The following post was prepared by Kim Carter, a senior admissions consultant with The MBA Exchange. Kim earned her MBA degree at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan on a full-tuition, merit-based fellowship.
You just received the invitation to interview. Congratulations! But what happens when you discover there are no local interviewers, and your interview is going to take place over the phone or Skype? If you have a choice, it is better to interview in-person so that the school sees how invested you are in their program and because a stronger connection can be built in person. However, if the circumstances require a virtual interview, here are some tips:
1) If using Skype, test the audio and video link beforehand to ensure that your interviewer is able to clearly hear and see you. Ensure adequate lighting (with the light facing you, not behind you) and a professional-looking background (i.e., plain wall, clean desk or table top as opposed to a bedroom).
2) Do at least a couple practice interviews by phone and/or webcam with a trusted third-party to increase your comfort with the medium.
3) Relax, be yourself, and smile, even if they can’t see you—your smile will come through in your voice.
Unfortunately, too many applicants don’t put the same amount of time and effort into preparing for the interview as they do for the rest of the application. Admissions committees are placing increasingly more importance on the interview in deciding who to admit and who to reject, so it’s crucial for candidates to do well in this component of the application process. The interview is a chance to demonstrate to the admissions committee who you are and where you’d like to go, and it’s critical to communicate this effectively and articulately.
You’ve made it this far, so don’t sell yourself short—engage The MBA Exchange for expert guidance and support with personalized interview coaching services in the form of: proprietary resources (including a complete video library of MBA admissions interview FAQs with expert analysis of each answer); a mock interview with real-time constructive, actionable feedback from a top MBA grad or former admissions officer; and unlimited interview practice using our exclusive, web-based video facility and team-based discussion prep (for Wharton and Ross).
The MBA Exchange has successfully counseled thousands of applicants on acing the admissions interview. We’re here to help you do the same!
