Preparing for an interview at top business school

You have already applied to the business schools for an MBA. After several weeks of efforts on presenting the best resume and essays, its your time off. And then, comes the most awaited news. You have landed an interview at one of the top business schools! Firstly, if you have obtained an interview, Congratulations! You have cleared the biggest obstacle and now things are somewhat under your control. Secondly, if you have received a call from one of your most-desirable schools, then your palms must be sweating and heartbeats might not be following the regular pattern. But, do yourself a favor, don't freak out. You are better off preparing for the interview rather than thinking about the outcome of that interview.

The list of probable questions is long, so I have mentioned some core questions, which you need to concentrate on.

• Why do you want to attend an MBA program?
• Why are you planning an MBA at this point in your life?
• What are your career goals upon graduation?
• Why ..... university/ school?
• How can you contribute to our school?

You might notice that some of these questions are similar to the ones you may have faced in yout job interview/s. That's true. Getting an admission is serious business and hence the interviewers make sure that only worthy applicants are granted admission in their school. The below mentioned tips will help you crack these questions.

• Know your resume in and out. Have an explanation ready for every statement that you have made
• Create a list of stories (personal or professional) that highlight initiative, team-building, leadership skills and innovation
• Prepare a list of your successes and failures. Tell them in the PAR -Problem, Action, Result- format
• Do your research on the school with which you are interviewing (some of the resources include blog, newsletters. Look at my post http://topbusinessschoolsguide.blogspot.com/2011/02/mba-application-tips-for-top-business.html for more tips)
• If given an option of telephone or personal, I would recommend going for a personal interview. This will help you create a good first impression. However, you should go with what you are comfortable with.
• Another good idea is to go through your essays, so that you are consistent in stating your facts and figures
• A thing to remember: Duration of the interview does not mean much. It does not reflect your performance, so don't sweat if the interview ends 10 minutes before the scheduled time

Usually, you would hear things like 'Prepare well', 'Practice 50 times before the interview' or some ridiculous number like that. But, if you are a spontaneous person and have gotten results being like that, just treat this the same way. The only thing you want to do is be consistent, honest and sincere. Don't try and communicate to the interviewer the person you are not. Be yourself, give it your best and leave the rest.

Good Luck!