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Quick Answer
When preparing for an MBA interview, do research the school, practice common questions, and highlight your leadership and teamwork skills. Don’t memorize scripted answers, exaggerate your experience, or overlook questions about weaknesses. Following key dos and don’ts will help you make a strong impression on the admissions committee.
Keep reading for a detailed list of the most important MBA interview dos and don’ts, plus strategies to stand out in the admissions process.
Here are the topics we’ll cover:
- Why MBA Interview Performance Matters
- MBA Interview Dos
- MBA Interview Don’ts
- Common Mistakes to Avoid in MBA Interviews
- Tips to Boost Your Confidence Before Interview Day
- Key Takeaways
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- What should I do to prepare for an MBA interview?
- What are the biggest mistakes to avoid in MBA interviews?
- Do schools expect me to know my career goals in detail?
- Should I practice MBA interview questions in advance?
- How can I recover if I make a mistake during the interview?
- Should I go to my MBA interview in person?
- How soon after the MBA interview should I follow up with a thank you?
- What’s Next?
Why MBA Interview Performance Matters
Your MBA application shows your past achievements and your potential. However, your MBA interview shares your fit with the program.
Most top MBA programs require candidates to interview to gain admission. MBA programs use interviews to assess your:
- Clarity of career goals — Are your short- and long-term career goals credible? Further, do your goals require an MBA to achieve them?
- Communication skills — How do you articulate your past experiences, goals, and intentions for an MBA? Additionally, can you structure your answers clearly, listen, and engage as a future classmate and leader?
- Leadership and teamwork — Have your past experiences demonstrated your capabilities as a leader and strong team member? Also, do your examples demonstrate your initiative and ability to drive results?
- Cultural alignment — Do you understand how the program will help you achieve your career and personal goals? Moreover, can you talk about the specific aspects of the curriculum, community, and career programming that will help you?
- Self-awareness — Can you discuss your mistakes, learning experiences, ability to act on feedback, and growth?
The MBA interview is a crucial step in bringing your application to life. Therefore, a smart plan for MBA interview preparation can help make the difference between a candidate who is admitted versus one who is dinged. So, follow the MBA admissions interview tips in this article to make a strong impression!
KEY FACT:
Most leading MBA programs require applicants to interview as part of the admissions process.
MBA Interview Dos
Before Your Interview
These best practices for MBA interview success help candidates put their best foot forward:
- DO research the program. Specifically, map elements of the curriculum, career resources, and culture to your career and development goals. For example, cite specific electives that will help you gain functional or industry expertise in your post-MBA career. Then, review employment reports to understand which types of roles and companies you may target for your recruiting process.
- DO build a set of outcome-focused stories. Use the STAR method to prepare 6–8 stories that showcase your leadership, teamwork, failures, learning, conflict management, and ability to drive an impact.
- Situation: provide context
- Task: your objective or challenge
- Action: what YOU did
- Result: quantifiable or other results
- DO practice out loud (not just in your head). Practice your responses so that they come across naturally. Additionally, it helps to record yourself to eliminate filler words and other verbal tics. Finally, aim for concise and structured responses.
- DO tailor your responses to the interview format.Ensure that you’re well-versed with each program’s interview format. For example, the HBS interview is tailored to your application, so be sure to know your materials forward and backward. By contrast, Wharton’s Team–Based Discussion requires a different approach.
- DO prepare thoughtful questions. If you know your interviewer ahead of time, prepare thoughtful questions that reflect genuine curiosity about the interviewer and his or her experiences.
- DO manage your presence and body language. Keep steady eye contact, take intentional pauses, and lean in (if you’re interviewing in person). Additionally, it helps to smile to make a friendly connection. Finally, it can be useful to mirror your interviewer’s pace and tone, but remain authentic to your own voice.
KEY FACT:
Many common MBA interview questions can be answered using the STAR format.
After Your Interview
- DO follow up promptly. Send a brief, but specific thank-you email within 24 hours of your interview. If possible, send it the same day, while the conversation is fresh for you and the interviewer. Additionally, reference something specific from the conversation and reiterate your fit with and excitement for the program.
TTP PRO TIP:
After your interview, send a brief thank-you email within 24 hours.
MBA Interview Don’ts
Here are some of the admissions interview pitfalls that can derail an interview:
- DON’T be too generic about your interest in their program. Specifically, generic “Why our school” responses could give the impression that you haven’t done your research. Additionally, avoid offering generic praise. Instead, cite specific examples as to why the program is a strong fit for you and your goals.
- DON’T memorize scripted responses. If you’re over-rehearsed, it’ll show. Therefore, we recommend practicing frameworks for your responses, rather than word-for-word answers.
- DON’T dodge weaknesses or give non-answers. It’s OK to admit failure or a weakness. Doing so demonstrates your self-awareness, an important quality in the MBA admissions process. However, we recommend that you choose a real growth area that won’t undermine your goals or ability to be successful in business school.
- DON’T exaggerate. There’s no need to inflate your roles, responsibilities, or results. Instead, share your authentic stories and where you’ve made an impact.
