{"id":6212,"date":"2016-03-15T16:31:12","date_gmt":"2016-03-15T16:31:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.hult.edu\/?p=6212"},"modified":"2026-04-29T16:36:19","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T15:36:19","slug":"10-tips-on-mba-admissions-interviews-and-essays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hult.edu\/blog\/10-tips-on-mba-admissions-interviews-and-essays\/","title":{"rendered":"10 tips on MBA admissions interviews and essays"},"content":{"rendered":"

So you\u2019ve done all the research, decided on the MBA program <\/a>that\u2019s right for you, and have your heart set on the perfect business school. Now comes the hard part: getting accepted onto the program.<\/p>\n

Every school has their own MBA admissions process and culture, and will look for different things from their candidates. But there are some universal tips and tricks that can help you get your foot in the door. Here, Hult\u2019s Vice President of Enrollment and Strategy, Fernando Mora, gives tips on how to ace your MBA admissions essays and interview.<\/p>\n

Fernando started at Hult in 2006 at our Boston campus<\/a> as an enrollment advisor for Latin American candidates. He then worked as a director on the team for North American candidates before moving to London<\/a> in 2008 to lead the European team. He has more than ten years’ experience interviewing 1000s of MBA candidates from all over the world.<\/p>\n

We asked Fernando what advice he had for candidates wanting to ace their MBA admissions interviews and essays. Here are Fernando\u2019s top ten tips:<\/p>\n

Tip 1. Have a clear plan for the future and communicate it clearly<\/h2>\n

People who perform best in admissions interviews are those who have a clear plan for the future. The first question is always about background, and most people are confident talking about that, it acts as a nice warm up. Where people stumble is when you ask them about their plan for the future.<\/p>\n

“Where people stumble is when you ask them about their plan for the future.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If we don\u2019t know what you want to accomplish with your MBA, how can we know if this is the right program for you? It\u2019s so important to have thought through before you get to interview what you want to achieve and how your MBA is going to help you achieve it. Even if you have several options, at least show you\u2019ve thought about it.<\/p>\n

Students on a one-year program have to be super focused, super motivated. And this is going to be a lot easier if you have a clear path mapped out from the beginning.<\/p>\n

This is especially important if you\u2019re applying for scholarships. We make scholarship offers based on a candidate\u2019s potential, not just past achievements. So if you don\u2019t have a vision, we can\u2019t assess your potential.<\/p>\n

Tip 2. Sell your vision<\/h2>\n

Passion is infectious. The more passionate you are about your vision for the future, the more we are going to want to support it, and you. I remember one candidate who really stood out. He had really interesting aspirations for his own business, like many people who come to Hult. What made him different was the way he sold his idea to me like I was an investor. By the end of the interview, he totally had my buy in for his future plans. In fact I was cheering him on! And that\u2019s all to do with showing passion and conviction in your ideas, and selling them to your audience.<\/p>\n

Tip 3. Don\u2019t make the interviewer work hard<\/h2>\n

Some candidates have a tendency to wait for us to ask the questions and follow our lead with everything. We have to work really hard to get the information out of them. These are not going to be the standout candidates; they are easily forgettable.<\/p>\n

The ones we remember are the ones who make our job easy \u2013 they take a question and they run with it, using it to showcase their vision and their talent. Some will turn the tables so they are questioning us, trying to find out how we can support them and effectively leading the interview \u2013 there\u2019s evidence of leadership potential right there.<\/p>\n

An admissions interview works the same as a job interview. You need to persuade the interviewer that you are the right candidate for the role. And we want to be persuaded!<\/p>\n

“An admissions interview works the same as a job interview. You need to persuade the interviewer that you are the right candidate for the role.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Tip 4. Have the name of at least one company you want to work for<\/h2>\n

