Compiled Interview Questions : The B-School Applications

peaceyall · 2009-01-09T17:31:27-08:00

This thread is retired. See the latest compilation of interview questions here... compiled-interview-questions-2016-edition-229075.html to prepare for an upcoming interview, i compiled interview questions from rhyme's guide, accepted.com and clearadmit.com. thought others might find this useful. if there's other's i've left off, please add! curveball questions would be a good addition to this. Undergrad 1. Why did you choose your undergraduate major? 2. Tell me about a standout academic experience. 3. What was your favorite class in college? Career Progression 1. Why go to your first job? 2. Discuss your career progression 3. Tell me an important thing that you learned from your work and school experiences. 4. How did you choose your job after college 5. Tell me a decision you made in your career you wish you could have done differently. 6. What challenges do you think you will face as you move through this career path? 7. What would be your dream job (if you had no considerations for money etc.)? 8. Explain your career path to date; why did you choose the jobs you have had? Current Job 1. Tell me what you do in your daily job 2. What do you do at work? 3. What do you/don’t you like regarding your job 4. Tell me about your job. How is your most recent project going? 5. What exactly do you do at your current job, how is the group structured, do you have any direct reports? 6. Take me through an interesting project you have worked on recently. 7. What do you like about your job? What do you not like about your job? 8. If I promoted you today at your job, what change would you implement? 9. Take me through an interesting project you have worked on recently. 10. What would you do to improve your company (pretend you've been promoted)? 11. Describe a typical work day 12. What is most frustrating at work? Why MBA? 1. Why are you applying to business school? 2. What brought you here? (applying for business school) 3. Why the MBA? Why now? 4. Why are you interested in a general MBA program? 5. What specific skills do you want to get out of this program? 6. With all of your experience, why do you need an MBA? 7. When did you realize that you wanted to go to business school, and why? Why School? 1. Why does this school appeal to you? 2. Have you thought of other schools? 3. Where else have you applied and what was the result Other MBA 1. Why do you want to be in senior executive role? 2. Would you have any regrets if the market tanked next year and you were unable to get a premier job 3. What part of the MBA program will you struggle with most? 4. Activities at SCHOOL you would participate in. What you can bring to them? 5. What do you think will be your biggest challenge at SCHOOL? 6. What will be the biggest challenge for you in adjusting to life at SCHOOL? 7. What do you see yourself doing for your summer internship after your first year? 8. What do you specifically have to bring to the classroom versus the many others who have done XXX career? 9. What would you uniquely add to the class? 10. What do you think the risks are for SCHOOL if we admit you? 11. What would you do if not accepted? Personal Characteristics 1. Tell me who you are. 2. Discuss yourself 3. What is an activity you are involved in? Why is it important to you? 4. Name three words or phrases to describe yourself to others 5. What contributions would you make to a group? 6. What do you do to relieve stress 7. It's two years after graduation, what three words would your team members use to describe you 8. Who’s the leader you admire most? Another leader and why! 9. How would co-workers describe you? 10. A book I'd recommend that I've read recently. 11. Name three qualities that do not describe you 12. What distinguishes you from others? 13. What are people most surprised to learn about you? 14. How comfortable are you speaking up in front of large groups of people? 15. Why do you think you are successful at what you do 16. Misperception about you/first impressions 17. If you could write a book on anything what would it be on? 18. What kind of books do you like to read? 19. What are your extracurricular interests? 20. What makes you unique? 21. On a scale of to 1 to 10, compared to your peers, rank yourself in analytical ability. In drive? In confidence? In being better than people? 22. How do you think you are as a contributor to the community? Career Aspirations 1. What do you want to do (in regard to business function, industry, location)? 2. Describe your career aspirations 3. What are your long- and short-term goals? Why? 4. Talk about experiences you have had at work. 5. Discuss any experience you have had abroad. 6. What challenges do you think you will face as you move through this career path? 7. How you will accomplish your career goals? 8. What is your goal in 3, 5 years time? 9. What strategic issues would you want to tackle if you were running a company in your chosen field? 10. What do you not want to do? General Leadership 1. How do you define success? 2. How are you a leader in your job 3. What is your leadership style? 