SDA Bocconi MBA Interviews
What are the most important aspects of the Bocconi MBA application process besides GMAT score, prior GPA, and current job position?
The interview plays quite an important role. We look at prior experience mainly; we don’t take students fresh from their studies, and look for at least a couple of years, preferably three, of experience. Average experience is five years. We look for a strong academic background with an emphasis on experience in order to grasp what is being taught. A letter of recommendation and international experience are also important, although international experience is not mandatory. Willingness to take on challenges and the ability to work under pressure are important. We would prefer an applicant with a lower GPA who completed their program on time over a perfectionist who took longer.
What is one mistake you see applicants make? What is something you would like to see applicants do more often?
Applicants can be superficial in deciding what schools to apply to and do not take the time to go into detail and really assess the school. Whether or not students have really researched the school comes through in the essay. SDA Bocconi is keener to have prospective students sit for an interview when it is evident that they have invested their energies in applying to the school. We like to see applicants that have done their research.
SDA Bocconi MBA Frequently Asked Interview Questions
- Tell me something about yourself?
- Walk me through your resume?
- Why MBA? Why SDA Bocconi school?
- Why MBA now or Why MBA at this stage of your career?
- What is your short & long term goals?
- What is your Plan B if consulting/Investment banking does not happen?
- What are your key strengths? Can you give some examples please?
- What is your biggest weakness ? Can you give some examples please?
- How can you add value to the Class?
- Why should we take you?
- One reason that we should not select you?
- Interests and Hobbies – Be prepared!.. questions as basic as “Why do you do poetry (or any other activity” may be asked.
- Some Situational & Behavioral Question
- What would you describe are your greatest achievement to date?
- Give me an example of a time you faced a conflict while working on a team. How did you handle that?
- Give me an example of a time when you did not meet a client’s expectation. What happened, and how did you attempt to rectify the situation?
- Case questions are fairly common in MBA interview especially for consulting aspirants. Below are a few sample for to practice for:
- How many Golf balls can fit in a Boeing 747?
- What’s the global market size for smartphones?
- Do you have any Question for us?
SDA Bocconi MBA Interview Questions – 1
I had my interview yesterday. The lady I talked to has not seen my application, only had my resume with her. I guess they wanted to see some purely human traits there. That also means, that she asked me basically all the same questions that were covered in my application:
Why an MBA now?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
If you don’t mind me asking did you apply to other programs? Were you accepted and which ones? I was honest there and said that I applied and already been accepted, but definitely was willing to change my mind towards SDA. I guess I could have refused, seemed like she was just interested herself.
Also, it was pretty chill, we laughed a lot, but I guess it’s just my charm 😀
Cheers and good luck
SDA Bocconi MBA Interview Questions – 2
Nothing very special in the video pre interview. You will be asked 4 questions for which you will be given 15 seconds to think of your answer and then 1 minute to answer the question.
I was asked questions like : what after mba ? What characteristics should a leader have? What are you long term goals after the mba? Etc…
They basically want to make sure you speak good English and whether it is actually you who has written the essays. (Read your essays before you appear for the preinterview)
Hope that helps , good luck !
SDA Bocconi MBA Interview Questions – 3
In my case I did the interview locally in Colombia with a Bocconi alumni. He basically covered the questions on the admission but in a conversation format. At the end he did 1 small case regarding the 5 P’s (product, price, people…) when building a business, and a math question.
SDA Bocconi MBA Interview Questions- 4
Skype On October 15, 2019, I was interviewed.
Final Decision: Admitted
“My interview lasted approximately 45 minutes.” In no particular order, I received the following questions:
– Why pursue an MBA?
– What is the significance of SDA Bocconi?
– What are your strengths and weaknesses?
– What are your favorite and least preferred university subjects?
– What are your hobbies?
– What is your GMAT score?
– In your current position, do you manage people?”
General Advice:
Be yourself, know your profile well (i.e., strengths and limitations), and prepare to back up the tale you uncovered in your writings. Engage your interviewer and make the conversation interactive and feasible (while remaining polite and professional). Dress appropriately for an MBA interview, which has its own dress code. Bring your CV and a copy of your application with you. Remember that the adcom want to know that you can both complete the challenging programme and become a key asset to the institution – in other words, that you will succeed in your post-MBA career. You’ll be OK as long as your responses let the interviewer understand that you are such a person.”
SDA Bocconi MBA Interview Questions – 5
Skype On December 9, 2018, I was interviewed. Final Conclusion: Interviewed
“Pre-interview video questions”
You are asked a question, given 30 seconds to consider it, and then given a minute to respond while being videotaped.
Among the questions:
1) Where did I come from?
2) Personal introduction.
3) Devised questions from my earlier response, such as: What was my position in that project?
4) Set short-term and long-term objectives.
5) Difficulties I may have in meeting my short-term objectives.
6) Have I spoken with any alumni? What information did they give me about the programme?
7) To which other schools did I apply, and why did I choose SDAB over them?
8) What are my weaknesses, according to my boss?
9) What do I like to do in my spare time?
10) Undergraduate subjects that I enjoyed.
11) What motivates me to pursue an MBA?
I felt fairly at ease during the interview; the interviewer put me at rest right away, saying that it would be simple. Simultaneously, several of the questions, such as “Why SDAB” and “What are your weaknesses,” were asked in a demanding manner, as shown in questions 7 and 8. There will be no unexpected inquiries such as “tell me about a time when you handled conflict in your team.”
Finally, I was asked if I had any questions for them and was given additional information in response to my inquiries.
