I was going through the Businessweek “MBA Insider” and came across the following experiences of ISB applicants. Would be useful for other potential overseas applicants.

Comments from Student 1:
School: Indian School of Business (Hyderabad, India)

Scheduling the interview: I was emailed a date and time.

Location of interview: Telephone interview.

Preparedness of Interviewer: It was evident they had reviewed my application as they asked me specific questions from the essays I had written.

Interviewer University affiliation: Admission officer and alum

Atmosphere: Started off on a relaxed note, and then went on to probing questions.

Questions asked: Anything else that you would like to tell us that you haven’t already mentioned in the application? What do you do at work? Since I had wanted to switch from IT consulting to business development, they asked me an example of how I would garner more business from my present client. My long term goal was to set up an e-commerce start-up. They asked me to name the top three e-commerce sites. Which countries I had lived in, and whether I liked US or Europe better. Any foreign languages I knew, and how it had helped me in a foreign land. An example of leadership shown at work. An example of how I dealt with conflict at work. Why would I call myself a team-player. Few questions on domain knowledge - I was consulting to maritime shipping companies, so I was asked to explain some terms used in that industry. Any questions I had.

Length of interview: 20 minutes

Additional comments: It’s good to re-read your application just before going into the interview. Remain calm, as it is more of a friendly chat than an interrogation.

Comments from Student 2:
Scheduling the Interview: The telephonic interview time was sent to me.

Location of interview: I was based in Australia. The interview was telephonic.

Preparedness of Interviewer: The panel had gone through my application thoroughly. My profile and my case study was well read and I felt that they had prepared questions on my work experience, my case study and other application essays.

Interviewer University affiliation: Admissions Officer, Alum working in Microsoft, Current Student.

Atmosphere: Overall atmosphere was relaxed. A few times they asked me some more stressful questions but I was precise and straightforward and tried to maintain my calm.

Questions asked: I was working for a software firm. The following questions were asked of me:

• What is the difference in various leading services software firms with respect to their Business models.
• Where do you see software industry going into future?
• Why do you want to do MBA? What are your plans for post-MBA ?
• What is a typical function of corporate strategy? And of mergers and acquisitions? (In my application essay for what I would like to do post-MBA, I had answered that I would like to go in corporate strategy role focusing on mergers and acquisitions.)
• Revenues and profits of the company you’re working for last quarter? Last year?
• How are you different from other software professionals?
• Instances where you have demonstrated leadership skills?
• Why have you chosen this school?
• Some Questions related to case study?
• How do you see RF ID going in to future ( I had mentioned working for a Retail Client)
• What are the areas of concern in RF ID?
• Questions related to my role in the organization I was working for?

Length of interview: 35 minutes

Additional comments: Tips to aspiring applicants:• Be sure you know your interview panel well. Ask their profiles if they just introduce themselves by their name. Once you know your panel, you can correlate your responses better to the kind of questions they are asking.
• Review you application material thoroughly.
• Make sure you have numbers in your tips, the revenue and profit numbers of the organization you are working for or numbers related to your industry.
• Be thorough with your profile.
• Why MBA? And what you would like to do post MBA?
• Why have you chosen this school?
• Introspect as to what differentiation you bring to the table. Try to explore areas where you have demonstrated leadership skills be it work, social, undergrad or in any hobbies you are pursuing.
• Be relaxed. The interview panel might try to gauge your reaction by putting you under stress.
• Do not waver once you have answered. Confidence is the key.
• Don’t show your desperation to get into any particular school. This is not the end of the world. If you are the right candidate, the school needs you as much as you need them. This attitude will also surface in your confidence and relaxed approach.