Clear Admit
Yale SOM Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / Skype
Interviewer was kind and attentive. My background was very unfamiliar to him and it seemed to me that he hardly understood what I was explaining – my fault! Anyhow, I could see he was trying, but he rarely gave me back up questions. I felt that this interview would not play a very decisive role in my application, since I could get admitted even though I could not engage him effectively. Interview Qs were as below: 1. Tell me about your most meaningful achievement (no walk through your resume). 2. Tell me about your failure. 3. How will you contribute... Read more »
UPenn Wharton Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / Zoom
Like everyone else, I had a team based discussion over Zoom with 5 other candidates and 2 second-year admissions fellows. We were let into the Zoom meeting roughly 5 minutes before the start time and had a bit of small talk/chatter before the admissions fellows got us started. They laid out the instructions and format then let us kick off the next 35 minutes. We wrapped up our discussion & presentation by the end of the 35 minute mark. The admissions fellows then shared that we would do a 1-on-1 interview, each of them taking 3 applicants and they showed... Read more »
Yale SOM Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / Zoom
October 18th, 2021 – Round 1 The interview was held through Zoom, in a very collegial atmosphere. The interviewer was great: a very welcoming and nice second-year student! From the beginning, she made me feel comfortable and told me that she had only gone through my curriculum, as well as that she would be taking some notes during the interview about my answers. List of interview questions: A little bit of conversation about my background and points in common we had to break the ice Walk me through your resume Responsibilities involved in my current position Time when I demonstrated... Read more »
NYU Stern Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Adcom / Zoom
Interview with Adcom. She was very nice and started the interview with a question about my pick six essay. She talked about herself as well. It was an application based interview and lasted 30 min. Questions asked: 1. About my Pick six 2. Tell me what you do at work 3. Leadership example 4. Why MBA 5. Plans for recruiting (how will you use NYUs resources) 6. Any other thing you would like to share 7. Questions for admissions Overall the interview was very friendly and no surprises.
Yale SOM Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / Zoom
The interview is a resume based interview. The student did not know anything about my application other than having access to a resume. There are a set of questions everyone is asked and time for conversation. The interviewer was very nice. 1) Can you tell me about yourself and go thru your resume briefly? 2) Why an MBA and why now? 3) What are your short-term goals and long-term goals? 4) Do you have a backup plan if you do not meet your goals and what are they? 5) Tell me about a time you struggled at a group project... Read more »
Chicago Booth Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / Zoom
Booth Interview Questions: 1. Introduce yourself. 2. Career goals & Why MBA? 3. Why Booth? 4. A situation where you brought people together. 5. A situation where you pushed forward an idea. 6. A situation where you changed your perspective. 7. A situation where you realized you need help. 8. Talked about personal development (follow-up questions). 9. What are your strengths? 10. Anything else you’d like me to know? 11. Me asking questions. My interviewer was super nice, and I was able to build a good rapport with her early on in the interview. She acted more like a student... Read more »
Episode 202: Wire Taps—Global Citizen in the Food Delivery Biz. Japanese-based candidate in Private Equity. ORM with super GPA, is Round 2 going to hurt?
As decisions for Round 1 candidates begin to roll out, Alex and Graham discuss the activity seen on MBA LiveWire last week (Booth, LBS and Yale SOM). They also cover this upcoming week, with Harvard and Stanford decisions leading the way. Graham also notes the new adcom Q&A with David Simpson, from London Business School and takes a moment to thank site users for submitting interview reports, a clear signal that interview season for Round 1 is (pretty much) over. Our hosts them move on to tackle the profiles of three ApplyWire entries. First up, we have a global citizen,... Read more »
The Week Ahead: MBA Interview Invitations & Decisions, December 6-10, 2021
Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week and every week! Round 1 is nearly complete. Round 1 decisions are rolling out! Tuesday, December 7, INSEAD is scheduled to release its Round 2 interview invites. Wednesday, December 8, Northwestern / Kellogg, UVA / Darden, Michigan / Ross, and CMU / Tepper are scheduled to release their Round 1 decisions. Oxford / Said is scheduled to release its Stage 2 decisions. Thursday, December 9, Harvard, Stanford GSB, Dartmouth / Tuck, Emory / Goizueta, and Georgetown... Read more »
INSEAD Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Alumnus / Zoom
Walk me through your resume. Why MBA? Why MBA now? Why INSEAD? My short and long term goal? Leadership experience? A time I had an uncomfortable conversation at work? (This got me off guard) He noticed I had a prior masters 9 years ago and kept grilling me on my motivations. The rest of the time we chatted about his experience at INSEAD & his work in Amazon as it is one of my target organizations post-MBA.
UPenn Wharton Interview Questions & Report: Round 3 / Second-Year Students / Zoom
I participated in a team-based discussion with five other applicants. Two second-year students served as the facilitators. Immediately after the discussion, the facilitators created break-out rooms; they each met 3 participants for a 10-minute interview. The questions were standard for everyone. I know this because we (prospective students) discussed our experience before finally exiting the zoom meeting. The questions were; 1. Why MBA? 2. Why Wharton? 3. Do you have any questions for me? In all, it was an incredible experience. The interview was very cool, as my interviewer maintained a very amiable disposition throughout. However, the team-based discussion can... Read more »
Episode 201: Wire Taps—Deferred Candidate with Cannabis Biz! Should They Aim Higher? Is the GRE Score the Outlier?
