EssaySnark

  • about
  • contact
  • help
  • sign up
  • login
CLICK FOR MORE!
  • Essay Questions
    • Harvard
    • Stanford
    • Wharton
    • Chicago Booth
    • Kellogg
    • MIT Sloan
    • Tuck
    • NYU Stern
    • Columbia
    • Yale SOM
    • Berkeley Haas
    • UVA Darden
    • Duke Fuqua
    • Michigan Ross
    • UCLA Anderson
    • Cornell
  • Strategy Guides
    • MBA Career Goals in Entrepreneurship
    • School-Specific MBA Application Guides
      • Harvard 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Stanford 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Wharton 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Kellogg 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • MIT Sloan 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Columbia 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Chicago Booth 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • *MORE SCHOOL-SPECIFIC GUIDES HERE*
  • MBA Consulting
    • Free essay reviews
    • What stage are you in?
    • Military MBA
    • BIPOC Program
    • Testimonials & Reviews
    • Guest Posts
  • My SnarkCenter
    • My Strategy Guides
    • My Favorite Posts
    • Discounts & Offers

($) Do you change tactics if you’re interviewing with a student?

February 13, 2020 by EssaySnark Leave a Comment

Our MBA Interviewing Guide breaks down the types of interviews (blind vs open) and who is conducting them (students, alumni, adcom) in greater detail, and of course you’re likely stalking the admissions forums and hearing about others’ experiences. So you probably already know the common setup at your target school.

Despite our title today, we’ll start here:

Should your interview prep strategies change if you’re interviewing with an admissions person?

Not necessarily.

You still want to show up professionally (in many cases this means WEAR A SUIT! Yes even in 2020 when the whole world seems to have gone casual in the workplace).

The main thing you need to manage when interviewing with an admissions person is your nerves. Many BSers — not all — will feel more anxiety when they go in with a person in obvious authority. After all, an admissions person is clearly someone who makes decisions on applications.

The students? They never make decisions on apps. Yes, the input of the interviewer, student or alumni, is highly valued by the admissions committee. But students and alumni don’t have that much sway in the process overall. Can the opinion of a student blackball an applicant? Oh yes, if it’s a takeaway about the applicant that is a make-or-break issue, such as voicing extreme views about immigrants and being anti-diversity. But 99.9% of all interviewees are on their best behavior during an interview so it’s highly unlikely something like that would be said. Beyond such extreme instances, the interviewer’s report is just not going to be the deciding factor on your fate.

That’s actually true with the report from an admissions person’s interview, too. We’ve heard that some schools recuse the interviewer from the admissions committee’s vote on any applicants that they interviewed. They try to make things fair and neutral.

It truly does not matter who you’re interviewing with — admissions, student, alumna/us — your interview will hold equal weight.

That does not mean that the interview experience will be the same. Of course not.

If you’re interviewing with a student, it may be easier for you to connect with him or her, and feel more at ease.

What takes you far with any interviewer is enthuasiasm and also demonstrating that you really know their school and why you have applied there.

If you are interviewing with a student, then connect with them on their experience — but don’t get too familiar. Yes it’s great if you are matched with someone with a similar background or similar goals; sometimes this can really put you at ease. But always remember that you’re interviewing. Be careful about too much self-disclosure, or getting too buddy-buddy with your interviewer. It’s appropriate to allow the power differential between you to remain in place. If you’re a person of color, then we don’t really recommend talking about how you are nervous that there’s not that many other POCs at the school you’re interviewing with, even if your interviewer is also a minority. Save that for later. If the interviewer goes there, then sure, follow their lead — and definitely ask those types of questions at other stages of your admissions journey. But we wouldn’t make sensitive topics like that a feature of this specific interaction.

Once you get accepted, you can totally become your interviewer’s BFF if you both had the same experience of genuine bonding and there really was a connection. For now, during your interview, we suggest that you keep up the boundaries. They are healthy and will allow you to perform better — and should prevent you from saying something you will later regret.

And a note on that: Everyone replays their interview in their head after it’s over and finds fault with themselves. They remember the one thing they said that did not seem to land so well with the interviewer, or how they blurted out something that sounded stupid, or they attempted a joke and it just did not work at all.

These are just a few considerations. We cover even more analysis of the various situations involved with different interviewers at different schools in our MBA Interviewing Guide in case you want to study up and gain further insights on the environment you’re walking into and what you can do to prepare. If you’ve got questions on your exact interview situation, hit us up with a comment on this post and we’re happy to help!

Filed Under: interviewing

« Previous: Anxiety and your interview (MBA or otherwise)
Next: ($) Should you contact admissions about a bad interviewer? »

So who the heck is EssaySnark, anyway?!

We're the snarky experts in MBA admissions!

Sometimes amused and often appalled by what candidates write in their MBA applications to top bschools, EssaySnark created this little blahg to share common mistakes. Learn from them and avoid making admissions directors laugh (or want to hurl) when they read your essays. If you are hoping to have your essay reviewed anonymously on the blahg for free, submit it for consideration.

Want EssaySnark's personal assistance with your MBA applications? Start with our menu of consulting services and please read the Help FAQ to learn how we operate. Still have questions after doing all that? Email Team EssaySnark at gethelpnow at essaysnark dot com.

