This post analyzes the essay questions for Fall 2008 Admission to RSM Erasmus University's International Full-Time MBA Program. In doing so, I will make reference to the Information Session and Masterclass that I attended in Tokyo on November 13, 2007. Depending on what chart you look at RSM ranks 18th (Wall Street Journal Recruiter's Poll), 30th (Financial Times), and 46th (Economist Intelligence Unit), and receives an honorable mention, but is unranked in Businessweek (but they only rank the top ten internationally). You might ask why I am blogging about RSM's essays, when I have yet to cover higher ranked European Programs like INSEAD, IMD, SDA Bocconi, and London Business School. Actually, I have partially covered LBS already and will finish analyzing their questions, after I stop feeling like they are watching me :) , but there are a few reasons why I wanted to cover RSM.
First, I wanted to cover a mid-ranked program that has a very solid ROI. Consider this, the typical RSM graduate forgoes a mean of $39,031 and afterwards the mean base salary for most recent graduates is $114,480 (data taken from Businessweek). To me that signifies a serious improvement in one's career opportunities. Whatever one thinks of the Wall Street Journal's Recruiter's Poll, the very fact that RSM ranks 18th internationally (everywhere but US programs) is a good indicator of the market value of the degree.
Second, London Business School, INSEAD, HEC, Cambridge, RSM, Oxford, and SDA Bocconi are the European MBA Programs I have the most experience with (actually basically in that order). I have helped clients get into other programs in Europe, but those are the schools I know best. Therefore I think RSM is a good place to start.
Third, I attended the RSM Information Session last week, so I want to get my thoughts down before I forget them.
Let's take a look at RSM's essay questions. I took them from the online application:
Please respond fully but concisely to this question, ensuring it does NOT exceed 500 words. The essays form an integral role in the application and selection procedure. Before you begin preparing your essays, you are requested to conduct a thorough self-assessment. The essays are meant to present a unique picture of you. The Admissions Committee is interested to learn about you, what your values are and the distinctive qualities that make you an interesting candidate for our MBA Program.
REQUIRED ESSAY 1 How do you see your career developing and how will earning the RSM Erasmus University MBA help you achieve your goals?
REQUIRED ESSAY 2 At RSM we value total diversity. How does that apply to you?
REQUIRED ESSAY 3 Describe the most difficult decision you have made and its personal effect on you.
OPTIONAL ESSAY 4 Please feel free to supply any additional information that you believe would be helpful to the Admissions Committee in making the final decision on your application.
Based on the Information Session and Master Class I attended, I think it is particularly important to pay attention to the directions "to conduct a thorough self-assessment" because RSM is school where there is a great deal of attention paid to self-development. In fact, the Masterclass by Dr. Bill Collins (you can watch a video of him on the RSM website), focused on issues very much related to personal career development. His interactive presentation, "Finding a Fit: Psychological Contracts and Organization Fit," was actually about some ways of thinking about managing ones career. The presentation was actually an excerpt from RSM's First Term Core Course, "Organizational Behavior."
Another core part of the RSM curriculum that is focused on personal development is the Personal Leadership Development (PLD):
Our one-year Personal Leadership Development programme , which runs concurrent to the other courses in the programme, is designed to develop in you the skills necessary for effective leadership in international business.
At times confronting and demanding, this course demands you to engage in the intense process of personal behavioural change. Through workshops, group work, discussions and case studies, you will examine and reflect on both your ability to manage people, and your ability to manage yourself.
Given RSM's focus on self-development, it is clearly very important that your essays reveal your own openness to such an approach. If you are less interested in such an approach to management education, RSM is probably not a good choice for you.
REQUIRED ESSAY 1 How do you see your career developing and how will earning the RSM Erasmus University MBA help you achieve your goals?
This a standard goals essay. Obviously to discuss the development of your career, you need to discuss it up to this point, but given the length limits, you should emphasize why an MBA from RSM will contribute to your goals. Given that this does need to be a highly evaluative response, I suggest using my goals analysis table to clarify what your goals are and how an MBA from RSM will help you achieve them.
The emphasis of this essay is clearly on the future, so while you will certainly need to reference your past experience in order to explain how you see your career, you should focus your essay on your goals and how RSM will help you achieve them.
Finally, in her presentation, Dianne Bevelander, the Executive Director of MBA Programmes, specifically made the point that the mission of RSM is to educate business leaders who support sustainability, not people who simply want to make money. Actually I am not sure why she found this necessary to say or what it was supposed to be in contrast to because no ever I have worked with wrote in their application that their goal was to become rich. Anyway, given the strong way she phrased it, all applicants would do well to consider the relationship of their goals to sustainable enterprise. See RSM's "about us" statement.
REQUIRED ESSAY 2 At RSM we value total diversity. How does that apply to you?
It can't be emphasized enough that RSM does really value total diversity. Just look at the class profile. At the Tokyo event, Diane Bevelander also discussed that this diversity also extended to the faculty.
