Hi All,
I also got an admit from HEC for Sept 2018 on 13th October. Glad to meet my future classmates here
My brief profile -
GMAT - 720
Industry - IT Consulting
Experience - 4 years
Country - India
I received the admit in less than a month after submitting my application for the 15th Sept deadline.
Here is a briefing of my interviews for all future applicants -
2 weeks after getting pre-selected in HEC, I got my interviewers’ details and was able to set up my interview appointments within a week. I had sent the interviewer my PPT, resume and as I am a writer, a soft copy of my book to both my interviewers.
Interview 1 :
My first interview was on skype. He was a very jovial person who had passed out from HEC in 2009. After the usual greetings, he asked me to introduce myself for the next 10 minutes. I started on the introduction and he kept cross questioning me w.r.t. to my resume intermittently. I was happy to know that he had flipped through my book and was really appreciative of my work.
Next we moved on to my PPT. He liked the presentation and asked a few questions in the end. Then we moved onto the real questions
1. Why MBA?
2. Why product management after 4 years in consulting? Why don’t u think of becoming a full time author? A few cross questions here and there.
3. Which other schools have u applied to and why?
4. Which one will you chose if admitted and why? A few cross questions.
5. Why HEC?
6. Why not INSEAD, LBS and IMD Switzerland?
Then we had a long friendly conversation in which he advised about what scholarships I should look out for, all kinds of activities that I can do while on campus, clubs that I can join and how to network around. He shared with me a lot of fun stories from his time as well. We again had a small question-answer round.
7. What are your post-MBA short-term and long-term goals?
8. Which type of companies would you like to work for after your MBA?(This was based on my reply to long-term goals)
9. Have you thought how you will search for jobs after MBA given that here you have to rely on your network and it’s not like placements in India? (After my answer, we again drifted towards a casual conversation on what all options I can leverage to get a good placement – networking dinners, on-campus ppts, converting internships to ppos)
10. What is the starting salary that you are expecting? (He also advised me on the amount of time it would take to repay my loans)
11. A few situational and behavioral questions such as my idea on leadership, a good leadership example that I have ever set, my greatest achievement personal and professional both.
12. What can you bring to the class and community that no one else can?
13. 2 cross-questions on my CSR activities.
14. He told me to start learning French immediately if this works out.
After that we had a long conversation where he actually explained to me every bit about HEC and Paris and how he spent his time there and also how his placements and internships worked out and his overall experience. In the end, I asked him a few questions on how was the transition from Europe to India, now that he was working here? The difference in work culture and challenges he faced. Overall, he made me feel extremely comfortable and we had some light moments as well. It lasted for about 2 hours but for the majority part it was a casual light-hearted discussion and he also offered to get in touch with him in case I needed anything in future.
Interview 2:
This interview happened on the exact day of the jury decision date for my cycle i.e. 12th October. This interviewer was a 2010 pass out and we had a face to face interview in her office. I reached her office 30 mins before our scheduled time. I was seated in a meeting room and she came right on time.
After the usual greetings she asked me to speak about myself for some time. As I did so, she kept asking questions w.r.t. my resume. We had a small discussion w.r.t. the work that I do in my organization and I could see that she was really interested in my work. Then a few more questions like
1. Where do you see yourself 10-20 years from now?
2. Why MBA?
3. Why Product Management?
4. Why not an MS?
5. Why not trying in US schools?
6. Which schools applying to? Which one would you choose? Why? (She explained to me her own preferences with reasons)
7. Asked me a few questions around ethical dilemma and tried to cross check with my story in the application.
8. Then she asked me an example on ethical dilemma other than the one I had mentioned in the application.
After that it was mostly a discussion on her overall experience after her MBA and what options I should look out for w.r.t. the schools. She took the ppt in the end and timed it. I had handouts ready as well but she was more comfortable with the laptop so I gave it on my laptop. She kept asking questions and we completed the ppt exactly at 10 mins . She was very impressed with the ppt and then asked me if I wanted to ask any questions. I asked her a few questions that I had prepared based on her profile. We had a long discussion regarding the positives and negatives of HEC. She also advised me to learn French if this works out. She was a warm lady but a little more reserved than the first interviewer. So, this one lasted good 1.5 hours and frankly speaking I had a very neutral feeling regarding this interview. I could not comment if it went good or bad.
However, my excitement knew no bounds when I received the admission confirmation email the next day at midnight!
Wishing future applicants all the very best!
Updated on: 31 Jan 2018, 02:30
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