Foster (University of Washington) Hub

Interview with Dan Poston (Asst. Dean) and we had a great conversation. If you read through the interview debriefs, they all discuss a really conversational atmosphere, and I would strongly agree with that. We started off discussing what I am interested in doing with my MBA, which spawned other conversations on what industry I am interested and various trends in the market. I wasn't asked anything out of the ordinary for MBA interviews, but I will say that many of the questions revolved around why Foster and my path fit together - what interests me about the program, how will I contribute to the student body and my project teams, how will I represent the school once I am back in the workforce.

I did my interview today on campus.. First of all, the city is wonderful, the campus is too!!! I love this program and I want so much to get admitted..! I do not know how the interview went, I had so many thing that now that I am thinking I did not mention... Why MBA, why now, why Foster? What is the strongest part in your application? Tell me what people at work will say about you? Define success. Define failure. If an MBA was not an option what you would do. What do you think will be the greatest challenge you will face at the Foster program. The biggest professional failure. Which is you leadership style.

I had my interview with Tim near LAX on Feb 26th. I showed up almost 45 mins late - thanks to a couple of accidents and LA traffic. I left San Diego 2.5 hours before the interview start time to be there 30 mins prior but still showed up 45 mins late - there went the first impression and the 45 mins of our one hour slot! I duly apologized, and Tim was very accommodating. The interview lasted about 35 mins with the next guy in line waiting patiently for us to get done. I thnaked that guy who played a good teamball. The interview went fine. Besides the standard questions - why MBA, why now, why Foster, there were quite a few interesting questions. 1) Define success 2) Define failure 3) What will your subordinates say about you? 4) What is the biggest challenge you think that you will face at Foster? 5) The weakness in your application that we should overlook and why? 6) No MBA, what is your plan? and a few more I just can't recollect. As you can see, we were (esp., I was) working under tremendous time pressure, but overall I think it went ok given the initial roadbump (no pun intended). My two cents is that one should personalize the answers to the extent possible even for questions like #1 and #2. Big picture perspective, treat it like a job interview nothing more nothing less. Hope this helps.

I had my interview, we started with stardart questions, why mba, why now why foster etc. then he asked me my definition of success and then my definition of failure. and then asked my biggest professional failure. what classes I am excited about, what will be my weakness at school, how I researched the school etc. all standard no oddball questions. well the point is my interview lasted 15 minutes. can you believe? I ruined the interview in some way. I am expecting a ding actually.

I had my in-person on Friday with the head of the program. If i had known that going in i probably would have been a lot more nervous. But i feel like it went well, and at a minimum i didn't mess up. I had some ideas that he seemed to agree with and that he found interesting, but i couldn't read him very well because he used to be a lawyer. But I'm still hopeful that this is going to happen!

So I had my f2f interview yesterday - I'm R3 applicant, originally waitlisted - and I thought I'd give you guys a run down of how it went. This isn't a blind interview. My interviewer was well versed in all aspects of my application - essays, resume, all those boxes we filled in - so there were no questions about going through an interview or 'tell me about yourself'. It was very laid back and I found it far more enjoyable than the others because he had already reviewed my application. It was really just an easy conversation about why an MBA will suit my future goals, what I could contribute to the incoming cohort, and why I wanted to come back to UW (I went there for undergrad). Good luck to all of you!

I have the interview in Taiwan today. 1. What's your contribution to your company ? 2. Why Foster? 3. What's ur advantages ? 4. What's the thing you have done surprises you the most ? 5, what's the most risky thing you have done ? 6. What can you contribute to Foster classmates? 7. Why MBA? 8. What's your entertainment out of work? 9. Tell me a experience you have conflicts with your boss 10. Some resume questions 11. Do you want me to ask anything you have prepared? 12. Ask Questions Sarah was quite nice and she arrived just on time, so I was worried that I miss ed the interview or went to the wrong place. Hope it helps :)

I had my interview on campus last week. It was really easy and conversational. My interviewer had no notes in front of him but was well versed in my background. The whole experience solidified my desire to be at Foster next fall. Jan. 15 can't get here soon enough.

