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Craft a winning application with the Clear Admit Strategy Series! Step-by-Step guidance through the application process. Titles include a Resume Guide, Recommendations Guide, Waitlist Guide and more!

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Be as prepared as possible for your MBA interviews this season with the Clear Admit Interview Guides! School-specific sample questions and in-depth strategy, campus visit details and places to stay.

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Business School Resources
The following are business resources offered by a variety of leading Business Schools. It's useful to subscribe to these resources, especially for the schools to which you are applying.

• knowledge@wharton
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CATEGORY - INTERVIEW TIPS

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

Half of Chicago Booth Round Two Interview Invitations Still to Go Out

Haven’t received an invitation to interview as part of the University of Chicago Booth Scool of Business’s second round? Don’t despair, says Dean of Admissions Rose Martinelli. Many invitations are still to go out.

“I want to assure you that we are still evaluating applications,” she wrote on her blog yesterday. “ In fact, we’ve just crossed 50% as of today,” she continued, adding that her office will need every day between now and the February 17th notification deadline for the round to evaluate the remaining applications and extend interview invitations.

She reminded applicants about what they should expect from the interview, encouraging them to be prepared to answer basic questions about the MBA and their own future goals. As examples, she offered the following:

• Can I clearly articulate my career plan and future goals? 
• What do I really want from my MBA experience? 
• What is my motivation to obtain an MBA? 
• Why is Chicago Booth the right place for me, and why am I right for Booth? 
• How do I plan to use my MBA in my career? 

Beyond these types of questions, the interview will be behaviorally-oriented, calling on applicants to discuss how they approached a situation or challenge in the past, she wrote. “Think about experiences that you can use to address these types of questions,” she suggested, and practice a few times with friends or colleagues.

Finally, relax and just focus on having a conversation with your interviewer, she said. “Remember, the interviewer knows Booth well, but not you. So feel free to allow the conversation to be two way,” she suggested. The interview is just one of many components of your application, she concluded.

Don’t forget that you can follow other applicants’ progress through the interview process – and share your own experience – on the Clear Admit Wiki. And you can check out the Clear Admit Chicago Booth Interview Guide for valuable insight on exactly how to prepare for your own interview. Good luck!

0 Comments »

# posted by Clear Admit @ 1:00 pm in Interview Tips, School: Chicago

Monday, February 01, 2010

Admissions Tip: The Interview Final Touch

Over the last months, we’ve focused on helping applicants prepare to answer the various questions they’ll be posed during their interviews, but there is one in particular to which we have not paid much attention. Today, we wanted to offer a few tips in navigating the nearly inevitable interview finisher: “Do you have any questions for me?”

This seems like a harmless inquiry, and indeed poses a great opportunity, but there’s actually a fine line to walk here. You certainly want to take advantage of this opportunity to show the interviewer that you appreciate his or her time, perspective and knowledge. In determining what to ask, however, you need to avoid those questions to which you could easily find an answer on the school’s website (remember that it’s imperative that you show you’ve done your homework), as well as those that are so specific or obscure that they will stump the interviewer. Another sort of question to avoid are those that seem to be critical of the program or too concerned with other applicants; now is not the time to ask about application volume or the strength of the pool this year.

What does that leave? More than you might initially expect. We’ve found that a great approach is to ask your interviewer about his or her own perspective and experience. Current students and alums, who involve themselves in the admissions process are generally those who are having or have had a positive experience in business school. If your interviewer falls into one of these categories, he or she will likely appreciate the chance to talk about a favorite class or professor, or comment on involvement in a certain club. Meanwhile, when engineering questions to pose to full-time admissions staff, remember that these individuals likely have less in-depth information but a longer-term perspective on the program than would someone who is currently attending or has attended.

Armed with these tips, you should be able to foster a positive and productive conversation, learn a bit more about the program in question, and make a positive impression on your interviewer.

If you have further inquiries about the best questions to pose in your interview (or any other aspect of the interview process), contact Clear Admit directly and sign up for our mock interview service (info@clearadmit.com). We offer school-by-school interview guides, strategy sessions and mock interviews to help you perform at your best on interview day. Also, do not forget to use the Clear Admit MBA Admissions Wiki as a resource for interview preparations!

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# posted by Clear Admit @ 9:01 am in Admissions Tips, Interview Guides, Interview Tips

Friday, January 22, 2010

Round 2 Interview Information from Harvard Business School

Director of Admissions Dee Leopold announced on her blog yesterday that Harvard Business School (HBS) plans to begin sending out interview invitations to round-two candidates on February 12th.

Her office will conduct roughly 800 interviews in this round, including interviewing some candidates who were placed on the waitlist as part of the first round, Leopold continued. “Most, but not all, of these invitations will go out on February 12th so that all invitees have equal access to locations and dates,” she wrote. But some may continue to trickle out up to and including on April 6th, the notification deadline for the second round.

Invitations will come in the form of an email from HBS MBA Admissions, Leopold wrote. The HBA MBA Admissions office will be closed on Monday, February 15th, for President’s Day, she advised. Following that, on Tuesday, February 16th, the HBS online interview scheduler will go live. Interview invitation emails will contain detailed instructions on how to schedule an interview, she continued.

