What to Expect: MBA/Masters Interview Guide for Round 2 Applicants

February, aka when most interviews are being conducted for Round 2 of MBA applications. While some schools have interviews as optional, for top programs, an interview is typically a sign that you have a strong application with potential fit. Whether the interview is conducted in person or virtually by AdCom, Alumni, or Current (typically 2nd year) Students, it's important to prep for this crucial element of evaluating your leadership potential and fit for the MBA/Masters application. With that in mind, here's a comprehensive guide to navigating interviews for Round 2.

First off, let's discuss the different types of interviews:

• Blind vs. Non-Blind: Typically all interviewers will have access to your resume during the interview, but in a Blind interview, that's all the information they have on you. Because of that, it's important to walk through your resume concisely and be more proactive with sharing your story, achievements, and "Why MBA". On the other hand, with Non-Blind interviews, interviewers have read through your entire application (the essays, recommendations, and short answers). In these cases, be ready for (often deeper) follow-up questions and make sure your answers and story aligns with the application.

  • Top Programs that do Blind Interviews: Kellogg (Northwestern), Haas (UC Berkeley, Tuck (Dartmouth), Ross (Michigan), Fuqua (Duke), Darden (Virginia), Anderson (UCLA)

  • Top Programs that do Non-Blind Interviews: Harvard Business School (HBS), Stanford GSB, Wharton (UPenn), Booth (Chicago), Columbia Business School (CBS), MIT Sloan, Yale SOM, LBS (London Business School)

• Behavioral vs. Case-Based: The majority of MBA interviews tend to be behavioral, focusing on your past experiences to understand you and your leadership potential. In this case, it's important to have personal and professional stories ready on hand along with the STAR Method (more on this later!). Case-based interviews test how you think through real-world business problems or hypothetical scenarios, evaluating your analytical thinking and business skills based on your response.

  • Top Programs that do Case-Based Interview: MIT Sloan, Yale SOM, LBS

• Other: While most interviews follow the behavioral vs. case-based there are a few programs that have their own twist, such as Wharton's group interview and HEC Paris's presentation. Both have their own strategies and it's best to work with a MBA Consultant/Coach for personalized practice

Second, let's discuss Common MBA Questions

As stated before, typically the interviews are behavioral, seeking to understand your fit based on your past experiences and how you communicate. These are some of the most common questions asked:

• Tell me about yourself/Walk me through your resume. (Crafting a strong, structured personal introduction.)

• Why MBA? Why now? Why this school? (Align this with school values, career goals.)

• Leadership & Teamwork Questions-including Greatest Achievement (Using STAR framework: Situation, Task, Action, Result.)

• Handling Failure & Challenges (Demonstrating resilience and learning.)

• Ethical Dilemmas (Showcasing integrity and critical thinking.)

• Behavioral Questions (How you handle conflict, pressure, or ambiguity.)

• Industry-Specific or Technical Questions (If switching careers, be prepared to justify.)

As you can see, a lot of these questions can and should be answered with an example from your past, and thus taking the time to reflect and prepare to explain stories keeping in mind of the key elements; the best framework for this is the STAR Method:

Situation: Provide context.

Task: What needed to be accomplished? What was your role in this situation?

Action: What steps did you take? (Explain your thought process!)

Result: What was the impact? (Quantify where possible.)

*Bonus: Reflection

This is probably one of the most fundamental tools when it comes to answering MBA interview questions as it comprehensively provides context. And as you can see I've added an extra R to STAR(R), Reflection. This is based on the fact that beyond your actions, MBA programs are also keen to understand if you're an emotionally intelligent leader; emotionally intelligent leaders often reflect on their actions, understanding the impact they made and thus this becomes an opportunity to stand out by providing this extra reflection or key takeaway after the standard STAR,

How to Prepare MBA (Behavioral) Interview Questions

Beyond STAR, there are also some other things to keep in mind for when preparing for the MBA interview

• Research the program: If you managed to snag an interview for a top program, congrats! That means your application likely displayed the skills they're seeking and resonated with their values. The interview is an opportunity to drive that point home by demonstrating your fit. To do that, understand the program deeply, show genuine understanding of the school’s culture and values.

