Admissions Tip: Interviewing the Interviewer
In this MBA Admissions Tip, we highlight the importance of thinking about what you might ask when you’re interviewing. Virtually all business school interviewers conclude their discussion by offering the applicant a chance to ask some questions about the program. While it might be tempting to claim that you’ve already learned all you need to know about the school, this is actually a great opportunity to gain additional insight, show your enthusiasm about a specific element of the curriculum or community, and demonstrate that you appreciate the opportunity to learn from your interviewer’s experiences.
Here are a few simple guidelines to keep in mind while thinking about what you might ask:
Focus on the positive.
Now is not the time to conduct due diligence or express skepticism about a school’s academic program or career resources. You’re still marketing yourself to the adcom at this stage of the process, so you’ll want to project enthusiasm and demonstrate a desire to become more familiar with a program’s merits and your potential fit.
Avoid the obvious and the obscure.
Because this is an opportunity to tap the interviewer’s unique knowledge and point of view (and he or she will assume that you did your basic research before applying), it’s best to avoid asking questions that could be answered by perusing the school’s website or speaking with anyone you might happen to encounter on campus. On the other hand, you don’t want to ask something so obscure or specific that your interviewer might not have an answer. Seeking the interviewer’s opinion on or impression of some element of the program often makes for a discussion that both parties will find interesting and enjoyable.
Mind your audience.
Remember that students, alumni and admissions staff will all have a different perspective on and level of familiarity with the program, and that it’s wise to pose inquiries tailored to his or her experience with the school. For instance, alumni interviewers generally feel strongly about their schools but might not have the most current information on the academic programs and campus culture, so a good question might focus on the classes they have found most useful in their post-graduation career.
Don’t overdo it!
While it may be tempting to develop a long list of questions for your interviewer and to pepper them with these queries in an effort to gain more information about your target school (or to merely extend the interview), we strongly encourage you to exercise caution here. Try preparing 2-3 questions in advance, and then, at the interview, think carefully about which question(s) make the most sense to ask in the context of the discussion. In addition, we recommend that you remain mindful of your interviewer’s schedule and body language: Is there a room full of candidates waiting their turn outside? Is your interviewer rushing off to catch flight to the next interview hub city? Is your interviewer an alumnus with a busy schedule? While it is always appropriate to ask at least one question when prompted, there may be cases where you might just leave it at that. Of course, if you are having a wonderful discussion with an engaged interviewer who seems to be in no rush to move things along, you may ask more than just the one question.
We hope that these guidelines are helpful in thinking about how you might approach the end of your discussion and wish everyone interviewing at business schools in the coming weeks the best of luck! For more information about Clear Admit’s school-specific Interview Guides visit our shop and access immediate downloads of all the latest interview questions for your target school.
MBA Admissions Academy
Episode 20: Interviews I: The Basics
MBA Applywire
27F. Asian. Graduated T20 undergrad with double major in Biology and Statistics.
I applied Round 2 last cycle to Stanford, Northwestern MMM, Harvard, and MIT. I was accepted to the MMM with 30k in scholarship and waitlisted at MIT without interview. I actually posted on here back then and was featured on the podcast, which was awesome and I really appreciate it.
I ended up declining admission to Kellogg despite it honestly being the program I was most excited about as I received another promotion at work and the salary increase was too great compared to the cost of attendance. Applying round 2 last year was actually somewhat unexpected as I planned to apply this fall anyway, but did really well on my GMAT, so I ended up applying earlier. The extra time enabled me to save up more and gain more experience at work.
Professional Experience:
I currently work at a top gaming company as a mid-level project manager. I do a lot of operational work revolving around team morale and engagement. Think onboarding, swag, internal events, office management, and some executive assistant work. Since applying last year, I dove heavily into AI and how it can improve and automate my work. I then starting teaching other admins across the company how to make tools for themselves as well. I ran a 2 hour long workshop and launched an entire learning and development program for the admin discipline, featuring workshops, office hours, show and tells, and more. I have also been advocating with company leadership to get additional clarity and job architecture around the admin function at work.
For extracurriculars, I have and still do a number of speaking engagements at conventions and universities about gaming careers and breaking into the industry. I was also honored at a local university for my efforts with helping wit htheir gaming program and my work across collegiate gaming as a whole. I was president of my gaming club in college and founded a grassroots gaming community for students in response to COVID that grew to 3000+ members in 3 weeks. I have directly coached 100+ students and early career professionals, helping to place 10+% in jobs through my work. I also mentored 1 student very closely over 3 years, helping her secure a position at a top gaming brand. Since applying last year, I started a local gaming community for 100+ people in the Seattle area to connect and have hosted 20+ events both online and in person. I started a Gen Z career community with a friend but we haven't had a ton of time to build it out. We have a pilot group of 10+ individuals and have started ideating on programming. I also volunteer at my local aquarium educating people about ocean conservation and local marine wildlife.