As a reminder, HBS interviews are by invitation only. “We do not accommodate requests for interviews from candidates who are visiting campus,” Leopold wrote.

For a full list of available interview locations and planned interview dates, click here.

0 Comments »

# posted by Clear Admit @ 1:00 pm in Interview Tips, School: Harvard

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Submit an Interview Report, Win a $10 Gift Card to iTunes!

Welcome to another installment of Wiki Wednesdays, in which we highlight the latest happenings in the Clear Admit Wiki, an online repository for MBA applicants to share their experiences with admissions interviews!  We’ve received a number of interview reports this past week – for Chicago Booth, Northwestern / Kellogg and Harvard Business School – and we’d like to thank everyone who has been sharing their experiences this season!

For the next few weeks, any interview report submitted for an MBA program in the Clear Admit Wiki is eligible for a $10 iTunes gift certificate!  In other words, all you have to do is send us your interview field report for inclusion in the Wiki and we’ll send you a $10 iTunes gift certificate.   While any contributor can win, you must send your interview report to wiki@clearadmit.com to be eligible; we’ll post it to the Wiki and notify the winners by e-mail (Limit: one gift card per person).

The most helpful and informative reports usually include the following information:

1. Date/Admissions Round
2. Description of visit and/or interview atmosphere
3. Type of interview (alum vs. adcom, blind vs. application-based)
4. List of interview questions
5. Commentary (What did you think of the interview? What surprised you? What didn’t surprise you? What might you conclude about the school based on this experience?)

Applicants who would like to supplement the information available on the Wiki can check out our Clear Admit Interview Guides, which provide school-specific insight and strategic about admissions interviews.  Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the Clear Admit Wiki and helped fellow applicants prepare for MBA admissions interviews this season!

0 Comments »

# posted by Clear Admit @ 3:33 pm in Interview Tips, Wiki Wednesdays

Wednesday, January 06, 2010

Wiki Wednesdays: Submit an Interview Report, Receive a Gift Card to iTunes!

Welcome to another edition of Wiki Wednesdays!  We are excited to celebrate the New Year – and new interview reports – with iTunes gift cards!  Any interview report submitted for an MBA program in the Clear Admit Wiki is eligible for a $10 iTunes gift card!  In other words, all you have to do is send us your interview field report for inclusion in the Wiki and we’ll send you a $10 iTunes gift certificate.

For the uninitiated, the Clear Admit Wiki is an online repository for MBA applicants to share their experiences with admissions interviews.  As a free and versatile forum, applicants can recount the full list of questions they’ve been asked from alumni, adcom members or second-year student interviewers and even add personal commentary.   This communal sharing of information can help fellow applicants arrive at a feeling of readiness for facing the expected – and the unexpected – questions.

For those interested in adding their experience to the Wiki, we’ll be awarding a $10 iTunes gift certificate to every applicant who contributes an interview report.  To be eligible for the prize, simply send your contribution to wiki@clearadmit.com; we’ll post it to the Wiki and notify the winners by e-mail (Limit: one gift card per person).

The most helpful and informative reports usually include the following information:

1. Date/Admissions Round
2. Description of visit and/or interview atmosphere
3. Type of interview (alum vs. adcom, blind vs. application-based)
4. List of interview questions
5. Commentary (What did you think of the interview? What surprised you? What didn’t surprise you? What might you conclude about the school based on this experience?)

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the Clear Admit Wiki and helped fellow applicants prepare for MBA admissions interviews this season!  Good luck to everyone wrapping up their Round 2 applications and getting ready for their admissions interviews.  Applicants who would like to supplement the information available on the Wiki can check out our Clear Admit Interview Guides, which provide school-specific insight and strategic advice to help applicants with their admissions interviews.  Happy new year and be sure to send us your interview experiences to win an iTunes gift card!

0 Comments »

# posted by Clear Admit @ 4:00 am in Interview Tips, Wiki Wednesdays

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Wiki Wednesdays: Submit an Interview Report, Receive a Gift Card to iTunes!

Welcome to another edition of Wiki Wednesdays!  As 2010 approaches, we are excited to celebrate the New Year – and new interview reports – with iTunes gift cards!  Any interview report submitted for an MBA program in the Clear Admit Wiki is eligible for a $10 iTunes gift card!  In other words, all you have to do is send us your interview field report for inclusion in the Wiki and we’ll send you a $10 iTunes gift certificate.

For the uninitiated, the Clear Admit Wiki is an online repository for MBA applicants to share their experiences with admissions interviews.  As a free and versatile forum, applicants can recount the full list of questions they’ve been asked from alumni, adcom members or second-year student interviewers and even add personal commentary.   This communal sharing of information can help fellow applicants arrive at a feeling of readiness for facing the expected – and the unexpected – questions.

For those interested in adding their experience to the Wiki, we’ll be awarding a $10 iTunes gift certificate to every applicant who contributes an interview report.  To be eligible for the prize, simply send your contribution to wiki@clearadmit.com; we’ll post it to the Wiki and notify the winners by e-mail (Limit: one gift card per person).

