A Talk with Purdue's Admissions Director
An excerpt from the Q&A:

Q: Your office tends to interview about 54% of admitted applicants. How can you ensure that students are as savvy in person as they appear on paper?
A: We get a pretty good read on applications through our essay questions and recommendations. If the committee isn't sure, we'll invite people for interviews. We don't encourage all applicants to come to campus, though we welcome people to visit. We also interview students on the road at forums.

Some applicants [say] that our interviews are among the more comprehensive they've experienced. They meet with someone in admissions, someone in career services, and one or two faculty members.

Q: An invitation to interview seems a mixed blessing.
A: If it's not clear-cut, we want a chance to ask questions. It's often related to work experience and their intended career goals. When we interview, we can assess their maturity and how ready they are [for an MBA]. I encourage people invited to interview to not leave anything to doubt. It could be [an opportunity] for someone with a poor academic record to explain more.

For the full version of this Q&A

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Comments from Student 1:
Insight into the Purdue Interviews
I believe around 20% of admitted students were asked to interview. I have been told almost all applicants with less than three years work experience are asked to interview. My wife, Natalie, and I were both asked for an interview. Initially we thought it was because we were on the fence for gaining admission to Purdue. After talking with others in this situation, we discovered that Purdue also brings people in because they want more information about a resume for consideration in offering assistantships, scholarships, etc. One of my interviewers was the head of the Computing Center where I now have an assistantship and Natalie received a substantial scholarship.

The Purdue Interview Process
The typical interview process at Purdue consists of four 20-minute interviews with four different people throughout the Krannert School of Management. Interviewers come from your expected concentration area, career services, and admissions. In most cases, people seemed to have two difficult interviews out of the four. Ironically, Natalie and I had only one interviewer in common, and while I thought it was very tough, she thought it was her easiest of the day.

Tips for Success
Professional dress and being yourself are givens. My interviews were not much more than casual conversation, but with a direct purpose on both sides. In fact, the tough and leading interview questions confirmed to myself that Purdue was the right school. Natalie noticed that the interviewers asked questions about potential weaknesses in her application. We had prepared answers for these types of questions ahead of time, which really helped in the actual interviews.

If you are asked to interview, keep in mind that they want to find out how serious you are about attending their school and are very ingenious about uncovering your motives and desires. Expect to be "grilled" in a casual manner. In many of my interviews, I was asked questions that really targeted my desire to attend Krannert. One interviewer went as far as to say that another school might be a better choice for me. As that person later admitted, they wanted to see if I could defend my position for wanting to attend their program.

If you can explain why you want an MBA, why Purdue is the right choice for you, and can address any weaknesses you might have, you will be just fine. If you try to fake your way through, you will be in trouble. Purdue was my first choice, so it was not a problem. I like the way they interview. As a future alum, I feel it best targets successful people who want a Purdue MBA.

Pros of the Purdue interview process
You have four 20-minute interviews that will give you an excellent opportunity to convince Purdue that you are a strong candidate. I thought Purdue outshines many others schools, because they are not solely driven on statistics. Purdue will give borderline candidates the chance to show more than the average test scores say. In fact, they give you four chances with professors and other professional employees of the university, not just an alum, or student assistant on the phone. Also, this is an opportunity to interview for assistantships. Many of the people that interview will be the ones that hire assistants in the upcoming year. It is a great way to put your best foot forward in consideration for possible aid later.

Cons of the Purdue Interview Process
You have four 20-minute interviews, back to back, to back, to back. It is a very stressful situation. Also, there are no phone interviews, which may add to your stress, and it means you will have to travel to campus.