Dear Prep Professor — I’m preparing for my MBA admissions interview. What are the best questions to ask an MBA admissions interviewer if they ask me whether I have any questions for them?
Candidates stress about asking the “right” questions in preparation for that terrifying moment when a business school interviewer asks, “Do you have any questions for us?”
Their brains shut down in the process. If you are preparing for an upcoming MBA admissions interview, ask yourself what you honestly want to know about the school to help you decide if spending one or two years there is the best investment of your time and money.
Effective questions share similar attributes. They indicate that you have done plenty of research and are gathering additional information to help you make the most of your time in the program if accepted, given your unique academic goals and career aims.
For example, let’s assume you are applying to HBS and you’ve been reading up on recent changes in the first-year curriculum. One of those innovations is the FIELD Course which includes a global immersion experience. You are a candidate who is interested in working as a consultant in emerging markets in the future. You might ask the following:
“I have been reading about the new FIELD Course in year one. As I mentioned, I am interested in working in an emerging market — I’d like to know a little more about the January global immersion experience — specifically, I am wondering if students are permitted to choose the country they will work in?”
That question meets all of the criteria of a compelling question to ask a business school interviewer. You can use the attributes I listed to test your list of questions and identify the ones that are the strongest contenders.
Best of luck with your interviews!