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E-mail Address:
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Anonymous
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Age:
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Gender:
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Female
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Ethnic Background:
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African-American
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Intended Area of Study:
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General Management
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Name of School:
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Michigan Ross
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Interview Date:
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3/2009
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Type of Program:
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MBA
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Part Time Program Type:
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Full Time
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Were you given options as to the date of the interview?:
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Yes - Received the e-mail inviting to interview on Monday, February 9. Time slots available essentially all day, Mon-Fri, between Feb 9 - Feb 20, including Feb 16 which was a holiday.
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Could you choose the interview's location?:
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Yes - Choice between on campus, by phone or locally with alum. If alum, required to complete by Feb 13 -- very short window, given that I would have needed to e-mail AdComm with the request, they would have had to find a match, and then I would have had to schedule with the alum directly. I chose to interview on campus.
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How many interviews were scheduled?:
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5 or more - There were probably 10+ time slots everyday. On the day I interviewed, there were 4 applicants in the same time slot (we were all in the waiting room together).
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How many interviewed you?:
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1 - Just one; an AdComm member, in her office.
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How long were the interviews?:
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I've heard they are really strict about 30 minutes, esp during packed days. But mine was at end of day and lasted 43 minutes
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Who were the interviewers?:
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Administrative or admissions staff
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What was the most difficult question?:
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"What is your conflict management style?"
This is not technically a difficult question, but I has prepared for a more "behavioral" phrasing -- e.g., tell me about a time when you worked on a team and ... -- I initially started answering the question with adjectives, then stopped myself and said, I could probably answer this better with an example.
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What was the most interesting question?:
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None, really.
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Any other questions you remember?:
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1. Tell me about your current position.
2. (After I mentioned a project I worked on, in answer to #1) - Is it safe to say that was a significant leadership experience?
3. I haven't read your file, so you probably explained this in your application ... tell me about how that happened (in reference a comment about a significant career shift I made)
4. Why do you want an MBA right now?
5. Why Ross?
6. Any questions for me?
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Did you feel prepared?:
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Yes - I was expecting to be interviewed by a 2nd-year student. As it turns out, about half the people I met that day were interviewed by students; half by AdComm. I definitely focused more of my preparation on proving how much I knew about Ross, because I thought a student would probe a little into questions like what clubs would you be active in, or how I thought Ross would help with my career goals. The interview turned out to be much more high-level. Except for the "conflict management" question, there were none of the questions about teamwork that I expected.
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How did you prepare?:
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1. Read the "interview" chapter in Montauk's book
2. Read interview reports on Accepted.com and ClearAdmit blogs
3. Read my application again!
4. Reviewed Ross website top to bottom; read recent e-newsletters, press releases, Monroe Street Journal, chat transcripts, etc.
5. Scheduled coffee with current student (MBA Ambassador) about 2 hours before my interview -- had a chance to ask about current happenings and also get the nervousness out as I gave my informal spiel over coffee.
6. Prayed!
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Did you receive any feedback at the end?:
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No - I asked 3 questions at the end, 2 of which she said no one ever asks ("everyone always asks the same questions"), and one of which she said was just a "nice question." However, no more specific feedback than that. (I did not ask for any feedback.) Everyone at Ross is super-nice, so it is hard to tell whether you are doing well, because they are just as smiley and encouraging no matter how you sound. I e-mailed the next day, and received no response.
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What was your opinion of the Faculty?:
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Super engaged. Everyone seems to love teaching Ross students.
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What was your opinion of the Alumni?:
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Super enthusiastic, very nice and welcoming, also very honest. There is a lot of school spirit / pride, but it is a very welcoming sort of thing -- they seem to want to share that spirit with others. Versus some other bschools I've encountered who are known for being tight-knit, but it seems to translate into being closed to outsiders (unless you've passed some sort of litmus test).
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What was your opinion of the Students?:
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Incredibly engaged, incredibly open, welcoming, enthusiastic. Very student-driven atmosphere. You get a sense that they make stuff happen, and the administration gives them wide leeway to do so.
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What was your opinion of the Office Personnel?:
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Very nice. I have met about 5 AdComm since starting this process, and they all have been incredibly nice and helpful. Three of them clearly "know" me -- even after very brief encounters at MBA Tour fairs, etc. The rest of the staff (admins, etc) are all very friendly as well.
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Did you receive a tour?:
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No - It was exam week, so no tours or class visits available. However, I arrived very early, so I wandered around the new building somewhat. Also, I had visited in November, and received a tour of the unfinished building.
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What was most impressive?:
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About the new building? That they actually finished it in this economic climate! Also, that it really does seem to have spaces that facilitate real interaction -- lots of open spaces, lots of light, lots of up-for-grabs team meeting rooms.
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What was least impressive?:
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Mid-late February. Cold as heck. What else is new?
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Did anything change your opinion of the school? :
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No - Just reinforced my already positive opinion of Ross
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Was there something you wish you had known ahead of time?:
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Yes - That I would be interviewed by AdComm rather than 2nd year. Also, that there would be absolutely no one (student / faculty) around. I ended up meeting more fellow interviewees than I did students; the place was deserted except for us.
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Suggestions for travel to the school?:
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I got a relatively inexpensive flight (considering the short notice) -- around $250 -- into Detroit. The airport is only 20-30 minutes from campus, so if you time your visit right, you can come in/out same day, save on hotel. The Michigan Flyer goes from airport to Four Points Sheraton, a few miles from school, for only $15 each way -- if you have the extra time cushion, this is a huge savings (can take the Ann Arbor bus or a taxi to campus, taxi would be less than $10). Versus $70 or so each way for taxi or $60 each way for other shuttle service. (Note: Amazing Blue is a very good, very reputable shuttle service, but it still cost 4 times as much as Michigan Flyer -- just to ride in a big blue van.)
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What other advice can you offer future interviewees?:
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Focus on knowing what is it about yourself / your interests/goals/personality that make you a good fit for Ross and vice versa. Really think about the best examples (most concise and impactful) you can give -- they do not ask a lot of questions, so you will probably have to convey a lot in just a few stories.
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