Interview Advice for Chicago Booth
Many business school blog posts offer interview tips from the admissions committee’s point of view. But a new post from the Booth Experience Team at the Chicago Booth School of Business shares feedback straight from the Admissions Fellows who have or will soon conduct interviews with those lucky Round 1 applicants. Through a series of Do’s and Don’ts from the Admissions Fellows, a few common threads emerge within their interview advice for Chicago Booth. Chief among them:
- Do your research
- Come with memorable stories
- Show how you will contribute
Keep in mind that Admissions Fellows are second-year MBA students who assist the Booth admissions committee in evaluating applications and interviewing for fit. They are people who, just two years ago, were in your shoes and know exactly where you’re coming from in this lengthy, often stressful process. We’re highlighting a few of their specific tips here.
Interview Advice for Chicago Booth
DO research your interviewer. “It’s so easy to take 5 minutes looking at your interviewer’s LinkedIn profile, and it showed that applicants had taken time to personalize the conversation.”
DO seize every opportunity to bolster your candidacy. “Be sure to add anything else you want to share after the formal questions are completed. It’s helpful when there are specific things that you want Admissions Fellow interviewers to highlight in their feedback on you. Help them help you by highlighting the most exciting aspects of your application and background.”
DO show how you will add to the Booth community. “All interviewers are looking to understand how you will succeed at Booth and a big portion of that is by how you will become involved. Have specific industry experience that will allow you to take a leadership role within a Student Group at Booth? Make sure you’ve expressed this to your interviewer so they can help envision your future at Booth.”
DON’T ramble. “Keep your talking points organized and tight. The best candidates often presented their answers using three crisp points or by using a “STAR”-esq framework (STAR being: Situation, Task, Action, Result).”
DON’T read from notes. If your interview takes place virtually, avoid reading from off-camera notes. “Don’t be the candidate that is reading a rehearsed answer. While we do encourage you to practice your answers to typical interview questions out loud, make sure you’re not sounding too robotic.”
DON’T be generic. “If you’re asked ‘Why Booth?’ you need to very specific. Name drop a few specific courses that you plan to take [and] make sure to reference a few of the traditions like ‘Random Walk.’ Every business school has their way of calling specific programs or groups, so make sure you’re using Booth’s specific terminology.”
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