MBA Admissions Interview Tips and Samples

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General
Be yourself; allow your personality to shine.

Respond to questions honestly and candidly.

Understand what is asked of you. Feel free to ask for a repeat if you don't clearly understand a question.

Avoid the "smart-aleck" reply or the clever-flip demeanor (you know the effort to be cute, snappy alert, falsely witty).

Do your homework on the school and program.

Be on time. Look nice.

Examine yourself. Know something about the MBA and how it can aid you.

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Specific
Discuss special interests and ask how the school may help you to pursue them. For example, one representative particularly enjoyed talking to a young lady about her interest in fund-raising management.

Ask about faculty research and interests, especially in areas that concern you.

Review with representatives your work background, highlighting the benefits you received from the experiences.

Know something about the MBA degree and what it can do for you. Explore the possibilities of the degree as it relates to what you are seeking.

Inquire about the school's philosophy, approach, and direction.  Since management education is young, many schools are still defining and redefining themselves in regard to what they do and how they do it.

Inquire about facilities (library, computer equipment), housing, and campus life. A recent graduate chose a school based on its tremendous computer laboratory.

If financial aid is critical to you, ask about aid sources, its availability, and the name of the person responsible for administering the program.

Describe to the representatives who you are:  your strengths, assets, traits needing development.

Discuss your college work, making special reference to those courses/projects that were valuable, exciting, worthwhile, and important to your future.

Be frank about problems — real or perceived — without rationalizing, apologizing, blaming, or excusing.  Common problems may include grades, test scores, an inconsistent record, or minimal work experience.

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Sample MBA Interview Questions
A group of applicants have offered the following as questions asked of them when they interviewed for admission to MBA programs:

Discuss your career progression.

Give examples of how you have demonstrated leadership inside and outside the work environment.

What do you want to do (in regard to business function, industry, location)?

Why the MBA?  Why now?

Describe an ethical dilemma faced at work?

Describe your career aspirations?

What would you do if not accepted?

What are your long- and short-term goals?  Why?

Why are you applying to business school?

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Why does this school appeal to you?

What is an activity you are involved in? Why is it important to you?

Talk about experiences you have had at work.

Why are you interested in a general MBA program?

Why did you choose your undergraduate major?

Discuss yourself.

What contributions would you make to a group?

Name three words or phrases to describe yourself to others.

What is most frustrating at work?

How would co-workers describe you?

Describe a typical work day.

Have you worked in a team environment? What were your contributions to the effort?

Discuss any experience you have had abroad.

How did you choose your job after college?

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What do you do to relieve stress?

It's two years after graduation, what three words would your team members use to describe you?

Describe a situation where you brought an idea forward, and it failed.

How do you define success?

What would you do if a team member wasn't pulling his own weight?

Is there anything you would like to ask me/us?

Discuss your career progression.

Give examples of how you have demonstrated leadership inside and outside the work environment.

What do you want to do (in regard to business function, industry, location)?

Why the MBA?  Why now?

Describe an ethical dilemma faced at work?

Describe your career aspirations?

What would you do if not accepted?

What are your long- and short-term goals?  Why?

Why are you applying to business school?

Why does this school appeal to you?

What is an activity you are involved in? Why is it important to you?

Talk about experiences you have had at work.

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Why are you interested in a general MBA program?

Why did you choose your undergraduate major?

Discuss yourself.

What contributions would you make to a group?

Name three words or phrases to describe yourself to others.

What is most frustrating at work?

How would co-workers describe you?

Describe a typical work day.

Have you worked in a team environment? What were your contributions to the effort?

Discuss any experience you have had abroad.

How did you choose your job after college?

What do you do to relieve stress?

Did you receive any feedback about developmental areas and what are you doing to address them

Favorite book / movie

What are you most interested in, in the news ? why ?

Would you continue your extracurricular involvement at HBS ?

How do you motivate people ?

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Who is hardest to manage ? (in your own team and in general, type of person)

What do you think you will gain from HBS ?

Where else did you apply and why ?

What are the biggest challenge for Europe in the next 10-50 years ?

What do you think of the integration of eastern countries ?

It's two years after graduation, what three words would your team members use to describe you?

Describe a situation where you brought an idea forward, and it failed.

How do you define success?

What would you do if a team member wasn't pulling his own weight?

Is there anything you would like to ask me/us?

Why HBS

How have you handled a management difficult experience?

what questions do you have about our school?

give 3 positive character points

give one negative one

when was your integrity challenged

what are your professional goals

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ask me 3 questions

what is your team work philosophy

why a team would want me in one sentence

what 3 adjectives would you use to describe yourself

why did you pick the undergrad school you did

If I had to pick 6 people out of 15 to be on my team, why should I not pick you?

What will you bring to HBS

Do you have any regrets ?

Is there anything you want to add ?

Describe 3 other leadership experience

Why do you want to leave a great job

Describe 3 other failure experience

Give me an example on how you work in team

What is your leadership style

Clarify me your day-essay

you seem to always lead in everything you do, have you ever been a follower?

What do you enjoy doing in your free time

What mistake do you wish you could take back

Describe a time when you had to deal with a difficult colleague

How did you decide on your undergraduate degree ? How has it prepared you for your future ?

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What is your dream job?

Tell me about a time that you were on a team and things didn’t go so well. What did you learn ? what do you wish you had done differently?

If you had to write your own obituary, what are some things you would want it to say?

If there was something in your life that you would want a "do-over" on, what would it be and why?

What concerns do you have about HBS?

What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given and how did you apply it?

If I were to invest in one company in X industry (my specialty), what would it be and why?

What do you think Y company could do better?

Discuss your career progression.

Give examples of how you have demonstrated leadership inside and outside the work environment.

What do you want to do (in regard to business function, industry, location)?

Describe an ethical dilemma faced at work?

Describe your career aspirations?

What would you do if not accepted?

What are your long- and short-term goals?  Why?

Why are you applying to business school?

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Why does this school appeal to you?

What is an activity you are involved in? Why is it important to you?

Talk about experiences you have had at work.

Why are you interested in a general MBA program?

Why did you choose your undergraduate major?

Discuss yourself.

What contributions would you make to a group?

Name three words or phrases to describe yourself to others.

What is most frustrating at work?

How would co-workers describe you?

Describe a typical work day.

Have you worked in a team environment? What were your contributions to the effort?

Discuss any experience you have had abroad.

How did you choose your job after college?

What do you do to relieve stress?

It's two years after graduation, what three words would your team members use to describe you?

Describe a situation where you brought an idea forward, and it failed.

How do you define success?