- DON’T dominate or disappear. In the group interview format, it’s important to balance leadership with listening and teamwork. Therefore, you should know when to demonstrate you can lead and when you should invite others to share.
- DON’T ignore logistics. Late arrivals, technical issues, and messy backgrounds can send the wrong message. Instead, control as much as you can to make a positive impression. For example, if you’re interviewing virtually and your desk is in your bedroom, use a virtual background.
TTP PRO TIP:
One of the most important MBA interview preparation strategies is perfecting your tech setup.
Common Mistakes to Avoid in MBA Interviews
These are a few of the common avoidable mistakes in MBA interviews. If you take note of our tips above for what not to say in an MBA interview and things to avoid in an MBA interview, you’ll be less likely to make these mistakes:
- Rambling without a point: If your story exceeds well beyond 2 minutes, reel it in.
- All “we” examples, and no “I” actions: Teamwork is important, but MBA interviewers must understand when you’ve personally made an impact.
- Vague goals: Career goals in consulting or tech aren’t specific enough. Instead, you must be ready to name target functions, industries, and a few companies that you’ll be targeting.
- Unclear “why now” response: Explain the inflection point that inspired you to pursue an MBA now.
- Ignoring data: Demonstrate that you understand the job market and what’s feasible, given your background and the program’s placement statistics.
- Issues with body language: Avoid slouching, looking off-screen, or talking to your own image (rather than the camera).
- Using AI in virtual interviews: Interviewers know when you’re cheating, so just DON’T DO IT!
- Failing to follow up: Skipping the thank-you email is a non-negotiable.
KEY FACT:
Non-verbal communication is as important as verbal responses, so reinforce your interest with strong body language.
Tips to Boost Your Confidence Before Interview Day
Smart interview preparation for MBA admission builds confidence. So, use these MBA interview confidence tips:
- Build a 1-page interview cheat sheet. Include 6–8 STAR bullets (not full scripts), 3 unique points for “Why this school,” concise career goal statements, and 5 questions to ask the interviewer.
- Rehearse… with constraints. Practice your responses with a timer and a friend who interrupts and asks follow-up questions. Then, do a mock interview with new questions every 2 minutes. Finally, do a mock interview with a curveball question.
- Set the stage for your interview day. Get plenty of sleep, hydrate, and eat a light meal. When you’re ready, practice breathing before you join the call or walk into the building. If you’re interviewing virtually, silence notifications, close all tabs, and focus only on the interview screen.
- Prepare your closing. Conclude your conversation with a 10–15-second summary reasserting your fit, goals, and excitement for the program.
Well-structured prep will go a long way to building your confidence for the MBA interview — you’ve got this!
TTP PRO TIP:
Create a 1-page cheat sheet, rehearse with a friend, and prepare a closing statement so you walk into your MBA interview feeling confident and ready.
Key Takeaways
MBA interviews are a fantastic opportunity to build a new connection with one of your target programs and help advance your candidacy. Additionally, successful MBA candidates do a few things exceptionally well: research the program, prepare concise stories, communicate credible goals, avoid over-rehearsed responses, and demonstrate self-awareness.
If you internalize these MBA admissions dos and don’ts, you’ll display professionalism, clarity, and fit — and make a great impression on the MBA admissions committee.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What should I do to prepare for an MBA interview?
Follow the advice we discussed in this article on how to prepare for an MBA interview:
- Research the program and map its resources to your goals.
- Build 6–8 STAR stories showing leadership, teamwork, and impact.
- Practice OUT LOUD to refine your structure and timing.
What are the biggest mistakes to avoid in MBA interviews?
The most common MBA interview mistakes are rambling, giving generic answers, dodging weaknesses, inflating your impact, cheating with AI, and failing to follow up with your interviewer. Also, poor MBA interview body language will not help your case for admission.
Do schools expect me to know my career goals in detail?
Not to the finest detail. Instead, your goals should be specific enough to be credible (with a target role, industry, function, and companies), while connected to your background, experiences, and strengths.
Should I practice MBA interview questions in advance?
Yes! Practice helps ensure that your delivery is concise and confident. Further, you should not memorize scripts; instead, practice structuring your responses. Additionally, it helps to record yourself and do at least one mock interview with a friend or an experienced MBA admissions consultant.
How can I recover if I make a mistake during the interview?
Don’t panic — it happens! If you make a mistake, simply pause and correct your response. Your ability to compose yourself and bounce back from a mistake is often more important than the response itself.
Should I go to my MBA interview in person?
It depends. Some programs only conduct virtual interviews, whereas others are held in person OR virtually. If you can, the in-person interview can help you build rapport with the interviewer. However, it’s not required, and many candidates gain admission through virtual interviews, too.
How soon after the MBA interview should I follow up with a thank you?
Plan to follow up within 24 hours, at most. Even better, send a thank-you note the same day. Interviewers often write up their reports when the conversation is fresh, so it could be advantageous to extend your thanks sooner, rather than later.
What’s Next?
The MBA interview is a crucial final step in the application process. However, practice can go a long way to help you build confidence, and we can help!
If you’d like to schedule a mock interview with one of our experienced MBA admissions consultants, book a free consultation today.
