Once you hit the submit button on your application, schools access your candidature and if you meet their criteria they extend you an interview invite. The idea is to see your sustainability for their school. They are keen to know if you can market yourself; they want to know if you are as good as your application. Some schools may not make the interviews mandatory but prefer that you opt for it.

Interview gives you a unique opportunity to display your fit with the school and also address any week areas in your application. Remember, the interview is not to know about your academic performance but to understand your personality, to know about your strengths as a successful manager and leader. After all, they want bright students who can handle the rigors of the challenging course and at the same time excel on personal, professional and psychological aspects.

INTERVIEW PREPARATION
How does it go?
With application rates soaring, most business schools prefer conducting the interviews to access the candidacy. Schools adopt different ways to see if the applicant fits into their community. There are different ways through which schools conduct interviews.

Interviews through Invitation only
Many schools screen the applications and then interview only the promising profiles since they do not have the required bandwidth to screen everybody. For these schools interviewing the candidates means learning things about the applicants that do not necessarily come through application. Weather you receive an invitation or not have different implications at different schools. Being invited often means you have made the first cut.
Interviews are optional
Institutions such as the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School offer an interview that is open but optional and at the same time strongly recommended. Schools without a formal interviewing process frequently offer an interview substitute that is "not required at all".

Your Interviewers
For some, like Penn State's Smeal College only members of the admissions staff conduct interviews; but most B-schools involve alumni for out-of-towners and/or use second-year students on campus.

How long?
Interviews can last from a formal talk of 15 minutes to more than two hours of an interesting discussion. Normal length is somewhere between 30 minutes and an hour. Do not panic if you are out the door in less than that, though. Longer is not necessarily better.

Attire
Interviews at Duke's Fuqua School went business casual last year, but in general, always wear a suit. It's never wrong to look professional. Alumni interviews can be more relaxed, but unless you're specifically advised to the contrary, it is best to look your formal best.

SO YOU READY TO SPEAK . . .
While approaches and questions vary from school to school and from interview to interview, the interviewer would revolve around following three aspects:

Why an MBA and why now?
You may have an entrepreneurial spirit, reached a dead end in your career, need an international degree and networking . . . Tell them frankly, they will appreciate. You should use specific experiences to delineate the arc of your life story, academically and professionally, and provide the rationale behind each step. Discuss your future goals in equal detail, tying them to the particular strengths the school has to offer, both short-term in serving your intended focus, and long-term how their MBA will help you realize post-degree plans. Why at this particular school? can be as critical as why now? Schools are looking at the serious candidates who are impressed with them and would like to contribute to the community. You should also be well aware about the school you are planning to enroll at. Make sure that you have done your homework. Know about the cost of living, distinguished professors, curriculum and community about the school . . . you can score big during the interview.

How are you going to get benefit from this place and how will you perform?
One of the most important things they would look at is how would you fit with their program? Fit is topmost on many admissions officers' minds: B-schools are a community in themselves and they want their students to take part in all the events as a team. You should also be able to take the leadership positions as and when required. You should let them know about your experiences when you made significant contributions to the team or played the role of a leader, taking everyone along. Business school also want to find people who are not just takes but are willing to pay back to the society that they have been a part of. Considering your over all personality , they will also evaluate your critical thinking skills, interpersonal skills, and your capacity to add value to the school through your experience, insight, and leadership qualities all are high on admissions committee wish lists.

How will you perform after graduation?
Schools are concerned with the fact that they should maintain and enhance their placement statistics. One of the most effective ways schools can forecast how you will fare in the market is by assessing your interview skills up front. Confidence, a professional demeanor, and listening intently to questions before responding concisely and clearly all signal that you will be a stellar interviewee two years down the road.

• Business school interview process
• Typical interview questions
• Interview preparation tips