The interesting thing about ISB interview questions is that they are not very different from what you might come across MBA interviews from any other top business school. Here’s a list of some common but tricky MBA interview questions with answer tips.
But there are a few things that make them unique.
Here’s what you need to know while preparing for ISB interviews.
- You are competing with many more applicants from India, compared to international business schools where Indians form a subset of the application pool.
- Most of your rivals would have profiles that closely match yours. There’s a higher level of homogeneity among ISB applicants than international schools.
- Just because you got an interview call does not mean everything you did before that was perfect. There may be flaws in your essays, recommendations, resume that adcoms would like to hear about before taking the final call.
The first 2 points explain the increased emphasis on differentiation for ISB admissions, and that part starts before you get called for an interview. Your GMAT score, work experience, industry/role, extracurriculars, essays and goals play a role in helping you stand out.
The 3rd point indicates that you still need to be at your sharpest when you’re invited for an ISB interview. You cannot take anything for granted.
Gauri Taori, a computer engineer from PICT (Pune), worked with another admissions consulting team for her ISB application. But she decided to approach MBA Crystal Ball for help in preparing for ISB interview questions. She shares the reason.
My ISB Application and Interview Experience
MBA Crystal Ball Review for ISB interview preparation
by Gauri Taori
When I started my MBA prep journey, researching and reading, I often found myself stumbling upon MCB blogs, never imagining I would write one too.
I was born and brought up in Nagpur, eldest sibling in a joint family and hence the negotiator between the parents and kids. Growing up I was always found dancing, reading or drawing.
Maths and Science were my favourite subjects and hence decided to pursue engineering. I went to Kota to crack IIT (didn’t succeed) and pursued CS Engineering from PICT, Pune. The setback had fueled my determination to pursue MBA from a top college.
My first corporate stint was with Barclays as a software developer, for around 2.5 years where I thoroughly enjoyed my role and got a flavour of finance world. The role demanded me to learn different technologies on the go, and create systems that are reliable in handling large amounts of data.
I had the chance to design and implement automation for manual processes that were both time-consuming and error-prone. Transforming an idea into a fully functional solution made the experience both challenging and fulfilling.
As I was progressing, I starting finding gaps in my knowledge about the finance domain, and also wanted to explore what other things are out there, and hence MBA seemed as a wise option.
Preparation for GMAT
As I look back and recall the journey, I focused on one step at a time. While preparing for GMAT, I didn’t think about what colleges I should apply or even the score I should target. I solely wanted to enjoy the learning experience which I had missed during preparing for JEE.
I enrolled in an online self paced course, and relied on GMAT club for doubts and queries. Feel free to hit me up incase of doubts, would love to solve it together. The CR skills actually helped me to read better and negotiate better with my family (which they don’t like)
On my first GMAT Focus attempt on 21st Nov, 2024 I scored a 635, and ISB had a application deadline for 8th Dec, and I decided to go for it, even though it was not the score I wanted.
A lot of people had told me you will get clarity about what you want to do once you started writing your application, and I always thought they were lying, until I wrote my applications. The questions often help you deep dive situations, your strength and weaknesses, and it is okay to be totally lost.
What helps is to be honest with yourself and have the believe that you will figure it out eventually. I was very honest and upfront about my experiences in my essays and they reflected my true personality.
Even though I come from an over represented pool of engineers, I could differentiate myself, by writing about the situations where I have sensed emotions in a room, and displayed acts of empathy. One should totally zoom in their lives and try to connect the dots!
Interview Call
I had only applied to ISB, and was beyond elated when I got an interview invite from ISB, which meant one step closer. I really did not have a lot of experience in giving interviews, and didn’t want to leave any stone unturned.
I had worked with another consulting team for my ISB application, but they were not up to the mark. Their process was not thorough and a lot relied on luck. That’s why I didn’t want to continue with them for help with the ISB interview.
I remember vividly, sitting in my office chair on a Monday morning, exhausted, as I had just come back from watching Coldplay live (best concert experience), and had emailed the MBA Crystal Ball (MCB) team for ISB interview preparation.
One of my reasons to approach MCB was their authenticity which was quite evident in the blogs written by other applicants.
Manish was quick in responding, and swift in planning, as I had my interview for Saturday, which left us with only 4 days to prepare.
In my first mock interview with Avinash, I was a total mess, but he was really calm and positive and did not make me feel out of place.
Instead of preparing in a worried state, I prepared with realistic optimism. The question set provided was very thorough and catered around my profile.
Avinash was also very precise with the feedback and spent time in improving small details, which made me confident for the actual interview.
I really enjoyed my actual interview, where I was grilled on my work experience, and the interviewers had a follow up question on everything I said.
I was not sure about how the interview went, but I was satisfied as it was the best I could have done.
My hands were actually shaking when I got the acceptance mail and I was on cloud nine.
My father sang to me “Aaj mai upar, aasmaan neeche, aaj mai aage, zamana hai peeche”, a memory I’ll always treasure.
As I pack my bags for Mohali, again confused, anxious and curious, I want to remind myself things work out, and to just enjoy the journey, and leave other things for destiny.
Everything you want is a dream away!
Gauri.
Work with us for your ISB applications to ensure that you aren’t over-relying on the interview (assuming you get a call) to get you an admit: info@mbacrystalball.com
– How the ISB admission process works
– From GMAT score for ISB Hyderabad to interview: Bodhi’s success story
