Mission Admission is a series of MBA admission tips; a new one is posted each Tuesday.
This time of year, many students will start to interview with their target MBA programs. Many candidates will inevitably fret and think to themselves, “What if I don’t know the answers?” The good news is that, as the title above states, the MBA interview bears no resemblance to a TV quiz show. The Admissions officer, alumni or current student who interviews you will not be asking you questions about esoteric topics and will not expect that you will answer questions pertaining to the management disciplines, about which you will learn more next year. The vast (vast!) majority of interview questions will pertain to your life and experiences, meaning that you will have the answers in hand, as you enter the room.
As a first step toward preparing for your interviews, you should reacquaint yourself with your own story – read your essays, contemplate pivotal moments in your life and consider your major accomplishments and failures. By doing so, you will have the basic knowledge necessary to perform.