This is a simple one. But it\u2019s something so many candidates struggle with \u2013 naming a company they want to work for. If I\u2019m not really understanding what a candidate wants to do with their career, I\u2019ll ask them to tell me who they\u2019d like to work for. That way, I can instantly place them \u2013 ah, they want to work for an edgy startup, a tech innovator, a big consultancy.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not judging their career aspirations, there\u2019s no right or wrong answer here \u2013 it\u2019s just to help me get a better understanding of who they are and how we can help them.<\/p>\n

So have at least one company name up your sleeve that you\u2019d like to be employed by and make sure you can explain why. Because if you can\u2019t answer a simple question like that quickly and confidently, it just makes it look like you don\u2019t have a clear idea of what you want to do.<\/p>\n

“Have at least one company name up your sleeve that you\u2019d like to be employed by and make sure you can explain why.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Tip 5. Show you have an entrepreneurial spirit<\/h2>\n

Every school is different so make sure you do a little research and look at the kind of qualities they\u2019re looking for in a candidate. At Hult, business and adventure go hand in hand and we\u2019re looking for people with a similar mindset.<\/p>\n

Candidates who see career propositions as possible adventures \u2013 full of entrepreneurial spirit<\/a>, innovation, and growth opportunity \u2013 those are the candidates that really excite us. They are looking at the big picture, far beyond the MBA program.<\/p>\n

At the end of the day, an MBA is a springboard into the rest of your career, the rest of your life \u2013 it\u2019s not \u201cI pay this, I get that\u201d sort of exchange. Candidates who see their MBA as an investment, as an adventure, those are going to be the ones who get the most out of the experience. Open-mindedness, adaptability, and resilience \u2013 these are qualities we value\u00a0highly at Hult.<\/p>\n

Tip 6. Concentrate on communicating your ideas, not your grammar<\/h2>\n

This is particularly relevant for candidates who are interviewing in a language that is not their native tongue but it applies to everyone. What an interviewer cares about is the substance behind what you\u2019re saying, not the way you are saying it.<\/p>\n

If you are worrying about whether or not you are using exactly the correct words or if your grammar is perfect, you are less likely to talk in a compelling and engaging way.<\/p>\n

“If you are worrying about whether or not you are using exactly the correct words or if your grammar is perfect, you are less likely to talk in a compelling and engaging way.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I remember one candidate who had excellent test scores for English proficiency and could write excellent English too. When I interviewed him, it was clear his spoken English wasn\u2019t perfect. But he wasn\u2019t hung up on finding exactly the right word or sentence structure and he could express himself brilliantly. We\u2019re not here to mark your grammar; we want to understand your vision.<\/p>\n

Tip 7. Interview in person if you can<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s always best to do an admissions interview face-to-face if possible. You\u2019re more likely to be able to get your point across clearly and build a rapport with the interviewer. It can be hard if you\u2019re\u00a0based far from the school, but it may be worthwhile making the journey if you can.<\/p>\n

If you do have to have to do the interview remotely, a video call like Skype or Google Hangout is the second best option but make sure you have a good internet connection.<\/p>\n

Tip 8. Approach your admissions essay like an executive summary<\/h2>\n

Different schools have different things they\u2019re looking for from an admissions essay. So make sure you do a bit of research so you\u2019re clear on the sort of essay you\u2019re expected to write.<\/p>\n

Hult\u2019s MBA admissions process is designed to assess what skills a candidate has that makes them likely to succeed in business, not at university. Our essays are not academic exercises; they are business tools.<\/p>\n

We only ask for one basic admissions essay or \u2018personal statement\u2019 and we ask it to be short, no more than 500 words. What matters in business is that you can communicate an idea clearly, concisely, and persuasively. And that\u2019s what we\u2019re looking for in a personal statement \u2013 it\u2019s like the executive summary to your application.<\/p>\n

Tip 9. Use formatting to make your MBA admissions essays easy to read<\/h2>\n

The enrolment team and the admissions committee read hundreds of essays every application deadline, running into thousands for the year. And they read them quickly. Make your essay as easy to read as possible so we can concentrate on your ideas:<\/p>\n