So you made it to the MBA interview stage? Great, but let’s not celebrate yet.  It’s time to prepare and this is exactly what this webinar will help you to do.

The webinar is hosted by Shimri Winters, head of ARINGO MBA Admissions Consulting. He is a London Business School graduate and he is a former member of the London Business School interviewing committee.  

ARINGO MBA Admissions Consulting was founded 16 years ago to help candidates targeting top MBA programs such as Harvard, Wharton, Stanford, Columbia, NYU, Kellogg, Chicago, UCLA, Berkeley Yale Oxford, Cambridge, London Business School, INSEAD and many others.

What is the MBA interview?

Following the initial screening of candidates, most business schools invite a certain percentage of applicants to the “second stage” of the admissions process. The interviewer may be an adcom member, a second-year student or an alumnus/a.

There are also different types of interviews. In addition to the mandatory face-to-face interviews, there also could be a team-based discussion (Wharton), presentations (HEC, LBS), or supplementary video interviews.

You made it to the interview...

Now what? It may sound strange, but the first thing you need to do after receiving an invitation is to read the instructions carefully. That’s because the instructions can vary widely. For instance, some schools require additional essays or references. You may also be asked to schedule your interview with an alumnus/a.  

You may also be asked to choose between an in-person or online interview. If that’s the case, think about which option suits you best. Some people are naturally confident and have a very strong physical presence. If you are one of those people, maybe you are better off opting for the in-person format. 

Do’s and Don’ts 

Your performance during the MBA interview involves many factors such as preparation, confidence, the ability to speak with eloquence, etc. However, there are some basic rules that you need to be aware of:

  • Respect the interviewer and their time.
  • Don’t be late.
  • Turn off your phone.
  • Speak briefly and to the point.
  • Be positive.
  • Be honest.
  • Back up your answers with specific examples.

Prepare for the most common questions  

The questioner can ask you anything, but there are some questions, called The Big 9, that are almost certain to feature during the interview:

  • Would you walk me through your resume?
  • Why do you want to do an MBA?
  • Why this particular school?
  • Why now?  
  • What are your post-MBA career goals?
  • What are your 3 greatest strengths?
  • What are your 2 greatest weaknesses?
  • What would be the adcom’s biggest concern when evaluating your application?
  • Do you have any questions for me?  

If you want to learn how to prepare for each of these questions, please watch the webinar. Also, you can check out ARINGO’s Admission Chances Calculator that predicts your chances of admission for a large number of top MBA programs.