Good luck on your apps, Brave Supplicant!

Tell us what you think. Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sign up for the 'Snark via email

Enter your address to get weekday blahg posts by email.

UPCOMING MBA APP DEADLINES

  • MIT Round 2
    in 0 weeks, 1 day, 17 hours
  • INSEAD Round 4
    in 1 month, 1 week, 1 day, 20 hours
  • INSEAD Jan '22 intake Rd 1
    in 1 month, 2 weeks, 4 days, 20 hours
  • INSEAD Jan '22 Intake Rd 2
    in 3 months, 0 weeks, 5 days, 20 hours
  • (expected) HBS Class of 2024 app requirements released
    in 3 months, 2 weeks, 5 days, 21 hours
   
From a BSer January 2020:
"love the guide books!"


CLASS OF 2023 MBA APPLICATION STRATEGY GUIDES

     
    The 2020 Berkeley-Haas MBA Application Guide - updated for the Class of 2023 application!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Berkeley Haas - refreshed and updated, with brainstorming exercises and structured maps to help you focus your stories!
   
    The 2020-2021 NYU Stern MBA Application Guide that covers the main essay, the EQ Endorsement and Pick Six!
SnarkStrategies Guide for NYU - discusses your requirements for the Class of 2023 essays!
   
    The 2020-2021 Columbia MBA Application Guide
SnarkStrategies Guide for Columbia Business School for 2020-2021 applications
   
    The 2020 Harvard MBA Application Guide - completely overhauled and updated for the coronavirus era!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Harvard Business School!
   
    The 2020-2021 Duke Essay Guide - covers the 25 Random Things essay and all the rest too!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Duke Fuqua - up to date for the current season!
   
    The 2020-2021 MIT Essay Guide covers the org chart, the contacts for two references, and additional tips for the cover letter and 'introduce yourself' video -- and everything else you need to know!
SnarkStrategies Guide for MIT Sloan MBA - totally revised for the Class of 2023!
   
    The 2020-2021 Tuck Essay Guide has been refreshed with latest insights and advice for your essays about "investing generously" and "why Tuck"!
SnarkStrategies Guide for the Dartmouth Tuck MBA - completely overhauled for 2020, to help you demonstrate how you are nice, aware, etc stuff!
   
    The Yale SOM MBA Application Guide for Class of 2023 candidates!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Yale SOM - updated for 2020-2021
   
    The 2020-2021 Chicago Booth MBA Application Guide - ready to go to support your Class of 2023 essay strategy!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Chicago Booth for this year's MBA app!
   
    The 2020 Wharton MBA Application Guide - even more advice on how to get to a win with those essays!
SnarkStrategies Guide for The Wharton School - with new tips for 2020!
   
    The 2020 Kellogg Essay Guide - with a full methodology to identify your 'lasting impact' and your 'values' -- plus tips on 2020 world events and applicability to your essays!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Kellogg MBA - updated and revised for the new realities of 2020!    
      The 2020 Stanford MBA Application Guide - for "what matters most" in your MBA application!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Stanford GSB for the Class of 2023
   
    The 2020-2021 UCLA Anderson MBA Application Guide - updated for Class of 2023 on "impact"!
SnarkStrategies Guide for 
UCLA
   
   

Brave Supplicants' latest reviews on The 'Snark


Apr 10, 2020
by George on EssaySnark
Great Starting Point

I thought getting over the GRE/GMAT hurdle was fairly straightforward--disciplined study then test execution... Read more

Apr 10, 2020
by George on Single Shot Express MBA Essay Review
Worth Every Penny

I used the Single Shot Express to decimate essay #1 at my first-choice school. Paired with the school... Read more

Feb 9, 2020
by KA on Waitlist Assist
Committed

You continue to blow me away with your commitment to us BSers! Thanks again for everything. It's been... Read more






Not sure where to begin with EssaySnark?
Our Snark Selector
will tell you!



What were we snarking about at this time in past years?

  • 2020: Now that most apps are in: What to do with your life
  • 2019: For reading and reflection
  • 2019: ($) "What if School D gave me money but I really want to go to School A?"
  • 2018: "EssaySnark, what will help me more to prepare for my big-time MBA interview?"
  • 2018: Radcom of the Year Award
  • 2017: What happens to global business schools when the U.S. President is protectionist?
  • 2017: All About Interviewing
  • 2016: ($) The easiest way to get off the waitlist
  • 2014: Q to the 'Snark: "Etiquette on accepting a MBA scholarship offer if you might ditch out later."
  • 2013: Success Story! With industrial sized bottles of vodka!
My Tweets

See the Top U.S. Business Schools on a Map!


EssaySnark is currently available! We're accepting new clients! Standard turnarounds apply. If you're in a hurry, Speedy Review is available!

EssaySnark® is a registered trademark. All content copyright © 2010–2021 Snarkolicious Press · Privacy Policy

Where should you start with EssaySnark?

Which EssaySnark service is right for you? Answer a few questions to find out!

This field must be set to Everyone - then in the Settings -> HTML -> After Fields screen there's JavaScript to hide it.
Sending