Welcome to this week’s edition of Wiki Wednesdays, where we highlight the latest contributions to the Clear Admit Wiki, an MBA applicant-generated repository of experiences with the admissions process. With interview season in full swing we had several great contributions this week from applicants who recently interviewed with Wharton, Ross, Stanford, Tuck, Kellogg, and INSEAD. Let’s take a look at what our Wiki contributors had to say….
Some of this week’s interview reports showcased questions about the balance of strengths and weaknesses a candidate has in a team setting, while others served as a reminder that interviewers may place emphasis on the more recent experiences of the applicant. A recent Wharton candidate reported the following questions:
- [Identify] two good and two bad attributes that coworkers would describe.
- Walk through a recent success; then a recent failure.
Moving on to Michigan, a recent candidate at Ross shared the following interview questions in the Clear Admit Wiki:
- [What is the] most challenging criticism [you’ve] received?
- [Identify a] challenging teamwork situation; what would [you] do differently?
While these questions may seem tricky – as they seem to probe for times that candidates have made mistakes – applicants should remember to stay focused on the growth that comes from a failure or challenge (with thoughtful reflection on their chosen situations).
The Ross interview report also brought interest in a candidate’s time management to the surface. The Ross applicant noted being asked,
- Besides a couple extracurriculars on [your] resume, what else would [you] want to get involved with?
- How would [you] balance…academics, recruiting and extracurricular [activities]?
Common interests between the interviewer and applicant seemed to inspire some extensive conversation at Tuck. As a Tuck applicant reports,
- “[The interviewer and I] went into extracurriculars, which was another lengthy sidetrack. [I] was concerned that I was spending too much time here, but he and I had some similar and genuine interests.”
This Stanford applicant also related to the interviewer on various topics:
- [The interviewer and I] had similar interests in organizational development, so that was a tangent.
- [The interviewer] had worked for a current customer of ours; [this was] another tangent.
These more conversational trends also surfaced at INSEAD, where a Round 2 candidate for September intake noted, “Out of the 40 minute [interview] about 15-20 minutes were spent on my questions for the alumni.” 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 (via informed questions) is a great way to establish rapport and engage the alum in a more relaxed, conversational finish to the interview.
As always, we’d like to thank everyone who has posted to the Clear Admit Wiki this season and we look forward to more contributions! If you would like to add your experience to the Clear Admit Wiki, simply create an account or send your reports to wiki@clearadmit.com.
Best of luck to those in the midst of Round 2 interviews! Be sure to check out the Clear Admit Interview Guides for extra preparation!
