Calling Chicago (Booth) Applicants for 2009

I will be in class until 12pm, but will be free from 12pm to 4:45pm. Will PM you my phone.

Off-campus interview today. Any last minutes advice?

Just be yourself!!!!!

Just enjoy it! good luck!

same here with me, interviewing later! Go Booth!!!

Good luck guys! You will do great!

good luck terp and levin! I have mine on Monday.

levin - "fit" with Chicago Booth is very important for them - so be sure to communicate that.

Best of luck, everybody! I'm flying out to Chicago now for tomorrow's interview. Are you guys doing anything tonight?

Good luck on your interviews everyone! Be sure to post recaps.

Got it! Let's do lunch tomorrow.

Had my off-campus interview. It was interesting. He was a big firm consulting guy. Very smart, polished and quick-witted. He didn't seem to have any agenda and asked questions based on things I would say.

Questions were:
i) Why are you applying to b-schools?
ii) What is the biggest challenge you have faced at your job.........(popped that question when I was talking about my background)
iii) What was the end result?
iv) What classes do you want to take at b-school?
vi) Thats a great class! How will it help you as a portfolio manager?
vii) Tell me the most complicated model you have built?
viii) How long did it take you?
ix) Tell me two things you want to get out of b-school?
x) What do you outside of work?
xi) What action did you take? (I was talking about a volunteer experience)
xii) Why didn't you do xyz.....thats maybe what I would have done?
xiii) Does your boss know you are applying?
xiv) What did your boss say you most need from b-school?

It was a very behavioral interview. He was a sharp-witted consultant and I am a more analytical finance guy. It was clear that two of us had different personalities. He even told me once that he would have done something differently than I did. I thought he was trying to unnerve me so I held my ground and explained him my reasoning and the results.

This was a highly charged experience. I think I answered everything well.

I am really surprised that he dug deep into your work experience (i.e. what is the most complex model that you've built). This is hardly a pre-requisite for business school. Also, did he not ask what you would contribute to Chicago, what you hope to be involved in, etc.?

I guess alumni interviews generally deviate from the "standard" questions? Whether that is good or bad can depend on a lot of things.

I'm also a bit surprised by the model question (I have received that question in PE interviews, but would not expect it for MBA.) This sounds like a more intense interview than I had. I had an off-campus from a boutique I-banker.

Questions were the typical:

1) Why MBA/Now (especially given the current job climate and already having a good job?)
2) Why Chicago?
3) Where else did you apply?
4) How will Chicago help achieve ST/LT goals?
5) What will you do if job environment is bad when you graduate?
6) How would you get involved (extra-curricular)?
7) What do you think your chances of acceptance are? (!!!!)
8) How would you contribute to team projects?

We had very good rapport and candor, so I felt comfortable asking him after the interview what he thought my chances are (especially since he asked me the same question) to which he deferred to admissions but said that I had good credentials.

Actually he wasn't interested in the complicated model I had built. He was more interested in the thought process, the challenges faced, the end result etc.

Interesting.

cougarblue -- Yours definitely sounds like a more standard interview. In fact, I'd love to have the questions that you had. Did the alumni interviewer forego the leadership experiences/EC questions?

levfin2003 -- That's really interesting and I'm still surprised that stuff was asked. Like cougarblue said, I think that's more appropriate to an interview for a Finance job, and not so much for a B-School interview. (i.e. I believe that most B-School interviews are attempting to discern fit, interpersonal skills, goals, and involvement, rather than intelligence and thought process).

I see what you are saying. From the beginning this guy was asking 'seemingly behavioral' questions. What surprised me most was that he did not show much passion for Chicago. When he talked about school, he talked about b-school in general not about Chicago. I do feel that I answered all questions.

I'm not sure if I will be able to go, I have an Investments Assignment to do, 2 cases to read and it's already 11PM, It's going to be a long night...