The importance of Interview in the application

There are two kinds of interviews: phone and in person interview by alumni, senior students or admissions officers. For most top schools, interviews are required, but different schools have different requirements, and different schools take it in different importance. Like Harvard and Darden, which are 100% case study, interviews may be 100% important; but for many other schools, it is not. Also, some schools interview all of their applicants, like Michigan and Kellogg; but others just interview by invitation, like Harvard, Wharton, NYU, etc. In addition, B-schools often change their interview policies, so applicants should carefully investigate the interview requirements of school they will apply.

Formal Questions

A group of applicants have offered the following as questions asked of them when they interviewed for admission to MBA programs:
， Discuss your career progression.
， Give examples of how you have demonstrated leadership inside and outside the work environment.
， What do you want to do (in regard to business function, industry, location)?
， Why the MBA? Why now?
， Describe an ethical dilemma faced at work?
， Describe your career aspirations?
， What would you do if not accepted?
， What are your long- and short-term goals? Why?
， Why are you applying to business school?
， Why does this school appeal to you?
， What is an activity you are involved in? Why is it important to you?
， Talk about experiences you have had at work.
， Why are you interested in a general MBA program?
， Why did you choose your undergraduate major?
， Discuss yourself.
， What contributions would you make to a group?
， Name three words or phrases to describe yourself to others.
， What is most frustrating at work?
， How would co-workers describe you?
， Describe a typical work day.
， Have you worked in a team environment? What were your contributions to the effort?
， Discuss any experience you have had abroad.
， How did you choose your job after college?
， What do you do to relieve stress?
， It's two years after graduation, what three words would your team members use to describe you?
， Describe a situation where you brought an idea forward, and it failed.
， How do you define success?
， What would you do if a team member wasn't pulling his own weight?

Informal Questions:

， Analyze the pro's and con's of a matrix organization?
， How has the element of luck been influential in your life.
， When you are young, you think, justice is the least you can expect, when you are old, it is the utmost", what is your opinion?
， Have you ever deeply regretted one of your decisions and why?
， The famous German film director Hans-Jurgen Syberberg once said: "To understand the success of Adolf Hitler, one has to acknowledge, that he was an eminent artist", what are your feelings towards this statement?
， What do you think about the boycott against Iraq?
， Any other question resulting from the news of the day, death of the Princess of Wales, Formula One driver Schumacher again caught cheating, Austria's right wing party in government, anything about which the candidate should be able to have a sound and well developed idea.
， From the likely weakness of the applicants-for example, a computer programmer might be a bad team player, and a bond trader may not have any involvement in charities.
， not particular special, but in depth about what you think you can bring to MIT both academically and socially.
， what is your management philosophy?
， what is your managerial style? What aspects of it do you wish to change?
， how much do you control those under you? How much freedom do you give them? How do you motivate them?
， are you a better leader or follower?
， how did you choose these schools? what if you are not accepted at a top school?

Key Tips In the Interview

General
1. Be yourself; allow your personality to shine.
2. Respond to questions honestly and candidly.
3. Understand what is asked of you. Feel free to ask for a repeat if you don't clearly understand a question.
4. Avoid the "smart-aleck" reply or the clever-flip demeanor (you know, the effort to be cute, snappy alert, falsely witty).
5. Do your homework on the school and program.
6. Be on time. Look nice.
7. Examine yourself. Know something about the MBA and how it can aid you.
Specific
1. Discuss special interests and ask how the school may help you to pursue them. For example, one representative particularly enjoyed talking to a young lady about her interest in fund-raising management.
2. Ask about faculty research and interests, especially in areas that concern you.
3. Review with representatives your work background, highlighting the benefits you received from the experiences.
4. Know something about the MBA degree and what it can do for you. Explore the possibilities of the degree as it relates to what you are seeking.
5. Inquire about the school's philosophy, approach, and direction. Since management education is young, many schools are still defining and redefining themselves in regard to what they do and how they do it.
6. Inquire about facilities (library, computer equipment), housing, and campus life. A recent graduate chose a school based on its tremendous computer laboratory.
7. If financial aid is critical to you, ask about aid sources, its availability, and the name of the person responsible for administering the program.
8. Describe to the representatives who you are: your strengths, assets, traits needing development.
9. Discuss your college work, making special reference to those courses/projects that were valuable, exciting, worthwhile, and important to your future.
10. Be frank about problems - real or perceived - without rationalizing, apologizing, blaming, or excusing. Common problems may include grades, test scores, an inconsistent record, or minimal work experience.