Had the CBS interview yesterday, so thought I'd give it to all you RDers while it's fresh. Apologies for length, but hopefully it's beneficial.
My interviewer was the seventh of nine that I emailed and one of only two to even respond. Quick tip: If you're freaking out that no one will reply to interview requests, just call admissions and they'll reset the interviewer app so you can get a fresh 9 potential interviewers. I didn't have to do this in the end, but I called admissions after the first few days to see what to do just in case...
I interviewed with an alum at his office around 4:30. He had been extremely curt in his emails, so I was a bit worried going in that he'd be very self-serious and condescending (Moral: Don't read too deeply into emails. These people are busy). He turned out to be a really nice guy, and I think I performed a lot better because he was so laid back. He took notes the entire time, sometimes asking follow-up questions but mainly covering one general topic at a time. One thing I thought strange was that he really didn't want it to be a conversation. He gave me a prompt, I talked for a few minutes, waited for him to stop typing, then he asked another question so I could continue my monologue. It was very much just me telling my story, which made it a lot easier to get my points across than *ahem* other interviews. Different people will have different styles obviously, but he set it up like this:
First thing he told me, which was quite kind of him: "The interview cannot hurt, only help." Also, he made a point to mention that Columbia really likes anecdotes - whatever you talk about, make sure you include a good story to drive the point home. It also makes it a lot easier for the interviewer to report back to CBS if they have plotlines to remember.
Notably, he said the first big bullet point on his sheet was applicant's "presentation" (well put together, firm handshake, clean, etc.), and the rest were just recommended questions. So... shower.
After that, he just let me do my thing for 5-6 different questions while he transcribed the answers: Personal introduction, examples of leadership with specific impact, development of role within current company, ethical dilemma, Why MBA?/Why now?/Why Columbia?, career goals, what will you bring to the Columbia community. That was it. Basically, every generic B-school interview question without too many curveballs. The one thing he did stress was to bring in some information that I couldn't fit into my app, so maybe do some brainstorming there.
The "interview" portion took about 30 minutes, but he answered my questions for another 15. He ended up giving me an unsolicited, (unexpectedly) frank list of the pros and cons of Columbia/NYC, which I certainly appreciated. Small talk ensued, he said he'd submit over the weekend, then he kicked me out. Fin.
Overall it was much more general, and thus more flexible, than others I've had. Granted, this is biased from what I myself have experienced and read, but I wouldn't waste your time planning for curveball questions if you have a CBS interview. Rather, focus on the stories you can tell to differentiate you from the pack of 3.9-770-overachiever-leader-all-stars. Aside from that, my interview was 90% congruent to anything you'd read on Clear Admit.
Cheers and good luck to all, especially those still waiting for invites. My interviewer said I was the first he's interviewed this calendar year, and that it seemed to be a lot slower of a start for R2 interviews than in the last few years. Keep the dream alive...
Also, what's the complete -> decision timeline been like for people who interviewed in Feb-Mar?
09 Mar 2011, 11:43
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