How to Close Your MBA Interview Strong

Acing the MBA interview is an important last step for gaining admission into B-school.

How you end your interview matters as the interview is often the last impression admissions officers get from your application. Dr. Marlena Corcoran, founder of Athena Mentor and contributor at Forbes, recently offered a few strategies for acing the end of your MBA interview and highlighted questions to avoid asking.

REAFFIRM YOUR FIT WITH THE B-SCHOOL

One of the best strategies for closing out an MBA interview strong is reaffirming fit and showcasing your passion for the business school. When highlighting fit, Corcoran says, be sure to show, not tell.

“Cite specific programs, classes or clubs that make this school stand out as an experience that will prepare you to meet your short- and long-term goals,” Corcoran says. “Your knowledge of their offerings and culture are likely to mean more to the interviewer than the simple (and sometimes problematic) exclamation, ‘You’re my first choice!’”

ARTICULATE YOUR PITCH

It’s important to come prepared to the interview with a well-developed elevator pitch: the high-level summary on why you want an MBA and what makes you, as a candidate, different. When closing out your interview, it can be helpful to reiterate your pitch and highlight what you bring to the table.

“Know why you want an MBA,” John Crossman, CEO of Crossman Career Builders, tells US News. “The answer needs to show specifically what skill set you want to add and the benefit you seek from it. Know what you bring to the MBA program. Your undergrad and work experience should bring something to the table.”

WHAT TO AVOID ASKING

Your MBA interviewer will likely close out the interview by asking you if you have any questions.

“I would recommend preparing these questions in advance and having them written down,” says Amy Duckworth, director of admissions with Imperial College Business School at Imperial College London. “I would advise against asking things that you could have easily found on the school’s website. At Imperial, most of our MBA interviews are conducted by alumni – try to ask them insightful questions that will allow them to share their own experiences at the school.”

One question to avoid? Asking the interviewer, “How did I do?”

“It is not the interviewer’s responsibility to provide this type of feedback, especially not in the moment,” Carlen Long, global admissions director at IE Business School in Madrid, says. “Just as a candidate takes time and effort to prepare for an interview, so too does an interviewer take time to digest and interpret the interview. This question forces the interviewer to make an immediate and therefore very subjective assessment.”

Sources: Forbes, US News

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