University of Southern California Marshall School of Business interviews are by invitation only. You'll find that it may vary whether interviews are blind or not. The best advice is to be prepared and consistent about your story.
Interviews are conducted by admissions on-campus, by telephone, and at selected locations worldwide. USC interviews last 30-45 minutes.
Based on the reports found at accepted.com, I have noticed a recent trend towards asking hypothetical questions. Recent examples include:
-If you could do anything and time and money wasn't an issue what would you choose to do?
-Person you'd like to have dinner with, dead or alive?
-If you were to travel across the country and had to take two people with you (not family or friends), who would they be and why?
What is interesting about all three questions is that other schools ask or have asked them as essay topics. When encountering this sort of question, take a moment and think about it.
GIFT QUESTIONS: All three of these questions have something in common. They are magic wishes and can be thought of as gifts. Gift questions are always about making best use of the resource that is being given. Best use should directly connect to your most basic motivations and core values as expressed in your application and your answers to other interview questions.
-If you could do anything and time and money wasn't an issue what would you choose to do?
If the question, like this one, involves an alternative future for yourself, pick a future that has some connection to your values and/or motivations for pursuing an MBA and/or your goals. Think of it as an alternative way of expressing your motivations.
-Person you'd like to have dinner with, dead or alive?
-If you were to travel across the country and had to take two people with you (not family or friends), who would they be and why?
Both of these questions are essentially the same in one major respect because they involve you having the opportunity to learn from someone else. In the second question, you have to also consider group dynamics because you would be driving across country with two people for an extended period of time. Your dinner companion or fellow travelers would be people you want to learn from or otherwise benefit from. Select your dinner guest or driving companions on the basis of their potential positive impact on you.
The other questions that USC asks are rather typical. To prepare for them, see my general post on interview strategy.
If you are interested in my interview preparation or other graduate admission consulting services, please click here.
Questions? Write comments, but do not send me emails asking me to advise you on your application strategy unless you are interested in my consulting services. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to. Before emailing me questions about your chances for admission or personal profile, please see my recent post on "Why I don't analyze profiles without consulting with the applicant."
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング MBA留学 インタビュー 面接
February 04, 2009
Report on the hottest MBA networking event in Tokyo
On Saturday the 31st of January, my colleague Vince Ricci (center) held a "fireside chat," which was by far the best gathering of MBA applicants and alums that I (right) have ever attended. In addition to 30 MBA applicants, 19 alums (HBS, Stanford, Wharton, Kellogg, Chicago, Tuck, Berkeley, Duke, UCLA, Michigan, Cornell, Darden, INSEAD, LBS, IESE, and IE), Vince, Steve (my guest blogger), and I attended. As I have mentioned previously, Vince, Steve, and I have an interview referral program for our clients, so this was a good chance for our clients to do some networking, not only with alums, but with each other. It was also really great to see former clients who were kind enough to attend.I asked Vince to tell my blog readers a little about this event as well as explain why he organized it. Below are his comments:
I started these "fireside chats" because I heard from many of my clients that they preferred smaller more intimate gatherings. There is no shortage of information on MBA programs. Thanks to frequent adcom visits, alumni panels, and great blogs (like this one!), applicants can now access school-specific data and insights easier than ever. Still, I felt that there was a lack of "quality face time." I attended larger MBA events for years and sometimes felt that it was hard to connect or have meaningful conversations while worrying that others are still waiting in line to ask their questions.
We had our first event in August 2008. About 20 people came to a nice little spot in Shimbashi, including 3 of my former clients representing HBS, Stanford, and UCLA.
I spent the next five months building momentum for a slightly larger event. (I expected 35-40 people, but more than 50 came!) This time, I wanted to maximize alumni participation. On 1/31, we enjoyed a nearly 3:2 applicant to alumni ratio, better than any other MBA networking event in Tokyo, perhaps in the world.
Because I believe in the power of human-to-human communication, I want to maintain our small size and customized approach. I am already scouting new locations for our next "fireside chat."
ADAM:
I am looking forward to Vince's next event. As he keeps these things small, they are basically open to our current and former clients, with others joining on a case-by-case basis.
For more details about utilizing our services, please contact:
Vince Ricci (http://vinceprep.com/)
H. Steven Green (http://hstevengreen.com/home.
Adam Markus (http://adammarkus.com/)
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール MBA留学 カウンセリング
February 03, 2009
HBS 2nd Round Invites are coming on 2/9
HBS second round invites will be coming on 2/9:
On February 9 we will send out invitations to interview. The invitation will come in an email from HBS MBA Admissions and will contain detailed instuctions about how to sign up for interviews both on campus and in hub cities. Please be assured that if we see you haven't signed up for an intervew by the end of the week, we will contact you by phone...thus there's no reason to be anxious about lost emails, etc.
Some will smile, some will cry. In any case, if you applied for round 2, just keep interview prepping. The HBS interview is not a thing to be taken lightly. See here for how to prep this one.