4. How would you describe your leadership style; collaborative or direct? 5. What are the pros/cons of your style? 6. What leader in history do you admire most? 7. What makes someone a leader? 8. How do you motivate someone? Leadership Stories 1. Tell me about a time you helped someone else succeed. 2. Tell me about a time you helped someone else develop 3. Give examples of how you have demonstrated leadership inside and outside the work environment 4. Time when you've been challenged as a leader and what you learned from it. 5. Give an example of leadership that you didn't discuss in your essays 6. Tell me about a specific situation in your professional career where you solved an important problem. 7. Tell me about a time when you exhibited leadership. 8. How had your leadership style evolved from Position X through today? 9. Give a leadership example outside of work, after college. 10. Tell me about a leadership experience that you did not mention in your essays. 11. Since submitting your application, how have you continued to take leadership roles? 12. What would your colleagues say are your strengths and weaknesses as a leader? 13. Give me your leadership resume, starting when you feel is appropriate and demonstrating your growth as a leader. 14. Give an example of when you took the initiative. 15. Give another example of a situation in which you showed leadership in the face of adversity. 16. Tell me about a decision you have faced, not that you necessarily regret but I am more interested in the decision point. Lessons Learned 1. What did you learn from experience XYZ (that was discussed in my essays) 2. Tell me about a time you had to deal with conflict in the workplace 3. Time when you've been challenged as a leader and what you learned from it. Team Environment 1. Have you worked in a team environment? What were your contributions to the effort? 2. What would you do if a team member wasn't pulling his own weight? 4. How do you work in teams? 5. What would your colleagues miss least about you? 6. What role do you usually take in a team setting? 7. When did you lead a team? What is the hardest part of leading a team 8. Tell me about how you manage teams 9. How do you create accountability and create a strong team? 10. Tell me about a leadership experience where you had to depend upon another person/other people for success 11. Give an example of when you had to lead people? Challenging Situation 1. Describe a situation where you brought an idea forward, and it failed. 2. Talk about a time you encountered a problem you had to overcome. 3. Time when a leader fell short and you had to step up and lead. 4. Time when you wanted to give up and how you motivated yourself to keep going. 5. Tell me about a time when you had to interact with people in a difficult situation. 6. Tell me about a time when you were challenged at work. 7. Time when you wanted to give up and how you motivated yourself to keep going. 8. Tell me about an instance where you had to negotiate something on the job. How did you convince your counterparts? Failure 1. Biggest failure? Second largest, third largest failure 2. Tell me about the time when you let your team down. 3. Describe a situation when something went totally awry 4. What do you consider your biggest fault is at work, why do you think you have it and what are you doing about it. 5. Have you planned something that did not go through? 6. Tell me a decision you made in your career you wish you could have done differently. 7. Tell me about a time where you failed at your first job Ethical Decision 1. Talk about a time when your values were challenged and you had to consult your moral compass. 2. When was your belief challenged? 3. What part did you play in the ethical concern you mentioned in your essay? How did the higher ups react to this situation? Difficult People 1. Tell me about a time when you developed a person / dealt with a difficult person at work. What did you do? 2. Tell me about a time you faced conflict at work- either between you and another person or between two co-workers and how did you deal with it. 3. Tell me about a time when you had a bad leader. 4. Give me an instance where you handled a difficult subordinate at work Other 1. A latest dilemma I had between good options. 2. Tell me about a time when you saw the solution before someone else? 3. Do you have any decisions you regret? 4. Why did you pick your recommenders? 5. What do you think your recommenders said about your strengths & weak8nesses? 6. What are your strengths and weaknesses? 7. What would your colleagues say is your strengths and weaknesses as a leader? 8. What accomplishment are you most proud of? Closing 1. Is there anything you would like to ask me/us 2. What questions do you have for me? 3. Anything you wished I had asked? Other Sources: B School Interview Questions Template.xls - contributed by rca215 Updated on 2/17/2009 by bb

eresh

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21 Jul 2009, 18:54

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Jerz

Depends on the school, but many schools offer off-campus interview options both domestically and internationally.