Had my interview yesterday with Sarah. It lasted close to an hour and was extremely conversational. My biggest draw factor for Foster is Seattle, and she's reaffirmed my beliefs. she had read up on my essays and resume and brought up names by herself. The interview was very pleasant. I really do hop I get in at Foster. He's the question debrief for those who are yet to take up their interview. 1.what do you do for fun 2.why did you choose your undergrad college 3.i'm sure you're looking at other colleges, so what criteria do you use to pick a program 4.can you describe a typical day at work 5.how do you see yourself contributing to the Foster community

I interviewed in Seattle last week. It required last minute air travel, but it was worth it to see the campus in person. I met with several MBA resource offices and current students. My interview was with assistant dean Dan Poston, and it felt very relaxed and informative. He knew my application front and back, and he had many questions asking me to go into detail. Overall, it was a great impression of the program and I'm even more anxious to hear the final decision - even though it won't come until January!

I interviewed (face-to-face) a couple of weeks ago on campus with an Admissions Officer - sorry this post is so delayed. It was extremely conversational, much more so than either my Kellogg or McCombs interviews. She was very familiar with my resume, essays, etc., so we were able to skip over a lot of the "walk me through your resume" type of questions. We did not spend any time discussing my essays or resume specifically. My interview lasted 50 minutes, but most of that was simply chatting, and not just me talking. There were a few typical interview questions thrown in there, and here are the ones I remember: Describe a time when you received constructive criticism. How did you respond? What change resulted from it? What is the best compliment you've received from a superior? What are you most excited about at Foster? Why grad school? Why now? I actually enjoyed my Foster interview. It seems like they use the face-to-face interview as a way to both get to know you and tell you about their program. Only 2 weeks until R1 decision deadline!!! Good luck, everyone! The mood was informal, but with any interview I would recommend staying as professional as possible - avoid words like "kickass," wear a suit, etc. I didn't have many follow up questions because I had attended an information session the evening before my interview and had asked questions there. I recommend coming up with a couple of real questions about the program, though. Even though I didn't have any specific questions about the program, I asked her what she thought was unique about Foster vs other schools and what drew her to the program in the first place. I've also asked interviewers what they like best about a certain program or what surprised them the most.

Yesterday I had my admission interview with Sarah at Seattle. I also met with staff from Career Management and the Buerk Center. The interview was about half hour with questions from my application as well as leadership/behavioral type questions. I was a little tensed but thought it went reasonably well. Results will be out on Dec 15th. Good luck everyone.

I completed my interview on 11/5. The format was conversational and it was more of an opportunity to learn from the program staff and their goals and aspirations as well as mine. Foster weighs the interview very heavily. Because they are a small program, assessing fit is paramount. Unlike many other schools, Foster does not conduct blind interviews and they would have read your application extensively prior to the interview. My understanding is that the video interview is to assess your natural communication abilities. I would not approach as it a hurdle to admission but a chance to show how you communicate in general. The questions they are likely to ask are not typical MBA interview questions such as "Why MBA? Why Foster? Why now?" and instead ask general conversational questions. Think of it this way. With only approximately 100 admits/year, it is one of the smallest cohorts of the top 25 programs. The video interview is another way for them to assess your personality that isn't obvious from your essays and application materials. My advice? Practice talking with a friend. Smile. Be yourself. As for the main interview, my experience mirrors many others who reported their experiences here and in previous years' forums. It was very conversational and unlike other programs, it is an application-visible interview. The interviewer will have thoroughly read your application and will ask questions based on it. This, in my opinion, is what sets Foster apart from other top-tier programs. They don't have to process volumes of interviews like cattle calls because that is not how they want to build their program nor should they aspire to. They want to learn about you first-hand; they don't use alumni or current students to interview. I'm a bit of an older candidate, so my perspectives on this has changed somewhat compared to 5-10 years ago when I first considered the MBA. I treated the interview in a similar way as if I am talking to a potential business partner, an investor, or even a potential hire. The goal of the interview is to achieve a meeting of the minds. I do not believe it is sufficient to simply answer questions mechanically as if it were some test. So really think hard about "Why MBA? Why Foster? Why now?" because that level of introspection will shine if you are a right fit for Foster's program.

