2025 MBA Interview Questions: A School-By-School List by: Jeff Schmitt on January 22, 2025 | 12,250 Views January 22, 2025 Copy Link Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email Share on LinkedIn Share on WhatsApp Share on Reddit Tell me about a time – TMAT. Talk about a loaded question! An interviewer can sneak anything after those five words. Your shining moment. Your biggest regret. The way you reacted and the steps you took. Your choices – and their results. Every story is defined by the facts you share – and the ones you leave out. TMAT questions reveal whether you’ve truly reflected – and what you’ve actually learned. To an interviewer, the answers cement whether you are a flawed protagonist, an unreliable narrator, or someone’s villain. The second round is here. That means another set of interviews. That means long walks through your resume and essay. Questions about strengths and weaknesses, short-term and long-term goals, achievements and missteps – what you’ll do and how you’ll contribute. Of course, there are the ‘Big 3’ questions you’ll be asked in one form or another: Why an MBA? Why now? Why here? A LOOK INSIDE EACH SCHOOL’S PROCESS Still, it is the TMAT questions that stump even the most prepared candidates. Teamwork, decision-making, conflict resolution: they show interviewers the reasoning behind the choices…but maybe your blind spots too. Let’s be frank: Responses are open to interpretation based on personal experience and even bias of the interviewer. How do you answer these questions? Honestly, of course. First, you should find out which questions your target schools are asking. That’s where Clear Admit does a great service for applicants. Each year, Clear Admit makes a call to applicants for interview reports on the business schools where they interview. In some cases, these applicants provide the general and behavioral questions that school representatives ask in various rounds. Other times, they supply information who performed the interview and how long it lasted. This is valuable information. Going to a Harvard Business School interview? Expect to be queried about economic and industry trends. Northwestern Kellogg and Duke Fuqua? Their cultures are driven by teamwork – and they’ll want to know how you mix with equally talented professionals. And then there are the observations you can glean about the process from Clear Admit interviewees. Do schools rely on adcoms, alumni, or students to conduct the interviews. Are the settings formal like a conference room or informal like coffee house – or even distant like a Zoom meeting? Have the interviewers come prepared with notes on your resume and essay – or do schools ask them to meet you blind? Are interviewers highly structured Q&As or free-flowing conversations? Fact is, who a school sends and the approach they take sends a message about who they are and where your candidacy stands. The questions asked reflect what they value – and what they expect. Who knows: they may even throw a curveball along the way. What questions should be preparing to answer in February and March? Here are the questions that candidates saw this fall and last spring. University of California-Berkeley (Haas) What does DEI mean to you and how will you bring this with you into your Haas MBA? What is greatest professional risk you’ve taken? How did you approach it and what was the outcome? Describe a time during your leadership experience when there was no consensus in the team and how you resolved it to reach an outcome. Tell me about a time when you initiated a creative solution. What was your thinking process? And what was the outcome? Tell me about a time when you had a heated argument in the workplace—how did it make you feel, and what did you learn? Talk about a time you had a worked cross functionally and you struggled to align on something. How did you tackle it? Carnegie Mellon University (Tepper) We value diversity at Tepper and pride ourselves on our community. What are you most looking forward to receiving during interactions with your classmates? Tell me about a time you used a strength to help achieve something. Tell me about a time you helped a team member who was struggling. University of Chicago (Booth) Tell me about a proud professional experience or project. Tell me about a time you exhibited empathy or collaboration in your work. Tell me about a surprising piece of feedback you’ve received. Tell me about a cause you’re passionate about. Columbia Business School What factors led you to your school list and where does Columbia fall on this list? Tell me about a time you disagreed with a coworker. Can you describe your leadership style and share a story that demonstrates it? Cornell University (Johnson) What is the toughest problem you’ve solved? What would your colleagues describe you as that would be incorrect? Geographically, where do you want to work post-MBA? Talk about a time I failed after many attempts of trying. Tell me about something you succeeded, but would not do again. How do you plan to attack your goals? How did you connect with any current students? How has that reaffirmed why you want to come to Cornell? Ithaca is a small college town. How does Ithaca interest you? Dartmouth College (Tuck) Tell me about a time when you got constructive feedback? Tell me about a time you had to give constructive feedback. What is a unique perspective would you bring to Tuck’s class? Describe a time when you led something that no one else could have managed as you did. What motivates you to focus on [Insert Area]? Describe a time you experienced failure Tell me about a time you wanted to do something and changed your mind. Why did you change your mind. What is something new that you learned recently? Duke University (Fuqua) Tell me about a time when you faced an ethical dilemma. Tell me about a time when listening made a difference. Tell me about a time when you worked with a team member who didn’t pull their weight. Tell me three things you think are important to a successful team. Next Page: Harvard Business School, INSEAD, MIT Sloan, NYU Stern, and more! Continue ReadingPage 1 of 3 1 2 3