Having worked with hundreds of clients on their MBA applications, I have noticed that there are a few interview questions that tend to come up over and over again across the various business schools. Overall, interviewers are trying to understand a candidate’s background, post-MBA goals, why he/she is interested in pursuing an MBA at their school, and his/her qualities in order to assess fit. Therefore, as you prepare for interviews, keep the following three common interview

When applying to business school, it’s only natural to try and get your hands on as much information as possible. After all, the more knowledge that you have about the process, the better off you’ll be, right? Not necessarily. While business school message boards can certainly contain helpful information, it’s important not to get so absorbed in the conversations that you lose sight of your goals and the most important person throughout this process…YOU. Below are three piece

As a top-tier MBA program, thousands of candidates apply to Wharton each year. Based on my experience, there are three main qualities that Wharton looks for when evaluating candidates for admission; these are impactful leadership, strong analytical skills, and the ability to collaborate. My thoughts on each of these characteristics is below. Impactful leadership Being able to demonstrate leadership should come as no surprise; this quality is extremely important to all of the

You’ve made the decision to apply to business school, which is great! But as you educate yourself more and more about the MBA admissions process and realize how competitive it is, you wonder how many schools you should apply to in order make sure you have choices once the admissions cycle is over. So what is that number? The short answer is that it really depends on the factors that are important to you in an MBA program, your risk tolerance, and your demographic/profile; bel

Deciding which business schools to apply to is more of an art than a science; that is why it is imperative that you research the MBA programs to determine which ones will help you attain your goals and are the right fit. However, as you think about your school list, it is important to apply to a range of schools so that you maximize your chances of admission. How should you think about that range of schools? The best way is by grouping them into buckets that reflect the likel

When putting together your list of business schools to which to apply, how do you determine which ones are the right ones for you? The first step is understanding how competitive your profile will be at the schools that you are shortlisting (such as by looking at the average/median GPA and GMAT/GRE scores); beyond that, determining the right fit is more of an art than a science. To get started, research the different MBA programs that you are interested in; as you do so, keep

With admission to top-tier business schools getting increasingly competitive, how can you stand out from a very competitive pool of applicants? Many applicants hire an MBA admissions consultant to help position themselves in the best light possible, but should you? This is a very personal decision and depends on your comfort level with the MBA application process as well as your writing skills. If you're confident with how you plan to position yourself and how well you write,

International applicants can contribute a lot to business schools given their perspective and experience in certain regions of the world; however, through my work with international applicants, I have noticed four areas in which international applicants tend to falter the most when applying to business school. These four areas are outlined below. Lack of extracurricular activities Many international applicants, having grown up in environments where academics and strong profes

With an acceptance rate of 6%, the Stanford Graduate School of Business (Stanford GSB) is one of the most competitive business schools to gain admission to. What qualities does the school value when it evaluates candidates? On its website, Stanford clearly states its evaluation criteria, which are the following: Intellectual Vitality, Demonstrated Leadership Potential, and Personal Qualities & Contributions. Let's go through each of these criteria in more detail. Intellectual

Some MBA programs, such as Wharton and Michigan Ross, require candidates to participate in a group interview, either in lieu of or in addition to, the standard one-on-one interview. This is a relatively more recent phenomenon, but the rationale behind evaluating applicants in a group setting makes sense – being able to analyze problems and work collaboratively on teams is important both during business school and in professional settings. I often get asked by clients about "b

You’ve gone through the entire business school application process – school research, GMAT/GRE, application and essays, interview – and all that awaits is the final decision. You’re nervous, but you feel good about your prospects. The day when decisions are released arrives…and you find out that you’ve been waitlisted. Definitely not the ideal scenario. While being waitlisted can be frustrating, do not be disheartened! Being waitlisted is an indication that you are extremely

Harvard Business School (HBS) is consistently ranked at the top of U.S. News' Best Business School rankings. So what does the school seek in candidates? Before you even begin tackling the applications, it's extremely important to understand what each MBA program values. HBS clearly states three things on their website that they look for in candidates: Habit of Leadership, Analytical Aptitude, and Engaged Community Citizenship. Let's go through each one in more detail. Habit o

Congratulations! You've gotten an invitation to interview. While each school may have a different approach towards interviews (for instance, Wharton has had the group interview in recent years), there are some common elements that are the same across all business school interviews that you can prepare for. Here are four key areas that you should be comfortable with before setting foot into an interview. Know your story This point may seem obvious, but interestingly, when I as

After completing all of the steps to put together your strongest business school applications, you hit the submit button on the final one. You are both excited and nervous (understandably so), but now what? Follow my tips below to make the most out of your time while you are waiting. Relax and don't second guess yourself Firstly, relax, take a deep breath, and don’t second guess yourself! You’ve earned some down time after all of the hard work that you’ve put into your appl

When applying to MBA programs, it is imperative to take the time to get to know the schools. Through the application, essays, and interviews, Admissions Committees will want to understand why you are interested in attending their school, how you will contribute, and why you are a good fit. When thinking about your answers, it is important to be as specific as possible; there is no "cookie cutter" approach to these questions. To help you answer the above, think about the follo

“It’s a marathon, not a sprint.” There is no doubt about it; applying to business school is a journey. Admissions Committees want to understand what you did in college and how you performed academically, what you have been doing in the workplace, and how your personal experiences have shaped you. While synthesizing all of this information in a business school application can be quite daunting, it doesn’t have to be if you take the time to systematically work through it. Th