Clearly, you need to be a part of this diversity. In other words, you need to contribute to it. Which is to say, this is a contribution question. Please read my analysis of such questions, here.
I suggest focusing on some specific ways that you will contribute to RSM. In particular, think about what personal qualities and experiences that you have that are likely to be helpful to other students.
Finally, I think it is very important to understand the critical role diversity plays in the expected outcome of an RSM MBA education:
Students emerge from the programme with the personal skills to connect, inspire, motivate and leverage powerful networks across diversity – a defining quality of successful business leadership.
Therefore you want to think about how your personal skills will contribute to this educational outcome both for yourself and your fellow students.
REQUIRED ESSAY 3 Describe the most difficult decision you have made and its personal effect on you. According to the RSM ERASMUS UNIVERSITY INTERNATIONAL FULL-TIME MBA Brochure:
We recognize that there are three elements to successful management- first, the capacity to think critically, conceptually, and creatively: second, the ability to make informed decisions and third, the capacity to interact successfully with other people.
If you think about about the second element, it applies directly to this question. The structure of an essay like this is not actually very different from that of an ethical dilemma or failure or possibly a leadership essay:
1. Explain what the decision was and why it was the most difficult for you to make.
2. Explain what you did. Remember to analyze, not just describe what you did.
3. Explain its impact on you. Keep in mind the word "personal." Specifically, think how this decision effected your viewpoint and/or your life. What did you learn? How have you applied what you learned since that time?
OPTIONAL ESSAY 4 Please feel free to supply any additional information that you believe would be helpful to the Admissions Committee in making the final decision on your application.
This is not really optional from my perspective. Unlike school's that use the optional essay for only reporting on something that needs to be explained, this is a space for also talking about something positive. In fact, even if you have to talk about something negative, say GPA, you should most certainly use part of this space to discuss an aspect of who you are that you were unable to cover elsewhere.
A note of caution: Assuming you are applying to other programs, make certain that whatever you put here does not look like the obvious answer to a question posed by another school.
I always treat optional questions of this type as balance essays, that is to say, you should use the answer here to balance out what you covered elsewhere by emphasizing another aspect of who you are. This question is thus similar to HBS 3f. and Wharton 4.2.
Finally, as is generally the case, you should try to have a good balance of personal, academic, and professional content in your essays so that RSM admissions can understand who you are and ideally see why you fit at RSM.
Question? Comments? Email me at adammarkus@gmail.com
-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 面接
November 21, 2007
November 14, 2007
LBS is monitoring who attends their events Part 2
As I reported in an earlier post, I had received an email on November 3rd from the London Business School Stating that I had not attended their event:
Dear Adam,
Thank you for your interest in the Full-time MBA Programme.
Our records show that you weren't able to attend our recent Information Session. We're sorry to have missed this opportunity to meet you....
This may made realize that LBS is watching who attends their events and using software to track it. It made me wonder whether they were factoring into their admissions decisions.
This was the email I sent to sent to LBS on November 3rd:
Dear Ms. Blundell,
In reference to your email, the only event I registered for was on October 9th in Tokyo. I attended that event and my name was properly checked-off at that time. What is the following in reference to? Will my supposed failure to attend your event (not sure which) be held against me? Do you take event attendance into account when reviewing applications?
Thank you for your attention to this matter:
Sincerely,
Adam Markus
I received the following reply on November 12th:
Dear Adam
Thank you for your confirmation that you attended the recent London Business School event. Please accept our apologies for the error that occurred in recording the attendance list. Please be assured that this error has now been amended and future follow ups will include you as having attended the session.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you need further information.
Best regards
It was sent by Caroline Chukwuma, Information Officer from the MBAInfo@london.edu account. I replied on the 13th:
Dear Ms. Chukwuma,
Thank you for your correction. I was wondering whether you take such event attendance into account when making admissions decisions. Should I attend more events?
Sincerely,
Adam
Less than an hour later on the 14th, I received the following reply:
Dear Adam
Thank you for your email and for your interest in London Business School.
It will certainly not hurt your application if you visit the School on a few occasion to find more about the community.
Best regards,
You can draw your own conclusions from this response, but it seems to me if you really want to attend LBS, even if you are already really well informed about the school, you better attend their official admissions events and, if possible, visit the school. London Business School is Watching!
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
MBA留学
Dear Adam,
Thank you for your interest in the Full-time MBA Programme.
Our records show that you weren't able to attend our recent Information Session. We're sorry to have missed this opportunity to meet you....
This may made realize that LBS is watching who attends their events and using software to track it. It made me wonder whether they were factoring into their admissions decisions.
This was the email I sent to sent to LBS on November 3rd:
Dear Ms. Blundell,
In reference to your email, the only event I registered for was on October 9th in Tokyo. I attended that event and my name was properly checked-off at that time. What is the following in reference to? Will my supposed failure to attend your event (not sure which) be held against me? Do you take event attendance into account when reviewing applications?
