MBA Interviews How to Answer the Where Else Are You Applying Question

Undertaking the interview process for business school applications can be a nerve-wracking experience for many MBA candidates. Along with  the excitement of having the  opportunity to make your case to the representative of a school in person, comes the anxiety of potentially saying the wrong thing. For the most part, as an interviewee, you will know what is coming during the interview   most interviewers will ask you about your career progression, life experiences, career goals, and interest in pursuing an MBA at their school but one specific oddball question often sneaks in for many programs  every year. What other schools  are you applying to? This questions presents a confusing challenge to interviewees, and figuring out how to approach this seemingly benign question tends to cause more anxiety than comfort. Let’s explore a few tips on how to best address the question of where else you are  applying: 1) Answer the Question This is not the time to be philosophical about your opposition to sharing this information with the Admissions Committee or the moral conundrum this question  may put you in. The more of an issue you seem to have with this question, the more trouble you will be  in with your interviewer. Answer the question directly and prepare to move on to the next one. 2) Answer Strategically Do not feel like you have to list out every school you plan to apply to when this question is posed. Be strategic here, and only share the schools that align with the applicant narrative you are pushing. Out of the schools you are applying to, I would say pick the schools that relate most to the one you are interviewing with, and avoid bringing up any unrelated schools you may also be applying to. The Admissions Committee will be assessing the consistency of the narrative you are spinning and your thought process. If you are telling them you want a small school experience at Tuck, then don’t tell them you plan to apply to HBS, otherwise everything else you have said will ring hollow. So just make sure you are being consistent and that your overall story makes sense. 3) Answer Concisely: There is nothing worse than a candidate rambling through a long-winded response during an interview, and this gets even worse when a tough question is involved.   Avoid the potential for the perception of a disingenuous response by keeping it tight. Being concise is your friend here, and limits the opportunity for any potentially misplaced words. Ultimately, this question is not a major source of information for the interviewer and only really trips up the anxious, nervous and unprepared. So make sure you are none  of those three descriptors and use the above tips to knock this simple question out of the park! Applying to business school? Call us at 1-800-925-7737 and speak with an MBA admissions expert today, or take our free MBA Admissions Profile Evaluation  for personalized advice for your unique application situation! As always, be sure to find us on  Facebook,  YouTube,  Google+  and Twitter. Dozie A.  is a Veritas Prep Head Consultant for the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. His specialties include consulting, marketing, and low GPA/GMAT applicants. You can read more articles by him  here.