Interview Advice from MIT Sloan
Round 1 applicants, get ready for your interviews! Whether you’ve already received an interview invitation or are hoping to get an invite over the next few weeks, you want to make sure you’re prepared to do your best when the big day arrives.
With that in mind, Jennifer Barba, associate director of admissions at MIT Sloan School of Management, has shared a video with tips and insight regarding MBA interviews at Sloan, which she calls a critical piece of the evaluation process.
Candidates will meet with a professional member of the admissions team, not alumni, and should plan to spend 30-45 minutes discussing both data in their application as well as answering three or four behavioral questions. An example of this type of question is: “Tell me about a situation where you had a difficult interaction with a team member.”
“Interviewing candidates is my favorite part of the evaluation process,” says Barba, and she urges applicants to talk about things that are different than what you shared in the written application. When you ask questions, she adds, make sure they are more thoughtful than what you can find in the FAQs on the website.
Here at SBC, we advise clients to begin their interview prep by learning your application backwards and forwards and crystallize your professional goals and motivations. Then, ask yourself these key questions:
- Can I clearly articulate my career plan and future goals?
- What is my motivation to obtain an MBA?
- How do I plan to use my MBA in my career?
- What do I really want from my MBA experience?
- Why is X business school the right place for me?
- What can I bring to this MBA community?
- Where do I see myself in 5, 10 or 15 years?
You should be prepared to mention school-specific examples of courses, clubs, and other aspects of the curriculum that fit with your career goals. In short, do your homework and refresh your memory of School X’s program before your interview!
Finally, don’t forget to send your interviewer a thank-you note or email no later than the following day.
Our parting advice: be yourself. You want the admissions committee to admit you for who you really are.