The most helpful and informative reports usually include the following information:

1. Date/Admissions Round
2. Description of visit and/or interview atmosphere
3. Type of interview (alum vs. adcom, blind vs. application-based)
4. List of interview questions
5. Commentary (What did you think of the interview? What surprised you? What didn’t surprise you? What might you conclude about the school based on this experience?)

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the Clear Admit Wiki and helped fellow applicants prepare for MBA admissions interviews this season!  Applicants who would like to supplement the information available on the Wiki can check out our Clear Admit Interview Guides, which provide school-specific insight and strategic advice to help applicants with their admissions interviews.  Have a great weekend and be sure to send us your interview experiences to win an iTunes gift card!

0 Comments »

# posted by Clear Admit @ 3:08 pm in Interview Tips, Wiki Wednesdays

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Wiki Wednesdays: Win an iTunes Gift Card for Your MBA Interview Report!

Welcome to another edition of Wiki Wednesdays!  To help spread a little holiday cheer, we are excited to announce that interview reports submitted for any MBA program in the Clear Admit Wiki are eligible for a $10 iTunes gift card!  In other words, if you have interviewed at an MBA program that we feature in our Wiki, all you have to do is send us your interview field report for inclusion in the Wiki and we’ll send you a $10 iTunes gift certificate.   

For the uninitiated, the Clear Admit Wiki is an online repository for MBA applicants to share their experiences with admissions interviews.  As a free and versatile forum, applicants can recount the full list of questions they’ve been asked from alumni, adcom members or second-year student interviewers and even add personal commentary.   This communal sharing of information can help fellow applicants arrive at a feeling of readiness for facing the expected – and the unexpected – questions.

For those interested in adding their experience to the Wiki, we’ll be awarding a $10 iTunes gift certificate to every applicant who contributes an interview report.  To be eligible for the prize, simply send your contribution to wiki@clearadmit.com; we’ll post it to the Wiki and notify the winners by e-mail (Limit: one gift card per person).

The most helpful and informative reports usually include the following information:

1. Date/Admissions Round
2. Description of visit and/or interview atmosphere
3. Type of interview (alum vs. adcom, blind vs. application-based)
4. List of interview questions
5. Commentary (What did you think of the interview? What surprised you? What didn’t surprise you? What might you conclude about the school based on this experience?)

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the Clear Admit Wiki and helped fellow applicants prepare for MBA admissions interviews this season!  Applicants who would like to supplement the information available on the Wiki can check out our Clear Admit Interview Guides, which provide school-specific insight and strategic advice to help applicants with their admissions interviews.  Have a great weekend and be sure to send us your interview experiences to win an iTunes gift card!

0 Comments »

# posted by Clear Admit @ 3:13 pm in Interview Guides, Interview Tips, Wiki Wednesdays

Friday, December 18, 2009

Submit an Interview Report, Win a $10 Gift Card to iTunes!

As you may know from our Wiki Wednesdays column, the Clear Admit Wiki is an online repository for MBA applicants to share their experiences with admissions.  One challenge candidates face in the admissions process is the ever-important interview, which is how the Clear Admit Wiki can help.  As a free and versatile forum, applicants can recount the full list of questions they’ve been asked from alumni, adcom members or second-year student interviewers and even add personal commentary.   This communal sharing of information can help fellow applicants arrive at a feeling of readiness for facing the expected – and the unexpected – questions.

For those interested in adding their experience to the Wiki, we’ll be awarding a $10 iTunes gift certificate to every fifth applicant who contributes an interview report.  Plus, between now and next Tuesday, December 22nd, the first 15 candidates that submit interview reports for Berkeley / Haas, Oxford / Said, Stanford GSB or Yale SOM will receive a $10 gift certificate to iTunes!  To be eligible for the prize, simply send your contribution to wiki@clearadmit.com; we’ll post it to the Wiki and notify the winners by e-mail (Limit: one gift card per person).

The most helpful and informative reports usually include the following information:

1. Date/Admissions Round
2. Description of visit and/or interview atmosphere
3. Type of interview (alum vs. adcom, blind vs. application-based)
4. List of interview questions
5. Commentary (What did you think of the interview? What surprised you? What didn’t surprise you? What might you conclude about the school based on this experience?)

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the Clear Admit Wiki and helped fellow applicants prepare for MBA admissions interviews this season!  Applicants who would like to supplement the information available on the Wiki can check out our Clear Admit Interview Guides, which provide school-specific insight and strategic advice to help applicants with their admissions interviews.  Have a great weekend and be sure to send us your interview experiences for a chance to win an iTunes gift card!

0 Comments »

# posted by Clear Admit @ 4:14 pm in Interview Tips, Wiki Wednesdays

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Wiki Wednesdays: Submit an Interview Report, Win a $10 Gift Card to iTunes!

Welcome to another edition of Wiki Wednesdays, our weekly post about the Clear Admit Wiki, an online repository for MBA applicants to share their experiences with the admissions process.  Over the past week, we’ve received a number of interview reports for Harvard Business School and Northwestern / Kellogg.  Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the Clear Admit Wiki and helped fellow applicants prepare for MBA admissions interviews!

