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Michigan Ross MBA Interviews

Michigan Ross MBA Interviews

Michigan Ross MBA Interview is conducted blind, but since what you say in the interview will be checked against what you wrote, make certain that your oral and written presentations are consistent, especially in terms of your goals.

Length of Ross MBA interviews is usually 30 minutes with some going 45 minutes and few lasting an hour (these seem to be an exception). Campus interviews will most likely be 30 minutes. Given that this is a short interview, I think it is particularly important that you have a very clear idea about what you want to cover. The most frustrating thing about such an interview could easily be lack of time to cover your own perceived key points, so make sure that when you think about the likely questions, you have fully considered how you will use your answers as a vehicle to help your interviewer understand why you should be offered a place at Ross.

Who will interview you, and how long will the interview last?

Like most business schools, the Michigan Ross interview is taken by a Career Management Team. The interview is usually done by one member from the team. The interview typically lasts for 25-30 minutes or may extend to 35-40 minutes in some instances.

Will the interviewer have read my application?

It is always safer to assume that the Panel members have access to your complete application. In most instances, they would have read it completely. Unless the school specifically says that it will be an blind interview. Mostly North American Business schools in US and Canada have an  Blind interviews, European and SE Asian schools conduct interviews via Alums or panels which have full access to your entire application. 

How can you prepare for your interview?

Like most MBA Interviews, your interview will mainly revolve around a pretty similar set of MBA interview questions. You can never predict what questions will be asked, but with enough research, you can predict what are the most commonly asked questions in these interviews. We have created a short FAQ list below to get you a jump start, and we also have a free guide linked below to help you prepare for these commonly asked interview questions.

Michigan Ross MBA Frequently Asked Interview Questions

Professional experience-related questions

  1. Tell me something about yourself, or Walk me through your resume.
  2. What are your short-term and long-term goals?
  3. Why MBA? or Why now? or Why an MBA at this stage of your career?
  4. Why Michigan Ross?
  5. What is your Plan B? in case your primary goal does not happen?

Personal qualities-related questions

  1. What are your key strengths? Can you give some examples, please?
  2. What are your key weaknesses? Can you give some examples, please?
  3. How can you add value to the Class? or Why should we take you?
  4. Any reasons why we should not select you?
  5. Interests and Hobbies related questions – why do you do it, what have you achieved/learned?

Frequently Asked Situational & Behavioral Questions

  1. What is your leadership style? Can you give an example of a project you led?
  2. What would you describe are your greatest achievement to date?
  3. Give me an example of a time you failed.
  4. Give me an example of a time you faced a conflict. How did you handle that?
  5. Give me an example of a time when you did not meet a client’s expectations. What happened, and how did you attempt to rectify the situation?

The last one – Do you have any questions for us?

  1. Can you please tell me how international exchange students and schools are assigned?
  2. How club leadership is selected?
  3. Any other questions you may have in regards to the program.

Michigan Ross Interview Questions – 1

I met the interviewer at a coffee shop at one of Ross’ “Off-Campus Hubs.” Ross does a typical blind interview where the interviewer has only your résumé. My interviewer came on time and was able to immediately identify me (I was surprised by this as the coffee shop was full of people in business suits all around the same age). After we sat down I handed him a paper copy of my résumé and the interview began.

Questions were pretty straightforward. He started with a typical “walk me through your résumé” question, with the notable difference that he wanted me to bring me all the way up to my reasons for deciding to do an MBA. He stopped me at a few points to gain a better understanding so it was important to remember to where I left off. Thankfully the interviewer and I had a very similar background so my career moves and reasons for an MBA all made sense to him and he let me know that he knew where I was coming from.

Quickly we progressed into the “Why Ross” and “How do I plan to contribute at Ross” questions. Since I had researched the school very thoroughly, I was prepared for these questions. I chose to highlight a few things that made Ross very different and since my interviewer participated in these activities I began asking him questions about his experiences. When we got back to interviewing there was a situational question about working with diverse individuals, but that was all. The rest of the time I continued to ask him questions about his experience and he provided me with not only information about Ross, but also general MBA tips.

I was fortunate to have been interviewed by a number of schools in a number of settings, alumnus, 2nd year, and adcom. By far this was the most conversational, but also the one where I felt it was to my benefit to know Ross very thoroughly. Since I did an off-campus interview I was concerned I would be penalized for not being able to participate in the on-campus team based event or that my interview experience would somehow be “lesser-than” those who interview on-campus. I did not feel that this was the case at all and one of my biggest pieces of advice for future applicants would be to not worry about the quality of alumni interviewers from Ross. My interviewer was truly top notch and probably the best one I had during my application cycle.

