MBA interviews with the Admissions Committee: Don’t be scared!

Malvika Patil
2 days ago
6 min read

The MBA interview is a crucial part of your application process. Think of it as an extra data point for the Admissions Committee to get a clearer picture of you as a candidate to make their decision.

But if you’re going into the interview having practiced only the sample questions you’ve seen online, you're probably going to bomb it. You also need to research who your interviewer is and what you can expect from the interview to customize your answers (and the questions you’ll ask) and leave a stronger impression.

Depending on the school, you may be interviewed by:

A member of the Admissions Committee
An alum
A current student

Which Business Schools Use AdCom-Led MBA Interviews?

An AdCom-led interview is usually conducted by a professional member of the school’s admissions team. Some schools, like Harvard Business School and MIT Sloan, have admissions officers conduct every interview (Given that HBS interview just under 2000 applicants every year, the AdCom has their work cut out for them!). Others rely on alumni networks for regional coverage.

This list includes schools that use only AdCom interviewers, as well as schools that use a mix of AdCom, alumni, and current students.

School	AdCom	Alumni	Current students
Harvard	Yes	-	-
MIT Sloan	Yes	-	-
NYU Stern	Yes	-	-
Yale SOM	Yes	Yes	Yes
CMU Tepper	Yes	-	-
Duke Fuqua	Yes	Yes	Yes
USC Marshall	Yes	Yes	Yes
UVA Darden	Yes	-	Yes
UNC KF	Yes	-	-

Keep in mind that this list can change. Some schools, like Kellogg, use both formats depending on the applicant’s region or the time of year. Always check your email invitation carefully to see who your interviewer will be.

What to Expect from an AdCom-Led MBA Interview

Admissions Committee interviews are typically non-blind, which means they’ve read your complete application, including your essays, resume, and recommendations. And unlike alumni, they are trained interviewers who do this for a living.

Note that there are exceptions to this, depending on the school. For example, Yale SOM conducts blind interviews with either a current second-year student, recent alum, or an Admissions Committee member. In that case, the interviewer will only have access to your resume.

Here’s what you can expect:

Format: Most AdCom interviews last 30–45 minutes, either in person or via video call. They follow a structured format with a mix of behavioral, motivational, and school-fit questions. You may also get some probing follow-ups, as AdCom interviewers often dig deeper into your stories, industry operations, and career decisions.
Tone and style: These conversations tend to be formal but not unfriendly. The AdCom is skilled at keeping the discussion balanced and streamlined, giving you opportunities to expand on your points. They’ll know how to work through an awkward silence.
Structure: Expect to start with a brief “walk me through your resume” question. From there, the interviewer will pick specific themes from your application, like career changes, leadership examples, or challenges faced, and ask follow-up questions.
Evaluation process: Because AdComs are trained evaluators, your interview is a direct input into the final admissions decision. They’re assessing you not just for what you say, but how you say it. Your communication style, professionalism, and self-awareness will play a role here.

AdCom-Led Vs Alumni-Led MBA Interviews

AdCom interviews are structured, professional, and consistent. The interviewer already knows your background, so they can ask targeted questions, like why you took a career risk or how you’ve grown since a specific setback. These interviews tend to go deeper and focus more on your logic, decision-making, and clarity of goals.

Alumni interviews, on the other hand, are often considered to be more relaxed and free-flowing. But in our experience, this variability also makes them more unpredictable. How it works: the alum gets a set of defined questions from the school. Then, they rank the candidate based on the strength of each answer. Finally, they assign an overall score between 1-5 to the candidate, accompanied by a written summary.

So while alumni interviewers may be more laid back, there are a lot more unknowns involved with this type of interview, compared to the standardized format that an AdCom interviewer would follow.