For those interested in adding their experience to the Wiki, we’ll be awarding a $10 iTunes gift certificate to every fifth applicant who contributes an interview report.  Plus, between now and next Tuesday, December 22nd, the first 15 candidates that submit interview reports for Berkeley / Haas, Oxford / Said, Stanford GSB or Yale SOM will receive a $10 gift certificate to iTunes!  To be eligible for the prize, simply send your contribution to wiki@clearadmit.com; we’ll post it to the Wiki and notify the winners by e-mail (Limit: one gift card per person).

The most helpful and informative reports usually include the following information:

1. Date/Admissions Round
2. Description of visit and/or interview atmosphere
3. Type of interview (alum vs. adcom, blind vs. application-based)
4. List of interview questions
5. Commentary (What did you think of the interview? What surprised you? What didn’t surprise you? What might you conclude about the school based on this experience?)

As always, we wish the best of luck to Round 1 applicants undergoing the interview phase of the admissions process!  Applicants who would like to supplement the information available on the Wiki can check out our Clear Admit Interview Guides, which provide school-specific insight and strategic advice to help applicants with their admissions interviews.  Stay tuned to this blog for an array of interview tips in the coming weeks, and be sure to check out the Clear Admit Wiki for firsthand interview accounts.

0 Comments »

# posted by Clear Admit @ 2:30 am in Interview Guides, Interview Tips, School: Berkeley / Haas, School: Oxford, School: Stanford, School: Yale, Wiki Wednesdays

Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Wiki Wednesdays: Submit an Interview Report for Carnegie Mellon / Tepper, Cornell / Johnson, UT / McCombs or London Business School and Win a $10 Gift Card to iTunes!

Welcome to another edition of Wiki Wednesdays, our weekly post about the Clear Admit Wiki, an online repository for MBA applicants to share their experiences with the admissions process.  Over the past week, we’ve received a number of interview reports for Northwestern / Kellogg and Dartmouth / Tuck.  Let’s take a closer look at the questions these candidates faced…

An Early Action applicant to Tuck interviewed with a second-year student and addressed the following queries:

1. Why MBA? Why now?  Why Tuck?
2. Talk about a time you worked in a team.
3. Talk about a time you disagreed with your boss/supervisor and how it was resolved.
4. Imagine you are selling yourself to the adcom. What are the three things about yourself you would want them to know?

On Kellogg’s campus, an accepted Round 1 applicant recalled the following questions from his adcom interviewer:

1. So your job involves a lot of leadership. Tell me about some of your other leadership experiences.
2. What is the accomplishment you are most proud of in your career?
3. Your community involvement involves working with a lot of different organizations. Tell me about one specific project you’ve worked on.
4. Tell me about your time at your undergraduate university.
5. How would you contribute to Kellogg?

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the Clear Admit Wiki and helped fellow applicants prepare for MBA admissions interviews!  For those interested in adding their experience to the Wiki, we’ll be awarding a $10 iTunes gift certificate to every fifth applicant who contributes an interview report.  Plus, between now and next Tuesday, December 14th, the first 15 candidates that submit interview reports for Carnegie Mellon / Tepper, Cornell / Johnson, UT / McCombs or London Business School will receive a $10 gift certificate to iTunes!  To be eligible for the prize, simply send your contribution to wiki@clearadmit.com; we’ll post it to the Wiki and notify the winners by e-mail (Limit: one gift card per person).

As always, we wish the best of luck to Round 1 applicants undergoing the interview phase of the admissions process!  Applicants who would like to supplement the information available on the Wiki can check out our Clear Admit Interview Guides, which provide school-specific insight and strategic advice to help applicants with their admissions interviews.  Stay tuned to this blog for an array of interview tips in the coming weeks, and be sure to check out the Clear Admit Wiki for firsthand interview accounts.

0 Comments »

# posted by Clear Admit @ 3:18 pm in Interview Tips, School: CMU / Tepper, School: Cornell / Johnson, School: London Business School, School: UT Austin / McCombs, Wiki Wednesdays

Friday, December 04, 2009

Dartmouth / Tuck Applicants: Participate in a Special Free Clear Admit Admissions Strategy Webinar

There are still a few remaining spaces in the Clear Admit webinar scheduled to be held next week on Tuesday, December 8th! The webinar will be focused exclusively on Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Hosted by former Tuck admissions officer Stacey Oyler, the meeting will provide insight into Tuck’s essays and interview process and discuss the core components of a successful Tuck application.  Participants will also have the opportunity to have Tuck-specific questions answered at the end of the seminar.

The webinar has a limited number of spaces, so reserve your spot now!

If interested, please send an email to seminar@clearadmit.com. Spaces will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so secure your spot early. The webinar will be held at 12 p.m. EST and will run until 1 p.m.

Email us now to participate in this valuable and informative webinar! We will notify you if you have successfully secured a spot.

1 Comment »

# posted by Clear Admit @ 4:00 pm in Admissions Tips, Events, Interview Tips, School: Dartmouth / Tuck

Tuesday, December 01, 2009

Dartmouth / Tuck Applicants: Participate in a Special Free Clear Admit Admissions Strategy Webinar

On Tuesday, December 8th, join Clear Admit as we host another of our popular and free webinars. Next week’s webinar will be focused exclusively on Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Hosted by former Tuck admissions officer Stacey Oyler, the meeting will provide insight into Tuck’s essays and interview process and discuss the core components of a successful Tuck application.  Participants will also have the opportunity to have Tuck-specific questions answered at the end of the seminar.

