A Talk with Yale's Admissions Director
An Excerpt from the Q&A:

Q: What can applicants expect from their Yale MBA interviews?
A: This year, our policy changed. In order to get an on-campus interview, you have to have completed the online section of the application. [You don't have to submit all of your recommendations, official test scores, and transcripts to get an interview.] Once you've done that, the online application will link you to the online interview scheduling for on-campus interviews. Until the end of October, anyone who completes that can schedule an on-campus interview.

In November, anyone can request an on-campus interview. We'll do our best to accommodate those requests, but at that point we need to be more selective about who is invited to an interview. We'll also be making an effort to reach out to people who are unable to interview on campus. Many strong candidates can't make it to New Haven for an interview. If an applicant seems strong, we'll do our best to schedule an interview with an alumnus, or to schedule an interview when one of our admissions team members is traveling in the area. We'll interview close to 1,000 people this year.

For the full version of this Q&A

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Comments from Student 1:
The Format: I was notified by email that the admissions department wanted to interview me, and was asked to call to schedule a time. I then traveled to New Haven to have an on campus interview in the admissions office.
The Interview: I flew in to Connecticut about three hours before my interview was to begin, (Tip Number Eight: If you have to travel to your interview, try to arrive the night before if at all possible. This minimizes the chances of missing your appointment due to any factor related to travel.) and amidst blinding snow took a taxi to New Haven where I was dropped off at the wrong side of campus. I then walked what seemed like miles in my fancy interview shoes to the Admissions Office. I was wearing the same (conservative black) suit that I wore to my MIT interview, but I realized after my interview was over that I had forgotten to take my scarf off. Needless to say, it wasn't actually a stress free experience. However, my interviewer, the Head of Admissions, made the actual interview formal, but not intimidating, and was very prepared, having obviously looked over my entire application and brought a copy of my resume with her. She took me into a quiet conference room on the side of the building and asked me every kind of question you could imagine, ranging from "Can you elaborate on your long term goals," to "I see you enjoy rowing, did you know we have a rowing club in New Haven?" to "Can you tell me more about your work with this project? How did you get interested in something like that?" My interviewer was engaged and interested during the entire interview, making me feel as though she was really interested in my thoughts. After the first few minutes of our chat, I felt very confident, probably due at least in part to my level of preparation. (Tip Number Nine: Review each school's program offerings briefly, the night before or the day of the interview, so you are clear on what the school's strengths are, what their recent achievements or changes have been, etc.) My appointment lasted over an hour as my interviewer was very thorough, and when it was over she walked me out. I left feeling that I had really been able to give an accurate picture of myself and my goals for business school, and am currently on the waitlist at Yale. This leads me to Tip Number Ten: Always be yourself. Sounds simple, but it's actually harder than it seems. With all of the "How to get into the Top MBA Programs" books and magazines out there, it's hard to admit that you might not fit the "perfect" mold for each school. You just have to remember that sometimes, schools aren't looking for the "perfect" candidate, but rather the candidate that's perfect for their school, and that just might be you. In closing, I hope these ten tips will be helpful to anyone beginning the wild ride of business school interviews- just refer to Number Ten if you get confused.

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Comments from Student 2:
Scheduling the interview: I did not schedule a voluntary interview and was contacted by e-mail for an interview after my application was submitted. I ultimately asked for an alumni interview in Washington, D.C. so I did not have to travel.

Location of interview: The offices of Booz-Allen & Hamilton in McLean, VA on New Year's Eve.

Preparedness of Interviewer: The interviewer had access to my resume and other materials, but I didn't get the sense that she had reviewed them particularly thoroughly.

Interviewer University affiliation: Alum who is currently an Associate at Booz Allen.

Atmosphere: The atmosphere was very relaxed, and ended up being more her sharing stories and me asking questions about Yale than her asking me specific questions.

Questions asked: Only a couple of basic questions about what I do now and what I want to do after school, as well as why I was interested in Yale.

Length of interview: Approximately 30 minutes.

Additional comments: The interview was very informal and provided me the opportunity to get frank answers about the school from someone no longer attached in any way to the admissions committee. However, there was very little substantive discussion with respect to my accomplishments and qualifications, and I cannot imagine that her assessment played any great role in the admissions decision.