myice

新鲜出炉的CMU MSCF R2 面经 (with Rick)
3月13日收到的面试，约在今天3月18日面。面试官Rick，要求是skype web-cam interview.

和Rick谈了差不多20多分钟，还是挺开心的。只不过今天skype的线路真的很差很差很差（不是我夸张），因为我基本上靠捕捉关键词听出Rick到底在问我什么问题，最后q&a中他的回答也是很不清晰。过程中有好几次断线，不知道是哪方的线路出了问题，但是Rick说他听我说很清楚。

和以往一些CMU面试者的经历有所不同的是，这次Rick抓住我材料里面比较unusual（他的原话）的地方问了几个问题，还在回答中有所互动。具体问题如下：

我在career goal里面提到了risk management，他问我为什么对这个感兴趣？
我在简历中提到了我曾参与一个抵制鱼翅消费的公益活动，他问我为什么参加这个活动？
我在简历中提到了我曾作为特奥会志愿者，他问我这个活动的经历？(然后他就说他也有类似的经历...稍微互动了一下)
回到正题，问我有没有报欧洲的项目？（我说只报了美国的）报了哪些美国的项目？为什么？考虑的因素是？最理想的选择是？（这个当然要说CMU啦）
以后想在哪里工作？美国？欧洲？亚洲？（回答到一半突然断线...）
好不容易又接通了，他说没什么问题了，就开始我提问

匹兹堡和纽约校区的选择
他的回答大概意思是取决于个人偏好，但他建议像我这样没有全职经验的去纽约，有工作经验的去匹兹堡，互补一下。细节中还提到了纽约校区没有图书馆（他说商科学生不太用得到图书馆，大部分资料都在网上有，囧...），课后和教授沟通用email。关于TA的那一段，没听清楚...
国际学生找工作的困难
他的回答属于比较鼓励性质的，说CMU这个项目有60%—70%的国际学生，他们在这方面已经很有经验了。他提到还是看个人能力，就连Bank of America现在的机构都会招国际学生。最后他承认，美国本土学生毕业后往往能更快地找到工作。
R2结果日
4月5日，到时候录不录取，包括奖学金情况都会揭晓。
THE END...

这估计是我这次申请中的最后一面了，现在有一种如释重负的感觉...结果如何也不去多想了...

我想我面的算比较早的吧，希望可以给其他的R2申请者一点帮助。GOOD LUCK TO ALL~

myice

CMU Tepper MBA Hub Interview Experience
这篇面经去年申请结束就写好了，一直忘记发表，看到现在新一轮的申请又开始了，希望对大家有帮助。

Feb. 23, 2007 Hub Interview

面试官是位硕大的黑人妇女，真的很硕大，原谅我这样说吧耶稣。开始寒暄了一下，然后进入正题。

Walk me through your resume
Why MBA
Short-term and long-term goal
Why Tepper
Why now
Teamwork
Leadership
What can you contribute to CMU
What do you do for fun
Introduce something of China to me （这位大姐最后的一个问题，说要给我一点challenge，汗）
Question for me
面试了大概45分钟，感觉面试做的还不错，该说的都说了，不过最后竟然被WL，不知道是哪里出了问题，不过痞子堡这地名真是很诱人啊。

myice

CMU MBA Interview Share
My memory is fresh.

Tell me what steps you took to get to know the tepper program?
What's your leadership style?
What's your weakness?
What would you like to improve after your studies at the Tepper program?
What's one thing you would like to see changed in your current work environment?
What values do you see in a great leader?
What do you do for fun? and Why?
What's your short term and long term goal?
Tell me an example of how you worked in a tough team and what was the result
Do you have any questions for me?
That's all I can think of right now.  Good luck everyone!

myice

CMU面经
Adcom面试。很常规的问题

Go through your resume
Why MBA
Why School
Team work experience
Leadership Style
Contribution
What do you do for fun
Any question for me?
人很nice，谈得挺愉快。时间比较短，大概25～30分钟，也许Adcom面都是这样的吧。

祝自己好运，也祝其他战友好运。

myice

The Fun side of the interview process..Interview on February 1, 2007, On Campus (Published February 2, 2007)

Yesterday got back from my Carnegie Mellon Interview and to say it was adventurous would be an understatement. So here's the scoop...