The webinar has a limited number of spaces, so make sure to reserve your spot early!

If interested, please send an email to seminar@clearadmit.com. Space is limited and will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so secure your spot early. The webinar will be held at 12 p.m. EST and will run until 1 p.m.

Email us now to participate in this valuable and informative webinar! We will notify you if you have successfully secured a spot.

0 Comments »

# posted by Clear Admit @ 1:18 pm in Admissions Tips, Events, Interview Tips, School: Dartmouth / Tuck

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Wiki Wednesdays: Submit a Report, Win an iTunes Gift Card!

Welcome back to Wiki Wednesdays, our weekly peek at the Clear Admit Wiki – a free source of breaking interview invitation news and extensive information on the interview process at each program. For those who aren’t familiar, the Wiki is a collaborative resource for the MBA applicant community where applicants can (anonymously or otherwise) post reports about their interviews, campus visits and application experiences at the top business schools, and read about those of others.  Over the past week, we’ve received a number of interview reports for the Wharton School, Harvard Business School, Chicago Booth, Michigan / Ross and last, but not least, Northwestern / Kellogg.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the Clear Admit Wiki and helped fellow applicants prepare for MBA admissions interviews!  For those interested in adding their experience to the Wiki, we’ll be awarding a $10 iTunes gift certificate to every fifth applicant who contributes an interview report.  To be eligible for the prize, simply send your contribution to wiki@clearadmit.com; we’ll post it to the Wiki and notify the winners by e-mail (Limit: one gift card per person).

The most helpful and informative reports usually include the following information:

1. Date/Admissions Round
2. Description of visit and/or interview atmosphere
3. Type of interview (alum vs. adcom, blind vs. application-based)
4. List of interview questions
5. Commentary (What did you think of the interview? What surprised you? What didn’t surprise you? What might you conclude about the school based on this experience?)

Applicants who would like to supplement the information available on the Wiki can check out our Clear Admit Interview Guides, which provide school-specific insight and strategic advice to help applicants with their admissions interviews.

As always, we wish the best of luck to Round 1 applicants who have submitted their materials and are now eagerly awaiting good news from their target schools! Stay tuned to this blog for an array of interview tips in the coming weeks, and keep an eye out for upcoming editions of Wiki Wednesdays, a column highlighting informative contributions to the Clear Admit Wiki.

0 Comments »

# posted by Clear Admit @ 4:08 pm in Interview Guides, Interview Tips, Wiki Wednesdays

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Wiki Wednesdays: Submit a Report, Win an iTunes Gift Card!

With a number of top schools currently rolling out interview invitations – from Berkeley / Haas to Harvard Business School, Columbia Business School and Michigan / Ross to Yale School of Management – we wanted to take a moment today to point readers to the Clear Admit Wiki as a free source of breaking interview invitation news and extensive information on the interview process at each program. For those who aren’t familiar, the Wiki is a collaborative resource for the MBA applicant community where applicants can (anonymously or otherwise) post reports about their interviews, campus visits and application experiences at the top business schools, and read about those of others. Our hope is that the sum of these individual firsthand accounts is a representative picture of the culture and processes at each program.

For the next few weeks, we’ll be awarding a $10 iTunes gift certificate to every fifth applicant who contributes content to the Wiki.  To be eligible for the prize, simply send your contribution to wiki@clearadmit.com; we’ll post it to the Wiki and notify the winners by e-mail.

The most helpful and informative reports usually include the following information:

1. Date/Admissions Round
2. Description of visit and/or interview atmosphere
3. Type of interview (alum vs. adcom, blind vs. application-based)
4. List of interview questions
5. Commentary (What did you think of the interview? What surprised you? What didn’t surprise you? What might you conclude about the school based on this experience?)

Applicants who would like to supplement the information available on the Wiki can check out our Clear Admit Interview Guides, which provide school-specific insight and strategic advice to help applicants with their admissions interviews.

As always, we wish the best of luck to Round 1 applicants who have submitted their materials and are now eagerly awaiting good news from their target schools! Stay tuned to this blog for an array of interview tips in the coming weeks, and keep an eye out for upcoming editions of Wiki Wednesdays, a column highlighting especially insightful and informative contributions to the Clear Admit Wiki.

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# posted by Clear Admit @ 6:23 pm in Interview Guides, Interview Tips, Wiki Wednesdays

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Last Day for Round 1 Interview Invites from Chicago Booth

Today is the final day that the admissions committee at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business will issue interview invitations to round 1 applicants. In a post to her blog yesterday, Rose Martinelli, Chicago Booth director of admissions and financial aid, provided some tips to applicants who have been invited to interview on how best to prepare.

For starters, she advises applicants to be ready to answer basic questions about personal goals as they relate to the MBA in a clear and organized way. To prepare, Martinelli suggests thinking about and even writing down answers to the following questions:

• Can I clearly articulate my career plan and future goals? 
• What do I really want from my MBA experience? 
• What is my motivation to obtain an MBA? 
• Why is Chicago Booth the right place for me, and why am I right for Booth? 
• How do I plan to use my MBA in my career? 

