As R1 is already over for many B Schools, applicants have started getting their interview calls. For students this phase is filled with mixed emotions; they are both elated on receiving the interview call and tensed about their performance during the much-awaited interview. The interview is one of the most important part of the admission process. An applicant should be well aware of the various interview policies followed by B Schools. As Schools are different, so are their interview policies; let’s take a look:
Stanford Interviews: The interviews, which are upon invitation, are conducted most exclusively by Stanford MBA alumni. Occasionally, an applicant may be invited to interview with an MBA Admissions Office. This year school expects to interview 800-1000 applicants, where the primary questions will revolve around behaviour skills, and attitude that school believes are key to good citizenship. Most of the questions in interview will reflect on applicant’s professional and personal experiences. The interview is both evaluative and informative, and is designed to be a positive exchange of ideas and information. The interviews are blind; the only information about an applicant that the interviewer will have is the resume, which an applicant will send to him/ her. If an applicant is invited to interview, the interview will occur during the application round in which an applicant has applied and will be contacted by the MBA Admissions Office to schedule an interview. A mutually convenient date and time to meet could be set up between an interviewer and an applicant. If an applicant is waitlisted without an interview, he/she will be interviewed after he/she accept his/her place on the waitlist.
Tuck Interviews- You can request an interview at Tuck; school claims that the interviews are not required but highly recommended. Interviews are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis and if an applicant has not been able to arrange an interview by the deadline, the admissions committee may invite him/her to interview if they feel it is necessary. Interviews on campus are scheduled primarily with admissions associates (second-year students) and occasionally with members of the admissions committee. Off-campus interviews with an alumni interviewer, admissions committee member, or admissions associate are scheduled by invitation only. All applicant-initiated interviews are conducted on campus only, the interview should be scheduled online at least five days prior to the date that an applicant likes to visit. The interview must be completed by the published deadline for the round in which an applicant is applying. On-campus interviews are conducted by admissions committee members and admissions associates (selected second-year students). Admissions committee-initiated invites for interviews are made only after an initial review of a candidate’s application. Off-campus interviews are conducted by admissions committee members, admissions associates, or alumni interviewers. All interviews are evaluated equally, regardless of interviewer, location or how initiated.
MIT Sloan Interviews- The interviews are on invitation only and not all applicants are interviewed. Applicants invited to interview will be required to provide an official transcript from each school attended and the interviews last 45 minutes to an hour.. The MIT Sloan MBA Committee conducts Behavioural Even- Based Interviews; the interview will be a more structured process that will concentrate on areas that are important to the interviewer, rather than allowing the candidate to concentrate on areas that he/she may feel are important. You can also download MIT Sloan MBA Interview Guide that will give you a better picture about the interview process.
Harvard Business School Interviews- Harvard interviews are by invitation only, at the discretion of Admission Board and the interviews are not blind; the interviewer is thorough with your application file. Interviews are conducted by the MBA Admissions Board or a member of a small alumni interviewing network. Interviews may be scheduled on campus, on the telephone, or in domestic or international hub cities. Neither the timing of the interview nor its format – in-person or by phone — implies anything about the status of application or affects one’s candidacy. Invitations to interview may be extended up until the notification. Interview invitations are extended on a rolling basis throughout the course of each application round and each interview lasts for approximately 30 minutes. You can download Guide To Acceptable Interview Questions issued by Harvard itself.
Columbia Business School Interviews: The interviews are by invitation only; they cannot be requested by applicants. Students can use this opportunity to elaborate on the aspects that they have not been able to cover in their application. Interviews are usually conducted by an alumnus or alumna in or near your hometown. If one is not available, you will be invited to interview via telephone with a current student in the School’s Hermes Society. The interviews are blind and the interviewer will not be familiar with applicant’s details.
Kellogg School Of Management Interviews: Kellogg interviews all applicants and the applicants are required to request on campus or off campus interviews. The interviews are blind, and the only piece of your application reviewed by the interviewer will be your résumé. Candidates whose interviews are waived are not at a disadvantage. The Office of Admissions will follow up with candidates whose interviews were waived should the committee feel an interview would make an impact on the final decision. Applicants requesting an off-campus interview will be notified of their assignment by e-mail after Part 1 of the Kellogg application has been received by the Office of Admissions. During peak season (November to March), expect to receive the interview assignment up to six weeks after the Office of Admissions receives Part 1 of the application. The Office of Admissions will make every effort to assign an alumni interviewer to each candidate. However, in a few cases of unusually heavy demand or remote location, we may be unable to meet all requests. In these instances, candidates will be granted an interview waiver. Waivers have no negative impact on candidacy, and many applicants who receive waivers are admitted to Kellogg every year. The interviews are typically 30 minutes long.
I would be covering more schools on similar grounds, till then Good Luck!
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