It is important in your application process to remember to have fun. Think about an admissions officer reading thousands of applications on the same essay question; it must get incredibly boring (yes, even during your essays). One way to stand out in the crowd of essays, interviewers and applicants is to have some fun.
For example, in one of my essays I actually used a swear word (a–hole). In another, I talked about a company I started called Wingmancard, which helps people meet other people to date. In that essay, which answered why I wanted to get an MBA, I included a jpg of the cards to liven up my essay.
Here’s a pretty hilarious flier I saw yesterday to help make today more fun for you:
Have you seen this flier...yes
One of our clients, who recently had an interview at UC Irvine, was kind of enough to talk about his experience during the interview, how he prepared, and tips and advice on how you might prepare for Irvine and other MBA interviews.
He was also kind enough to do a quick podcast testimonial about IAS services. We also have a podcast about the Kellogg Interview.
In this podcast, our friend talks about his experience in the Kellogg interview. He outlines the format, questions, feel and interviewer then gives advice, preparation guidance and things to focus on in preparation. This is a perfect podcast for anyone getting interviewed at Kellogg and a great podcast for people who would like to get a sense of how MBA interviews are conducted in general.
If you would like to help us by conducting a podcast, please contact us as we would love your help. If you have participated in an MBA interview, we would also appreciate it if you filled out our Interview Format form.
We’re building a database of how each MBA school tends to conduct interviews, what questions they tend to ask, and how to prepare for the interview. If you have, or someone you know has, been interviewed during the MBA process, please fill out this form here.
Currently, here is the data we’ve collected (school names on the left)
All interviews, no matter how rigid or intense they are overall, have a casual section to them. It might be in the introduction, during your walk to the office, or at the end, but all MBA interviews have some period when it is conversational and casual.
Most MBA applicants overlook this part of the interview. In their preparation, they focus entirely on the standard, “Walk me through your resume”, or, “What are your 3 greatest strengths” questions. This kind of attention to detail, or lack of, is for people who probably aren’t going to get accepted into the top programs.
Here at IAS, we understand that the application process is a zero sum game, meaning you must beat other applicants for a limited number of spots. It’s not about doing a great job, it’s about beating the other applicants to gain admission. To do this, you need to utilize otherwise overlooked areas of the application process and one example of this is the casual section on the interview.
How to take Advantage:
- Bridge to topics you want to talk about
- Bridging is a classic sales technique to transition a conversation from one topic to another. If you need an example, just watch a political debate and take note of what the politician starts out talking about and the topic she finished with. You can use this same technique in an MBA interview.
- In the interview, if they ask you about your visit to the school direct the conversation to how much you’ll enjoy the surrounding area b/c of a, b, and c. And that you worked here on project x, y, z during your job at Company A. Then start to talk about Company A and the great things you did there. Or, let them ask you about Company A naturally. Don’t be someone who talks about the library, cafeteria, or beautiful surroundings.
- Keep it going
- After you answer their question, don’t be afraid to keep the conversation casual by asking them a question. For example, “Do you like the hiking around here?”, or, “Have you enjoyed living here?” Engaging the interviewer is never a bad idea because it will actually make them like you more
- Be prepared for the casual parts
- Have something interesting to talk about when you’re walking to the office or getting situated such as the class you went to that day or a current student you talked to. Try to use names and examples that the interviewer can check up on.
If you are getting ready for an interview and want more information on how to Ace the MBA Interview, feel free to contact us directly at brett (at) ivyappsuccess (dot) com.
