Stanford GSB Interview Preparation Tips

Congrats to all Stanford GSB applicants who received an invitation to interview in round 2!  As the round 2 interviews are currently underway, we wanted to provide a snapshot of interview preparation tips from our extensive experience working with GSB applicants.

General Tips:

• GSB interviews have been conducted virtually since the start of the pandemic in 2020.
• Interview length is typically between 45-60 minutes and conducted by a small subset of alumni and MBA admissions officers, often chosen based on affinities between the alum’s background and the applicant’s. A very small percentage of applicants are interviewed by GSB admissions staff.
• The interviewer typically will have only reviewed your resume prior to the interview. GSB notes that the interview is only one part of a comprehensive process and a positive interview does not guarantee admission nor does a less than favorable interview preclude admission.  Generally, GSB interviews two to three candidates per available seat in the class.
• GSB interviews consist of several behavioral questions (‘Tell me about a time when you …’) with the objective of gaining a deeper understanding of what you have done and how you have done it. The interviewer typically asks multiple follow-up questions probing your initial response to understand why you behaved in the way you did. See the question categories below for an idea of typical questions.
• Preparing questions for the interviewer is an important component for the interview process as Admitify clients have reported sufficient time given for applicants to ask questions of the interviewer to get to know GSB better.

Interview Question Categories:

Leadership

• Sample questions:
  • Tell me about a time when you were effective on a team when you weren’t in charge.
  • Describe a time when you led a team and convinced someone to accept your ideas.

Innovation

• Sample questions:
  • Tell me about a time when you took an initiative and how you moved it forward.
  • Tell me about a time when you saw an opportunity others didn’t.

Adversity

• Sample questions:
  • Tell me about a time when you faced a roadblock in completing a project.
  • Tell me about a time when you failed to reach your goals.

Other

• Sample questions:
  • Tell me about a time when you worked on a really analytical project. What was the result and how was it used in your organization?
  • Tell me about a time when you made an impact. How did people respond to that?  What was the long-term result?

If you need support for your GSB interview preparation, contact Admitify today!