Feature	AdCom-Led Interview	Alumni-Led Interview
Who conducts it	Admissions staff or committee member	Recent alum
Knowledge of your profile	Typically has full access to your application and essays	Typically has only your resume
Tone and depth	Professional, structured, analytical	Conversational, personal, has a pre-defined list of questions
Focus areas	Fit with program, goals, teamwork, leadership, growth	Cultural fit, personality, curiosity
Evaluation impact	Direct influence on final decision	Indirect, via written report
Length & setting	30 - 45 mins, virtual or campus	30 - 90 mins, often in coffee shops or online

What MBA Admissions Committee Interviewers Are Looking For

AdCom interviewers are trained to assess more than just what’s on your resume. They look for:

Clarity of goals: Do you know what you want to do post-MBA, and does it make sense given your experience and the school’s strengths?
Motivation: Why now? Why this school? AdComs want to see thoughtful answers that go beyond rankings or brand names.
Fit with the community: MBA learning is collaborative. They’ll want to know if you’re someone who listens, shares credit, and contributes effectively.
Self-awareness: Are you reflective about your strengths and weaknesses? Do you learn from mistakes?
Communication: Can you express complex ideas clearly and confidently?

Do Admissions Committee MBA interviews Carry More Weight than an Alumni MBA Interview?

Short answer: it really shouldn't matter as long as you make a good impression.

As a general rule, if you have a choice and can swing an on-campus interview with someone on the committee, do it. It will give you the opportunity to ask incisive questions about the program and build a more direct rapport with a decision-maker at the school. But that doesn’t mean you have a better chance of getting in! It’s not so much about who your interviewer is, as it is about how strong your candidacy and communication skills are.

Common Admissions Committee Led MBA Interview Questions

Here are some of the most frequent questions our clients have been asked in AdCom interviews:

Walk me through your resume.
Why do you want an MBA now?
Why this school specifically?
What are your short-term and long-term career goals?
Tell me about a time you led a team.
Describe a challenge or failure and how you handled it.
How do you work with people who disagree with you?
What is your biggest professional achievement?
How would your colleagues describe you?
What can you contribute to our MBA community?
Tell me about a time you influenced someone without authority.
What kind of leader are you?
How have you grown since your last role or since undergrad?
Do you have any updates since submitting your MBA application?
What other schools are you applying to?
Do you have any questions for me?

Prepare a few strong examples that highlight your leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving that can be adapted to answer multiple questions. But note that AdCom interviewers also tend to hone in on a topic of interest, like where you see your industry heading in the near future, what success would look like for you as an industry leader, and other questions about your current role.

How to Prepare for an Admissions Committee Led MBA Interview

Your AdCom interviewer has probably read your full file. Unlike blind interviews, you won’t be able to reuse your essay material in your answers! So:

Revisit your essays and resume. Make sure your answers are consistent and your motivations align.
Practice concise storytelling. Avoid long-winded answers and use the SCAR structure to keep them streamlined.
Rehearse follow-up questions. AdComs love to probe deeper. If you mention a career change, expect “Why did you make that move?” or “What did you learn from that experience?”
Research the program thoroughly. Be ready to talk about specific courses, professors, and clubs that tie to your goals.
You want to sound professional and articulate, but don’t over-rehearse. At the same time, don’t be too vague and use a bunch of buzzwords.

Questions to Ask an MBA Admissions Committee Interviewer

At the end of your interview, you’ll usually get 5–10 minutes to ask questions. This isn’t just a “now you” passing of the ball back to you. Your genuine engagement with the school and curiosity to learn more will reflect positively on your candidacy.

Avoid asking questions you can find on the website, like “What’s the average GMAT score of the class?” Go deeper. Compared to alumni interviewers, you can ask AdCom about the forward-looking aspects of the program, like new curriculum offerings, projects/treks, and other opportunities the school is slated to launch.

Good examples include:

How does your school support students pivoting into [your target industry]?
What makes your MBA community unique compared to peer schools?
How do students typically get involved in experiential learning projects?
How has the curriculum evolved recently to reflect changing business needs?
How do you see the culture of collaboration playing out in the classroom?

AdCom members appreciate questions that show you’ve done your homework and are thinking critically about fit.

AdCom-led interviews can feel intense, but they’re also the most direct way to show the people making the decision that you belong in their MBA program. Think of it as a two-way evaluation: they’re assessing you, but you’re also assessing whether the school aligns with your values and goals.

Do you have an MBA interview coming up? We can help you prepare. Book a free chat to get started.