Washington Olin MBA Interviews
Washington University in St. Louis’ Olin School of Business has one of the smallest of the top MBA programs in the country, typically enrolling no more than 150 students per year. But small size has been no barrier to quality, as Olin has shown by regularly making it to the top 20 or so slots of the various b-school rankings. Olin itself considers its small size a strength that allows it to foster close relationships with its students and to deliver an intensive, personalized management education. MBA students can begin taking electives as early as their second semester and can declare degree concentrations in finance (with a focus on investments and asset management or on investment banking and corporate finance), marketing (with a focus on brand management or on marketing consulting), management strategy, organizational behavior (with a client services, general management, or HR focus), operations and manufacturing, entrepreneurship, or accounting analysis. They can also pursue dual degree programs that pair an MBA with a degree in architecture, urban planning, biomedical engineering, East Asian studies, law, or social work.
Washington Olin MBA Frequently Asked Interview Questions
- Tell me something about yourself?
- Walk me through your resume?
- Why MBA? Why Washington Olin school?
- Why MBA now or Why MBA at this stage of your career?
- What is your short & long term goals?
- What is your Plan B if consulting/Investment banking does not happen?
- What are your key strengths? Can you give some examples please?
- What is your biggest weakness ? Can you give some examples please?
- How can you add value to the Class?
- Why should we take you?
- One reason that we should not select you?
- Interests and Hobbies – Be prepared!.. questions as basic as “Why do you do poetry (or any other activity” may be asked.
- Some Situational & Behavioral Question
- What would you describe are your greatest achievement to date?
- Give me an example of a time you faced a conflict while working on a team. How did you handle that?
- Give me an example of a time when you did not meet a client’s expectation. What happened, and how did you attempt to rectify the situation?
- Case questions are fairly common in MBA interview especially for consulting aspirants. Below are a few sample for to practice for:
- How many Golf balls can fit in a Boeing 747?
- What’s the global market size for smartphones?
- Do you have any Question for us?
Washington Olin MBA Interview Questions – 1
“I had my interview with Ashley on the 7th. The interview went well and was really more of a conversation. The interviewer trying to get a feel for me as an individual as opposed to a corporate robot ? Since it was a skype interview and scheduled for the middle of a working day, I had booked an occupied meeting room at the office for the time slot, settled in with a do not disturb sign outside the door and tested/retested my internet connection. No surprises! To the questions, like a said they were very conversational;
1. Walk me through your resume and follow up question on certain decision points
2. The MBA trifecta – why MBA, why now and why Olin?
3. Questions about my short-term goal?
4. How I would cope with the cultural shift of moving the US
5. If admitted how do you intend to contribute to the school and student body?
6. Any questions to ask? The questions looked more than this when I was answering them, so I have probably missed out one or two (I must have had more than 2 cups of coffee that day)
My advice to potential interviewees: Treat it like an honest conversation and you will be fine. Be in the moment and relive your career decisions and that way your passions would come out.”
Washington Olin MBA Interview Questions – 2
“I applied to Olin Business school in R2 in Nov,2015. I got an interview invite in January, 2016. However, there were really odd-timing slots on skype. My interview was at 2 a.m. in the night, so I was pretty pissed off as to why they don’t care about the people who are living in Asia. My interview was with a person who had graduated from Olin and joined admissions team. He was a really interactive guy and asked me about things to delve deep into my experiences. We also had a common friend who was my colleague earlier and his batchmate in Olin thereafter. So we quite discus about her. The questions asked were:
1. Short term Long term goal?
2. Why MBA? Why Olin?
3. What criteria do you have for selecting B schools? Give me 3 points
4. What if you get selected to all the schools in which you have applied?
5. Any leadership experience you would like to share, Personal or professional?
6. teamwork experience ?
7. Any unique thing about you that is not in your resume?
8. My social community initiatives. he was really interested in what do I do besides job and apps.
Overall this was a really nice experience, since he was a student an year earlier, he was quite considerate of situation of mine. Verdict : Converted Olin but got less amount of scholarship. I had decided to go there if there were a little more scholarship.”
Washington Olin MBA Interview Questions – 3
Had the interview with Ashley Lautzenheiser. it was a quick interview that lasted for 10 mins only.
She asked typical questions:
- Introduce yourself
- Why MBA?
- Why now?
- 3 things you look for in choosing MBA program?
- What defines a leader, short term and long term goals and link between them?
- What qualities you possess that would be of value to your peers during MBA?
- How come you found out about Olin MBA?
- Any questions
I asked about restaurants, clubs, activities at St. Louis and Olin and the internship opportunities.
