UPDATE: This article was originally posted on October 16, 2019. It has been updated with 2023/24 information and tips below.
With a strong focus on social impact and flexibility that allows students to take classes across Yale’s many faculties (not just the business school!), Yale SOM is a top choice for engaged, globally-minded leaders who seek to make a meaningful difference in the world, all while benefiting from an Ivy League education.
However, getting admitted to Yale’s’ small MBA class is harder than ever.
That’s why we’ve prepared this guide to help you use your Yale SOM 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 Yale application your best shot.
How the Yale SOM interview works
As one of the most elite business schools in the world, landing an interview with Yale SOM is no easy task.
Thus, if you have passed to the interview phase of the Yale application process, congratulations! This is already an exceptional achievement.
Yale interviews have typically been conducted by the admissions committee on-campus or via Skype, however, considering the COVID-19 situation, all interviews for Round 1 will be online. This trend will likely continue for Round 2 admissions interviews.
During the interview, the admissions committee member is actively trying to gauge how solid your motivations for wanting to pursue an MBA are, how interested you seem in the Yale SOM program, and if you fit well with the program’s focus on diversity and its raw case method. Interviewers often ask many standard MBA interview questions, as well as questions designed to gauge your self-awareness and ability to be part of a team. You can also expect numerous follow-up questions.
Our clients who have interviewed with Yale in the past say that the interviewer was very friendly and prepared questions specifically tailored to his or her profile. As such, some clients received questions that were far more personal in nature, while others focused strictly on their academic and professional achievements.
Who will interview you?
You will interview with a member of Yale SOM’s admissions committee or with a second-year student who has been trained by the admissions committee.
Before COVID-19, Yale encouraged candidates to travel to campus to conduct interviews in person. However, interviews are now available both online, on campus, and at select off-campus locations around the world.
Though your application will not be “hurt” by conducting your interview online, the interview does offer a great chance for you to visit campus if you haven’t already done so.
Will the interviewer have read my application?
No. The Yale SOM interview is blind, meaning the interviewer will only have access to your CV.
As part of the interview, you will be required to submit a quote at least 24 hours before your interview. The quote (and why you chose it) will also factor into your interview.
You will also be given a quote by Yale’s Dean Kerwin Charles. During the interview, you will be asked to share your reflections on that quote.
How long will the Yale interview last?
Around 30 minutes.
Who is Yale SOM looking for?
Source: @yalesom on Instagram
“The Yale School of Management embraces diversity. We believe that effective leaders are those that understand and benefit from the perspectives of people with different backgrounds, and that a commitment to building a diverse community is a key element of our mission of educating leaders for business and society.” Yale SOM Admissions
Every year, Yale reads through thousands of applications to hand-pick slightly less than 350 students to take part in their prestigious MBA program.
With a strong emphasis on diversity (19% of Yale’s Class of 2024 came from humanities backgrounds), there is no “standard” student at Yale, yet the median GMAT score for the current class was 725, slightly down from 730 last year. The median GRE score for the class was 164 Verbal, 166 Quant. Furthermore, Yale’s class included a whopping 48% of international passport-holding students!
In addition to diversity, Yale is extremely dedicated to leadership development and has numerous resources on campus to ensure that diverse students not only grow at Yale but that they also have all the tools and support they need to reach their personal and professional goals on a global scale.
How can you prepare for your interview?
Though no interview is 100% predictable, Yale interviews do tend to center around a fairly standard list of MBA interview questions, with a few personalized questions added as well. As such, we have prepared some model questions below that previous candidates have received in their past Yale interviews.
Sample Yale SOM 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 Yale 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. / Walk me through your resume. (Expect follow-up questions)
- Do you have any recent accomplishments you want to share? / Are there any changes to your resume since you submitted it?
- What do you do outside of work?
- Tell me about your job. Have your responsibilities changed since your promotion? (If you have been promoted recently)
- What have you been doing in your position recently?
- Tell me about something at work you have been proud of in the last year.
- What’s a personal goal that you’ve set for yourself recently?
- Why MBA?
- Why did you decide to apply to Yale? Tell me your thought process.
- Why do you think now is the right time to apply?
- Where else did you apply?
- How will you contribute to the diversity of the Yale community?
- What will you get involved in outside of class?
- You were asked to consider a quote by Dean Kerwin Charles. What does this quote mean to you?
- Tell me about the quote you chose. Why did you choose it?
LEADERSHIP & TEAMWORK
- Tell me about when you faced a challenge in your job.
- How did you manage to resolve a conflict and move the team forward?
- Tell me about a difficult conversation/challenging interaction you had to have with someone.
- Tell me a time when you influenced someone.
- Tell me about a time when you were part of a team that had poor dynamics/didn’t get along well.
- Tell me about a time when you had to deal with someone who wasn’t pulling his/her weight.
- Tell me about a time when you took the lead on something.
- Tell me about a time you led a team to a solution.
- Tell me about a time when you had to persuade/convince others.
- Tell me about a time when you mentored someone.
MISCELLANEOUS BEHAVIORAL
- Tell me about a time when you set a goal and moved towards achieving it.
- Tell me a time when you thought outside of the box/innovative.
- Tell me of a time when you took the risk and the outcome. What did you learn from it?
- How would a friend describe you? A client?
- Tell me about a time when you had to step outside of your comfort zone.
- Tell me about a time you had to ask for help
- Tell me about a time you failed.
- Tell me about a time your idea was rejected.
- Tell me about a time when your expectations were not met.
CLOSING
- I’m meeting a lot of people today, what is going to make me remember you?
- Any questions for me?
- What do you wish I had asked you?
We have found that, for most candidates, answering real interview questions on the spot is a much better means of preparation than reading a list of potential interview questions. As such, 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 Yale SOM, 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 Yale SOM interview through mock interviews tailored to your profile.
What to do if you get a question you weren’t prepared 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 give your answer to show you can respond to any question they throw at you.
Effectively Tell your Story During your Yale 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.
Our tailored approach was critical to helping our client Chelsea secure a spot at her dream school.
“Thank you so much for providing detailed and insightful feedback during our mock interview today! This certainly helped me fine-tune my responses to questions that were asked during the actual interview. The mock certainly helped me boost my confidence. I was worried whether practicing with friends would be sufficient. Thank you again!”
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. Hire our interview services here. VIP packages that allow you to work directly with Ellin 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
