Can I Repeat my Application Essays in my MBA Interview?
I remember sitting in my Oxford interview, right after I’d bombed my Cambridge one. I didn’t have an admissions consultant to tell me how to get it right, and I wasn’t nearly as prepared as I should have been. All I could think about was: if I repeat the same stuff I talked about in my written application, am I going to bomb this interview too?
After years of admissions consulting experience, I know I’m not the only applicant who has gone into the MBA interview with this question on their mind. Lots of my clients ask: should I be discussing the same stories I wrote about in my MBA application with my interviewer? Or when the interviewer sends their notes over to the AdCom, will they notice the overlap and think that I’ve got nothing else to talk about?
Short answer: Yes, you can repeat the stories you write about in your MBA essays!
But don’t just repeat them verbatim. Here are 5 points to keep in mind when deciding what to say in your MBA interview:
1. Distinguish between a blind and non blind interview
In a blind interview, the interviewer will not have seen your application. So treat your interview as a fresh introduction, and feel free to reiterate key points from your application.
In a non-blind interview, the interviewer will have read your application materials. They will likely expect you to expand on your essays and add color to them. Offer additional details, anecdotes, and reflections that add personality and depth.
2. Approach the essays from a different perspective
It might make you seem one-dimensional if you simply repeat your essays. It’s also an opportunity wasted; you could be providing more insight on your fit with the school and your strengths in that time.
But that doesn’t mean you have to come up with an entirely new set of stories to discuss. As a candidate, you likely have your “chart-topper” stories. These are the 3-4 stories that are most impactful - the ones that make you stand out from the rest of the applicant pool. This is your chance to offer fresh insights into the story, which show self-awareness, growth, and the ability to reflect on your decisions.
So think deeper. Typically, MBA interview questions, particularly the behavioral questions, tend to ask about broad themes, like leadership, teamwork, failures, etc. They may be phrased as “Tell us about a time when….” or “If you were in this situation, what would you do?” A good strategy is to mold your most impactful stories to the specific values and skills you are being asked about.
For example, if you wrote about a time when you navigated inter-team conflict at your workplace in your MBA essay, you demonstrated your collaboration, negotiation, and interpersonal skills. In your interview, you could adapt this story with a leadership or challenge angle, adding more details to really draw out your skill as a leader and problem solver.
3. Focus on your core narrative
Your MBA interviewer isn’t only looking for your fit with the school and communication skills. They are also evaluating your career narrative for clarity and consistency.
That’s why the stories you tell them should reiterate your core narrative, career goals, and values. This shows that you have a clear direction for what you want to do during and after your MBA. You don’t want to contradict your written application at any point during the interview! However, if you have had any important projects, promotions, or contributions since you submitted your application, it’s good to mention these.
Remember, in non-blind interviews, the AdCom interviewers who have already read your application will also have read thousands of other application essays. Don’t confuse them with new goals or different strengths/values; stay consistent with what your application says about you.
4. Don’t be tempted to add more stories
Getting to the interview stage means that your application essays have worked. The AdCom has liked your profile and potential! Don’t change up your strategy now. It’s tempting to add more stories, but you’re not being ranked on how many different stories you can tell.
Like we discussed earlier, prepare a set of powerful yet flexible stories that you can mold into a variety of answers. This will allow you to present yourself better and stay focused. Besides, when you tell a story live, it’s almost never the same as how you wrote it in your essays! This is your chance to add personality to your answers and even open up new threads of conversation with the interviewer.
However, if you have a story that isn’t part of your essays, but it answers the interviewer’s question better, feel free to use that. Use the SCAR storytelling format to keep your story concise and focused: Situation, Challenge, Action, Result.
5. Relax, and be yourself
Finally, relax! A lot of applicants tend to over-rehearse their answers. That’s a major red flag for the interviewer! Overly rehearsed answers make it sound like you’re reading out your essays. That wouldn’t succeed in a business setting, so it won’t succeed in an MBA interview!
Practicing your interview skills is good; but memorizing answers can/will backfire. The interviewer doesn’t want a clinical, robotic applicant. They want to get to know you on a personal level and see your enthusiasm for the school and its program, people, and culture. Show them that you will actively and authentically engage with their community.
Learn how to ace your MBA interview in our comprehensive interview master guide 👇
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