At some point in the MBA admissions process, nearly every applicant worries about saying something dumb in an interview.

Saïd Business School has a simpler fear in mind: accidentally pitching the wrong school.

In a newly released video from the MBA admissions team at the University of Oxford – one of the world’s oldest universities – executive director of recruitment and admissions Liam Kilby offers applicants some refreshingly human interview tips, including one that sounds obvious – until the adrenaline kicks in.

“Remember which school you’re interviewing for,” Kilby says. It’s the kind of advice that probably exists because somebody once praised Harvard during an Oxford interview.

A VERY OLD SCHOOL, A VERY MODERN WARNING

The short video walks applicants through common MBA interview mistakes and how to avoid them. Among the recommendations: prepare like it is a job interview, know your résumé cold, and have a clear explanation for why you want an MBA – and why this MBA specifically.

The tone is notably less intimidating than many MBA admissions discussions online, where candidates swap stories about “curveball” questions and mock-interview prep marathons. On Reddit and GMAT forums, applicants obsess over whether they will get grilled on leadership failures, geopolitics, or post-MBA career plans.

Oxford’s advice is more grounded: be prepared, be thoughtful, and maybe do not accidentally name-drop a rival school.

Which, honestly, feels like useful life advice far beyond business school.

DON’T MISS AT OXFORD SAÏD, THE NEW POET LAUREATE WANTS MBAs TO FEEL BEFORE THEY CALCULATE

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