Hey guys,
Here are the basics of my interview:
I emailed everyone in my list (9 people max) and got responses from 5, but only had a "I have availability" email from 2. I set up my interview with the first person that responded positively. I would recommend you email more than the first 3 people that show up in your search results, because it can be difficult to find someone with availability.
I met my interviewer at his company's office and we had the interview in his office. He said right up front that he would be sticking to the questions that Columbia asks him to cover, and he pretty much did that. Although my initial impression from him was a little intimidating, by the end of the interview I got a pretty positive vibe and I thought that he understood my story, thought my examples/answers were good, and thought I was a good candidate. I guess we'll see. I'll see what questions I can recall (in no particular order--sorry I can't remember):
-tell me about you've gotten to where you are today, looking for an MBA from Columbia
-career goals post-MBA
-ethical dilemma (Tell me about a time when you faced an ethical dilemma, how did you handle it?)
-a time you faced adversity?
-an example of teamwork you've been involved in
-what kind of a leader are you?
-tell me about a time where you disagreed with a decision that was made. What did you do about it?
-alternate career plans--if you don't get into an MBA program and also if you don't get into the industry/field you want to be in
-why Columbia?
-what were the criteria you used to choose your undergraduate school?
-anything you wish you could change about your undergraduate experience?
-what were the criteria you used to pick which b-schools to apply to?
-what other schools are you applying to?
He finished by asking me if there was anything that I wanted to add or reinforce that didn't get enough time/emphasis in my application or interview or anything I wanted him to make sure to say. He also asked if I had any questions. The interview ended up being more than an hour.
If I remember any other questions, I'll edit the post!