Questions? Write comments, but do not send me emails asking me to advise you on your application strategy unless you are interested in my consulting services. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to. Before emailing me questions about your chances for admission or personal profile, please see my recent post on "Why I don't analyze profiles without consulting with the applicant." If you are interested in my graduate admission consulting services, please click here.
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング 大学院 合格対策 MBA留学
On February 9 we will send out invitations to interview. The invitation will come in an email from HBS MBA Admissions and will contain detailed instuctions about how to sign up for interviews both on campus and in hub cities. Please be assured that if we see you haven't signed up for an intervew by the end of the week, we will contact you by phone...thus there's no reason to be anxious about lost emails, etc.
Some will smile, some will cry. In any case, if you applied for round 2, just keep interview prepping. The HBS interview is not a thing to be taken lightly. See here for how to prep this one.
Questions? Write comments, but do not send me emails asking me to advise you on your application strategy unless you are interested in my consulting services. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to. Before emailing me questions about your chances for admission or personal profile, please see my recent post on "Why I don't analyze profiles without consulting with the applicant." If you are interested in my graduate admission consulting services, please click here.
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング 大学院 合格対策 MBA留学
February 02, 2009
Stanford GSB MBA Interviews
Stanford interviews, while so hard to get, are not necessarily that hard in any obvious way. This is interview about fit as determined by an alumni "gatekeeper." Chances are good that this gatekeeper might be in your industry or in some manner have a complementary background for assessing you. While I imagine in some places with few alumni, a high level of complementary assessment (e.g., McKinsey applicant interviewed by Boston Consulting Group alum) would be less likely, I can say that it is the rule rather the exception in Japan. Expect a lively exchange and whatever you do, don't make any plans for it to end on time as Stanford interviews are well known for going long. Based on my experience, I can say that every client who had a long interview got in. This might be coincidence, but I doubt it.
My analysis of Stanford is based on my own personal knowledge as well as reviewing the reports of Stanford University GSB interviews found at accepted.com and clearadmit.com.
Some key things to consider when preparing for Stanford GSB interviews:
1. My colleague, H. Steven Green, has put the following together by reviewing interview reports (I have reviewed Steve's list which he prepared in March 2008, but the questions for Fall 2009 1st Round interviews have not changed):
-Why do you need an MBA?
-What are your career goals?
-When did you realize that you wanted to go to business school, and why?
-Why do you need an MBA now?
-Why Stanford?
-What has been your most important accomplishment?
-Please tell me about a time when you received criticism? How did you respond to it? Did your relationship change with the person who made it ?
-What do you do outside of work?
-Who is your role model?
-What book are you reading currently that is not related to your profession? ADAM'S NOTE: THIS QUESTION IS VERY COMMON!
-Describe a time when you had to choose between two good options.
-Describe a failure. -Please tell me about a time when you let down your team.
-Tell me about a time when you let your team down as a leader?
-Why do you think you are successful?
-Tell me about a time when you had to interact with people in a difficult situation.
-Tell me about a time when you had a bad leader.
-Tell me about a time when you led people?
-What was your favorite class in college?
-Describe a tough manager.
-Describe an easy manager.
-What would you get involved with at Stanford?
-Describe a bad leader.
-How do your prioritize?
As you can see, the questions are pretty standard. Expect some behavioral style questions and prepare accordingly.
2. You need to be able to explain in-depth why you should be admitted to Stanford, what you can contribute, and what you want to learn. Be willing to openly discuss what soft and hard skills you need to improve/acquire. Show yourself to be open, dynamic, change oriented, and a highly motivated person because the alum will be.
3. Since there is supposed to be time for you to ask questions to the alum, you need to give some significant thought to formulating those. Consider what year the alum graduated and any other background information if you can determine that through Linkedin or other sources of information. Develop four or more questions to ask.
4. Whoever you interview with, they are likely to be quite friendly and the style of the interview is conversational. Stanford alums are provided with very clear guidelines for how to conduct interviews. Just because your interviewer is friendly, it does not mean that you are doing well. Don't assume a friendly interviewer is not actually a super critical one. Alums are the gatekeepers and Stanford can afford to reject anyone. Take nothing for granted. Also keep in mind that the admissions process at Stanford is holistic and a great interview is no absolute guarantee of success.
5. Reported interview length for interviews is official 45 minutes, but can go on for longer than that. It usually consists of 30-40 minutes of questions from the alum followed by 5-15 minutes of question to the alum, but often the interviews go longer, an hour or more is not uncommon. In my own experience with clients, I would say that if the interview goes for an hour or more, that is a good sign, but a 45 minute interview is not necessarily a bad sign. Interviews that last 75 minutes to 120 minutes are not uncommon.
If you are interested in my interview preparation or other graduate admission consulting services, please click here.
Questions? Write comments, but do not send me emails asking me to advise you on your application strategy unless you are interested in my consulting services. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to. Before emailing me questions about your chances for admission or personal profile, please see my recent post on "Why I don't analyze profiles without consulting with the applicant."
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング MBA留学 インタビュー 面接
My analysis of Stanford is based on my own personal knowledge as well as reviewing the reports of Stanford University GSB interviews found at accepted.com and clearadmit.com.
