Director's Corner
What Is the Purpose of the Interviews?
In a Stanford MBA Program application, we ask you to provide two essays, two short-answer responses, three letters of reference, and extensive records regarding academic and professional performance. Collectively, that is an extensive amount of information about you.
So what, exactly, is the purpose of an interview—and how does it fit with everything else in your application?
Why Do You Need More Information?
At Stanford, we have found that specific information derived from interviews helps us better understand candidates.
Most interview feedback confirms the impressions the Admissions Committee formed from reading the written application; a few interview evaluations contribute new information (positive and negative) that may not be captured easily on paper.
In addition, the feedback about the interviews has been very positive: applicants appreciate the chance to interact with an alumna or alumnus, and MBA alumni enjoy learning about the amazing candidates who seek to join the Stanford Graduate School of Business community.
What Does An Interview Invitation Mean?
All Stanford interviews are by invitation only and almost all are conducted by alumni.
Candidates invited to interview have been reviewed by the Committee on Admissions and are considered competitive for admission.
We do not have resources to interview every applicant to the Stanford MBA Program, but we expect to interview every candidate who is offered admission.
We expect to interview between 800 and 1000 candidates this year. We extend interview invitations on a case-by-case basis after thorough reviews of your application.
We invite candidates to interview as soon as a week after the specific round application deadline, and we strive to have all interview invitations completed a couple of weeks before the respective round notification date.
What Happens During An Interview?
Your interview should be about 45 minutes in duration.
Because the Committee on Admissions believes that previous behavior is often a good predictor of future conduct, the interview focuses on past actions rather than hypothetical situations.
The primary questions revolve around behaviors, skills, and attitudes that we believe are key to good citizenship in the Stanford community and vital to high-impact leadership post-MBA.
There are no trick questions. The interviews are intended to be conversational. We ask you to reflect on your personal and professional experiences, what you've learned about yourself, and how best to lead people and manage situations.
You'll probably surprise even yourself with the many ways you've demonstrated leadership in your life; take advantage of this opportunity to think about the people, situations, and events that have shaped you. The interview is both evaluative and informative: it is not only an opportunity for us to learn more about you, but also for you to learn more about the GSB.
Our goal is for the interviews to be a positive exchange of ideas and information.
How Important Is the Interview?
You put a great deal of time and effort into your applications. We recognize and sincerely appreciate that. We consider it a privilege that you allow the Committee on Admissions to share your life through your applications.
Accordingly, your written application, including the essays and letters of reference, remains a critical part of the evaluation process. The interview is simply a key source of supplemental information.
There is no specific weight assigned to the interview (because, as you've likely heard us say repeatedly, there is no formula for admission!).
We use the information derived from the interview in context—just as we use all other information in the application process. No single factor is decisive. Therefore, a positive interview does not guarantee admission, just as a poor interview does not, by itself, preclude admission.
The Stanford interview is an independent, or blind, evaluation. The only information about you that your alumni interviewer will have is your resume, which you will send directly to her/him.
We will not provide your interviewer with your application, nor will we use your application to identify specific areas for your interviewer to probe. We believe the bias that could result from such guidance would outweigh any potential evaluative benefit.
We give alumni interviewers structure and specific topics to address for all applicants, but we also trust these individuals to exercise good judgment in pursuing topics that may be important for you, specifically.
What Do I Get From the Interview?
In closing, please remember that the interview is a great way for you to learn more about Stanford.
We chose alumni interviewers because, having graduated from the MBA Program, they have lived Stanford's distinctive culture and understand the unique opportunities for personal, intellectual, and professional growth that the GSB offers. If you have specific concerns, raise them. If you don't understand some aspect of the MBA Program or the culture, ask the alumna/us to explain it.
We hope that you will ask questions regarding the interviewer's individual academic and extracurricular experience (and please, recognize that the response is exactly that: one individual's experience).
Ask about whatever matters most to you in choosing the place that you will spend two years of your life—and in choosing the community with which you will be associated for your lifetime.
The global corps of dedicated alumni interviewers looks forward to meeting you in person!
Derrick Bolton, MBA 1998
Assistant Dean and Director of MBA Admissions