Thank you for your attention to this matter:
Sincerely,
Adam Markus
I received the following reply on November 12th:
Dear Adam
Thank you for your confirmation that you attended the recent London Business School event. Please accept our apologies for the error that occurred in recording the attendance list. Please be assured that this error has now been amended and future follow ups will include you as having attended the session.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you need further information.
Best regards
It was sent by Caroline Chukwuma, Information Officer from the MBAInfo@london.edu account. I replied on the 13th:
Dear Ms. Chukwuma,
Thank you for your correction. I was wondering whether you take such event attendance into account when making admissions decisions. Should I attend more events?
Sincerely,
Adam
Less than an hour later on the 14th, I received the following reply:
Dear Adam
Thank you for your email and for your interest in London Business School.
It will certainly not hurt your application if you visit the School on a few occasion to find more about the community.
Best regards,
You can draw your own conclusions from this response, but it seems to me if you really want to attend LBS, even if you are already really well informed about the school, you better attend their official admissions events and, if possible, visit the school. London Business School is Watching!
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
MBA留学
November 11, 2007
Duke Fuqua MBA Essays for Fall 2008 Entry
In this post, I will analyze Duke University 's Fuqua School of Business MBA Essays for Fall 2008 Entry.
Take a close look at the Fuqua's website including the video Higher and Higher which you can find here. The video will give a general sense what Fuqua takes pride in and an idea of some the core characteristics of the school that you need to understand. You should also look at the video Community Service Day because it relates directly to Fuqua's slogan "We Educate Thoughtful Business Leaders Worldwide." You want to show to Fuqua that you have the potential to be a thoughtful business leader.
First let's look at the essay topics as well as the complete instructions:
Two short essay answer questions and two long essays must be completed before submitting your application. Prepare your essays carefully. The Admissions Committee considers your responses to the following questions important in the selection process. Please respond fully and concisely using 1.5 line spacing.
Short Essay 1. Why are you interested in The Duke MBA and how will it help you achieve your goals? Please also discuss your career path, including your short and long-term professional goals. If you are interested in the Health Sector Management concentration or a joint degree program, please address in this essay.
You should at minimum provide a very direct answer to Duke's question:
1. Clearly state how a Duke MBA will help you achieve your short-term goal(s).
2. Clearly state how a Duke MBA will help you achieve your long-term goal(s).
3. Briefly discuss your career path, but given the length of this essay, don't overemphasize it. This essay should be focused on the future, not the past. Simply explain why now is the right time to pursue an MBA making brief analytical reference to to your career path.
Ideally you should really dig into the Duke MBA program to figure out what parts of it really attract you. They know you want an MBA, but why a Duke MBA? Convince them that your goals are best met by attending Fuqua.
Short Essay 2. How will your background, values, and non-work activities enhance the experience of other Duke MBA students and add value to Fuqua's diverse culture?
I have already analyzed this question in my previous post on contribution questions.
1. Please respond fully and concisely to one of the following three essay topics. Clearly identify which question you have selected
All three of these questions, each in their own way focus on the theme of leadership. Note the request to respond concisely, which means don't write much more than about 10% over the 750, they recommend as typical. Try to limit yourself to about 825 words maximum.
a.Describe an example of where you were challenged to lead in a team-oriented context. What was the challenge you faced, how did you address it, and what takeaways or lessons learned have you successfully applied in other leadership situations?
Please see my post about leadership questions because much of what I suggest there applies here, especially in terms of how to structure your essay. Also see my analysis of MIT's essay questions 1 and 2.
b. Describe a situation in which your ability to perform ethically was challenged. What was the issue, how did you handle it, and what did you learn from it?
The structure of this essay is actually stated in the question:
1. Clearly state what the ethical issue was. Provide sufficient context for doing so, but really begin with the issue so that your reader will understand it clearly. If you are having difficulty understanding what ethical issues are, I suggest taking a look at at the Institute for Global Ethics. Also see Business Ethics Research - Knowledge@Wharton.
Another good site to look at is CasePlace.org, which I discussed in an earlier post.
2. Describe how you handled it. You may want to structure your answer using the method I provide for answering leadership questions. By the way if you think, I am emphasizing the idea that this is a leadership question, you are right.
3. State what you learned. As with failure essays, the learning aspect is very important. The most concrete demonstration of learning is application to another situation, so if that is possible to include, I would do so.
Keep in mind that Fuqua itself experienced a scandal in 2007 involving 34 MBA students (all members of the Class of 2008) who cheated on an exam, the largest such episode ever in the history of Duke University. Therefore if you write on ethics, you should certainly show that you have achieved an understanding of ethical issues consistent with the Fuqua Honor Code.
C. Describe a significant leadership failure in your life. What did you learn from this failure? How has it impacted who you are today and the kind of leader you would like to be?