Some key things to consider when preparing for Stanford GSB interviews:
1. My colleague, H. Steven Green, has put the following together by reviewing interview reports (I have reviewed Steve's list which he prepared in March 2008, but the questions for Fall 2009 1st Round interviews have not changed):
-Why do you need an MBA?
-What are your career goals?
-When did you realize that you wanted to go to business school, and why?
-Why do you need an MBA now?
-Why Stanford?
-What has been your most important accomplishment?
-Please tell me about a time when you received criticism? How did you respond to it? Did your relationship change with the person who made it ?
-What do you do outside of work?
-Who is your role model?
-What book are you reading currently that is not related to your profession? ADAM'S NOTE: THIS QUESTION IS VERY COMMON!
-Describe a time when you had to choose between two good options.
-Describe a failure. -Please tell me about a time when you let down your team.
-Tell me about a time when you let your team down as a leader?
-Why do you think you are successful?
-Tell me about a time when you had to interact with people in a difficult situation.
-Tell me about a time when you had a bad leader.
-Tell me about a time when you led people?
-What was your favorite class in college?
-Describe a tough manager.
-Describe an easy manager.
-What would you get involved with at Stanford?
-Describe a bad leader.
-How do your prioritize?
As you can see, the questions are pretty standard. Expect some behavioral style questions and prepare accordingly.
2. You need to be able to explain in-depth why you should be admitted to Stanford, what you can contribute, and what you want to learn. Be willing to openly discuss what soft and hard skills you need to improve/acquire. Show yourself to be open, dynamic, change oriented, and a highly motivated person because the alum will be.
3. Since there is supposed to be time for you to ask questions to the alum, you need to give some significant thought to formulating those. Consider what year the alum graduated and any other background information if you can determine that through Linkedin or other sources of information. Develop four or more questions to ask.
4. Whoever you interview with, they are likely to be quite friendly and the style of the interview is conversational. Stanford alums are provided with very clear guidelines for how to conduct interviews. Just because your interviewer is friendly, it does not mean that you are doing well. Don't assume a friendly interviewer is not actually a super critical one. Alums are the gatekeepers and Stanford can afford to reject anyone. Take nothing for granted. Also keep in mind that the admissions process at Stanford is holistic and a great interview is no absolute guarantee of success.
5. Reported interview length for interviews is official 45 minutes, but can go on for longer than that. It usually consists of 30-40 minutes of questions from the alum followed by 5-15 minutes of question to the alum, but often the interviews go longer, an hour or more is not uncommon. In my own experience with clients, I would say that if the interview goes for an hour or more, that is a good sign, but a 45 minute interview is not necessarily a bad sign. Interviews that last 75 minutes to 120 minutes are not uncommon.
If you are interested in my interview preparation or other graduate admission consulting services, please click here.
Questions? Write comments, but do not send me emails asking me to advise you on your application strategy unless you are interested in my consulting services. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to. Before emailing me questions about your chances for admission or personal profile, please see my recent post on "Why I don't analyze profiles without consulting with the applicant."
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング MBA留学 インタビュー 面接
January 31, 2009
Good Loan News from Fuqua
This bit of good news just arrived in my Inbox:
"Greetings from The Fuqua School of Business!
I wanted to take a moment to share an update on our efforts to secure an improved loan program for international students. Fuqua's leadership team has been working on a number of fronts to address the issue of loans for our international students, and I'm pleased to report positive results.
First, let there be no uncertainty: Our international students will be able to secure loans for their studies at Fuqua. We have a solution in hand that will meet students' needs. At the same time, we are part of a consortium of top business schools that is exploring other lender options to ensure international students are getting the best possible loan terms.
In addition, we have been actively engaged in discussions with banks in regions around the world - including China and India - to identify further appropriate loan programs. These conversations have been fruitful, and negotiations are ongoing.
Further meetings are taking place with regional banks that have not previously provided international loans, but have expressed interest in our loan proposals and in establishing a relationship with Fuqua.
Though we have already identified a loan program that will suit the needs of our international students, we continue to consider this range of possible selections in order to be certain our students are able to secure the most favorable loan terms available. In the coming weeks, I will update you with more complete details on the international loan program when all options have been fully examined.
Fuqua's global strategy and the strong international contacts that have resulted from that strategy allow us to examine a number of loan programs. In the current economic environment, we're well positioned to ensure the most favorable loan terms to enable students from around the world to pursue MBA studies at Duke.
Please contact the admissions office if you have additional questions.
Best regards, Liz Riley Hargrove Associate Dean for Admission www.fuqua.duke.edu "
I am glad to know that Team Fuqua will be able to offer international students the necessary loans to study there.
Questions? Write comments, but do not send me emails asking me to advise you on your application strategy unless you are interested in my consulting services. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to. Before emailing me questions about your chances for admission or personal profile, please see my recent post on "Why I don't analyze profiles without consulting with the applicant." If you are interested in my graduate admission consulting services, please click here.
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング MBA留学
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