UPDATE: This article was originally published on February 7, 2020. It has been updated with 2024/25 information and tips.
For an increasing number of students worldwide, Babson is at the top of their business school target list.
However, with an impressive entrepreneurship track record and both one and two-year programs, the competition to join Babson’s elite MBA is more difficult than ever.
That’s why we’ve prepared this guide to help you use your Babson admissions interview to stand out. We’ve rounded up not only our best tips but have also included sample interview questions to ensure you give your Babson interview your best shot.
How the Babson Interview works
Making sure you shine during your Babson interview is no easy task.
Babson interviews, since they are conducted by the admissions committee, tend to be highly personalized and based on your whole application. During the interview, the interviewer is also trying to gauge how solid your motivations for wanting to pursue an MBA are and how interested you seem in the Babson program.
Interviewers often ask many standard MBA interview questions, as well as questions designed to test just how collaborative and entrepreneurially-minded you really are. You can also expect numerous follow-up questions.
Our clients who have interviewed with Babson in the past say that the interviewer was very friendly and demonstrated a genuine interest in their answers. Though questions do tend to focus on standard MBA interview questions, be ready for anything.
Who will interview you?
You will interview with a member of Babson’s admissions committee.
Will the interviewer have read your application?
Yes. The interviewer will have read your entire application.
Past reports indicate that interviewers develop specific questions based on your application, so make sure to take the time to review what you presented.
How long will the Babson interview last?
Interviews usually last 30 minutes.
Who is Babson looking for?
(Photo courtesy of Babson)
“At Babson, we believe that entrepreneurship can be a powerful force within organizations of all types and sizes, in established businesses as well as new ventures. In any industry, in any position, it takes Entrepreneurial Thought & Action® to solve problems and make an impact.” Babson Admissions
Every year, Babson searches for outstanding, entrepreneurially-minded professionals to join its annual two-year, full-time MBA class. With a strong emphasis on diversity, there is no “typical” Babson student.
Note: The GMAT/GRE requirement has been waived for the time being.
Trends in recent Babson MBA interviews
Recent feedback from candidates interviewing at Babson highlights several notable trends that you should consider when preparing for your interview:
Entrepreneurial Thinking: Babson’s emphasis on entrepreneurial thought is stronger than ever. Questions are now more oriented towards assessing a candidate’s potential to innovate and drive impact in both new ventures and established businesses.
Resilience and Problem-Solving Under Pressure: Babson interviewers are keen on exploring how applicants handle failures, setbacks, or high-pressure situations. This aligns with the school’s focus on developing leaders who can think creatively and strategically when faced with challenges.
Collaborative Leadership: There’s a noticeable trend towards questions that assess a candidate’s ability to work within teams and lead diverse groups. Babson is looking for individuals who can contribute to and thrive in collaborative settings.
How can you prepare for your interview?
Though no interview is 100% predictable, Babson interviews do tend to center around a fairly standard list of MBA interview questions. As such, we have prepared some model questions below that previous candidates have received in their past Babson interviews.
What questions are asked in the Babson MBA interview?
The questions below are drawn from our clients’ interview reports, as well as from sites like clearadmit.com. Though these are not all the potential questions you could possibly receive during your Babson interview, preparing for these (and any follow-up questions you think you might be asked) should give you a very solid foundation for your interview.
STARTING UP QUESTIONS
- Tell me about yourself. (Expect follow-up questions)
- What do you like to do in your free time?
- What are your short-term and long-term career goals?
- What is your plan B in case you are unable to reach these goals?
- Name three firms you would like to work at after your MBA.
- Why do you want an MBA?
- Why now?
- Why Babson?
- How do you plan to contribute to the Babson ecosystem?
- Why did you choose the 1-year/2-year program?
- What other schools have you applied to? If you get into all of them, how will you choose where to go?
- What are your expectations of the Babson alumni network?
LEADERSHIP & TEAMWORK
- Tell me about a time when you didn’t get along with your team. What did you do?
- Tell me about a conflict you faced with your teammates or your boss. How did you handle it and what did you learn from it?
- What is your leadership style? Can you give me an example?
- What role do you typically play in a team setting, and how do you adapt when working with different personalities?
MISCELLANEOUS BEHAVIORAL
- How would your friends describe you?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- Tell me about a time when you were pushed to your limits at work.
- Tell me about a time you took a risk.
- Tell me about a time you thought outside the box.
- Tell me about a time you faced an ethical dilemma.
- Tell me about a time when you led a project that didn’t go as planned. How did you handle it?
- Can you give an example of a failure you experienced in your career? How did you recover from it, and what changes did you make to avoid similar issues in the future?
- Describe a time when you identified an opportunity to innovate within an existing system. How did you go about implementing it?
CLOSING
- Is there anything else you would like us to know about you?
- Is there anything you wished I had asked you?
- Questions for me?
We have found that answering real interview questions on the spot is a much better means of preparation than reading lists of interview questions for most candidates.
We highly suggest you take a look at mock interview questions and sample interview responses before your interview.
Our MBA Resource Center has dozens of real interview mocks from Babson, as well as detailed guides to help you prepare for questions ranging from “Why our MBA program?” to “Tell us about a time you failed.”
The Ellin Lolis Consulting MBA Resource Center is your one-stop shop for interview success. Click to join!
If you’re still not quite confident with your interview skills, our interview experts can help you craft your answers or prepare you for the Babson interview through mock interviews tailored to your profile.
What to do if you get a question you haven’t prepared an answer for
Despite your most diligent preparation, you will almost always receive a question you had not prepared.
First, stay calm and take a deep breath. You have already made it this far in the process, and one question will not trip you up!
Second, make sure you directly answer the question the interviewer asked you. For example, if the interviewer asks you about a time you had to deal with a difficult manager, make sure to tell a story about a difficult manager and how you handled the situation.
If you’re having trouble thinking of an answer or an example to support your answer, however, take a drink of water to give yourself a few more minutes to think. If you really can’t think of an example from your personal or professional experience, you can use a hypothetical answer about how you would act in a certain situation.
Finally, assume that the interviewer is testing how you think on your feet and respond to questions you didn’t prepare in advance. Though your answer might not be as polished as if you’d had weeks to rehearse it, smile and confidently respond to show you can handle any question they throw at you.
Effectively tell your story during your Babson interview
One of the most common mistakes we see in MBA interviews is that candidates fail to tell compelling, well-constructed stories about their profiles while also nailing the basics.
Striking this balance between sharing STAR-format examples that show off your background while also presenting strong answers to questions like “Why do you want an MBA?” is a challenging task that requires significant thought and preparation.
Because of this, it’s no surprise that, on average, 50% of interviewed applicants walk away without an offer.
This is why our interview preparation process here at Ellin Lolis Consulting is known as the best in the industry. We offer customized 1:1 support that ensures you’re able to turn your application’s strengths into compelling answers that show fit and sell your profile in any type of interview. That’s why 98.9% of our complete consulting clients get into at least one of their target schools.
Forget simulation platforms or long lists of tips – our 1:1 preparation focuses on playing to your strengths and overcoming your weaknesses to turn you into an interview expert. Our interview packages sell out quickly, so make sure you sign up today!
Real MBA Essays That Got People In
School-specific sample essays that got our clients accepted
