UPDATE: This article was originally posted on March 13, 2020. It has been updated with 2023/24 information and tips below.
With a focus on preparing leaders to act at the intersection of business, technology, and analytics, CMU Tepper is a popular school for savvy professionals seeking a school with top-notch academics and recruiting and a ton of school spirit.
However, with the school’s STEM-designated business analytics major, the competition to join Tepper’s elite MBA is more difficult than ever.
That’s why we’ve prepared this guide to help you use your Tepper MBA 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 Tepper interview your best shot.
How the Tepper interview works
Making sure you shine during your Tepper interview is no easy task.
Foster interviews, since they are conducted by the admissions committee, tend to be highly focused on determining your fit with the Tepper program.
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 Tepper program.
Interviewers often ask many standard MBA interview questions, as well as questions designed to test just how collaborative you really are. You can also expect numerous follow-up questions.
Our clients who have interviewed with Tepper 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 Tepper’s admissions committee.
Will the interviewer have read my application?
The Tepper interview is blind, meaning the interviewer will only have access to your CV. This means that you can repeat examples from your essays if you choose to.
How long will the Tepper interview last?
30 minutes.
Who is Tepper looking for?
(Photo courtesy of @tepperCMU on Instagram)
“Ultimately, our goal is to welcome a class of MBAs who have diverse backgrounds and experiences and will compliment and challenge one another to learn and grow during their two years at the Tepper School. Your unique set of experiences, both life and professional, are your best assets.” Tepper Admissions
Every year, Tepper spends a significant amount of time reviewing applications in order to select members for its class of ~200 students. With a strong emphasis on diversity, there is no “typical” Tepper student, yet the average admitted student does tend to have a 705 average GMAT score and 5.8 years of work experience.
Beyond the impressive statistics, though, Tepper is looking for candidates who want to make a positive impact on the world through their careers. That’s why, in addition to strong academic performance (demonstrated through the GMAT and university grades), Tepper seeks candidates who also excel at working in teams.
How can you prepare for your Tepper interview?
Though no interview is 100% predictable, Tepper 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 Tepper interviews.
SAMPLE TEPPER INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
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 Tepper 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)
- How did you bridge the knowledge gap you faced at the beginning of your career?
- What do you do in your current job?
- Why did you choose your university?
- What was your undergraduate experience like?
- What do you like to do for fun?
- Tell me about an accomplishment you are proud of at work. What about outside of work?
- What are your short-term and long-term career goals?
- What are your backup goals?
- Name three firms you would like to work at after your MBA.
- Why did you quit your previous job?
- Why do you want an MBA?
- Why now?
- Why Tepper?
- How will you contribute to Tepper?
- What clubs are you interested in?
- What other schools have you applied to? If you get into all of them, how will you choose where to go?
- Have you visited campus? Spoken with alumni?
LEADERSHIP & TEAMWORK
- Tell me about a time when you didn’t get along with your team. What did you do?
- Tell me about one instance when you disagreed with your boss and how you handled the situation
- Tell me about a time you were successful as a leader.
- What is your leadership style?
- Tell me about a time you were part of a team but your team members did not agree with your decision.
- Tell me about a time you worked on a team with people of different cultural backgrounds.
MISCELLANEOUS BEHAVIORAL
- Tell me an example of a time you failed.
- Tell me about a time when you took a risk.
- How would your friends describe you? What about your boss?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- Tell me about a time you helped someone achieve something.
- What is a skill you excel at?
- Tell me about a time you had to adapt.
- What three things set you apart from your peers?
- Tell me about a time when you had to make a compromise. What did you do about it?
- Tell me about a time when your peers knew more than you did. How did you cope with it?
- Tell me about a time you had to make a difficult decision.
CLOSING
- Is there anything else you would like us to know about you?
- Is there anything you wish 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 Tepper, 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 Tepper 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.
Make sure you get into Tepper
You have stressed about every aspect of your MBA application, and now you are ready for your interview! With the right preparation, this can be your chance to shine and get a highly-coveted spot at an elite business school.
However, maybe you don’t know where to start in preparing, or maybe you tend to ramble on and lose focus during interviews. Maybe you’ve even downloaded sample questions and written out your answers. The problem is, when you try to apply these templates to your own story, it doesn’t quite work.
Our interview prep focuses on helping you determine how to present yourself during your MBA interview while using appropriate, impact-driven language without being artificial, or worse, robotic.
Our individual approach is why 98.9% of our clients secure admissions to at least one of their target schools.
Want to put the Ellin Lolis advantage to work for you? Schedule your preparation session with our team of interview experts today!
Real MBA Essays That Got People In
School-specific sample essays that got our clients accepted