My biggest takeaways from this interview for future applicants doing an off-campus interview with a Ross alumnus:

  1. Know the school inside and out. It isn’t sufficient to hope that you will get a lot of “situational” questions. Most of my conversation revolved around the school after we got through the typical resume – why MBA – why Ross — what do you hope to contribute questions.
  2. Do dig deep on the questions to your interviewer if he or she participated in any of the activities you want to participate in at Ross. I found that by doing so it not only helped build a rapport with the interviewer, but it also answered a lot of questions I had about the school.
  3. Do keep it conversational. My interviewer mentioned several times at the beginning that this was meant to be a “conversation”. I think one way to fail this interview is to be too formal. There should be a back and forth.
  4. Be prepared for it to go long. My interview lasted well over an hour. Don’t schedule your interview assuming it will last 30-40 minutes with a flight leaving shortly thereafter.

Michigan Ross Interview Questions – 2

The interview was rapid-fire questions, and not too much probing or follow-up on any answers. I stayed for team exercise afterwards which was much more pleasant and enjoyable than I had expected.
Here are the questions I was asked:
Tell me about yourself.
Why an MBA?
Why Ross?
What kind of people would you pick to be on a team and why?
When is time you had to deal with a professional or personal change?
Talk about a mistake/failure you made or experienced.
Talk about a time you were in an ambiguous situation and how you dealt with it.
Talk about a time you used data to make a decision or propose a new initiative.
When is a time you led a team outside of work?
What is something not on your resume that I should know or that you’d like to share?
Share a fun fact about yourself.
Overall, it was a fairly straightforward behavioral interview with expected questions. Adcom members were very welcoming and engaged with prospective students. Current students showed up in huge numbers to support interview day and to talk to applicants, which I think speaks highly to their culture.

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Michigan Ross Interview Questions – 3

Participated in a interview in early February during one of those weekend slots.

The day started with registration and breakfast, with a quick speech by Soojin, the admissions director.

After that, we got split into two groups, maize and blue which determined our interview slot.

Interviewed with a second year. He seemed more on the quiet side initially which made me a bit nervous as I couldn’t tell if the interview was going well. However, as the interview went on, I became more comfortable as he started smiling more as I answered more questions. Sample questions:

  1. Tell me about yourself
  2. Why Michigan Ross?
  3. How has your leadership style changed as you developed?
  4. Is there anything not covered in your application, you would like to share?

After that, I participated in the team exercise. You have to tell a story using two words given by a current student. Then you consolidate the words in your team to come up with a business problem and solution.

Michigan Ross Interview Questions – 4

The interview was by second year student which was extremely nice and feel like you have a conversation with your friend rather than an interviewer.
The interview starts exactly on time when he calls me via Skype.
Here are the questions:
Tell me about yourself.
Why do you want to have an MBA?
Why I want to do my shift in career?
Why Ross?
Tell me about a leadership experience that you had.
Did you ever need to educated your subordinate? How you succeed in doing this?
What criteria you defined as to a good leader/manager?
After 35 minutes he asked me if I have any question, he told me about himself and his experience at Ross and why he chose this program.
I finished the interview with very good feeling, hope to hear good news.

Michigan Ross Interview Questions – 5

The individual interview was ~ 40 minutes, relaxed and conversational. Questions included the following:

  • Tell me about yourself?
  • Why do you want to get an MBA?
  • What are your career goals?
  • Describe a time when you led an organization
  • Describe a time when you worked with a diverse team towards a common goal
  • Describe a time when your team could not have succeeded without you
  • Describe a time when you exceeded expectations

Pretty standard behavioral stuff. There was also a team exercise, which just involves working well with others and being a friendly person. Overall, a great campus visit and interview experience with Ross. The Admissions team does an awesome job of putting together compelling programming (networking session, student panel, campus tour, mock class) and allowing prospective students to interact with the Ross community, both students and faculty. They seem really committed to putting together the right incoming class.

 

Michigan Ross Interview Questions – 6

Let’s give you the feel of an interview: Interviewer: Hi there! Thanks for joining me today. This interview is meant to be conversational and relaxed, so feel free to be yourself. We have around 40 minutes for this conversation. Let’s get started with some questions-

  1. Can you share a situation where you had indirect reports who didn’t listen to your suggestions or recommendations? How did you handle that situation?
  2. Could you tell me more about your job function and what it entails?
  3. Have you ever been in a situation where you had to learn something quickly within a short time? Can you describe that experience?
  4. Why did you decide to pursue an MBA? What made you choose this particular time? Also, could you share your career goals with us?
  5. In your opinion, what does an ideal leader look like to you? How would you describe the type of leader you aspire to become?
  6. Can you share a personal or professional situation where you had to work with a diverse group of people? How did you handle it?
  7. I’m curious about your hobbies. Tell me about one of your hobbies and why you enjoy it.
  8. What factors led you to choose Ross for your MBA? How do you envision contributing to the Ross community?
  9. Do you have any questions for us?
  10. We have around 10 minutes left, and I’d happily answer any inquiries you may have.

These were the questions that were asked of me. The interviewer was patient and made me feel very comfortable.