She went on to remind applicants that much of the Chicago Booth interview is behaviorally-oriented, which is to say that many of the questions will ask you to describe how you behaved in certain situations in the past. So think about some key experiences you might want to use to address these types of queries, she suggests.

Last but not least, remember that the interview should be a two-way conversation between you and the interviewer. “Remember, the interviewer knows Booth well, but not you,” Martinelli writes. “Getting to know the person sitting across the table will help you to relax and relate your stories more effectively.” 

If you’ve landed an interview invitation at Chicago Booth, congratulations! For additional preparation tips, don’t miss the Clear Admit Chicago Booth Interview Guide, available in our shop. Also remember that you can share your experiences and learn from those of other applicants on the Clear Admit Wiki. Good luck!

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# posted by Clear Admit @ 1:00 pm in Interview Tips, MBA News, School: Chicago

Monday, November 02, 2009

Admissions Tip: Interviewing the Interviewer

We’ve been offering a good deal of advice lately on how to conduct oneself and prepare responses to MBA interview questions.  Today we’d like to highlight the importance of thinking about what you might ask. Virtually all business school interviewers conclude their discussion by offering the applicant a chance to ask some questions about the program. While it might be tempting to claim that you’ve already learned all you need to know about the school, this is actually a great opportunity to gain additional insight, show your enthusiasm about a specific element of the curriculum or community, and demonstrate that you appreciate the opportunity to learn from your interviewer’s experiences.

Here are a few simple guidelines to keep in mind while thinking about what you might ask:

1. Focus on the positive. Now is not the time to conduct due diligence or express skepticism about a school’s academic program or career resources. You’re still marketing yourself to the adcom at this stage of the process, so you’ll want to project enthusiasm and demonstrate a desire to become more familiar with a program’s merits and your potential fit.

2. Avoid the obvious and the obscure. Because this is an opportunity to tap the interviewer’s unique knowledge and point of view (and he or she will assume that you did your basic research before applying), it’s best to avoid asking questions that could be answered by perusing the school’s website or speaking with anyone you might happen to encounter on campus. On the other hand, you don’t want to ask something so obscure or specific that your interviewer might not have an answer. Seeking the interviewer’s opinion on or impression of some element of the program often makes for a discussion that both parties will find interesting and enjoyable.

3. Mind your audience. Remember that students, alumni and admissions staff will all have a different perspective on and level of familiarity with the program, and that it’s wise to pose inquiries tailored to his or her experience with the school. For instance, alumni interviewers generally feel strongly about their schools but might not have the most current information on the academic programs and campus culture, so a good question might focus on the classes they have found most useful in their post-graduation career.

We hope that these guidelines are helpful in thinking about how you might approach the end of your discussion, and wish everyone interviewing at business schools in the coming weeks the best of luck!  For personalized interview coaching, mock interviews and school-specific advice, feel free to contact Clear Admit at info@clearadmit.com or investigate the downloadable Clear Admit Interview Guides in our online shop.

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# posted by Clear Admit @ 6:12 am in Admissions Tips, Interview Guides, Interview Tips

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Clear Admit Interview Guides for 2009-2010 Now Available!

We’re pleased to announce the release of the 2009-2010 versions of our 18 Clear Admit Interview Guides, which provide school-specific insight and strategic advice to help applicants ace their admissions interviews. For those who are unfamiliar with these publications, the Interview Guides are based on our years of MBA admissions experience and our work with hundreds of applicants interviewing at leading programs.  The Clear Admit Interview Guides contain the information candidates need for a successful interview, including:

1. School-specific strategy
2. Analysis of how the adcom weighs the interview
3. First-hand interview accounts
4. Detailed information on planning a campus visit
5. Dozens of sample questions consistently asked by that particular program

Each Clear Admit Interview Guide also includes our General Interview Guide, a rich source of advice on how to be successful in the MBA interview process.  As with all of our publications, the Clear Admit Interview Guides are available for immediate download in our shop!

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# posted by Clear Admit @ 3:00 am in Interview Guides, Interview Tips, Wiki Wednesdays

Monday, October 26, 2009

Admissions Tip: MBA Interview Prep

With interview invitations from a number of programs already on their way out to Round One applicants, we wanted to offer some more advice on this element of the admissions process. Last week we posted some very basic etiquette information that will help candidates ensure that everything is in order on the big day. Today, we turn our attention to some steps one can take to prepare for the interview itself.

1) Know what to expect. This might go without saying, but interview types and duration vary across programs. For instance, nearly all invited Stanford applicants interview with alumni, while on-campus Wharton interviews are conducted by second-year students (and in rare cases admissions staff). Candidates for Columbia admission participate in an informative resume-based chat, while HBS and MIT interviewers have in-depth knowledge of the applicant’s entire file. Thinking carefully about the format of the interview and the person conducting it will influence the sort of questions you might come prepared to ask and help you arrive at a mindset conducive to success.

2) Review your materials. Because it’s important that you reinforce your positioning during the interview, reading over your essays and reflecting on the themes presented in your application is a great first step in preparing to speak about your ideas and objectives.

