Completed my off-campus/hub city interview yesterday with an adcom member. The interview followed the format I'd seen elsewhere. We started with about 10-12 minutes of standard "Walk me through your resume"/"Why MBA"/"Why now"/with HEAVY emphasis on "Why Sloan?" I was really glad I had done my homework on this; later in the interview she mentioned that I had "hit all of their points/taglines" about culture/curriculum/fit.
The behavioral portion was intense. I was also really glad I had prepared well for this; there were no curveball questions, but the STAR format (situation, task, action, response) was a key part of how I was able to stay focused, organized, and sharp with the questions. If you haven't yet completed your Sloan interview, there are some good guides on ClearAdmit and on Adam Markus's website. Rather than a scripted response, I'd recommend having a "frame" story that follows STAR and that you can then improvise on to fit the dynamic between you and the interviewer.
The questions I got were:
* Tell me about when you were on a team that had low morale/was underperforming.
* Tell me about how you handled it when a team member was not pulling their weight.
* Tell me about a piece of feedback you've gotten that surprised you.
* Tell me about how you handle aspects of work that aren't exciting/are boring.
* Tell me about what you've brought to a group/team you work on.
* Tell me about a goal you've set and how you went about achieving it. (I asked whether she wanted personal or professional; she said both!)
* What did you expect me to ask you today that I didn't? (Used this to set up for a "what do I bring to Sloan" response)
That was the basic format and question set. We finished with questions about the school that I had. I had one prepared for my personal situation, one about the culture/community, and one lifestyle question. During the response to the personal one, she said that they are looking for "competencies" but not necessarily business experience; she talked about "signals" and how she was listening for those in the responses I had given. I mention this because the responses you prepare for the behavioral questions are going to deliver those "signals" QUITE clearly to them, and they will NOT give you verbal/non-verbal feedback. It was notable how the interviewer was able to be friendly/personable but not reveal anything of how she was actually reacting to my responses.
All told, this was unlike my interview at Kellogg and Booth. I knew that but was surprised by how different it felt. I think it went well because I had responses ready that were detailed, specific, and positive about me for each question. The one question is what "competencies" they are looking for; I wish there was a list so I could see if I managed to hit those.
Prep, prep, prep-- it was obvious they want specifics about "Why Sloan," including tracks you'd be interested in and labs you'd be excited to participate in. The behavioral questions can sometimes be framed differently than you'd expect, so be prepared to think on your feet.