Welcome to another installment of Wiki Wednesdays! For several months now, we’ve been focusing on the fantastic interview reports that our readers have submitted to the Clear Admit Wiki. Though interview season is nearly over, we’re still receiving some great posts. This week, we saw valuable comments from two applicants to Columbia and Stanford, respectively, who both touched on a similar note. AsianGal shared this insight:
“I realize now that most alumni conducting MBA interviews are probably very much in love with their schools, so the ‘any questions’ bit at the end is an excellent way to end off on a high and positive note. When many b-school applicants start talking about their school days you can definitely feel a rush of excitement in their voices … It’s a great way to establish rapport.”
Similarly, this Stanford applicant prepared well and, given the chance to ask the interviewer questions, was able to finish on a strong note:
“I’d read up on what [the interviewer] had done… and was intrigued to hear the details, so I simply asked him to take me through it, pre-, at and post-Stanford. As an accomplished entrepreneur, he was an excellent advertisement for the program… It was the most pleasant and inspiring interview I’ve had.”
Both of these accounts illustrate the fact that when given the chance to ask questions at the end of an alumni interview, applicants should take advantage of the opportunity to glean insight from their interviewers. Expressing curiosity is a great way to establish rapport and engage the alum in a more relaxed, conversational finish to the interview. Whether questioned about their MBA days or their subsequent accomplishments, most interviewers will be truly enthusiastic about sharing their experiences with someone who seems genuinely interested. There is more information on “interviewing the interviewer” in this recent blog entry.
Though the R2 interview season is winding down, it’s not too late to post interview reports for the benefit of those applying for March deadlines and for 2008 entry. As in years past, we’ve received a lot of positive feedback from applicants who used the Clear Admit Wiki to prepare for their own interviews this season, and we hope that those who benefited from this resource will add to it for the benefit of future applicants.
With the majority of the year’s interviews completed and admit decisions now coming out, we’ll soon be shifting the focus of Wiki Wednesdays to content added by applicants who have been admitted to more than one school and are now deliberating over which offer to accept. It would be wonderful if readers who are in this happy position would share their thought process on our School Choices page; As always, the more applicants who share their thoughts, the more helpful this resource will be!
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