3) Tell them something they don’t know. In addition to reinforcing your existing message (a critical component of most interviews), the interview is also a great time to expand or add new information to your file via the interviewer’s notes. Have there been any major developments in your candidacy that you should share? Have you visited the campus or spoken with students since submitting your written materials? Have you made any strides toward your goals? Even if just an example from work or an activity that relates to the interview question but didn’t fit into your essays, it’s a great idea to approach the interview with the goal of enhancing the admissions committee’s knowledge of your candidacy.

4) Anticipate and practice. Though it’s impossible to predict the exact questions you will be asked, the type of interview and historical data will provide some great clues as to the sort of information the interviewer will be seeking. The Clear Admit Wiki could serve as a great starting point, as it features detailed firsthand interview accounts from applicants to the top MBA programs. After arriving at a list of possible inquiries, it’s a good idea to not only reflect on what you might say in response, but to actually practice articulating your responses, explaining your goals and recounting some significant professional and extracurricular experiences.

Best of luck to all those who are eagerly awaiting invitations and preparing for interviews! For more information about Clear Admit’s school-specific Interview Guides visit our shop and access immediate downloads of all the latest interview questions for your target school.  For more information about our tailored one-on-one mock interview services, feel free to send an email to info@clearadmit.com.

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# posted by Clear Admit @ 8:14 am in Admissions Tips, Interview Guides, Interview Tips

Monday, October 19, 2009

Admissions Tip: MBA Interview Etiquette

With imminent interview invites for Round One applicants, we wanted to turn our attention to this important step in the admissions process and share a few very basic pointers on interview etiquette. Though the content of your application materials and comments during the interview are of paramount importance, it’s also crucial to put one’s best foot forward and make a positive initial impression. Here are a few guidelines for interviewing applicants to keep in mind:

1) Dress the part. Unless meeting with an alum who explicitly specifies a more casual dress code, assume that business attire is appropriate. We recommend that applicants dress conservatively, opting for a dark suit (pants or skirt are both fine for women) and a blue or white shirt. Steer clear of flashy brand gear and loud ties, and go easy on makeup and fragrances; you want to be remembered for what you say and who you are, not what you wore.

2) Be pleasant. This likely goes without saying, but we wanted to state for the record that in addition to fostering a friendly discussion with your interviewer, it’s also important to be polite to administrative staff and anyone else you might encounter while on campus or in your alumni interviewer’s office. Flippant comments to the administrative assistant at the front desk often find their way up the chain of command.

3) Be aware of body language. In addition to your comments about your experiences, interests and reasons for seeking an MBA, your interviewer will also be taking note of the way you present yourself. You’ll also want to avoid taking notes or reading from your resume; it can be fine to have the latter in front of you as a reference, but remember that you should be familiar enough with its content to focus on maintaining eye contact and establishing a rapport.

4) Follow up. Make sure that you get your interviewer’s card and take his or her contact information in order to send a “thank you” email within 24 hours of the interview. This is not only common courtesy, but could also serve as the first step in forging a lasting correspondence.

While these steps should help readers in one element of their interview presentation, we’ll offer some more content and strategy focused advice next week. Meanwhile, applicants who are curious about what to expect might want to check out the Clear Admit Wiki, which features first-hand accounts of interviews at all of the top programs and the Clear Admit Interview Guides, which offer in-depth, school-specific interview guidance for nearly every leading MBA program.

Good luck to everyone hoping for an interview invite! For personalized interview coaching and school-specific advice, feel free to contact Clear Admit at info@clearadmit.com.

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# posted by Clear Admit @ 3:07 am in Admissions Tips, Interview Tips

Monday, October 12, 2009

HBS R1 MBA Interview Invitations Will Start Going Out on October 16th

Havard Business School will begin issuing R1 interview invitations on Friday, October 16th.  As one would expect, the admissions board is presently knee-deep in application reads.  Director Dee Leopold was kind enough to offer a quick blog post with an update in terms of the interview invitation process.  Here are the key facts:

1) As most applicants know, interviews at HBS are by invitation only

2) The first invites will begin coming out this Friday, October 16th

3) Invites will continue to trickle out until December 15th – at no particular pace

4) Most interviews will take place in November in Boston (on campus) or in various hub locations at major cities across the globe

Unlike last year, when HBS sent a large batch of invitations out in a single day, Leopold told prospective applicants to expect more incremental dispersal this application season. “Maybe more like a not-scientifically-measured stream until December 15th,” she wrote. “We really (really, really, really) don’t know how many will go out on any given day,” she added, which is exactly the answer you’ll receive if you call the office and ask.

Invitations to interview will be distributed via email and will include instructions on how to sign up for an interview spot. Interviews will take place during November in Boston or one of HBS’s other hub cities. Don’t worry about your interview email invitation getting lost, Leopold added. “We’ve been doing this for a long time and we haven’t lost anyone yet!” she wrote.

In late September, HBS announced that it has created Facebook and Twitter pages to keep applicants to the Class of 2012 updated on the admissions process. In addition to these updates, Leopold will post admissions information to her blog whenever she thinks it will be helpful. She also hopes to devote one post each week to answering questions submitted by prospective applicants.

For more information about the HBS interview process, including sample questions and strategic insight, download the Clear Admit Interview Guide to Harvard Business School and check out the HBS Interview Reports page in the Clear Admit wiki.

