A Day In The Life Of a Stanford MBA Student

How To Answer The Hardest Interview Questions

There’s always another question behind every interview question.

If you’re asked about your former boss, your interviewers probably want to know if you’re a malcontent who blames others. When they inquire about what’s important to you, pinning down your cultural fit is the real priority. And if – God forbid – they fish for your last salary, run fast and far. All you are to them is a plug-and-play commodity – and they’re looking for a K-Mart blue light special.

The same is true of your business school interview. You may think that you’re being asked about your accomplishments and inspirations, but your adcom really wants to know if you have academic and social stamina to fit in and excel at the school (and beyond). Many times, they require an understanding of a program’s class needs, cultural nuances, and philosophical outlook. Sure, some say, answering such questions honestly just saves you from choosing the wrong program. At the same time, a lack of self-awareness and political savvy can also sweep away even the most promising candidacies.

Recently, Clear Admit scoured through the interview questions asked to 2018 MBA candidates by business schools ranging from Harvard to Kelley. Their mission was simple: Identify the “absolute worst, totally unfair, just all-around-tough MBA admissions interview questions.” More important, Clear Admit shared the reasons why these questions were slippery – along with some strategies for answering them.

The first question cited by Clear Admit was a doozey: “Describe a failure in which you were involved.” In a ‘fail fast and early’ MBA culture that’s pushes lean over long, such a question wouldn’t normally raise any red flags. All you do is come clean about a mistake, outline the process that led you to your fateful decision, and then express what you learned. No need to fall on your sword here, right?

That depends. Clear Admit spots two potential pitfalls here. First, some students may position a failure as a “veiled success story,” which could reflect someone who is underplaying his involvement or doesn’t take accountability. In contrast, offering a mea culpa for a complete disaster could indicate incompetence. As a result, Clear Admit encourages applicants to acknowledge their role in the failure to show they have truly ruminated over their failings and mastered the dark impulses or knowledge gaps that caused their fall from grace. Even more, applicants should come full circle showing how the lessons they gained eventually led them to success later down the line.

Another perilous question happens when adcoms ask applicants to name the other schools they’re considering. Just small talk, right? Actually, it’s the most loaded question in the book, says Clear Admit. “Is it to determine your likelihood of attending the program you are interviewing for? Is it to assess whether you are ambitious in terms of school selection or more conservative? Is it simply to see if your list of target schools makes sense and demonstrates a thoughtful approach on your part? Any or all of these options are possible depending on the school interviewing you.”

Even more, adcoms are gauging their odds. As Clear Admit notes, schools want to keep their yields high and avoid tendering spots to candidates who may consider their program to be their fallback.

So how do you address these underlying questions? In this case, contrary to what any lawyer will tell you, detail is your friend here according to Clear Admit. “As you list your schools, explain why you chose them. You want to demonstrate that your selections are thoughtful ones resulting from thorough research and careful consideration of your career plan, preferred teaching methods, campus environment, etc. Finally, should make the case for why the school you are interviewing with is a very excellent choice among the group of schools you’ve listed—citing specific elements of the program that fit well with the criteria that drove your overall school selection.”

A third question is a variation on the time-honored query of how would you describe yourself. In this case, it reads, “How would those close to you describe you in three words?” Obviously, the question telegraphs that the adcom is probing to see how self-aware you are. Still it comes with an additional caveat: Applicant have already completed essays that show – explicitly or not – what their true virtues are. Even more, their recommenders have already written them up as well. If the application doesn’t jive with the interview answer, you can bet that an adcom is going to second guess both.

Preparation is the key here says Clear Admit. They suggest putting this question to peers or mentors to see how closely their impressions align with those of the applicants. As before, never forget to add examples that validate why those virtues define applicants in work and life.

How do you handle conflict? Is rule breaking a good thing? What concerns do you have about getting an MBA? These are other questions that Clear Admit tackles. To get their insights on how to successfully navigate these questions, click on the Clear Admit link below.

DON’T MISS: The Questions MBA Applicants Are Getting

Source: Clear Admit