8 Interview Tips From The UCLA MBA Program

If you’re still experiencing pre-interview jitters, take a look at this advice posted Wednesday by the UCLA MBA Program’s director of MBA admissions and financial aid, Mae Jennifer Shores, on The MBA Insider’s Blog.

With Round 2 interviews looming, this information is directed to prospective applicants wondering how best to prepare. The admissions committee has provided these answers based on the many inquiries they have received.

• Interviews are blind in order to reduce bias. Your interviewer will not see your application in advance and will have no preconceived ideas or expectations of you, your talents, abilities, etc.

• Interviews may include behavioral questions. Questions may center on how you’ve handled specific situations in the past and what you’ve learned from them. Behavioral interviewing holds that past performance predicts future behavior.

• No advance preparation is required. Questions are straightforward and cover topics already addressed in your application. You will not be asked to analyze a case study or demonstrate your mastery of particular subjects.

• All interviews carry equal weight. While interviewing on-campus allows you see the school up close, it doesn’t give you an advantage when it comes to your admissions decision. Arrange the type of interview that is most convenient for you.

• Interviews are dialogues or exchange between two people. Steer away from pre-rehearsed speech and over-reliance on your résumé. The UCLA MBA program is interested in getting to know you as an individual, so follow the cues of the interviewer.

• Interview length does not indicate how well it went. Although interviews are scheduled for 30 minutes, the actual length may vary a bit. Deviations from the schedule are random and unrelated to the candidate.

• Do not expect feedback from the interviewer. Be careful to avoid any interpretation of verbal or non-verbal communication in the interview or afterward, as both may mislead you.

• Interviews are not a popularity contest. The interviewer is assessing your fit and readiness for the UCLA MBA program – not whether or not the two of you would make good or best friends.

For more insight into life inside the MBA program at UCLA Anderson, check out The MBA Student Voice blog here.

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