News, advice and resources for business school applicants

Wiki Wednesdays: Last Chance to Win an iTunes Gift Card!

Dec 17, 2008 | 0 comments

Welcome to another edition of Wiki Wednesdays, where we highlight the latest interview questions as shared by MBA applicants in the Clear Admit Wiki!  This past week, candidates have shared interview experiences from programs like Harvard Business School, Northwestern / Kellogg, NYU /Stern, MIT / Sloan, UCLA / Anderson, UVA / Darden, and the Yale School of Management.

Before posting some of the latest questions, we’d like to remind those going through the MBA admissions process that we’ll be awarding a $10 iTunes gift certificate to every fifth applicant who contributes content to the Wiki through this Friday, December 19th.  To be eligible for the prize, simply e-mail your content – whether an interview report, a school visit account or a school choices case – to wiki@clearadmit.com; we’ll post the content to the Wiki and notify the winners by e-mail.

Now, let’s take a closer look at some of the reports that have rolled in recently!

A Round 1 aspirant for HBS shared the following questions from an adcom member:

  1. Why <Y> company? I talked about the culture of the company, so the next couple of questions had to do with the culture. Why did I fit in, etc.
  2. How long I have been participating in a sport?
  3. Why HBS? Why MBA? Most basic of questions, right? He thought my first answer was a bit generic, and wanted more.
  4. Explain [your] current job.
  5. Explain a project that I described as one of my 3 accomplishments (this one I may have expected as it was the least described project as I had to rip out a lot of the details). So a lot on this project (what was the problem – give numbers, what was the solution, what was my specific role, who was driving the project)

Down in Virginia, a candidate for Darden recounted the interview experience with a second-year student:

  1. “The only real question that they ask you is to ‘tell us about yourself,’ and the applicant takes it from there… That part went on for about 40 minutes and I led my remarks towards any potential follow up that could be asked, or at least that I had anticipated. I then used the next 15 minutes to ask questions, and I was surprised by the frankness and honesty of the student.

Moving on to MIT / Sloan, a Round 1 hopeful provided details about the off-campus interview with an adcom member:

  1. “The adcom explained that MIT conducts behavioral type interviews… The questions included Why MBA / Why Now / Why MIT? And I was challenged or asked for more detail on each…  I was asked to describe more about two or three of my application essays. The questions were pretty vague (i.e. “you mentioned your undergraduate experience in essay 3, tell me more about that”), so I recommend reviewing immediately prior to the interview. I was asked what question I wished I was asked. I stumbled a bit because I was able to previously mention the two stories I had planned if this came up.”

These are just a few snapshots of the latest interview reports MBA applicants have added, but there are plenty of other questions to peruse in the Clear Admit Wiki! Also, be sure to check out the Clear Admit Interview Guides for some extra interview tips.  As always, we’d like to thank everyone who has contributed content to the Wiki this season and we wish the best of luck to those still facing some tough questions!

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Posted in: Interview Tips, Wiki Wednesdays