Beyond being about failure, this essay is about the development of your leadership skills and leadership self-image from the past to the future. That said, this is partially a standard failure question except that the failure must relate to your leadership. As with other failure questions what you learned is critical. Additionally, how you applied this lesson afterwards is something you should must certainly explain in detail. Beyond that lesson, think about the future and the kind of leader you want to be. I suggest reviewing my analysis of both leadership and failure questions.
2. How has your personal history and family background influenced your intellectual and personal development? What unique personal qualities or life experiences distinguish you from other applicants? Note: The goal of this essay is to get a sense of who you are, rather than what you have achieved professionally.
I have already analyzed this question in my previous post on contribution questions.
All applicants have the opportunity to submit an optional essay to explain any extenuating circumstances of which the Admissions Committee should be aware.
Extenuating circumstances would be things like not being able to use your direct supervisor as a recommender, gaps in your employment record, and/or a weak GPA, TOEFL, and/or GMAT. This essay is thus no different from Chicago GSB's Optional Essay.
Question? Comments? Email me at adammarkus@gmail.com
-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
Take a close look at the Fuqua's website including the video Higher and Higher which you can find here. The video will give a general sense what Fuqua takes pride in and an idea of some the core characteristics of the school that you need to understand. You should also look at the video Community Service Day because it relates directly to Fuqua's slogan "We Educate Thoughtful Business Leaders Worldwide." You want to show to Fuqua that you have the potential to be a thoughtful business leader.
First let's look at the essay topics as well as the complete instructions:
Two short essay answer questions and two long essays must be completed before submitting your application. Prepare your essays carefully. The Admissions Committee considers your responses to the following questions important in the selection process. Please respond fully and concisely using 1.5 line spacing.
Applicant Essays
Short Essays - Answer both short essay questions.
- Why are you interested in The Duke MBA and how will it help you achieve your goals? Please also discuss your career path, including your short and long-term professional goals. If you are interested in the Health Sector Management concentration or a joint degree program, please address in this essay.
- How will your background, values, and non-work activities enhance the experience of other Duke MBA students and add value to Fuqua's diverse culture?
- Please respond fully and concisely to one of the following three essay topics. Clearly identify which question you have selected.
- Describe an example of where you were challenged to lead in a team-oriented context. What was the challenge you faced, how did you address it, and what takeaways or lessons learned have you successfully applied in other leadership situations?
- Describe a situation in which your ability to perform ethically was challenged. What was the issue, how did you handle it, and what did you learn from it?
- Describe a significant leadership failure in your life. What did you learn from this failure? How has it impacted who you are today and the kind of leader you would like to be?
- How has your personal history and family background influenced your intellectual and personal development? What unique personal qualities or life experiences distinguish you from other applicants? Note: The goal of this essay is to get a sense of who you are, rather than what you have achieved professionally.
Short Essay 1. Why are you interested in The Duke MBA and how will it help you achieve your goals? Please also discuss your career path, including your short and long-term professional goals. If you are interested in the Health Sector Management concentration or a joint degree program, please address in this essay.
You should at minimum provide a very direct answer to Duke's question:
1. Clearly state how a Duke MBA will help you achieve your short-term goal(s).
2. Clearly state how a Duke MBA will help you achieve your long-term goal(s).
3. Briefly discuss your career path, but given the length of this essay, don't overemphasize it. This essay should be focused on the future, not the past. Simply explain why now is the right time to pursue an MBA making brief analytical reference to to your career path.
Ideally you should really dig into the Duke MBA program to figure out what parts of it really attract you. They know you want an MBA, but why a Duke MBA? Convince them that your goals are best met by attending Fuqua.
Short Essay 2. How will your background, values, and non-work activities enhance the experience of other Duke MBA students and add value to Fuqua's diverse culture?
I have already analyzed this question in my previous post on contribution questions.
1. Please respond fully and concisely to one of the following three essay topics. Clearly identify which question you have selected
All three of these questions, each in their own way focus on the theme of leadership. Note the request to respond concisely, which means don't write much more than about 10% over the 750, they recommend as typical. Try to limit yourself to about 825 words maximum.
a.Describe an example of where you were challenged to lead in a team-oriented context. What was the challenge you faced, how did you address it, and what takeaways or lessons learned have you successfully applied in other leadership situations?
Please see my post about leadership questions because much of what I suggest there applies here, especially in terms of how to structure your essay. Also see my analysis of MIT's essay questions 1 and 2.
b. Describe a situation in which your ability to perform ethically was challenged. What was the issue, how did you handle it, and what did you learn from it?
The structure of this essay is actually stated in the question:
1. Clearly state what the ethical issue was. Provide sufficient context for doing so, but really begin with the issue so that your reader will understand it clearly. If you are having difficulty understanding what ethical issues are, I suggest taking a look at at the Institute for Global Ethics. Also see Business Ethics Research - Knowledge@Wharton.
Another good site to look at is CasePlace.org, which I discussed in an earlier post.