Best of luck to all of those R1 applicants who are anxiously awaiting word!

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# posted by Clear Admit @ 6:37 am in Admissions Tips, Interview Guides, Interview Tips, School: Harvard

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• GMAC Survey Shows Encouraging Job Statistics for Recent MBA Grads
• Admissions Tip: Waitlist Correspondence
• GMAT Tip: How to Analyze a Critical Reasoning Question
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The Clear Admit Wiki is designed to allow b-school applicants to share their experiences through the application process. You can learn from others' experiences and contribute your own reports to the community. Below are the five most popular pages in the wiki:
Wharton Interview Field Reports
HBS Interview Field Reports
Kellogg Interview Field Reports
Chicago Interview Field Reports
Columbia Interview Field Reports

Discussion Boards

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The BusinessWeek Discussion Boards are another way to learn about the issues applicants face. Clear Admit hosts the Ask Clear Admit thread, which should help answer your questions. Here is a link to the original interface (for those of you who didn't like the recent upgrade). Also, here are the five most recent discussions taking place in the forum:

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Clear Admit is a featured expert in the BeatTheGMAT forums, answering questions from applicants across the globe. Feel free to ask us your questions in this forum! Here are the most recent posts:

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Clear Admit manages the Applying section of the StudyLink MBA discussion boards.

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Below are the five most recent posts to the GMAT Club message boards.

• rate and work PS
• NYU – School of continuing education, Masters in HRM
• Is there a faster way to do this? FDP
• 760 GMAT, 2.8 GPA seeking Marketing MBA, evaluate please
• SUNY Albany?

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The student-2-student Discussion Boards are managed by Wharton. Here are the five most recent discussions.

School-Hosted Blogs

Straight from the source: aggregated posts from students and administration. Below are the seven most recent posts in school-hosted blogs.

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A selection of the latest updates to MBA blogs compiled by Hella.
MBA Applicants

MBA Students

Bloggers by School

The following are links to bloggers at each of the schools listed.
Chicago
Columbia
Dartmouth / Tuck
Duke / Fuqua
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Kellogg
Michigan
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New York / Stern
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Stanford
Virginia / Darden
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ESADE
IESE
INSEAD
London Business School

Community Blogs

Bshoolers.com
Community blog with MBA student and alum contributors.

Forté Foundation MBA Diaries
Video blog entries posted by women MBA students.

Owen Bloggers
Independent blog with content by Vanderbilt MBA students.

Best of Blogging

2008-2009 Top Ten:

• Top 10 Applicants:
• Tieny Chesney
• D.G
• Ahembeea
• Mission MBA
• Soni
• PaloAltoForAwhile
• Choc Heaven
• Helen
• Samantha
• OMGParisHilton

Top 10 Students:

MaybeMBA(Chicago Booth)

JulyDream (Darden)

Paragon2Pieces (McCombs)

HairTwirler (McDonough)

Iday (Chicago Booth)

TinyDancer (Wharton)

CS (Harvard)

Andrew (Marshall)

Mandy (Darden)

M@ (Ross)

Best of Blogging

2007-2008 Top Ten:

• Top 10 Applicants:
• July Dream
• Miss Curly Bee
• VidiViciVeni
• B-School Bound
• Tinydancer
• gltnforpnshmnt
• mbabound08
• Achilles
• Eight Schools
• MBA Runner Girl

• Top 10 Students:
• m@ (Ross)
• MaybeMBA (Chicago)
• Hair Twirler (Georgetown)
• Iday (Chicago)
• J-term Johnny (Columbia)
• La Laudiaria (Wharton)
• MBA Gladiator (Yale)
• Angel Angie (LBS)
• Necromonger (INSEAD)
• Chrisof Meyer (Darden)

2006-2007 Top Ten:

• Top 10 Applicants:
• Rungee582
• Iday
• Juggler
• Asiangal
• Forrest Gump
• RusGirl
• Hair Twirler
• JatWarrior
• MBA Babe
• Anand

• Top 10 Students:
• Angel Angie (LBS)
• The Divine Miss N (LBS)
• From Cali (Ross)
• Tim K. (McCombs)
• Noelle (IESE)
• Jerry Blank (Yale)
• Benny (Tuck)
• La Laudiaria (Wharton)
• Karlitos (LBS)
• MBA Gladiator (Yale)

2005-2006 Top Ten:

• Top 10 Applicants:
• MBA Jackass
• Marina
• Forrest Gump
• Pupstar78
• Axechick
• Sorebrek
• Angel Angie
• I_Will_Make_It
• Redwolf056
• Vatsa

• Top 10 Students:
• Marquis (Stanford)
• Poweryogi (Chicago)
• KV (LBS)
• FutureMBAGirl (Wharton)
• The Divine Miss N (LBS)
• Vijay (ISB)
• Wakechick (Chicago)
• NoelleBellie (IESE)
• Jerry Blank (Yale)
• Olivier (INSEAD)

2004-2005 Top Ten:

• PowerYogi
• Brit-Chick
• bskewl
• WakeChick
• Dave
• Iceman07
• iwhoElse
• Atta Girl
• Aregon23
• Classy

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