Recommended Interview Preparation Book: How to Interview Like a Top MBA (available on http://www.Amazon.com)
Hopefully, many of you applying candidates are beginning to get notified that you have received Round 1 or other MBA admissions interviews. Here is one quick tip I wanted to pass on for your interviews. This is something that candidates often do wrong (when conducting mock interviews, I am actually surprised how many candidates make this mistake). When speaking about your college experience, try to avoid the negative. Some candidates had college experiences they did not like. Some candidates found fault with the quality of education at their college. Some candidates wish they had attended a more prestigious college. While some of your misgivings may be very legitimate, speaking poorly about your college experience in an MBA interview can leave a poor impression. The interviewer can sometimes be left wondering how you will speak about their MBA program should you not like it. Similarly, if you begin apologizing for the college that you attended, as if your college was not of a high enough caliber, you will likely undercut your achievements at that college. For example, if you received an A average from a third-tier college and then in the interview you speak about your college as if it was not a good enough place for you to choose to attend, the college-related accomplishments you should be seeking to showcase as assets will be undercut.
Think carefully about how you will talk about your college experience if you are asked about it and try to stay positive. I hope to share other tips with you from my book published with McGraw-Hill, entitled How to Interview Like a Top MBA.
Best wishes, Shelly L. Watts
MBA Admit.com
Email: mbaadmit@aol.com