2. Describe how you handled it. You may want to structure your answer using the method I provide for answering leadership questions. By the way if you think, I am emphasizing the idea that this is a leadership question, you are right.
3. State what you learned. As with failure essays, the learning aspect is very important. The most concrete demonstration of learning is application to another situation, so if that is possible to include, I would do so.
Keep in mind that Fuqua itself experienced a scandal in 2007 involving 34 MBA students (all members of the Class of 2008) who cheated on an exam, the largest such episode ever in the history of Duke University. Therefore if you write on ethics, you should certainly show that you have achieved an understanding of ethical issues consistent with the Fuqua Honor Code.
C. Describe a significant leadership failure in your life. What did you learn from this failure? How has it impacted who you are today and the kind of leader you would like to be?
Beyond being about failure, this essay is about the development of your leadership skills and leadership self-image from the past to the future. That said, this is partially a standard failure question except that the failure must relate to your leadership. As with other failure questions what you learned is critical. Additionally, how you applied this lesson afterwards is something you should must certainly explain in detail. Beyond that lesson, think about the future and the kind of leader you want to be. I suggest reviewing my analysis of both leadership and failure questions.
2. How has your personal history and family background influenced your intellectual and personal development? What unique personal qualities or life experiences distinguish you from other applicants? Note: The goal of this essay is to get a sense of who you are, rather than what you have achieved professionally.
I have already analyzed this question in my previous post on contribution questions.
All applicants have the opportunity to submit an optional essay to explain any extenuating circumstances of which the Admissions Committee should be aware.
Extenuating circumstances would be things like not being able to use your direct supervisor as a recommender, gaps in your employment record, and/or a weak GPA, TOEFL, and/or GMAT. This essay is thus no different from Chicago GSB's Optional Essay.
Question? Comments? Email me at adammarkus@gmail.com
-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
November 10, 2007
Fewer Women at European MBA Programs
Female applicants applying to European programs should take a look at Why Women Refrain From Pursuing MBAs. The article, from the November 9th Wall Street Journal discusses specifically why there are relatively low percentages of women in most MBA programs in Europe, especially the top ones:
Theories abound to explain why more women aren't seeking a credential that could boost their careers and earning power. Some business-school experts believe European schools struggle even more than M.B.A. programs in the U.S. to bring the numbers up because many businesses on the Continent are perceived as less friendly to women executives than American firms....
Whatever the underlying causes, the result is apparent: Female M.B.A. enrollment in European business schools is stuck stubbornly between 25% and 30%, said Jeanette Purcell, chief executive of the Association of M.B.A.s, an international body based in London whose members include about 130 business schools world-wide. The University of Cambridge's Judge Business School says the figure is even lower for Europe's elite B-schools, at 23%. In the U.S., women's representation in M.B.A. programs long has hovered around 30%.
Clearly the US is not much better than Europe in this regard. For female applicants, whether you want to apply to schools in the US or Europe, I think this is good news, at least in terms of your chances for admission. With all these programs scrambling for qualified applicants, you are in a buyer's market. Given the prejudice that women are likely to face at throughout their lives, at least when it comes to MBA admission, they have the advantage of being in demand.
Question? Comments? Email me at adammarkus@gmail.com
-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
Theories abound to explain why more women aren't seeking a credential that could boost their careers and earning power. Some business-school experts believe European schools struggle even more than M.B.A. programs in the U.S. to bring the numbers up because many businesses on the Continent are perceived as less friendly to women executives than American firms....
Whatever the underlying causes, the result is apparent: Female M.B.A. enrollment in European business schools is stuck stubbornly between 25% and 30%, said Jeanette Purcell, chief executive of the Association of M.B.A.s, an international body based in London whose members include about 130 business schools world-wide. The University of Cambridge's Judge Business School says the figure is even lower for Europe's elite B-schools, at 23%. In the U.S., women's representation in M.B.A. programs long has hovered around 30%.
Clearly the US is not much better than Europe in this regard. For female applicants, whether you want to apply to schools in the US or Europe, I think this is good news, at least in terms of your chances for admission. With all these programs scrambling for qualified applicants, you are in a buyer's market. Given the prejudice that women are likely to face at throughout their lives, at least when it comes to MBA admission, they have the advantage of being in demand.
Question? Comments? Email me at adammarkus@gmail.com
-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
November 07, 2007
MBA Application Interview Strategy
In this post I will provide some general advice for preparing for interviews. The methods I outline are the ones I use with my clients.
Over-preparation
I have a very simple and effective method for interview preparation: Over-preparation. The best way to do well in any interview is be prepared for an interview that will be harder than the actual interview. I write this based on my experience. Since 2001, I have been told by grateful clients that my practice interviews were harder than the real thing and as a result they could confidently handle the real thing. I think any highly experienced graduate admissions consultant should be able to provide this kind of practice to their clients. If you don't use an admissions consultant to help you prepare, find someone, a mentor perhaps, who can help you. Whoever you seek advice from, getting actual critical feedback from person who understands the MBA admissions process is critical.
