Calling all USC Marshall Applicants: (2016 Intake) Class of 2018!!

yes, received on 19th nov.

invited to Interview. based in India.

Invited to Interview.
Also from India.

Received interview invite today.

Anyone done with the Interview? Mind sharing the experience?

Hi hic, I'm so sorry -- I'm the worst threadmaster ever. Things have been so hectic here with recruiting, but I will try to answer your questions to the best of my ability.

The general idea to make sure that you have a goal and a growth trajectory you're working towards, then based on your experience and network, how realistic it is for you to achieve those goals. Now that we've been through quite a season of recruiting, I'd say most people recommend you either switch your industry or function, but don't try to shoot for both.

For instance, I'm looking to go into consulting. I will be banking on specific skills that I have developed through my previous work experiences to start working within a specific service line in consulting. I would never try to do finance in investment banking because it just doesn't line up with my work experience in any measurable form.

You also want to keep in mind that they are looking for the value that you will add to the classroom and in discussions. As classmates at USC, we learn from each other all the time. Lectures are rarely ever full lectures -- we always have discussions and professors like to hear us use our real-world examples. What kind of perspective do you bring to the table, and how will you contribute back to your class?

Finally, it's important to emphasize collaboration in any way you can. I know a lot of business schools and grad schools in general have very cutthroat, competitive programs. USC Marshall is not like that. It is frowned upon to elbow your way through recruiting. We get a lot of help from each other and from our second years, and it's a culture that we want to maintain, so be sure that you emphasize that's you're a team player.

In sum:

1. Have an idea of what your future career goals are, and ensure they are realistic.
2. Know the individual value that you bring to the table.
3. Demonstrate that you are collaborative and a team player.

Hope that helps! Again, so sorry for the late response. Please feel free to shoot me a private message and we can talk more.

Just want to say congratulations to everyone that has received an invitation to interview! You're already halfway there

For people that are scheduling their interviews on campus, I really recommend taking the time to visit a class and schedule a tour. It's the best way to interact with our students one-on-one and get a better feel for the campus and the culture. The current list of ambassadors on the website is not accurate (we have just taken our pictures and will be posting our profiles soon!), but you can check here and email admissions to schedule a visit. You can always send me a private message as well, and I would be happy to set something up if you're in the area! I'm very friendly and nice and excited to meet all of you, so please don't be shy!

If you're getting ready for your interviews, here are some tips I'd like to share when approaching the behavioral questions:

1. Don't be afraid to talk about yourself. Sometimes interviewers try to take the limelight off of themselves and use 'we' or 'the team' constantly. Although Marshall prides itself on collaboration and teamwork, you need to emphasize the value that you added to your team or company. I'm not admitting your team to the school -- I'm admitting you. Talk about the situation, the problem or task at hand, then really highlight the action that you took to solve the issue and wow me with the results.

2. Never, ever badmouth your former colleagues, employees, or supervisors. I don't care if they were the worst person on the planet and were out to get you. The interview is not time for you to complain about lackluster people at your firm. It's a time to emphasize how you approached difficult situations and were able to overcome whatever boundaries you might have encountered -- even if you were stuck dealing with crappy people all day.

3. Be confident. I know this is tough, and I know you're nervous. But you have to keep in mind that USC is going to be your family for the next two years, and you need to be a living, breathing human being capable of forging relationships and being personable. The more conversational you can make the interview, the better your chances of getting in. You've already been selected to interview -- this means we're interested, and we see value in your experiences. So don't walk into your interview like it's a death sentence; this is an exciting opportunity for you to demonstrate what an awesome person you are and how you will add value to the incoming class.

4. Ask questions about campus life, not just academics! You must realize that curriculum is only a third of the experience. When it's your turn to ask questions, ask about our networking events or our charity initiatives. Think about the clubs you want to get involved in and the hobbies that you currently have and how those can be aligned to the different opportunities you'll have on campus. Ask about our crazy awesome tailgates -- USC is a huge football school, and we really take pride in our sports teams. Ask about the Trojan network. Ask about the personal experiences your interviewer might have had on campus if he/she went to school at Marshall.

5. This is an interview for you as much as it is for USC. If you don't jive with your interviewer, or if you don't connect with the students or faculty, don't feel bad. Maybe USC isn't for you -- and perhaps, there's another school out there that fits your goals and personality better. Remember that you get to be picky about schools as much as they get picky with admissions. Don't force fit yourself into a campus culture, because you will seriously end up hating the next two years of your life as an MBA student. And MBA school is not cheap. Make it count!

I wrote this specific to the USC interview, but I think it's something that can be applied across all your interviews. You always want to emphasize your individual value, talk positively about your experiences and be personable. Also for USC specifically (and West Coast schools in general, I think), you really need to demonstrate your ability to work in teams and achieve results through collaboration. Your individual value is emphasized by the way that you can work with others. That doesn't mean you dilute your individual contributions to a team -- however, you do need to show that you've been successful in team settings where you had to rely on or work with other people to get the job done, because realistically, there's no way that you as one person can get everything done by yourself. We won't be impressed if you were a cutthroat employee that took advantage of others and elbowed your way to success.

Please, please feel free to message me if you have any other questions. I am loving my experience at Marshall, and I really want to help you get psyched about your application and the opportunities that you'll have access to as an MBA student. Also note that I am very candid about life here, and any questions you might have about culture or programs or on-campus recruiting -- please don't hesitate to ask. I am also very familiar with the admissions process at UCLA, so if you have any questions there, I also have friends at Anderson (we are not complete Neanderthals towards each other lol) that I can refer you to!

Thank you. This is great advice. Interview next week.

Anyone got invited for the Interview in the past 2 days ? I am beginning to feel it's getting late to expect an interview invite now

Exciting!! Congrats on the interview and do let me know if you have any other questions in preparation or if you want to chat and debrief about your experience. If you're interviewing on campus and have time, I recommend sitting in on a class or something -- it gives you another touchpoint in the process!

According to the interview invite I received in 2014, admissions said they were conducting interviews from Nov. 12-25. Not totally sure if they are sticking to that schedule this year, but it looks like it will follow a similar process.

But don't lose hope! Even if you didn't get the interview invite, it doesn't mean you have an automatic ding. You might have gotten on the waitlist and may get invited to interview in R2.

Shoot me a PM if you have any other questions. If you want to send me your profile, I can try to pick out the areas that you will need to work on in your application process, so do let me know.

Hi All

Can someone pls share their interview experience..

Was invited for interview on 23rd and I will be interviewing at USC campus.
Tried to visit a class however it seems class visits were only until Dec 2nd and will start again in Jan. I guess this was not clear from the website...
Good luck everyone with your interview...

Thanks

anyone know when they will begin notifying candidates?

I was told that they will start notifying on the 18th but since 18th is a friday, notifications will continue to roll out until early next week. I'm guessing all decision notification should be out by 21-22.

Does Marshall wait-list a lot of people in the first round ? I find it hard to believe that only 11 people have been invited to interview from 67 applicants (As per the stats on this page).

Do all applicants receive a call regardless of the decision or only those who are admitted?