Tepper 2012 - Calling All Applicants

I was told I would interview with Annie Dolan but then when I got there I was interviewed by Lauren. I don't think knowing who the person is matters. You should know yourself and the school. Plus no other school I've interviewed with tells you. My advice is don't worry about it.

My application status just changed to "Stage 3:Credentials Received - Appication Under Review by the Admissions Committee".

How long did you guys waited for an interview after this stage??

I agree with explorer21. It doesn't matter who your interviewer is. Tepper has a specific set of questions, no matter who the interviewer is. If you are worried that you do not know the name of the interviewer, at the start of the interview - the interviewer will give a brief introduction - that should be more than enough !

Instead of focusing your energy on such things, I would advise that you concentrate on preparing for the interview. This will channel your energy towards something fruitful.

I hope it helps !

There is no fixed timing and a set pattern based on the stage of the application. They keep switching back n forth on the Stages, so it doesnt matter a lot.

Just sit back and relax !

Well said. Checking your status every day or hour only adds stress. Relax, they release interviews all the way up to decision day. No point in driving yourself crazy because when you do get an interview invite you want to be relaxed!

Calm down. Have a drink for now. Unfortunately all you can do is wait.

This is my second year applying to schools so I understand the concern and worry but my advice is that now everything is out of your hands so try to focus on something else or if you are so inclined practice for an interview. You don't have to be school specific. Go over:

Why you want an MBA? Why Now?
What are your short and long term goals? How did you form them?
What are your strenghts and weaknesses?
Think of 3 leadership stories and practice talking about them.
Think about 3 teamwork stories and practice talking about them.

Remember those are big parts of the interview that people can underestimate so you can practice those and hold off on preparing for a specific school if you'd like.

Great advice! I definitely echo that. I was disappointed by my first interview because I was guilty of underestimating the importance of those questions. I was over confident in my ability "to wing it". So, if you have all that energy - start telling the mirror why you want an MBA!

I did a webcam. Watching yourself as you answer is intense and will definitely build your nerves!

Yep, yep, definitely great advice. I was just telling another applicant that Tepper is the only school I've interviewed at so far that asked behavioral interview questions (tell me about a time...), and it's very important to be ready for those.

Haha, I love the new avatar, explorer!

haha thanks! Accepted to schools + friday = ignoring work to make an avatar

It actually makes it feel real now!

Explorer,
So, is it Johnson that you are getting into? Why did you make that choice over the other two?

No I've withdrawn my app to Johnson. The blue is for interview invite not matriculation. I left it up for data reasons for the site but after 2 acceptances I figured I didn't have the desire to sit through another interview.

This is no indictment of Johnson. My girlfriend had no desire to live in Ithaca if we had a choice. I would happily go to Johnson. It is a great school but i had two schools i consider the same caliber and i'd rather not have a pissed off girlfriend so I withdrew. Still undecided.

ah .. I see .. that makes sense - I completely understand your decision. Any peace loving man would do the same -

Hi,

My status has changed to:

Application Status: Completed on 2/3/2012 9:48:00 AM

Transcripts:
******* : Received (Not Official)
etc. etc.
GMAT: Received (Official)

Other Supporting Documents:
Application Fee: Received (Official)

Employment Record: Received (Official)
Evaluation 1: Received (Official)
Evaluation 2: Received (Official)
Evaluation 3: Received (Official)
Resume: Received (Official)

My application is now complete, has gone through 3 evaluations and I still have not received an interview invite. Does this mean that it is most likely that I will be dinged?

Have any re-applicants been invited as yet?

Regards,
Madzy

I wouldn't say it confirms that you're out, maybe just that all of your materials have been received officially. I know Dana is doing a lot of document confirmations at the moment, so that could be it. As stated again and again, don't try to read into the stage information, you'll just drive yourself crazy!

No, those are your letters of recs, not the reviews by the admission staff.

My app status is still in "Submitted" state and I have not received any communication from Tepper!! What does this signify !?

On the other note anybody from R2 got an admit or dinged (sorry)!!!!

Yes, please. Are there any R2 candidates who have received any sort of communication after "Under Review by admission"?
It's nerve-wracking to see this message for 10 days now.

In the same boat, i think we should wait another 2 weeks before considering ourselves dinged and accepting other offers in hand

Great advice. I interviewed at Tepper today. Did the whole class visit, info session, and campus tour. I made some meaningful connections while I was there... and frankly, it's hard not to. Everyone is very nice. The interview questions were very standard. Frankly, we talked about college sports for a good portion of the interview. It was very conversational. I left feeling good, and all of the others that visited with seemed to feel the same way. Here are the questions from my interview:

Tell me about your career. Especially focus on things that I can't get from reading your resume.
So, why do you need an MBA?
Why Tepper?
Why now?
I know that the program will give you a strong analytical background, why else do you want a Tepper MBA? - This question seemed to BEG for specific examples from your school research and interaction with students, adcom, faculty, and the Pittsburgh community. I suggest mentioning several clubs/student orgs that you intend to join and take a leadership role in. Remember, anyone can "join" a club, but I believe that it greatly benefits you to speak with passion about how you intend to take a leadership role.

This was the overall structure of the interview. My interviewer asked many follow-up questions that you should be prepared for. Also, my interviewer was clearly asking for information that is outside of the essays.

My interview lasted approximately 50 minutes. If you interview from this point on, expect it to be with a member of AdCom. I spoke with several members of the committee today, and they were all very welcoming and informal. That is the type of warm experience that you can expect to have at Tepper.

Also, a word of warning. If you are time-pressed and call a taxi to pick you up from campus, plan for the taxi to be 30 minutes late, or not come at all. I was on a tight schedule, and almost missed my travel home because of it. But, a great Tepper first year saved the day and drove me into the center of town. This is the kind of generosity that Tepper showed today. From what I understand, that's what the community is all about.

For those of you who will interview over the next few weeks, best of luck. Feel free to ask me any questions about my experience and I'll be happy to share more with you.

Good luck everyone!