Just as critical is your own preparation (see below for the methods I suggest). The amount of practice (with someone else and alone) you require will really depend on three variables:
1. Your English ability. For international applicants with low intermediate to high intermediate level ability, expect to focus a significant amount of your time on practicing to speak.
2. Your comfort with interviews. Some people are just really good at interviewing and others are not. If you know that you are weak in the this area, you will really need to practice with another person who can judge your performance.
3. The difficulty of the interview. Some schools simply have difficult interviews (HBS for example), while others do not (Duke for example), so take that into account. A great way to determine the difficulty of a particular school's interviews is to read reports written by applicants (See my earlier post regarding where to find interview reports).
Many applicants wait until days before an interview to prepare, but actually your interview preparations should ideally begin at least a month before you start interviewing. Why so long? Because you have a lot to do:
Interview Strategy FormulationIt is absolutely critical that you have an overall strategy for determining what you want to say about yourself. Just as with your essays, you need to formulate your self-marketing strategy for your interviews. Obviously what you put in your application should be consistent with and supported by your interview. However writing essays and talking for 30 minutes or more are simply not the same.
Don't worry about the questions, worry about your message!While you should use the Accepted and Clear Admit sites to learn about the questions, an overemphasis on simply preparing answers to the questions that other applicants were asked is not the main thing you should be doing. Instead, decide what you want to say about yourself. One way of doing that is prepare an outline like the following:
Strengths/Contributions/Future Potential
1. One of my key strengths is X. A story that demonstrates this strength is... Another story that does is... This strength will be a contribution at your school because... This strength will contribute to my future goals because...
2. Another of my key strengths is Y. A story that demonstrates this strength is... Another story that does is... This strength will be a contribution at your school because... This strength will contribute to my future goals because...
3. Another of my key strengths is Z. A story that demonstrates this strength is... Another story that does is.. This strength will be a contribution at your school because... This strength will contribute to my future goals because...
For each X, Y, Z insert a keyword describing your strength. Connect keywords to specific stories. If possible find more than one story that demonstrates the keyword. Next think how this strength could be a contribution when you are student. Next think how this strength will contribute to your goals. By using this method, you will have prepared answers to such common questions as "What are your strengths" and "How will you contribute to our school." Additionally you will be ready to show how your past experience will help you achieve your goals. Additionally when asked questions which are less direct about your strengths, you will already have keywords and stories ready for those questions you can't predict.
Weaknesses/Failures
1. One of my weaknesses is X. A story that demonstrates this is... Another story that does is... I want to overcome this weakness by... This weakness resulted in failure when...
2. Another of my weaknesses is Y. A story that demonstrates this is... Another story that does is... I want to overcome this weakness by... This weakness resulted in failure when...
3. Another of my weaknesses is Z. A story that demonstrates this is... Another story that does is... I want to overcome this weakness by... This weakness resulted in failure when...
As with strengths you should have at least three keywords. Here you be preparing answers to the very common questions that are asked about weakness, but in addition you will need to think about how the MBA program and/or some other aspect of yourself will make it possible for you to overcome this weakness. Weaknesses should be real and not abstract. You should have clear stories that demonstrate your weaknesses, something many applicants initially have a problem with. Additionally knowing how a program will help you overcome your weakness will explain why you want to attend that school. Finally, SOME, BUT NOT All weaknesses make for great failure stories, another very common topic for interviews.
Leadership and Teamwork Skills/Potential
All applicants should have keywords and supporting stories describing their leadership and teamwork skills and potential. Given the very common nature of questions related to both leadership and teamwork, you should also be prepared for the following:
1. My definition of leadership/teamwork is... because... I demonstrated this kind of leadership by...
2. One leader I really admire is... because... I am similar/want to be like this person because...
3. I think I am a good team member because...
Have enough keywords and storiesIf you have enough keyword and stories you will have a solid basis for answering the great range of questions that you are likely to be asked about yourself.
Questions you should be ready to answer
In addition to having keywords and stories, there are certain questions that you should be ready to answer because they are commonly asked in interviews.
Goals/Why MBA?/ Why this school?You should have outlined answers to the following:
1. I want an MBA now because...
2. I want an MBA from your school because...
3. Your school is my first choice because...
4. After my MBA, I will...
5. My goals are...
6. If I was not able to attend an MBA program next year, I would...
Ethical Dilemma QuestionsAnother very common question relates to ethical dilemmas. Be ready. Have a story or two ready. If you are having a difficulty formulating ethical dilemma questions, please take a look at the Institute for Global Ethics. Also see Business Ethics Research - Knowledge@Wharton.
Questions for the interviewer
You should be ready to ask questions to your interviewer. What you ask should be governed by the following considerations:
1. Is the answer to the question obvious? If so, don't ask the question.
2. Is the answer to the question really relevant to you? If not, don't ask it. General questions that have no specific connection to you are probably not worth asking.