Had my interview scheduled for 1st Feb - Thursday - 10:30 AM. And soo was supposed to fly from Minneapolis to Chicago and then Chicago to Pittsburgh ( Carnegie Mellon ) on Wednesday at 7 PM.

All was well starting from Minneapolis at 7 PM...but then because of heavy snow in Minneapolis, flight got delayed and reached Chicago around 9 PM in night instead of 8 PM...Next flight was 9:15 PM and so obviously missed it...

Talked to Customer Care of Airlines and the next available was only till next morning 7 AM ..and so had to spend the night before the interview in Airport..could have gone in a nearby hotel in Chicago, but then decided otherwise... So, if you have seen "Terminal" from Tom Hanks...I was literally like him..searching for seats, where I can sleep peacefully in night . and I really woke up in between when one plane was takin off... almost like "Terminal" )

The biggest problem was that the morning flight would reach Pittsburgh by 9:30 and I was in Jeans and T shirt and if I would have to go to hotel which I had booked in Pittsburgh, take a shower, and change in my suit and go to School , no way could I have made it to Interview...anyways...left a voicemail to the Interviewer on Night about my situation and that I will try my best to reach by 10:30, if not , I might be little late...

so then time to sleep in the Airport on seats ...Got up at 4:30 AM..reached the door...boarded the next flight...reached Pittsburgh..at 9 AM...another bad news....My luggage had already come in earlier flight on Wednesday night..so it was missing and my suit was in that )

so, they had sent the luggage to locker room, so after fightin with officials..finally tracked it It was 9:30 AM ...Now I could not have gone to the Hotel...so decided to change in Airport Restroom..got in one...all private rooms were jammed, but I was not gonna give it up...finally changed in the Restroom open area only.. ) shaved, brushed, washed face, suited buited and all set... It was 10 AM....got in one cab.,...driver was Mexican...asked him to drive really fast...the route which takes 40 mins..we covered in like 20 mins...10 : 20 AM in campus...

now the tough part to locate the Room for interview in a huge campus...got one gal in campus to help me...she was so kind that she escorted me to the Room 10:30 AM...and I was there If you guys hv seen Will Smith's "ursuit of Happiness" - I almost felt like him gettin to Interview panting heavily...lolz

The receptionist had heard my voicemail that I had left and told me "I am glad you made it " - had a glass of water and there you go...

Actually after the experience of travel...tellin abt Interview will be very boring..lol...

Retrieved from "http://www.clearadmit.com/wiki/index.php?title=TepperInterview"

myice

Tepper Interview: 2007 for Flex-Time Program (Published January 21st, 2008)

I'd like to present a clear wiki for the interview process that I had experienced at CMU's Tepper Flex-Time (Part-Time)Program, my thoughts and observations, and other miscellaneous topics. Perhaps this can jump-start discussion on the interview/application/admitted processes at Tepper, instead of focusing on airplane-delays etc.

My job in Pittsburgh entails more than just a Full-Time position. It is an intense, marketing/finance/legal position at a mid-sized manufacturing firm that I was able to obtain through business contacts in NYC, where my previous employment was located. I had taken the GMATs about 5 years ago, and although I had applied and was accepted into NYU's program 4 years ago, (also waitisted at Columbia, just to give you the strength/weakness of my app.) I never thought seriously about an MBA until I arrived here. NYC was such an opportunistic place that I never really had an inkling of a doubt that my job would be in jeopardy - and I think this factor is something that many people do not talk about in these ClearAdmit or MBA411 websites - the uber-metro location of one's employment gives a relative false sense of security for retention and upward mobility, contrarily to popular belief, and provides no insight into the reality of what can and usuallu does happen on a regular basis.

In plain English, my employment was "restructured" in the banking industry, after 5 glorious years of success and happiness and impenetrable fortitude, and I was left with several options to either continue in banking or try my hand in other industries. Hence, I grounded here in Pittsburgh.

