REAL CORNELL MBA INTERVIEW EXPERIENCES

Banking and Financial Services / 7 years 8 months

Interview Duration	35 minutes
Interviewers’ Profile	1 panelist

1)Tell me about yourself.

Wanted to know about professional and academic background, so I kind of kept it to that.

2)Why MBA and Goals?

Provided examples of what I could do at Citi in the US that I couldn’t do at Standard Chartered India (Global policy deployment versus only local influence, need to be in the cutting edge, sophisticated banking market to learn)

3) Why MBA now, at this age and experience?

Explained that my last master’s was without experience, and now with my 4-5 year work-ex, I have a perspective that will help me learn and gain from this learning better.

4)Why Cornell?

Impact answer, coupled with tight community in Ithaca, examples of how people are nice at Cornell, I believe could be possible in a tight cohort like Cornell both personally and in an academic sense

5) What will you do about employment?

It is my responsibility, will network with alumni, students, etc. Also, mentioned how I found a suitable role outside of campus in India within 2 months, where it’s not a common concept to seek outside campus placements, so I presume it’ll be manageable in America where it works this is the MO.

6) What is your plan B?

I’m sure I’ll need to be flexible if this doesn’t work out, I’ll have to look at the BFSI practice of a consulting company which still stays in line with my larger goals. I understand I may need to be flexible if plan A doesn’t work out, but I also think my plan A is very realistic.

7) What is the one thing that makes you nervous before you join?

I’ve been out of college for a while, so I may need to put extra emphasis on acads to succeed and I will do it from day 1.

8) Why the 1 year programme and not the two year programme

I explained to him that the difference between the 2 year and the 1 year programme would be internship opportunities, immersion/intensives, and an opportunity to switch careers, I don’t want to intern because I am only looking to advance in my existing career.

9) What is your leadership style?

Spoke about how I restarted the defunct magazine (explained the full process), focused on my role as taking initiative and ownership, and making people feel included and their opinions valued that they feel like they are making a contribution, empowering team mates enough that all I need to do is give direction other than functionally contributing myself.

10) One thing not part of my application and want to convey

Gave background on parents being bankers and passion for banking that can’t be entirely conveyed through application, how I volunteer for financial literacy and inclusive development and how it is personally important to me, etc. Basically passion for inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

11) Questions for them.

Discussed how I am interested in Chess since I was a kid and poker, and how I would love to play and discuss these ideas with intellectual giants at an Ivy league MBA to be able to get to know the cohort better, etc.