right into the questions.

Questions asked in my interview (but probably not in this exact order):

How did you choose your undergraduate school/major? How did you use it to get your first job?
Short/long term career goals. How do you plan on leveraging Stern's strengths to achieve your goals?
When is a time that you've worked well on a time?
Describe a team when you've been on a team that didn't work well together, and what did you do to try to fix things?
During the first few weeks at Stern, how will you distinguish yourself from the other new students? How do you want to be known?
In 40 years, you are asked to return to give the commencement speech at Stern. What will be your major accomplishments, and what advice would you give to the graduating Stern class?
You are applying to several top schools. If accepted into all of them, how will you make your decision?
The adcom couldn't have been friendlier or more interested in my responses. He/she truly wants to get to know you and judge whether you will be a good "fit" for the program. My advice is to know your strengths/weaknesses going into the interview, have a concrete idea of the clubs and classes you want to take, and just be yourself.

Spring 2006 - RD2, Adcom

Stern requires that you visit the school for the interview. All interviews are done by adcom employees, and if not direct employees then alumni or students who work for the admissions office. They give you the option of scheduling lunch with a student and a class visit with your interview - if you haven't ever visited, I would take the option to do both. I also asked the student to give me a quick tour of the building - that actually was very interesting. They also have guided tours, but it was nice to have a student's perspective.

Interview:

I met with someone that worked directly for the admissions office. I had actually met her earlier that morning when she walked me to my class visit. She only had my resume in front of her and told me she had read my application. Right away she asked a question about my 3rd essay (the personal one) which was expected b/c I had ended that essay specifically with a question that would be asked if I ever met with Stern. Other q's:

How did you end up here today?
What are you most excited about coming back to school?
What will your co-workers miss about you when you leave?
We also hit on a few topics related to work about: working on teams, what else I would like to learn at my job, how I handled conflicts (with customers).

Be sure to have questions for the interviewer. She knew I had lunch w/a student beforehand so I was pretty set to go on information but have some extra ones anyway.

Stern Interview

The interviewer did not have me go through my resume. The questions were as follows:

What did you gain from your undergraduate experience?

Why should we accept you/ what would you bring to the program?

If you had to pick two extracurriculars at Stern what would they be?

Describe a time at work that you were in the riders seat and you wish you were in the driver's seat, or vice versa.

When you were looking at MBA programs, what were the qualities you were looking for?

How would your colleagues describe you?

Do you have any questions for me?

2/10/06 -- Adcom R2 interview

I had my Stern on-campus interview on February 8, 2006. As soon as I checked in, the Admissions Office gave me a Stern T-Shirt and a folder containing information about specializations and clubs that I had mentioned in my application. The interview lasted 30 minutes and my interviewer asked a lot of questions; as a result, it was less conversational than other interviews I've had. She was not able to answer all my questions but I had lunch with a student afterwards and his input was really helpful--I highly recommend doing this if you visit Stern. There was also a second-year student in the office who was available to answer questions all day long. Here were the questions I was asked:

She had my third essay (and my resume) in front of her and she asked me one or two questions about the essay.
What has been your biggest accomplishment at work?
How would your coworkers describe you?
Can you give me an example of a time when you had difficultly with cross-cultural communication? (In my previous position I worked abroad frequently)
Describe a typical day at work.
Give me an example of a time you worked in a team.
What advice would I give my successor at work?
What are you looking for in an MBA program?
What do you want to do for your summer internship while in school?
Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years, both profesionally and personally?
What do you like to do outside of work?
Retrieved from "http://www.clearadmit.com/wiki/index.php?title=SternInterview"

NYU Stern Part-time面经

以为part-time是不用面试的，因此申请完了一直高枕无忧的东游西荡，差点还打算回国呢。

接到面试邀请以后才开始着慌，狂背，感谢yaoyao99回我的贴。Stern的online reservation只有一个是大约五天后，还有两个spot都是感恩节之后。我想好好过个节，就冲动的挑了最近的。

那天有点冷，我知道附近有个Starbuck's，就提早去了想在那里准备。哪知道里面狂多的人。就过两条街，去了一家中/日/墨混合的餐厅。想耗两个小时，结果午餐吃完就被人家清出来了，只好又晃到Starbuck's。坐在那里数排队的MM脚上的UGG。

面试我的是一个PPMM，她说刚从中国面试回来，是admission的assistant director。她人美心也好，问的问题大都不难。

第一个问题：Tell me something about yourself。
从落草开始，一直回顾到现在的工作。

第二个问题：Tell me something about your current work。
可能刚才不够详细，具体讲了自己的工作，也顺势提到了为什么MBA，why Stern的原因。后来才意识讲的太多了，把之后要讲的话都讲完了。

第三个问题：可能是因为我提到了被Stern吸引的原因之一是他们的campus recruiting，她开始向我介绍part time的career resource，并指出和full time学生是不一样的。其实我早就知道了，但还是非常专著的听。

第四个问题：besides academic，what do you want to get from Stern?
从这里开始，我开始得咽喉炎。因为之前大讲了一通我为什么这么倾心Stern，我不想重复，但又想不出其他什么好话，最后还是结结巴巴地又把先前讲过的重复了一遍。

第五个问题：because you want to make a career change， what skills do you think you can bring to your new career?
这个问题真不难。可是我彻底昏了，喃喃自语了半天，MM也给我搞得迷惑不解。其实什么analytic skills， time management， team work，这些着三不着四的不都是可以transfer的么?

第六个问题：你的理想职业是什么?
我如释重负，居然脱口而出，这个问题我准备过乐!

第七个问题：你还有什么问题?
我问了一个无关痛痒的小问题，是关于学校的一个新闻，学校的网站上绝对找不到答案的。

又因为MM自己也在上part time，我问了问她的experience。随便聊了聊。

送我出去的时候，MM问我接下来准备干吗。我说，去看变形金刚！MM说，听起来不错。

经验：我准备的时候太剑走偏锋，看了一堆莫名其妙的问题，什么你最喜欢的leader，你的role model，你最近看的书。如果时间紧，还是应该着重准备那些基本的问题。如果你是career change，一定要好好准备这方面的问题。其实我看到前人的面经的，就是没怎么在意。

最后倾情推荐：

不知道是不是地球人都知道的，一个面试的数据库：http://www.accepted.com/mba/InterviewFeedback.aspx

我google来的，可以按学校找，很有用！