Some2609 wrote:
I got an interview invite last night! This came as an extremely pleasant surprise as I was starting to believe that I have been dinged.
Nevertheless, I am still a bit concerned. I have been asked to schedule an interview within 24-Jan, but I guess the final decision date for R2 is 20-Jan.
It would be great if someone could shed some light over this matter.
Also, this is the very 1st MBA interview I will be attending, EVER!!
So, some amount of guidance regarding questions, attitude and basic tips will be immensely appreciated.
P.S. - Indian, residing in India.
Posted from my mobile device Congrats! They do cut it pretty close don't they? Will you be visiting the campus? I had my interview last week and it was also my first b-school interview. Overall, it was a nice experience. I interviewed with Kate Piasecki and she was very friendly. The first few minutes were just ice-breakers about the weather and my trip to campus (I'm in the U.S.). The actual interview was pretty basic stuff about why I want an MBA, questions about my work experience and undergraduate experience. One thing I noticed was that she was really good at asking follow-up questions based on an answer you just gave. For example, she asked about a group project I completed in college and I mentioned a team member who didn't do much work. Her next question was how did I motivate the team. This happened a few times and I thought it made the conversation very fluid.
For preparation, I wrote down talking points for potential question topics like leadership, teamwork, work under stress, etc. I tried to have 2-3 examples for each and I thought that worked out pretty well. I feel like as long as you took the application process seriously you'll have good answers for the questions. Also, right after the interview I found a place to sit down and took notes about her questions, any responses I could have improved upon, and any nervous mannerisms I might have shown. As this was my first interview, I wanted to use it as a learning experience.
This is just one experience from a new interviewee and I'm in the states, so I can't speak about remote interviews. There were no big surprises and the interviews are basically just a way for them to hear you explain your application verbally. Good luck!