3. Will the interviewer be able to answer the question? In general avoid asking interviewers questions that they are not really able to answer. Asking an alum who graduated five years ago about what is new at the school would be one such bad question.
When formulating questions it is obviously important to consider who you will be interviewing with because what you ask an alum is not the same as what you ask an admissions officer or current student.
Tell stories that show the range of your experience
Keep in mind that you should use stories from different parts of your life. Don't overemphasize one specific situation. Instead tell stories that showcase the range of your experience.
Keep it simple and don't recite from memory
Regardless of how complex the topic might be, when you tell a story, keep it simple enough for your listener to follow. The human brain can only absorb a limited amount of information, so when you tell a story make sure that it is something that can be easily followed and delivered very briefly.
For that reason (and others), memorizing long stories and reciting them to be avoided because it will likely result in your interviewer being unable to absorb your story. If the story takes too long to recite, the may also become bored or annoyed. Additionally memorized answers from a non-native speaker of English are a sign that the interviewee's English skills might be weak.
Don't write a script, just a very brief outline
Unless your English speaking ability is very weak, I would strongly recommend that you don't write scripts of your answers, instead prepare a very brief outline and practice speaking. Tell the stories repeatedly so that are comfortable doing so, but since you want to come across as polished, but natural, don't memorize it.
Use an audio and/or video recorder
For many people, except for watching yourself on video, nothing is worse than listening to your own voice. However as painful as it maybe, doing so will help you identify weakness in your answers and overall performance. Therefore record and analyze yourself. You are your most harsh critic.
Relax and be confident
I know this part can be hard, but the more relaxed and confident you are, the more likely you are to have a good interview. Creating the right impression is as critical as what you actually say. Make your interviewer feel your enthusiasm.
Practice for specific interviews
Finally, don't just practice for any interview, practice for specific interviews. While you may initially need to think about overall strategy, you should focus much of your practice on specific interviews. If you have mock interviews, make sure they are school specific because a very important aspect of the interview really is about you showing your connection and fit to the school.
-Adam Markus
Over-preparation
I have a very simple and effective method for interview preparation: Over-preparation. The best way to do well in any interview is be prepared for an interview that will be harder than the actual interview. I write this based on my experience. Since 2001, I have been told by grateful clients that my practice interviews were harder than the real thing and as a result they could confidently handle the real thing. I think any highly experienced graduate admissions consultant should be able to provide this kind of practice to their clients. If you don't use an admissions consultant to help you prepare, find someone, a mentor perhaps, who can help you. Whoever you seek advice from, getting actual critical feedback from person who understands the MBA admissions process is critical.
Just as critical is your own preparation (see below for the methods I suggest). The amount of practice (with someone else and alone) you require will really depend on three variables:
1. Your English ability. For international applicants with low intermediate to high intermediate level ability, expect to focus a significant amount of your time on practicing to speak.
2. Your comfort with interviews. Some people are just really good at interviewing and others are not. If you know that you are weak in the this area, you will really need to practice with another person who can judge your performance.
3. The difficulty of the interview. Some schools simply have difficult interviews (HBS for example), while others do not (Duke for example), so take that into account. A great way to determine the difficulty of a particular school's interviews is to read reports written by applicants (See my earlier post regarding where to find interview reports).
Many applicants wait until days before an interview to prepare, but actually your interview preparations should ideally begin at least a month before you start interviewing. Why so long? Because you have a lot to do:
Interview Strategy FormulationIt is absolutely critical that you have an overall strategy for determining what you want to say about yourself. Just as with your essays, you need to formulate your self-marketing strategy for your interviews. Obviously what you put in your application should be consistent with and supported by your interview. However writing essays and talking for 30 minutes or more are simply not the same.
Don't worry about the questions, worry about your message!While you should use the Accepted and Clear Admit sites to learn about the questions, an overemphasis on simply preparing answers to the questions that other applicants were asked is not the main thing you should be doing. Instead, decide what you want to say about yourself. One way of doing that is prepare an outline like the following:
Strengths/Contributions/Future Potential
1. One of my key strengths is X. A story that demonstrates this strength is... Another story that does is... This strength will be a contribution at your school because... This strength will contribute to my future goals because...
2. Another of my key strengths is Y. A story that demonstrates this strength is... Another story that does is... This strength will be a contribution at your school because... This strength will contribute to my future goals because...
3. Another of my key strengths is Z. A story that demonstrates this strength is... Another story that does is.. This strength will be a contribution at your school because... This strength will contribute to my future goals because...
For each X, Y, Z insert a keyword describing your strength. Connect keywords to specific stories. If possible find more than one story that demonstrates the keyword. Next think how this strength could be a contribution when you are student. Next think how this strength will contribute to your goals. By using this method, you will have prepared answers to such common questions as "What are your strengths" and "How will you contribute to our school." Additionally you will be ready to show how your past experience will help you achieve your goals. Additionally when asked questions which are less direct about your strengths, you will already have keywords and stories ready for those questions you can't predict.
