CMU Tepper MBA Admissions Interview (cont'd)
What
should applicants most heavily emphasize in their work
experience?
I think
the short answer is making an impact. What difference did
this person make in the role that they held? Sometimes it
is important to look at not only their contribution as part
of a team but also individually what they contributed to the
group effort.
Why
do you require an employment record accounting for all the
time since high school graduation as well as a resume from
the applicant?
We
really want to see where the person has been spending their
time. We want to fully understand the applicant's
professional growth and how a person transitioned from one
role to another. Candidates can expect questions about
this in the interview.
What
specific applicant traits are you using the interview to
gauge?
We spend
time walking through a candidate's background and then we
ask behavioral types of questions. The interview is
important for us to fill in any blanks we have as we review
their application. Most of the time we have reviewed the
application before the interview. One key objective during
the interview is to get an understanding of the candidate's
communication skills. We also like to explore their goals
more fully. Another key component of the interview is to
give the applicant a chance to ask any questions they may
have.
Is it
always an admissions representative conducting the
interview?
It is
always a member of the admissions team who will conduct the
interview. We do not have alumni conduct interviews off
campus. Members of our admission team travel in the fall
and in the spring to conduct interviews. If we cannot meet
anyone off campus or on campus, we do arrange telephone
interviews as a last resort.
How
important is an applicant's GMAT score?
It is
important like everything else is important in the
application. When you have a competitive admission process,
all the different components of the application weigh
heavily on our decision. We don’t have a minimum or cut off
score for the GMAT. We look at all the components. We tend
to look at the quantitative score first. The overall score
is very important and we do pay attention to the analytical
writing assessment. We always tell candidates that if they
are not satisfied with their GMAT score or feel that it is
not their optimum, then we encourage them to retake it. We
always use the candidate's best score when we evaluate their
file.
What
was the GMAT score range for admitted applicants this year?
The middle 80%
range is 640 to 750.
How
are re-applicants viewed by Carnegie Mellon and what do they
need to do to be successful the second time around?
We keep
the process relatively streamlined for re-applicants. They
only need to submit supplemental information the second time
around. We don't ask for another application fee. When
evaluating re-applicants, there are two levels of review.
The first is how their application is competitive to the
pool this year or in the year that they are re-applying.
The second is we want to see what changed from the time they
applied previously. We do provide opportunities for
candidates to get feedback and use that feedback to
strengthen their application. At minimum we ask that the
candidate submit an updated resume and a current letter of
reference.
Describe how the financial aid process works and what
admitted students can expect in terms of scholarships,
assistantships, and loan guarantees.
All of
our admitted students are reviewed for merit scholarships at
the time of admission. Some candidates who receive
scholarships will get notification as part of their
admission letter. We recommend that all U.S. citizens and
permanent residents complete the FAFSA form and they can
apply for various loan programs as well. We do have work
study awards that are given as part of financial aid
generally in the second year of study.
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