Kellogg Interview

I am happy to report that I had a very pleasant first B-school interview. The interviewer was an alumnus who works in the area. We met at a breakfast place. I arrived at the venue 30 minutes before the interview, and collected my thoughts over a coffee.

The interview lasted 2 hours, yes.., but believe me, I did not even feel the time go by. The first hour revolved around two main themes – my story and why MBA; and Why Kellogg. I think I did a good job in articulating why MBA as well as why Kellogg. Since we were having breakfast, I decided to give extended versions of my answers. The interview proceeded at its own pace, something that was determined early on by my interviewer, who seemed very calm and laid back about the entire process.

Seeing that I was not eating too much (I had ordered a fruit bowl as opposed to a full breakfast), he then asked me to ask him some questions about Kellogg, which he answered in detail – going into some details about the school culture and initiatives.

The later part of the interview was my current role and responsibilities at my job. He also asked me what clubs and activities I would like to pursue at Kellogg. We also discussed the financial implications of an MBA – in terms of opportunity costs. Then I asked him about his own background and job –which he once again described in detail.

At the end, I sincerely thanked my interviewer – we just had a wonderful discussion about Bschool, Kellogg, product management, and future goals. I never felt for a minute that I was being grilled or being asked any difficult questions. The flow of questions and ideas were well linked and covered the main themes that I had expected.

I think I had a very good interview. While I cannot say anything about how my interviewer perceived me, I think I did cover all the themes that I had wanted to bring out regarding my candidacy. This fact alone, has given me a vote of confidence for my remaining application process.

Now, the next thing for me is to wait for Wharton R-1 interview invite. I am still very optimistic about my Wharton application. I think the good folks at Wharton are taking their time with my application, so if anything, I hope to hear something positive next week. I keep my fingers crossed!!