Knowledge is Power

There is one, simple way to get to know the business school you are interviewing for. It’s both easy and highly effective.

Visit it.

You will gain more in a day of wandering around the campus and talking to people than you could in weeks of online research.

A lot of students skip this because they think it isn’t all that important. Who’s going to know they were even there? Well, this line of thought can cost you your ticket to the MBA program.

For starters, you’re going to get a lot more information about the school from visiting it personally than you’re ever going to get out of a brochure. You might actually find, once you’ve visited the campus, that this particular school isn’t as appealing as you thought, or conversely, much better then expected.

Nothing beats actually physically checking out the school. You can look at bulletin board notices and school fliers. you can steep yourself in the atmosphere. Eat lunch with the other students, and try to imagine yourself as a student there.

Another thing you can do when visiting a school is speak to the students who go there. How better to get an idea of how good the place is other than speaking to those who live and breathe it? Sure, you have to take everything you hear with a grain of salt. Those who like it will make it sound like heaven. Those who don’t like it will make it sound like hell on earth. The key is putting everything into perspective and weighing all the comments collectively. Read between the lines. If they don’t like it, ask why. If they like it, ask why. Also ask about what the school expects from them, what are the values that are particular to that school. You can even ask about their experience in the MBA interview themselves. Their advice might be invaluable.

Also, you’ll want to meet with some of the professors, especially the ones who are in the MBA program itself. This will do two things. First, it will give you a pretty good idea of what to expect from them. There is nothing worse than walking into a classroom cold. This way, you’ll start with a familiar face. Second, it will show these professors that you have a genuine interest. As I said, not every prospective student takes the time to visit schools. This one activity will set you apart from all the other applicants. You can make an impression, and there is no telling how that may play out behind the scenes for you. On top of that, you can be pretty sure that what the professor describes as being important at that school will be reflected in the interview. You will be a little less likely to be surprised by an unexpected interview question.

Finally, and this is probably the most important reason of all, when you write your essay for admission as to why you want to go there, you can actually speak about the school with some feeling. You’ve been there. You can actually talk about what you liked while visiting. Takes notes during your visit, and review them afterward. Imagine talking about them during the interview. You’ll be on your way.

Be rock solid when you go to your MBA admission interview. Learn what hidden mistakes will kill your chances, and what you absolutely must say to win over the interviewer. Pick up your free report at: MBA Interview Questions