MIT interviews can be tough b/c they are NOT BLIND.
As with HBS, your interviewer (an adcom member) can and will refer to your essays / dig deeper during the interview. She or he is NOT likely to ask typical questions (WMTYR, teamwork, leadership, goals, etc.)
It can be friendly / conversational, but you need to be prepared to answer new questions with new examples.
Please do your best!
MIT instructions (accessed at http://mitsloan.mit.edu/mba/admissions/MITSloan_interview_guide.pdf on 3/2011)
The MIT Sloan MBA Admissions Committee conducts Behavioral Event-Based Interviews.
The concept behind Behavioral Event Interviews (BEI) is past behavior is a reliable indicator of future response in a similar situation.
BEI is different from the traditional screening interviews:
- Instead of asking how you would behave in a particular situation, the interviewer will ask you how you did behave.
- Expect your interviewer to question and probe your answers.
- The interviewer will ask you to provide details and will not allow you to theorize or generalize about several events.
- The interview will be a structured process that will concentrate on areas that are important to the interviewer, rather than allowing you to concentrate on areas that you may feel are important.
- You may not get a chance to deliver any prepared stories.
- Most interviewers will be taking copious notes throughout the interview.
What the Admissions Committee is looking for
- The interviewer will be looking for concrete and specific examples revealing one or several of the following traits during the interview:
- Influencing others: the ability to influence a person, group or organization.
- Relationship building: the ability to build and maintain professional relationships.
- Drive: the ability to set an objective and achieve it.
Preparing for BEI
- Recall a recent situation that showed favorable behaviors or actions, especially involving work experience, leadership, professional relationships, teamwork, planning, etc.
- Prepare short descriptions of each situation; be ready to give details when asked.
- Be sure the story has a beginning, a middle and an end.
- Be honest; don’t embellish or omit any part of the story.
- Be specific. Don’t generalize about several events; give a detailed accounting of one event. The interviewer will not give you the benefit of the doubt if there is something missing from your story.
2009 R1, interviewed w/ adcoms in Tokyo
1. Interviewer: Rod Garcia, Director of MBA Admissions
2. Length of Interview: about 45 min.
3. Questions asked:
He used to ask one big question and made several questions to dig down my answers.
1) What do you do know?
- What is your task in that business?
- How could you established such a big and exciting business?
- Please tell me about your past professional experience.
2) Tell me about the time when you have to persuade people or organization to influence others.
- Please give me example of the dialog you had with your peers.
- Why and how do you think their supports made your current partner give your company exclusive right?
3) Please tell me about the time when you had to put yourself into uncomfortable environment
- Why the executives come late to the meeting?
- What did you do and learned in through the task?
- How did your attitude change since this experience?
4) What do you want to do after MBA?
5) Do you have any questions? (for 2 times)
6) Do you have anything else you want to mention?
4. Overall impression: Rod was really friendly but professional. He asked me a lot of questions about my past experience.
2007-2008
The 2nd round interview was in Tokyo with adcom (#2 guy below Rod Garcia). It lasted 30 mins.
Questions:
1. What kind of quality or talent I bring to my workshop?
2. What is my personal (not job related) goals in the future?
3. What kind of preparation do I do for my personal goals?
and then related to my answer on 3rd question, he continued to ask:
4. How do I rank MIT for my MBA selection?
5. Why MIT?
6. Is there anything I would like to tell him?
7. Question for him
The interviewer was taking notes of my comments, but the overall atmosphere was mild with some smiles from him.
More strategy and reports here:
-Updated by Vince on 14 March 2012
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