Michigan Ross Interview Questions – 7

I was surprised by the welcoming and friendly gesture of the interviewer. During the interview, I spoke with an alum who recently graduated. He was friendly and showed genuine interest in my background in technology and startups, even though he works in a different industry. The interview lasted about an hour, and towards the end, I had the opportunity to ask him some questions about his experience at Ross. I had to navigate a few random questions and might have given longer answers than necessary, but I’m hopeful for a positive outcome. Here is a list of my questions:

  1. Tell me more about yourself.
  2. Why did you choose to pursue a business school or MBA?
  3. Are you planning to work in the US after completing your MBA, or do you intend to return to your home country?
  4. Can you clarify the number of years you have spent in the US?
  5. What made you choose Ross as your business school? Do you plan to get involved in any specific clubs or organizations at Ross?
  6. Can you explain your startup’s product and business model?
  7. How have you learned and grown in your career, especially at your current startup, where you had no prior experience?
  8. Tell me about a time when you disagreed with a colleague.
  9. Could you provide more details about the story you just mentioned?
  10. Describe one of your failures.
  11. How would you handle requests from senior leaders, such as the CEO? How do you prioritize your tasks?
  12. Share an experience of working in a team with diverse backgrounds.
  13. I could ask my questions in the last 5-10 minutes.

Well, that sums up my experience!

Michigan Ross Interview Questions – 8

I just finished my interview with a recent graduate from the school. The interview lasted around 50 minutes, with about 35 minutes dedicated to the formal interview questions and around 10-15 minutes for me to ask my questions at the end. It was a very relaxed and friendly conversation. The interviewer had a set of questions prepared, mainly focusing on my behavior in certain situations. They asked me to tell them about myself and why I want to pursue an MBA (I briefly discussed my long-term goals during this part). We started discussing how the specific MBA program at Ross aligns with my reasons for pursuing an MBA. The interviewer asked me a few behavioral questions, such as a time when I had to deal with a sudden change in project scope, a time when I had to steer a manager away from a wrong decision, a time when I held an unpopular opinion, and a time when I worked with a diverse group of people (this question stemmed from a project I mentioned in my introduction). They also wanted to know how I managed the situation and what I learned from it. Overall, I enjoyed the interview. Regardless of the outcome, I found the conversation valuable and gained something from it.

Michigan Ross Interview Questions – 9

I never knew a Formula 1 fan (like me) would interview me! I want to share my experience of the Ross MBA program interview. It was on a Zoom call with an alumnus. The interview was very relaxed and informal, and the interviewer was friendly to talk to. Even though we were in different locations, we discovered that we both had a background in management consulting and shared some personal interests, which made the conversation flow smoothly. The interview style was similar to what you might expect from top business schools like Harvard Business School (HBS) or the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Instead of asking typical behavioral questions, the interviewer wanted to know why I made certain decisions in my life. This was quite different from my other interview experiences. Here are the questions the interviewer asked me specifically:1)1. Please tell me a bit about yourself. I gave a 3-4 minute introduction, going through my resume. • We also chatted about our mutual interest in Formula 1 for a few minutes.2. Why did you choose to study where you did, what were you looking for, and did you achieve your goals? 3. What do you think connects your decisions and choices in your career? I mentioned that I was very intentional with my decisions during the introduction. 4. How do you lead without having formal authority? 5. (Follow-up to the previous question) How do you persuade people to support your ideas? 6. What was your biggest shortcoming, and most importantly, what did you learn? The interviewer emphasized that the focus was on the lessons learned. Interestingly, the interviewer could relate to my answer because they had a similar experience in their consulting career. I can’t remember the rest of the questions, but the interview lasted a full hour and allowed me to ask my questions. What surprised me was that the interviewer didn’t ask the typical questions like “Why pursue an MBA,” “Why now,” “Why Ross,” or “What are your goals.”This was my favorite interview out of all the ones I’ve done so far, and it has given me a lot to think about. I hope this information helps!

Michigan Ross Interview Questions – 10

I received an invitation for Round 1 of my interview on October 20th. I scheduled the interview with an alum from a different nationality but with a similar background. I just finished my interview today, October 28th. The interview was friendly and conversational, not too casual, like talking with current students. The interviewer asked me in-depth questions, particularly about my behavior and how I handle certain situations. She organized my answers in a well-structured way, especially when it came to the behavioral questions. Here’s a summary of the topics discussed during the interview:1. Walk me through your resume. 2. We talked about specific aspects of my resume. 3. We discussed how pursuing an MBA at Ross would help me achieve my short-term career goals. 4. I shared my long-term career goal and explained my plan. 5. I discussed my biggest accomplishment so far. 6. I discussed my strengths and weaknesses, relating them to my successes and failures. 7. The interviewer asked about my experience dealing with challenging individuals or situations and how I handled them. 8. We talked about my experience working with people from diverse backgrounds. 9. The interviewer noted that I had learned foreign languages and asked about my experiences learning those languages and encountering diverse cultures. 10. I elaborated on my experience as an exchange student. 11. The interviewer asked me to imagine what three words my peers would use to describe me. Overall, I did most of the talking during the interview, with approximately 45 minutes dedicated to my responses and around 10 minutes to ask any questions I had from the interviewer.

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