THE BIG 9: VERY COMMON QUESTIONS

• Could you walk me through your resume?
• Why MBA?
• Why do the MBA now?
• Why our school?
• What are your short term/long term post-MBA career goals?
• What are your 3 greatest strengths?
• What are your 2 greatest weaknesses?
• What do you think will be the biggest concern of the Admissions Committee
   in evaluating your application?
• Do you have any questions for me?
  

OTHER QUESTIONS

Academic Experience

• What was the most rewarding aspect of your undergraduate experience?
• What are you most proud of about your undergraduate period?
• Why did you select this undergraduate major? Would you have changed your
   decision today?
• To what do you attribute your strong academic performance?
• In which campus activities did you participate? What did you learn or gain
   from this involvement?
• Have you ever dropped a class? Why?
• Which college classes did you like the best/least? Why?
• Do you think you received a good education?
• Do your grades accurately reflect your ability?
• Were you financially responsible for part or all of your college education?
• How many classes did you miss because of illness, personal business or other
   reasons?

Work Experience

• Describe your work experience (in general or with specific employers).
• What did you find most frustrating at work?
• What kinds of changes would you make at your work if you could?
• Do you have any opportunity for innovative thinking?
• Could you describe an incident where you disagreed with a superior? How
   was this settled?
• What aspect of your job do you most enjoy? Why?
• Of what accomplishment at work are you most proud?
• Could you compare your experience in these two jobs you had?
• If I ask your manager what he/she values in you, what will he/she say?
• What did you enjoy most/least about position X?
• Of which three accomplishments are you most proud?
• What problems have you solved in your previous positions?
• What have you disliked in your job with employer X?
• What are some recent responsibilities you have taken on?
• What do you think it is about yourself that enabled you to earn achievement
   X?
• Describe a typical workday.

Career Path

• Why did you leave job A for job B?
• What will you do if you are not accepted to any of the MBA programs you
   applied to?
• What will you do if you are not accepted to our MBA program?
• Why did you choose to do X?
• Describe your ideal job after completing the MBA.
• How does your education or work experience relate to your career goals?

Leadership

• Give me two cases where you demonstrated leadership.
• How would others describe your leadership style?
• What do you think is the right way to get things done through others?
• What would you do if a team member wasn't pulling his own weight?
• What qualities should a successful manager possess?
• Have you ever spoken to a group of people? How large?
• Could you name someone you view as a strong leader? Why?
• Who are your role models?

Teamwork

• What role do you usually play in group situations? Could you give an
   example?
• Do you prefer to work under supervision or on your own?
• Give me an example of your teamwork experience.
• Have you worked under deadline pressure? When?
• Do you prefer large or small companies? Why?
• What kinds of people do you enjoy working with?
• What kinds of people frustrate you?
• How do you contribute to groups?

Personal and Ethics

• Tell me about yourself.
• Describe a time when you had to bend the rules a little in order to
   accomplish a goal.
• What do you like doing outside of work?
• Tell me about something in your life you would have done differently if you
   had the opportunity.
• What 3 adjectives would others use to describe you?
• Can you recall a creative/innovative activity of yours?
• Tell me about a time you took a risk and what the experience was like.
• If you were to establish a set of values and beliefs on which to build a
   business, what would they be?
• Is there anything specific/else that you would like the admissions committee
   to know about you?
• Define success/failure.
• Tell me about a time in which you failed.
• What would you like to change about yourself?
• Discuss any experience you have had abroad.
• Describe a life experience that had a strong impact on you?
• Tell me about an ethical dilemma you’ve dealt with.
• What do you get passionate about?

Extracurricular / Volunteer Work

• Have you ever done any volunteer work? What was it?
• Were your extracurricular activities worth the time you put into them? What
   have they taught you?

The MBA Program

• What are you looking for in our program?
• What can you contribute to your class?
• Why do you think you would enjoy your chosen area of study?
• What clubs are you considering joining?
• It's two years after graduation, what three words would your MBA team
   members use to describe you?

Typical “Behavioral Interview” Questions

• In dealing with a customer, think of your most difficult situation and tell me 
   how you handled it.
• Give an example of a case when you felt your boss made a bad decision and
   explain how you would have handled it differently.
• Describe a situation where 20 different things had to get done at once and
   how you handled it.
• Describe a disagreement you had with your boss. What did he say? What did
   you say?
• Describe a major problem you have faced on the job and how you handled it