With all that said, I decided to apply to only one school, and one school only - CMU's Tepper Flex-Time Program. And I was pleasantly surprised by how much effort, support, and sense of community they had given me, a potential applicant. It was the perfect program for a FT student, on paper anyway, and CMU gave me an interview merely 2 weeks after I submitted my application. (Check the App section for my review there in this wiki under Tepper).

First, I was a late late applicant. There may have been no more than a handful of spots left. (As I understood it, the entire Tepper program is a small progam, with no more than 70 or students in the Flex-Time program, but with an extremely favorable yield on the Teacher/Student Ratio bc the Part-timers take the same classes with the Full-timers).

I presented my best effort, and was lucky enough to land an interview and a subsequent spot in the class so late in the process.

Second, the interviewer was jovial, knew where I came from, clearly read through my application and essays, and resume, and asked poignant questions that dealt with my work, life, and relevancy.

This is how it went:

1. After an email that requested an interview, I had to follow through with a phone call to set up an interview with a Tepper AdCom. I found this to be generally efficient - I did not have to wait, nor leave a message. Got through with the AdCom in person immediately, and scheduled an interview right away. Comparatively, my interviews at Columbia and NYU were disastrous in retrospect - I waited 2 weeks for Columbia to get back to me, the interviewer's cordial but condescending attitude was an immediate put-off, and at NYU, the interviewer was probably no older than I was.

2. Went to the interview 5 minutes early, waited at the front desk on the CMU campus, and my interviewer came out. She was dressed in a casual business attire, and made the effort to keep the process comfortable - which led me to believe that the Tepper Interview was in fact focused on trying to determine the applicant's true being. Unlike Harvard, where the interview process is grueling and tries to throw the candiate off guard to gain some insight that may never show light in real life applications, I found this a refreshing approach. Yes, I belive it's important to see what the applicant would do outside of his/her comfort zone, but to do it intentionally during the interview only proves that the candidate can perform under duress of the INTERVIEW. Why not spend the time in a cordial manner and try to determine the applicant's true being uring this short time? I think Tepper accomplished that with me.

3. There was no formal structure to the interview - and this surprised me, as both a positive and a negative - and this could have been due to my own work esperiences and background, which is pretty haphazard to begin with. The first question was, "Why did you choose Tepper Flex-Time"? I answered with gusto. It was a reflectin of my essays, but really, think about the question and answer it in terms that add to the detail and content of the essay, not a simple regurgitation.

4. More questions and answers - it soon turned out to be less and interview than a conversation - of desires, career goals, current employment, and even extracurricular activities. Prepare, and think these through, and do not believe that Tepper will grind you with esoteric questions. Know the Tepper program inside and out, make pointers where necessary that you know and believe Tepper is the best choice for you, and you'll be fine. Of course, like me, you have to believe in the words you say. My interviewer, though informal in content, had an extremely high E.Q., and would probably be able to spot any BS-ers from the real Macoys on the spot. If Tepper is not your first choice, then don't pretend that it is. The interviewer will see right through you (at least mine would have), and it will affect your attitude if you do decide to go to Tepper. Be honest and things will be alright.

5. After 30 minutes, the interview wound down, and we said our goodbyes. I know it feels funny to say, but I had a warm, fuzzy feeling. It may have been the best interview that I have personally had.

So, ultimately, my interview process was smooth and exactly like what I thought it would/should have been like. And talking to all of my other fellow-future-classmates, they all felt that it went the same way. I have yet to start my classes at Tepper, but I truly look forward to it now, after all the red tape has been crossed, especially considering how my classsmates universally share similar experiences.

I hope this entry helped you future grads out there. Good luck!

myice

Round 2 (Published February 9th, 2009)

The interview went pretty well although it was difficult for me to get her impression of the interview.