Post-MBA: Last year I wanted to pivot into product within gaming and eventually entrepreneurship. This year, I realized my actual passion was going straight into entrepreneurship and hopefully building something that focuses on human connection and mentorship as a means to empower people to reach their dream careers. Also potentially with the focus on technology resilience and adaptability so people are able to develop skills that will help them as tech continues to evolve and change.
Applied/Applying Round 1. Reapplying to Kellogg MMM, Stanford, and MIT. Applying first time to Booth and Wharton. Hoping for more money this time around! I did speak with Kellogg and they understood this was a financial decision and that I was still very interested in attending.
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Leadership from University of Minnesota Twin Cities (2022)
GPA: 3.3/4.0
Professional Experience:
I began my career at Cummins Inc., a global leader in commercial vehicle propulsion systems, as a Test Engineer focused on powertrain validation. I was responsible for validating the functionality of engines and then later progressed into a Senior Field Test Engineer role where I was testing the engines in trucks, leading technical and strategic team meetings and was also mentoring junior engineers.
In mid-2026, I relocated to Pakistan to join Lucky Motor Corporation as a Manufacturing Engineer in the Reliability & Compliance function. Here, I transitioned from validation to production, where I lead daily quality and reliability investigations, drive line balancing optimization using Yamazumi charting, and own production launch readiness initiatives.
Entrepreneurial Background:
During my undergraduate years, I co-founded an online export-quality apparel resale business. Within a year, we scaled to over Rs 1.5 million in revenue and managed a remote team of 10–15 people. While the business didn't sustain into its second year as competition intensified, the experience taught me the critical importance of strategic planning, market positioning, and team leadership.
Community Involvement:
I remain active in my community through leadership roles—I managed Cummins's World Cup team in 2023 (strategy, team organization, execution) and held officer positions in my university's Pakistani Society. More recently, I've mentored junior engineers transitioning from validation into manufacturing roles, helping them navigate the technical and interpersonal dimensions of production environments.
Post-MBA Goals:
My immediate goal is to move into a Product or Program Management role at an automotive OEM or Tier 1 supplier, where I can own a product line's roadmap and drive cross-functional alignment on cost, schedule, and delivery. Over the longer term (5–10 years), I want to become a senior strategy leader in the automotive industry, shaping which products and technologies to bring to market, which markets to enter, and where to invest.
Questions for reviewer:
How competitive is my profile to not only get admission but also get a decent scholarship at these programs.
What do schools like to hear from candidates coming from an engineering background?
Are there any other schools I could add/replace with one on my list - my priority is scholarships.
Background: Pakistani male currently based in Tokyo, Japan
Academics:
Undergraduate degree from a leading university in Pakistan
GPA: 3.44
GRE: 334
Professional experience:
I began my career at a global research and expert network firm in Pakistan, where I supported quantitative research for major strategy consulting firms. My work included designing and delivering surveys for projects involving market entry, commercial due diligence, and growth strategy. I progressed into a team leadership role, managing research delivery and junior colleagues.
I later joined the Japan business of a large multinational consumer goods company and relocated from Pakistan to Tokyo following my professional progression. I currently work in category and consumer insights, supporting portfolio and investment decisions for a smoke free product business. My responsibilities include translating consumer behavior, market trends, and competitor activity into recommendations for senior management. I also manage our qualitative research budget, oversee external research agencies, and lead three analysts.
International exposure:
I have worked with consulting clients across international markets and have experience working for the Japanese market both remotely from Pakistan and in person after relocating to Tokyo. My professional experience has required me to adapt to a new country, business environment, and language while influencing cross functional decisions.
Community involvement:
I volunteer with a rural development organization in Pakistan, contributing to grant proposals and conducting workshops for small agribusiness owners on business planning, cost management, pricing, and digitization. This work is personally meaningful because of my family’s roots in the region.
Post MBA goal:
My immediate goal is to join the consumer products practice of a leading strategy consulting firm in the United States. Over the longer term, I want to build a consulting firm that gives small and medium sized consumer goods businesses across South Asia the evidence and strategic support needed to compete with larger companies and scale sustainably.
Target programs:
Tuck, Ross, Cornell, Yale, Kellogg, CBS
Questions for reviewers:
How competitive is my profile for these programs?
Is my school list appropriately balanced?
Which aspects of my profile should I emphasize most strongly?
MBA LiveWire
Submitted on Sep-13th, got invite on Sep-26th