Graham and Alex provide key advice in this week’s podcast episode of Wire Taps. First up, a deferred candidate in their junior year appears to be doing everything right in terms of academic performance, campus leadership and entrepreneurship. They’ve still got to ace the test, but is their Cannabis business opportunity a risk? Next, our hosts discuss a candidate who has gone six for six in terms of interview invites in Round 1; should they be targeting higher profile programs in Round 2? Finally, Alex and Graham discuss a candidate who appears to have outstanding work experience and is seeking... Read more »
Chicago Booth Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / Zoom
The interview was conducted thru Zoom with a second-year student. The student seemed to have a set of questions to ask and then proceeded to follow up depending on my response. 1) Can you go introduce yourself? 2) Why an mba? 2) Why booth? What specifically does Booth offer you that you are looking for? 3) What are your short-term and long-term goals? Do you have a backup plan? 4) Who is a leader you admire and why? 5) What leadership type do you have? What are you doing to actively improve your leadership? 6) Tell me about a time... Read more »
The Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast Hits Milestone 200th Episode!
The Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast has turned 200! That’s right, this week’s episode is the 200th edition of a podcast that was first launched in March of 2018. Needless to say, it has wildly exceeded our expectations. In celebration of such a milestone, we want to share a handful of fun facts and figures from the podcast. IF YOU RECORD IT, THEY WILL COME: Nearly a quarter of million people have tuned into the show over the past 3+ years (from virtually every corner of the planet). REAL HUMANS: Our “WireTaps” episodes, which air each Monday, have profiled over... Read more »
Episode 200: Wire Taps—Should I Still Apply This Year? Do I Have Enough Work Experience? I Need Help with My Quant Score!
We are excited to mark another milestone with our 200th podcast episode! We would like to thank all our listeners (who have combined for more than 222,000 listens) for making this podcast the show that it has become! Alex and Graham are here to mark the occasion with another installment of Wire Taps, in which they dish out MBA admissions advice to current applicants. First up, we have an Indian candidate who now resides in Canada, and is seeking an MBA to start a consulting career. Some of the challenges he faces include making good sense of his career path... Read more »
CMU Tepper Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Adcom / Zoom
Interview with Jackson Otto. She was really friendly and very engaged throughout the discussion. We started with a casual talk about her experience in the city I am living in. She also emphasized that it is a blind interview, that she has only read my resume, not my essay. Questions in the interview: – Walk me through your resume. – What’s your short-term goal after MBA? – TMAT you helped your team or your company. – TMAT you encountered a challenge. What was it and how did you get past that? – How do you learn and improve yourself professionally?... Read more »
Northwestern Kellogg Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Alumni / Zoom
The interview takes place thru Zoom. The alumni was a graduate who had a similar background and career aspirations as myself. It seems that they will find someone who matches your background or goals. The interview was resume based and on Zoom. 1) Can you please tell me about yourself? 2) What are the day to day operations of your job? 3) Why a full-time MBA instead of an Executive MBA? 4) What interests you in getting an MBA? 5) What if you don’t reach your goals? What is your plan b? 6) What do you bring that can contribute... Read more »
CBS Interview Questions & Report: Early Decision / Alumni / Virtual
Pretty standard small talk & intros for first 5 minutes. Talk me through your resume. Why do you want an MBA and why from Columbia? What are your short-term and long-term career goals? What is your backup plan if those goals don’t work out? How do you think you’ll contribute to the culture at Columbia? What are some challenges and obstacles you foresee while you are getting your MBA? Overall very low key and relaxed interview that felt very “fit” focused. I feel like we clicked on personal level. No curveball questions.
CBS Interview Questions & Report: Early Decision / Alumnus / Zoom
Interviewed 11/5. Interview was blind, although I had sent over my resume ahead of time. Questions: – Tell me about yourself / walk me through your resume. – Why an MBA – which flowed naturally into Why Columbia. – What does your team structure look like at work? – What are top leadership qualities you value / strive to emulate? – What activities are you involved in outside of work? – What would you like to tell me that we haven’t covered? – What questions do you have for me? The interview flowed very naturally with the alum (class of... Read more »
Northwestern Kellogg Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Alumnus / Zoom Call
It was an alumnus interview that was resume based. He clearly worked through some of the pre-populated questions that Kellogg provided. Examples include: “Walk me through your resume,” “Why Kellogg,” and “What impact will you have on the Kellogg community.” I was surprised that he took the entire interview from his car on his drive home from the office. The interview confirmed that Kellogg is a very social school and that there are a variety of career paths coming out of the program.
Duke Fuqua Interview Questions & Report: Early Action / Second-Year Student / Skype
The interview started on a very good note where the second-year student introduced himself and set the tone and format for the interview. it was going to be a conversational interview where he would want me to walk him through my CV, answer his specific questions about my understanding of the Duke Fuqua MBA, answer his questions on leadership and teamwork, ask any questions that I had. The questions that were asked were (After I walked him through my CV and clarified why MBA): 1. What resonated with me about Duke Fuqua? 2. What do I think is the most... Read more »
