the interview lasted about an hour. the guy explained he would go through a standardized list of questions… also spent 5 minutes explaining the process: interview was a good sign but not a guarantee of success blah blah blah.
- you have already quite a list of academic achievements. why do you need mba then? when did you realize you needed one?
- … and why stanford?
- explain to me how you lead in your work or in some other context? i want to understand how exactly you do.
- what has been your greatest accomplishment?
- Criticism you received: example and how did you react? what did you think of your supervisor then?
- Tell me about a nonbusiness book you read?
- Tell me how you influence your peers [given that you’re working mainly with peers]? I want a precise example of how you achieve this influence/leadership. there, it was clear he wanted an episode / very precise set of actions.
- Tell me about an occasion when you were under bad leadership. what did you learn?
then it was his turn to talk. i asked him about his background and progression and how stanford played a role in it. then we discussed about how stanford most helped him become more entrepreneurial and he gave some useful tips as to how best use the faculty. then his wife called and he apologized he had to leave!
