So, Who’s Doing Your MBA Interview?
Your MBA interview is a pivotal part of the business school application process. It not only allows you to present your personality and strengths beyond your written application but also helps the school decide if you’re a good fit for their program.
Depending on the school, your interviewer could be an alum, a member of the admissions committee, or a second-year MBA student. Each interviewer brings a distinct perspective to the conversation. Understanding their unique roles is crucial as it can help you customize your approach for the best possible outcome.
Interview with an Alum: The Pragmatic Professional
Alumni interviewers are often experienced professionals eager to give back by participating in the admissions process. Typically, they focus more on your professional accomplishments, fit with the school culture, and how the program can help you achieve your career goals. Their approach tends to be more conversational and may resemble a networking coffee chat rather than a formal interview.
Which B-Schools often employ alumni interviewers?
- Kellogg School of Management
- Stanford Graduate School of Business
- Dartmouth Tuck School of Business
- Duke Fuqua School of Business
How to Prepare
Understand Their Perspective: Alumni will be interested in your career progression, leadership skills, and how you might contribute to the school’s network. They’re evaluating whether you’ll make them proud as a fellow graduate and a future ambassador of the school.
10 Best Questions to Ask an MBA Student or Alum
Show You’ve Done Your Homework: Research your interviewer on LinkedIn to understand their career trajectory. Demonstrate knowledge of the school, the program, and how it impacted the interviewer’s career. During your MBA interview, show enthusiasm when discussing your interest in that school and what you hope to gain. They will appreciate your taking the time to learn about their experiences, and your positive attitude can leave a lasting impression.
Be Professional Yet Relatable: Alums appreciate authentic interactions. They’re not looking for a rehearsed pitch but a meaningful conversation. Share personal anecdotes highlighting your journey, and don’t hesitate to express your love and enthusiasm for their alma mater.
Above all, don’t shy away from asking them questions about their experiences, both during and after the MBA. Alums love sharing stories, which can lead to a more engaging and memorable interaction. Just make sure to avoid overly personal or pointed questions that might put them on the spot regarding admissions policies—they likely have little influence over the final decision.
SBC offers an All-In Interview Prep Package, Group Interview Prep, and a specially tailored HBS Interview Prep. Contact us to learn how our interview coaching services will help you shine.
Interview with an Admissions Committee Member: The Gatekeeper
Admissions committee members are the most formal interviewers you might encounter. They have a deep understanding of what the school looks for in candidates and have likely read your application before your MBA interview. They will evaluate your fit with the program, leadership potential, and alignment with the school’s values.
Which B-Schools typically have AdCom interviewers (though they may also include students and alums)?
- Harvard Business School
- NYU Stern School of Business
- UVA Darden School of Business
- UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School
How to Prepare
Get Ready for Detailed Questions: Expect questions that dig deeper into your resume, essays, and any application weaknesses. They may ask about gaps in your career, lower test scores, or your motivations for pursuing an MBA.
Highlight School Fit: The admissions committee wants to understand why their school is the right choice for you. Be specific about how the school’s offerings—such as particular courses, faculty, or extracurricular activities—align with your career goals.
Be Professional and Polished: Whereas alums might prioritize a conversational tone, committee members expect you to be articulate, concise, and polished. Practice clear and compelling responses to commonly asked questions, but avoid sounding too rehearsed. Your professional demeanor can help create a positive impression.
Finally, address any potential concerns head-on to demonstrate self-awareness and maturity. If your GMAT score isn’t the strongest part of your application, acknowledge it briefly and pivot to your strengths, such as your professional achievements or unique contributions.
Interview with a Second-Year MBA Student: The Peer Perspective
Second-year MBA students bring a unique, peer-like perspective. They were in your shoes recently and often take a friendly, approachable approach to interviews. They want to assess if you would fit well with the current student body and contribute positively to the school community.
Which B-Schools often employ second-year student interviewers?
- Tuck School of Business
- UCLA Anderson School of Management
- Columbia Business School
- Yale School of Management
How to Prepare
Be Authentic and Relatable: Second-year students are often interested in your day-to-day experiences, teamwork style, and personal stories. Show that you’re someone they would want as a classmate.
Emphasize Community Involvement: Highlight your potential contributions to the school community, whether through clubs, case competitions, or other activities. They want to see that you’re enthusiastic about being an active participant, not just a passive learner.
Practice Behavioral Questions: Expect more behavioral questions about leadership, teamwork, and conflict-resolution skills. These students are thinking about how you would interact in group settings inside and outside the classroom.
B-Schooled Podcast Episode #94: A Deep Dive on Behavioral Interviews
Don’t hesitate to ask them about student life—clubs, recruiting, or even social aspects of the program. This shows that you think beyond academics and are genuinely interested in the complete MBA experience.
Get Ready for Your MBA Interview
While each interviewer offers a different perspective, the common thread is to be authentic, prepared, and adaptable. Understanding who your interviewer is and what they value can help you tailor your responses and stand out as a strong candidate. With the proper preparation, you can turn each interview into a golden opportunity to make a compelling case for your MBA candidacy.