Washington Olin MBA Interview Questions – 4
“Done with my interview half an hour back. Questions asked:
1. Walk me through your resume.
2. What are the things you wish to highlight in your resume that would matter to us?
3. Why MBA?
4. Why Olin?
5. Why you took construction industry as your career path?
6. What are your hobbies?
7. How you will contribute to Olin Class?
8. One thing which you want me to ask you in depth?
9. 3 things you see while selecting a school
10. Whats so unique about you that will make you an interesting candidate amongst your peer group at Olin.
11. Questions for us.. Thats was more or less of it.
Ashley was sitting with a super-strict face…Scared!! :P”
Washington Olin MBA Interview Questions – 5
“I had my Interview with Megan Waite yesterday. Interview lasted for almost 30 min. Skype got disconnected in the middle and she switched her video off after that. I felt nervous as I was just speaking to my Webcam. She said she has my resume and essay, and started asking questions after introducing herself.
1. Tell me about your story, you can highlight your achievements.
2. Why do want an MBA?
3. Why Olin?
4. Why ‘Specific Industry’ as mentioned in your essay?
5. Why ‘Specific Company’ as mentioned in your essay? And then she said she would ask few questions where she would assess my fit with respect to Olin’s core values.
6. Given a choice, would you work in a team or independently, and why?
7. Did you ever differ with your team member?
8. Tell me about a time when you displayed your team skills
9. How would you contribute to Olin?
10. If you were admitted in 5 schools, what 3 aspects would you consider while selecting a school? That was all.
Finally I asked two questions, one on exchange programs and the other on restaurants in St. Louis, for which she answered. Hope this helps.”
Washington Olin MBA Interview Questions – 6
“Hi Guys, I had my interview today at Ahmedabad. It was taken by Ms. Jan Snow. She was very nice and friendly. Questions Asked:
1. Difference between USA and India’s study (I have done two international internships so it was kind of related to that)
2. Short term and long term goals
3. Why MBA
4. Why now
5. Leadership and Teamwork experience
6. What strengths your colleagues will highlight about you?
7. What strengths your supervisor will highlight about you?
8. Why OLIN?
9. What do I do in free time?
10. What other colleges have you applied to and if you get a call from everywhere, how will you decide?
11. Questions for me?
Overall it was a very nice experience.”
Washington Olin MBA Interview Questions – 7
“Was interviewed by Colton. The interview started right on scheduled time. Colton tried to make me very comfortable letting me know that the conversation was about getting to know me better. The questions were pretty straight forward except a couple I guess (as far as I remember). He had read my resume and essays. He clarified at the start that there would be about 10 questions. Tell me a little bit about yourself/your story Why do you want an MBA now? What made you select the platform/Concentration “Consulting” in your Olin application and how did you decide that as against the concentration you pursued during your previous MBA in India? What is one creative thing that you did at work? What would be 1 most significant reason why you would join Olin? Which other schools have you applied to? Tell me about a time when you had success because of your ability to deal comfortably with a foreign national? (quite curve-ball) Do you have any questions for me? The interview lasted for 30 min (including my questions and his introduction) KM”
Washington Olin MBA Interview Questions – 8
“Standard questions:
1. Walk me through resume
2. Why MBA/Why now
3. Short term goal/Long term goal
4. One example about collaboration
5. How do you know about Olin/Why Olin
6. 3 factors to choose school if accepted
7. Any questions I thought I rambled on the whole interview… However, unless you come from non traditional background, which may make the interviewer resort to some behavioral questions, I think the questions are pretty standard.”
Just 31 minutes
Washington Olin MBA Interview Questions – 9
“I was anxious as I had not received the interviewer’s Skype id even after sending an email asking for it. But I received a video call as per scheduled time – advise you to login and stay online at 5-10 minutes before start time. Below are some of the questions that I was asked:
1. Tell me about yourself
2. Why MBA?
3. Why now?
4. Why Olin?
5. How and when did you decide to apply?
6. Couple of “describe a situation when…” questions
7. Anything else that is not covered in your application but you would like us to know?
8. Questions for me.
After a recovering from a connectivity issue, the interview went on for about 25 minutes.”
Washington Olin MBA Interview Questions – 10
“Just got done with my interview with Jason Brown, Pretty standard questions like
– Introduce yourself,
– What’s your story
– What are your goals,
– Why MBA and
– why now,
– some behavioural questions and in the end if you were selected in all universities you applied in, which will you select and why.
Overall it was a wonderful experience, they are looking for someone who can best fit in the Olin community.”