Weaknesses/Failures
1. One of my weaknesses is X. A story that demonstrates this is... Another story that does is... I want to overcome this weakness by... This weakness resulted in failure when...
2. Another of my weaknesses is Y. A story that demonstrates this is... Another story that does is... I want to overcome this weakness by... This weakness resulted in failure when...
3. Another of my weaknesses is Z. A story that demonstrates this is... Another story that does is... I want to overcome this weakness by... This weakness resulted in failure when...
As with strengths you should have at least three keywords. Here you be preparing answers to the very common questions that are asked about weakness, but in addition you will need to think about how the MBA program and/or some other aspect of yourself will make it possible for you to overcome this weakness. Weaknesses should be real and not abstract. You should have clear stories that demonstrate your weaknesses, something many applicants initially have a problem with. Additionally knowing how a program will help you overcome your weakness will explain why you want to attend that school. Finally, SOME, BUT NOT All weaknesses make for great failure stories, another very common topic for interviews.
Leadership and Teamwork Skills/Potential
All applicants should have keywords and supporting stories describing their leadership and teamwork skills and potential. Given the very common nature of questions related to both leadership and teamwork, you should also be prepared for the following:
1. My definition of leadership/teamwork is... because... I demonstrated this kind of leadership by...
2. One leader I really admire is... because... I am similar/want to be like this person because...
3. I think I am a good team member because...
Have enough keywords and storiesIf you have enough keyword and stories you will have a solid basis for answering the great range of questions that you are likely to be asked about yourself.
Questions you should be ready to answer
In addition to having keywords and stories, there are certain questions that you should be ready to answer because they are commonly asked in interviews.
Goals/Why MBA?/ Why this school?You should have outlined answers to the following:
1. I want an MBA now because...
2. I want an MBA from your school because...
3. Your school is my first choice because...
4. After my MBA, I will...
5. My goals are...
6. If I was not able to attend an MBA program next year, I would...
Ethical Dilemma QuestionsAnother very common question relates to ethical dilemmas. Be ready. Have a story or two ready. If you are having a difficulty formulating ethical dilemma questions, please take a look at the Institute for Global Ethics. Also see Business Ethics Research - Knowledge@Wharton.
Questions for the interviewer
You should be ready to ask questions to your interviewer. What you ask should be governed by the following considerations:
1. Is the answer to the question obvious? If so, don't ask the question.
2. Is the answer to the question really relevant to you? If not, don't ask it. General questions that have no specific connection to you are probably not worth asking.
3. Will the interviewer be able to answer the question? In general avoid asking interviewers questions that they are not really able to answer. Asking an alum who graduated five years ago about what is new at the school would be one such bad question.
When formulating questions it is obviously important to consider who you will be interviewing with because what you ask an alum is not the same as what you ask an admissions officer or current student.
Tell stories that show the range of your experience
Keep in mind that you should use stories from different parts of your life. Don't overemphasize one specific situation. Instead tell stories that showcase the range of your experience.
Keep it simple and don't recite from memory
Regardless of how complex the topic might be, when you tell a story, keep it simple enough for your listener to follow. The human brain can only absorb a limited amount of information, so when you tell a story make sure that it is something that can be easily followed and delivered very briefly.
For that reason (and others), memorizing long stories and reciting them to be avoided because it will likely result in your interviewer being unable to absorb your story. If the story takes too long to recite, the may also become bored or annoyed. Additionally memorized answers from a non-native speaker of English are a sign that the interviewee's English skills might be weak.
Don't write a script, just a very brief outline
Unless your English speaking ability is very weak, I would strongly recommend that you don't write scripts of your answers, instead prepare a very brief outline and practice speaking. Tell the stories repeatedly so that are comfortable doing so, but since you want to come across as polished, but natural, don't memorize it.
Use an audio and/or video recorder
For many people, except for watching yourself on video, nothing is worse than listening to your own voice. However as painful as it maybe, doing so will help you identify weakness in your answers and overall performance. Therefore record and analyze yourself. You are your most harsh critic.
Relax and be confident
I know this part can be hard, but the more relaxed and confident you are, the more likely you are to have a good interview. Creating the right impression is as critical as what you actually say. Make your interviewer feel your enthusiasm.
Practice for specific interviews
Finally, don't just practice for any interview, practice for specific interviews. While you may initially need to think about overall strategy, you should focus much of your practice on specific interviews. If you have mock interviews, make sure they are school specific because a very important aspect of the interview really is about you showing your connection and fit to the school.
-Adam Markus
I am a graduate admissions consultant who works with clients worldwide. If you would like to arrange an initial consultation, please complete my intake form. Please don't email me any essays, other admissions consultant's intake forms, your life story, or any long email asking for a written profile assessment. The only profiles I assess are those with people who I offer initial consultations to. Please note that initial consultations are not offered when I have reached full capacity or when I determine that I am not a good fit with an applicant.
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