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Stacy Blackman Consulting offers multiple services to meet your MBA application needs, from our All-In Partnership to hourly help reviewing your MBA essays, resume, and more. Contact us today for a free 15-minute advising session to talk strategy with a Principal SBC consultant.
Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our SBC team.
Ashley
Ashley is a former MBA Admissions Board Member for Harvard Business School (HBS), where she interviewed and evaluated thousands of business school applicants for over a six year tenure. Ashley holds an MBA from HBS. During her HBS years, Ashley was the Sports Editor for the Harbus and a member of the B-School Blades Ice Hockey Team. After HBS, she worked in Marketing at the Gillette Company on Male and Female shaving ...
×Kerry
Kerry is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS). During her 5+ year tenure at HBS, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a wide range of backgrounds across the globe. She also led marketing and outreach efforts focused on increasing diversity and inclusion, ran the Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP), and launched the 2+2 Program during her time in Admissions. Kerry holds a B.A. from Bates College and ...
×Pauline
A former associate director of admissions at Harvard Business School, Pauline served on the HBS MBA Admissions Board full-time for four years. She evaluated and interviewed HBS applicants, both on-campus and globally. Pauline's career has included sales and marketing management roles with Coca-Cola, Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and IBM. For over 10 years, Pauline has expertly guided MBA applicants, and her clients h ...
×Geri
Geri is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS). In her 7 year tenure in HBS Admissions, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a diverse set of academic, geographic, and employment backgrounds. Geri also traveled globally representing the school at outreach events in order to raise awareness for women and international students. In additio ...
×Laura
Laura comes from the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS) and is an HBS MBA alumnus. In her HBS Admissions role, she evaluated and interviewed hundreds of business school candidates, including internationals, women, military and other applicant pools, for five years. Prior to her time as a student at HBS, Laura began her career in advertising and marketing in Chicago at Leo Burnett where she worked on th ...
×Andrea
Andrea served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years. In this role, she provided strategic direction for student yield-management activities and also served as a full member of the admissions committee. In 2007, Andrea launched the new 2+2 Program at Harvard Business School – a program targeted at college junior applicants to Harvard Business School. Andrea has also served as a Career Coach for Harvard Business School for both cu ...
×Jennifer
Jennifer served as Admissions Officer at the Stanford (GSB) for five years. She holds an MBA from Stanford (GSB) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Jennifer has over 15 years experience in guiding applicants through the increasingly competitive admissions process into top MBA programs. Having read thousands and thousands of essays and applications while at Stanford (GSB) Admiss ...
×Erin K.
Erin served in key roles in MBA Admissions--as Director at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Assistant Director at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB). Erin served on the admissions committee at each school and has read thousands of applications in her career. At Haas, she served for seven years in roles that encompassed evaluation, outreach, and diversity and inclusion. During her tenure in Admissions at GSB, she was responsible for candidate evaluation, applicant outreach, ...
×Susie
Susie comes from the Admissions Office of the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she reviewed and evaluated hundreds of prospective students’ applications. She holds an MBA from Stanford’s GSB and a BA from Stanford in Economics. Prior to advising MBA applicants, Susie held a variety of roles over a 15-year period in capital markets, finance, and real estate, including as partner in one of the nation’s most innovative finance and real estate investment organizations. In that r ...
×Dione
Dione holds an MBA degree from Stanford Business School (GSB) and a BA degree from Stanford University, where she double majored in Economics and Communication with concentrations in journalism and sociology. Dione has served as an Admissions reader and member of the Minority Admissions Advisory Committee at Stanford. Dione is an accomplished and respected advocate and thought leader on education and diversity. She is ...
×Anthony
Anthony served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise. During his time as a Wharton Admissions Officer, he read and reviewed thousands of applications and helped bring in a class of 800+ students a year. Anthony has traveled both domestically and internationally to recruit a ...
×Meghan
Meghan served as the Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute, a joint degree program combining the Wharton MBA with an MA in International Studies. In her role on the Wharton MBA admissions committee, Meghan advised domestic and international applicants; conducted interviews and information sessions domestically and overseas in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe; and evaluated applicants for admission to the program. Meghan also managed ...
×Amy
Amy comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was Associate Director. Amy devoted 12 years at the Wharton School, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team. During her tenure at Wharton, Amy served as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students. She conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions ...
×Ally
Ally brings six years of admissions experience to the SBC team, most recently as an Assistant Director of Admission for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS). During her time at Columbia, Ally was responsible for reviewing applications, planning recruitment events, and interviewing candidates for both the full-time MBA program and the Executive MBA program. She traveled both internationally and dome ...
×Erin B.
Erin has over seven years of experience working across major institutions, including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, and NYU's Stern School of Business. At Columbia Business School, Erin was an Assistant Director of Admissions where she evaluated applications for both the full time and executive MBA programs, sat on the admissions and merit scholarship committees and advised applicants on which program might be the best fit for them based on their work experience and pro ...
×Emma
Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director. Emma conducted dozens of interviews each cycle for the MBA and EMBA programs, as well as coordinating the alumni ambassador interview program. She read and evaluated hundreds of applications each cycle, delivered information sessions to audiences across the globe, and advised countless waitlisted applicants. ×
