Had my interview on-campus yesterday. This was hopefully my last interview! (Already interviewed at Kellogg, Michigan, and Duke) Below is a recap of my visit:
InterviewUpon arriving to Dillon House, I was greeted by Sally, who was the friendliest person I've encountered working in an admissions office. She definitely relaxes everyone a bit before the interview. My interviewer came and got me and took me up to an office. She was extremely nice and friendly, but reminded me that we only have 30 minutes, so she may cut me off at times to make sure we get through everything in time. Overall, I enjoyed this interview more than any others. Possibly because I had a can't lose, underdog mentality going into it. But more likely due to the fact that it's not blind and they really seem like they want to get to know you and what makes you tick. Like everyone else said, there were no questions on Why HBS or Why MBS. My biggest piece of advice: IF YOU TELL A STORY OR GIVE AN EXAMPLE, GET READY TO GO INTO DEPTH ABOUT IT AS YOU WILL LIKELY BE PROBED. I would give an example and from that example, she would ask 3 or 4 other questions. Below are the questions I was asked:
Asked me why I had passion for the industry I am going in to? (I mentioned passion for it in my essays)
3 qualities I'd like to be remembered for 20 years from now (career focused)
She dug very deep into my career goals essays. Asked me why I wanted to accomplish them? How would I accomplish them? How would I balance these goals with the goals of an organization? Asked for specific examples.
3 additional failures besides the one in my essay.
What is an industry I would NOT like to go into? Why?
What is my ideal/dream job?
What country I am most interested in? (This was one of the optional essay questions which I did not answer)
Anything I wish she would have asked me?
While these questions are definitely more difficult to prepare for than the standard questions, I preferred them as I felt that HBS really wanted to get to know me. I also really liked the interview because it felt like she was genuinely interested to learn about me. You could also tell they wanted to make sure what I wrote in the essays was authentic and that I had clearly thought everything out. As long as you were sincere in your essays, you should be fine.
CampusI love HBS's campus. Compared to most other b-schools, it's a true college campus to me. Multiple red bricked buildings and lots of green everywhere. I was amazed at how nice the facilities were. I didn't expect this given the outside of the buildings were so old. I preferred the facilities at HBS compared to Ross' new building. HBS feels very comfortable and classy while Ross' is very modern and industrial (although extremely nice). Shad, the workout facility, is country club-esque. While most schools have a basic large workout room similar to a nice hotel, HBS's was like a full gym/spa. Cardio room, weight room, basketball courts, racquet ball courts, aerobics rooms, sauna, hot tubs, etc. (By the way, it's free for students and only MBA students/partners can use it.) I was also really impressed with the eating facilities on campus. There are two restaurants on top of each other in one of the main halls. Both have the typical stations where you choose your cuisine from an array of options. The bottom one is like a classy sports bar with dark wood and TVs all around; and yes a bar that serves alcohol. The upstairs restaurant is a bit nicer in regards to food and atmosphere. The grilled burrito ($5.55) I had was excellent!
StudentsThis was the biggest shock to me. HBS students tend to have this reputation that their s&!t doesn't stink. I'm sure there are some there like that, as with any school, but the majority of students I encountered were genuine and down to earth. There was lots of diversity which was expected. The energy from the students was great as well. (Maybe because most of the 1Ys just finished finals!) I initially thought I would "fit" in better with students at some of the team oriented schools such as Kellogg and Ross, however after my visit to HBS I believe I would also fit in very well here.
Overall, it was a great visit. I felt I did very well on my interview, but because it's HBS I don't want to get my hopes up. However, it was definitely an amazing feeling walking around that campus and I would love to spend the next 2 years there!
Let me know if you have any questions!
Nov 20
12 Dec 2008, 10:04