Hmm...one of my friends had faced a telephone interview for Stanford GSB......

highhopes

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31 Aug 2009, 17:04

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I was digging up this thread for myself and thought it might be helpful for others (see the front page for a compiled file).

GoBruin

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05 Oct 2009, 14:44

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OutofmyJeans Posted a really good PDF of Interview questions.

https://insideinsead.files.wordpress.com ... w-list.pdf

The questions are for Insead, but can be applicable to almost any school.

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06 Oct 2009, 10:24

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Thanks for taking time to compile the list for others.
Shiva

vrc3208

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07 Oct 2009, 23:23

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Great Post! Do you know of any particular questions that are asked more often than not?

bb

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07 Oct 2009, 23:26

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vrc3208

Great Post! Do you know of any particular questions that are asked more often than not?

That would be the stereotypical why MBA and why now?

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07 Oct 2009, 23:57

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bb

vrc3208

Great Post! Do you know of any particular questions that are asked more often than not?

That would be the stereotypical why MBA and why now?

Here is a link to my post. Going through this self-evaluation one can prepare himself with the answer to why MBA:
why-mba-84855.html

afan

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08 Oct 2009, 20:34

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Hi,
I am not sure whether this is a right forum. (Posted in Columbia thread as well.)

What is the gap an applicant can have between the interview invite and the original interview?
I understand this might depend on the interviewer's schedule. But ideally, can the applicant plan it after a week or 10 days from the day the interview invite has been received?

Are there any general advices as well in this regard?

Thanks

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18 Oct 2009, 12:39

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+1 kudos! Amazing job and so helpful!

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22 Oct 2009, 11:34

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Great collection of questions, looks like it covers almost all the possible interview questions.

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22 Oct 2009, 12:12

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Thanks +1 Kudos..

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24 Oct 2009, 09:23

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Thanks a lot for the great info applied herein!

I am about to apply for universities and I will definitely use your advices! :-D

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08 Nov 2009, 21:45

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hi all
this is a very lame Q, but I have to ask.
What exactly does the interviewer mean by " tell me about a teamwork experience". Isn't that a very abstract questions? Most of the projects I do are in teams, so what do they want to hear specifically? Conflict management? Multicultural teams? Dealing with someone difficult?
what would make a good teamwork example?
thanks
WG

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09 Nov 2009, 11:27

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wiseguyMBA

hi all
this is a very lame Q, but I have to ask.
What exactly does the interviewer mean by " tell me about a teamwork experience". Isn't that a very abstract questions? Most of the projects I do are in teams, so what do they want to hear specifically? Conflict management? Multicultural teams? Dealing with someone difficult?
what would make a good teamwork example?
thanks
WG

my take on the ques - Give an example of the time u were a part of/led a team. Typically the response should include the project assigned, how was work delegated your role and responsibilities, how effective the team was as in were the people chosen appropriate for the task, what problems were faced and how they were solved by the team, any conflicts, how was ur overall experience (on the lines of 'i learnt ...')

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14 Nov 2009, 00:39

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When your interviewer says "Walk me through your resume..", do you go choronologically - i.e. start with undergrad move on to first position then second etc... or go in the order of the resume - i.e. Here is where I AM NOW but how I got here is ....

And do you work in the EC's/Personal interests into the Resume walk through? Or is it just exercise in determining your professional history?

wiseguyMBA

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14 Nov 2009, 04:16

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Typically it's in reverse chronological order. You tell them this is where I am, and prior to this, i did xyz.
I usually don't mention extra curricular in the resume walkthrough , but I weave in the reasons for my career transition here through something I did outside of work, and that covers the question (for a career switcher) of "what in your background supports your interest for changing to abc career. "
-wg

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Deepauk

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Thanks wiseguy.

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