Hi, I have done 3 interviews (Kellogg, Columbia and Tuck). Kellogg and Columbia rejected me and I am waiting the decision of Tuck. I am very proud of my essays and I think they are quite good. I can not say the same about my interviews, I need to practice more. My question is whether the interview is the most important part of an application? How do the adcom compare interviews since alumni and adcom can rate an interview very different? (I am an international applicant)
nink
Re: Is the interview the most important part of an application? [#permalink]
Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 12:18 pm
SVP
Status: Burning mid-night oil....daily Joined: Fri Nov 07, 2008 Posts: 2400 Schools: Yale SOM 2011 Alum, Kellogg, Booth, Tuck WE 1: IB - Restructuring & Distressed M&A Followers: 51
I dont think you can label any specific thing the most important. It is probably similar to GMAT where a low score can keep you out while a great score will not get you in. A bad interview will keep you out while a great interview will not get you in. You get the picture. It really is a whole package that they look at! (I thought my Cornell interview was great but it sure as hell didnt get me in).
_________________ "George is getting upset!"
sam77sam7
Re: Is the interview the most important part of an application? [#permalink]
Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 12:26 pm
Director
Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2008 Posts: 597 Location: Detroit, MI Followers: 3
Then, I thought my Columbia interview was good as I was quite prepared and I told the stories I wanted to tell. However they rejected me. I will try to prepare better in order to answer all the questions as sure as possible and demonstrating my fit with a MBA school and that school. But then my question is, when you are invited to interview they expect you to show some qualities, or they just want to make sure that you are a "normal" person that will interact well in the class?
kryzak
Re: Is the interview the most important part of an application? [#permalink]
Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 1:07 pm
GMAT Club Legend
Status: Um... what do you want to know? Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2007 Posts: 5472 Location: SF, CA, USA Schools: UC Berkeley Haas School of Business MBA 2010 WE 1: Social Gaming Followers: 39
Things that will keep you out from a school: - Bad interview - low GMAT score (low end of their 80% range) - bad essays - bad recommendations - so-so work experience - low GPA (<3.0 for top 10 schools)
Things that will get you in a school if done very well: - Great essays - Great work experience (conveyed well in the essays)
Things that will not help you much once you meet a minimum threshold: - Great interview, GMAT Score, GPA, Recommendations
So unless you believe your interview skills are bad (have a friend practice with you to judge), I don't think an excellent interview will help you get in more than even better essays.
I think for international students, interview is 2x as important as it is for domestic students. To me, an interview is the school's way of determining how you are going to perform during job interviews while you are at b-school. So, if you are not conversational in the interview, if you provide short, curt answers to questions without elaborating, or if you ramble on and on, those are all red flags.
Just my thoughts on how interviews impact one's candidacy.
kryzak
Re: Is the interview the most important part of an application? [#permalink]
Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 4:54 pm
GMAT Club Legend
Status: Um... what do you want to know? Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2007 Posts: 5472 Location: SF, CA, USA Schools: UC Berkeley Haas School of Business MBA 2010 WE 1: Social Gaming Followers: 39
I think for international students, interview is 2x as important as it is for domestic students. To me, an interview is the school's way of determining how you are going to perform during job interviews while you are at b-school. So, if you are not conversational in the interview, if you provide short, curt answers to questions without elaborating, or if you ramble on and on, those are all red flags.
Just my thoughts on how interviews impact one's candidacy.
that is true, I didn't consider that. I was told that a few years ago there were issues that some international students arrived at school barely being able to speak English. I think most schools have tightened the "Interview in English" requirement to make sure that doesn't happen again.
Definitely not... I think it cannot be because most interviews are alumni interviews, application blind and they go pretty well. It would be hard for an adcom to simply base admission decision solely on the basis of an alumni recommendation....
riverripper
Re: Is the interview the most important part of an application? [#permalink]
Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 6:54 am
GMAT Club Legend
Joined: Tue Apr 10, 2007 Posts: 4304 Location: Back in Chicago, IL Schools: Kellogg Alum: Class of 2010 Followers: 44
I am of the opinion that work experience trumps everything. I have friends with terrible GPA and GMATs, are white males...but have amazing careers and still got into a lot of great schools. Also, you could have a 4.0 and a 780 and still get dinged if you had a crappy job.
I dont see interviews as being a make or break like with jobs. You can break it by doing something horrible during your interview but I dont think you can get an admit just because of an interview.
_________________ Kellogg Class of 2010...still active and willing to help. However, I do not do profile reviews, don't offer predictions on chances and am far to busy to review essays. Kellogg Ambassadors Thread: http://gmatclub.com/forum/128-t62139
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