In terms of the questions, covered the following:

Talk about your background
Why MBA
Why now
Why Tepper
Talk about your leadership style & challenge that displayed the leadership style and what are the weaknesses in your application (mentioned GMAT but seems like she wanted more).
How will you contribute?

myice

Round 1 / Phone interview / Adcom (Published November 16, 2009 as shared in Magologue - A Young gal's dreamroll)

Interview lasted for 45 minutes. First 30 minutes, I answered the questions of interviewer and next 15 minutes interviewer answered my questions about Tepper and MBA program

Questions:

Tell me about yourself. Include your academic and professional background.
Why does an MBA make sense to you at this point of time
Why Tepper is the right school for you ? Tell me about the steps you have taken to research about Tepper
Tepper values leadership. Tell me about your leadership style. Mention an example where you displayed leadership
Teamwork is a highly valued attribute in any MBA aspirant. Tell me your role in the team. Give me an example where you were a part of a difficult team situation and the steps you took to resolve the issue.
Describe how you see your career unfold in next 2 years, 5 years and 10 years to the best of your knowledge.

myice

Round 1 / On-campus / Adcom (Published January 27th, 2010)

I had applied in the round 1 for Tepper school of business and was preselected for the interview on Campus based on the my resume and GMAT scores even before I had submitted the application. I do not think this is the same case with remote interviews.

I had my interview with adcom member, Laurene Capone and It was not at all a stress interview. However, it was properly structured. The interview started with her describing how the interview will go and she specifically told me the time by which it should be should be wound up.

I am not sure if the interviewer had seen my application or it was completely blind. I had no communication on that. But this information can be key to the preparation. So, make sure one of AWARE of this information. She had a document on which she went on scribbling while I was answering the questions.

My impressions were that if we are prepared enough, the interview should be a cake walk. All of the questions( except a couple ) that were asked were the ones I have seen before and for which I had ready made answers.

So, PRACTICE with TIME LIMIT is the key. The typical questions that were asked were the following. ( in sequential Order ).

Tell me about yourself .. I was not told about time I should speak for this question, so I went on speaking. I was stopped in the middle. My advice to the fellow applicants is to be prepared for a short 3-4 minutes talk about yourself, giving a snapshot of your entire life. Do not try to say everything but only a few highlights.
Why do you want an MBA and why Tepper ?
Why MBA now ( I found this hard to answer )
Then came the Stumper. Laurene said that she is going to ask a difficult question and asked me to take time to answer this. What do you think is the weakest part of your application.I guess this is not similar to a generic weakness question but weakness from the application perspective.
She asked me about the leadership experiences I had till date and what did I learn from.
Also was asked about the cross cultural experiences and what I learnt from them.
After this question, Laurene said she is finished with the interview and opened the forum for me I told her that I wanted say something that I had missed earlier and I took this chance to tell amount about my community activities. I asked her few questions around student life and clubs.

And, that was it. I was done. After the interview I felt a lot comfortable and got a feeling that I could have done a lot better. I was tensed during the first part of the interview ( it is my first face to face interviews ) and later I cooled down and was talking freely. My advice to fellow applicants is to practice the interview ( Face to face, or infront of the mirror ) as many times as possible. But do not overdo it to the extent that it seems that you reading something from a book. BE RELAXED while answering. Also, try to be as clear as possible. At one time, I was speaking very fast and was told by laurene to slow down J All the best.

RESULT : Waitlisted in Round 1.

myice

Round 1 / Phone / Adcom (published February 11th, 2010)

it was a very informal discussion of my application. the interviewer put me at complete ease with some general conversation about the weather and other small talk. and then we began discussing my application.

it was mostly a reiteration of my application essays. the questions ( and i think in this order):

walk me thru your resume/career --- which then naturally lead to why MBA --- which then led to my post mba short term goals --- which then led to why Tepper --- and i think there was some mention of what I will bring to Tepper;

and then there were questions specific to my resume; such as examples of leadership experience, what is my learning from those experiences, what are the essential qualities to being a good a leader; all this lasted for abt 30-35 mins.

and then I asked a few questions about the Tepper program, which were very patiently explained. (about 10 minutes)...overall a great discussion !!

result--got an admit.