• Story Bank: Building on the fact that Behavioral Questions are meant to understand you based on your past experiences, it's extremely helpful to have these past experiences as stories, prepped in advance, with a Story Bank. Essentially these stories should be written down somewhere, analyzed and broken down based on the STARR method so that one can retrieve and review with ease. Bonus points if you're able to tie the stories into the program's culture and values!

• Follow-Up Questions: Along with having stories ready, it's also ideal to have follow-up questions ready, which demonstrates your interest and "researched" curiosity for the program. I typically advise my clients to formulate these follow-up questions as they research the program; what are things they're still wondering about or stands out to them after doing research? Simultaneously, if the interviewer's information is revealed beforehand, it's usually a good idea to research the interviewer a bit and prep questions that are tailored to them. (eg an Investment Banker alumni, asking questions on clubs they found particularly valuable in making this pivot, etc.)

• Clarity & Conciseness: Given that most of your story should be understandable through your written application, the interview is an opportunity to observe your verbal communication abilities and presence. And with that in mind, it's important to be clear and concise when giving answers. Again, the STAR method will help here to keep you focused on the key elements but it's still easy to get carried away. Thus when going over your stories, make sure to edit and deliver practicing as needed until you get the timing right. For reference, here is how much time you should spend on each question, so that you can adjust your pacing as needed:

  1. "Tell Me About Yourself" (3-5 minutes - should cover: Who you are (brief background), What you’ve done (highlight key accomplishments or roles), Why you’re pursuing an MBA (career goals and alignment with the program))

  2. Why This School? Why This MBA? Why Now? (1-2 minutes)

  3. Behavioral Questions (e.g., Leadership, Failure, Conflict Resolution) (2-4 minutes depending on complexity of question)

  4. “Tell Me About a Time You Failed” (2-3 minutes)

  5. Career Goals (Short-Term & Long-Term) (1-2 minutes)

  6. Questions About Your Weaknesses or Areas for Improvement (1-2 minutes)

  7. Casing Questions can take longer (5-10 min), given its complex nature

Mock Interview: Finally, inline with all efforts seeking improvement, it's important to practice practice practice, and in this case it means conducting mock interviews. Aim to do 3-5 mock interviews with alumni, friends, or an MBA/Masters Admission Coach (like myself) and work on feeling comfortable with your story and key elements-keeping your responses concise vs. memorization! The more experienced and familiar your mock interviewer is with the programs you're interviewing for, the better and one of the top reasons why it helps to work with an MBA/Masters Admission Coach.

As an MBA/Masters Admission Coach, I've helped my clients ace their interviews by advising them how to communicate their story while building their confidence. If you're preparing for an upcoming interview and want expert feedback, let’s chat! Schedule a free 30-min consultation call with me here to discuss your goals and get personalized insights to boost your chances of success!

*Some Final Notes on "To-Do's regarding interviews:

• Dress Professionally: Even for virtual interviews, appearance matters. Business Casual at minimum!

• Confidence & Body Language: Maintain eye contact, use natural gestures. Please don't read off a screen - it's easy to tell when someone's doing!

• Curve Ball Questions: Occasionally there will be a question that might throw you off (including those random fun ones like "if you could be an ice cream flavor, what flavor would you be"?) In these cases the key is to stay calm and composed. Don't let them see you sweat and answer to the best of your ability keeping it fun and light.

• Strong Close: Always remember to have at least one thoughtful question for the interviewer.

• Post-Interview Thank You Note: Within 24 hours after the interview, send a personalized thank you note, referencing specific parts of the conversation.

And with that, here's your go to guide for MBA/Masters Interview, good luck and 加油！