I have been terribly remiss in writing.  January was filled with a whirlwind of activity in admissions with the Round 2 application deadline, traveling to meet some of our admitted students on the East Coast, as well as trying to keep up with all the visitors, calls and e-mails normal for this time of the year.  In between reading Round 2 applications, I hope to get back on track with writing weekly.  Fingers crossed!

For those of you still waiting to hear about an interview invitation, I want to assure you that we are still evaluating applications.  In fact, we' ve just crossed 50% as of today.  So we'll need every day between now and our mid-decision on February 17 to complete our task.  Hang in there!

In an earlier post (November 10, 2009), I talked about the purpose of the interview.  Preparation is key to success.  Make sure you are prepared to answer fairly basic questions about the MBA and your goals going forward:  Can I clearly articulate my career plan and future goals?  What do I realy want from my MBA experience?  What is my motivation to obtain an MBA?  Why is Chicago Booth the right place for me, and why am I right for Booth?  How do I plan to use my MBA in my career?  etc...  You might want to consider writing down answers to these questions in order to organize your thoughts.

In addition, since much of the interview will be behaviorally-oriented (discuss how you handled "x" in the past), think about experiences that you can use to address these types of questions. Once you've practiced a few times with friends or colleagues, you'll be able to communicate your thoughts in a clear and concise way despite any nervousness you may experience. 

Here's the hard part  -- once you've practiced and prepared, you need to set aside all that preparation so that you can focus on having a conversation with your interviewer.  Remember, the interviewer knows Booth well, but not you.  So feel free to allow the conversation to be two way.  Getting to know the person sitting across the table will help you to relax and relate your stories more effectively. 

And finally, remember, the interview is only one additional component in your application.  That experience will be captured in a report that will be added to your entire application for the final evaluation process.  Good luck with your preparations!  Warm regards, Rose