Interviews are generally very conversational. I was interviewed by the Assistant Dean - and he had studied my resume thoroughly. I don't remember the exact list of questions, but nothing that caught me off guard Questions were based on my resume, my life experiences, and most importantly - why I want to be at Foster, and how I could contribute to the learning of the overall class. Some Tips: 1. In your conversation, show that you have done your research, whether you've talked to current students or met with admissions officials at an event, or have visited the school in person for shadow days / classes / info sessions. 2. Be a good listener. Be precise when you answer. Avoid long winded answers or rambling. People have short attention spans and can lose you easily. 3. Prepare a list of questions you want to ask the interviewer. 4. Follow up after the interview with a Thank You E-Mail. Interviews are generally meant to assess two main things: 1. How good are you a fit for Foster ? What makes you unique ? What will your classmates learn from you ? 2. How good is Foster a fit for your career aspirations (Will an MBA from Foster help you achieve what you want as a career.) Hope this gives an insight and helps you'll prepare.

Hi everybody, I had my Skype interview last Tuesday with Megan Lewis and she was SUPER nice. First she asked me the basic questions (why an MBA, why now, why Foster, career goals, which companies, best achievement etc). At the end, our conversation went in a more personal direction - she asked what I like to do on my free time, what books I read, about family relationships etc. The interview became a good conversation and I think it went well. I recommend you guys one thing: Try to be yourself. The interviewers probably talk with dozens of people that say the same thing. If you are honest and calm, you will be more able to show how mature and unique you are. Then, you will have more chances to stand out. I wish you guys all the best! Good luck! :-D

Had my interview today with Marisa Gerlach. It was definitely more formal than what others have described. Along with the standard admissions questions there were a good number of behavioral questions which I cant recall at the top of my head.

I also completed my on campus interview this past week. It was very conversational and friendly. I actually enjoyed the experience. Obviously come prepared to answer the "why" questions (career goals, MBA, Foster). Also be prepared to answer behavioral questions ("tell me about a time when...") based off of your application and experiences. Plan for about 30 minutes. Ask some smart questions at the end. I also had a chance to check out the campus a bit afterward. UW is a beautiful campus in a vibrant city...I love it...even with all the rain. Good luck to everyone!

I completed my interview this week and it went well from my perspective. A bit hard to gauge I suppose. My interviewer was familiar with my application. I think the questions were much along the lines of what you would expect. Why MBA, why now, why foster, strengths and weaknesses, and some general exploration about my career to date and future goals. It was conversational and friendly. Mine ran longer than the 30 minutes, but I can be a bit of a talker. It seems like Foster just genuiniely wants to know more about you to help learn if you will be a good fit for the class. This is probably very important given the small class size. I left with a very good impression of Foster and am hopeful. Now just the waiting game until December... There was mention that they may send out notifications prior to December 15th, which would be similar to what was reported last year.

Just finished my Skype interview and felt it was very short... How long was everyone's interview? Mine was 25min and very focused on my CV! Walk me through your resume How did find your jobs (this one was sort of confusing... she literally wanted to know how I found the jobs e.g. did I google and apply) - did anyone else get this very bizarre question? How did you figure out what job to apply to next How did you figure out you wanted to be in your current industry/position Tell me about cross cultural experience/what did you learn from this LT goals post-MBA How will you stand out when applying to [internship place]. Tell me about a time you managed conflict A compliment you've received at work What do you do for fun Do you have any questions for me and other questions I don't remember... Also, she did not ask me for my ID, which I find a little unsettling.

Hi all, I got a Skype interview with Foster MBA last Wed. (I received one email for 2 interviews: video and skype in early Feb) - In overall, the interview was conversational, without surprising or tricky questions. However, the way that my interviewer posed questions was something unpredictable for me. And I think that was the most difficult part for me :( - Some of my questions were: 1, In my app form, my short term goals are XYZ. How did I come up with these goals? 2, Without an MBA, how did I plan to attain those short term goals? --> [follow up question] Do I have cross-cultural work experience? 3, To achieve short term goals, what are my current skills at work that help me? And what skills I need to develop further through an MBA? 4, Why Foster? --> [follow up] What communication skills specifically that I want to improve at Foster? 5, Right after MBA I want to work for XYZ company. How will I pitch for job opportunities? [she wants to test my selling skills] 6, Tell me about a time when you went beyond your responsibilities to improve something? 7, Tell me about a time when you failed? 8, What are my strengths and weaknesses when I work in a team? --> [follow up] Leadership & Women in Biz in Vietnam? 10, Fun fact about myself? 11, How did I approach and contact alumni from Foster? So, all in all, the interviewer was very nice and supportive. But I didn't think I have done it well enough :( Now all I can do is to keep my fingers crossed and wait. Hope that my sharing can help some of you guys prepare for the skype interview.