“The interview lasted 45 minutes.”
Future candidates should keep the following in mind:
1) Speak slowly because the interviewer is not a native English speaker, and your accent may be difficult for them to understand.
2) Prepare a few additional stories or points for each answer, in addition to the primary one, in case the interviewer asks for more.
SDA Bocconi MBA Interview Questions – 6
Skype On March 24, 2021, an interview was conducted. Acceptance is the final decision.
“Excellent interview with a member of the admissions team via the MS Teams platform.”
In the interview, I was asked the following questions:
Why pursue an MBA?
Why is it now?
What is the point of Europe?
Why did you choose Italy?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
What are your career objectives?
Please tell me about your country.
Tell me about your location.
What are your backup plans?
Where else have you applied?
Where and why will you participate?
What is your area of expertise?
What is the significance of this specialization?
What makes you desire to work in Italy?
What were your favourite subjects in undergrad and why?
Other than that, I don’t recall any further questions, but nothing unusual occurred.
SDA Bocconi MBA Interview Questions – 7
Skype Interview date: March 27, 2021 Final Conclusion: Interviewed
“My interview was on March 27th. The alumnus was focused a lot on my flaws, the challenges I experienced, and the times I failed. The following are the questions she posed. During my interview, I was asked the following questions:
1. Tell me about your educational background and what motivated you.
2. Reasons for pursuing a master’s degree
3. Why did you select a specific university and specialisation for your master’s degree?
4. Any difficulties encountered while studying (more on cultural shift from India to the United States)
5. Additional questions about job experience and challenges/learning opportunities in each role
6. Why an MBA in Europe?
7. Short-term and long-term objectives
8. Post-MBA career goals
9. A list of a few firms and positions I would be interested in after completing my MBA.
10. What personal flaw do you notice in yourself?
I may have missed a few minor questions, but these are the main ones. “The duration was 35-40 minutes.”
SDA Bocconi MBA Interview Questions – 8
Interviewed online on February 15, 2023
“The interview was with AdCom, and she was very nice.” The interview was fairly casual, with the interviewer addressing many of my questions.
– How long have you been with your current company?
– What do you do in your day-to-day job? What do you enjoy most about your job? What is your least favourite aspect of your job?
– Describe a time in your life when you felt you had failed. How did you handle it?
– Tell me something about yourself that you’d like to improve.
– If you had to do it all over again, what job route would you choose?
– What is your long-term ambition? What do you want to be?
– What do you anticipate as a challenge if you are accepted into the programme?
– What are you afraid about with regard to the MBA?
General guidance:
1. Be self-assured but not arrogant
2. Make sure your technological issues are resolved before the interview. Ascertain that the internet connection is strong and that no one will enter the room to bother you.
3. Be genuine and honest; if you try to lie, people will detect it. The interview questions are straightforward, but the interviewers are well-versed in deception detection.
4. I wore a suit coat and no tie, but I suppose any smart business clothes will suffice.
5. Know your CV in case they ask you about it.
6. Understand why you want to go to Germany; you must be able to demonstrate that you have weighed all considerations (if you wish to work in Germany, you must learn German).
7. Finally, practice in front of a mirror or a camera; umming and aahing will demonstrate that you did not prepare correctly. You must speak confidently without seeming practiced.”
SDA Bocconi MBA Interview Questions – 9
Interviewed online on May 2, 2023 Acceptance is the final decision.
“I was interviewed by a member of the Admissions Committee, and the interview was very conversational.” The interviewer was open and curious, attempting to learn more about my experience and suitability for the institution.
1) Why an MBA at Bocconi? Why is it now?
2) How many people report to you, and how much job experience do you have?
3) Where else have you applied, and where do you want to go?
4) Where do you hope to work after completing the programme? What business?
5) What are two of your strongest points, and what are two of your weakest?
6) How do you feel about your relationship with your reporting manager? Is he ever forcing you to do something you don’t want to?
7) In five years, where do you see yourself? What do you want to be in ten years?
8) How do you perceive the emotional side of the workplace?
9) Have you taken the GMAT? What was your score?
10) What are your interests?
11) What would you do if you were denied admission?
Then there are some general questions;
12) Where do you call home?
13) Do you like to travel? Have you ever visited Milan?
14) How is your own country’s social situation? How is the economy doing?
15) How is the situation with Covid in your own country?
Overall, I think I did okay. We’re hoping for the best! “I’m crossing my fingers.”
SDA Bocconi MBA Interview Questions – 10
Skype interview was conducted on April 16, 2021 and the final decision was that the individual was admitted.
The questions that were posed were in the subsequent manner:
Could you please elaborate on your area of interest or field of expertise?
What was the rationale behind the selection of your undergraduate programme of study?
In what manner would you communicate your job responsibilities to fellow automotive engineers?
Could you kindly provide me with more context about the research paper you are referring to, such as the topic, field of study, and purpose of the research? This information will enable me to provide a more accurate and academic response. What issue did it resolve?
The discussion pertains to the identification of both short-term and long-term objectives. Follow-up inquiries are made regarding the industry, function, geographic location, target companies, and visa requirements in a comprehensive manner.
What are the reasons for choosing SDA Bocconi as an academic institution?
What are the additional educational institutions under consideration, and what are the factors influencing the selection of said institutions?
What is the status of my pursuit of tennis as a hobby?
This statement implies the completion of a task or the end of a conversation. The questions are relatively simple and direct.
It is anticipated that this will provide assistance.
Wishing you the best of luck.
Step-by-Step Guide
To Preparing for your B-school Interview