In the third blogpost in this MBA Asmissions Interview series, we bring to you why b-schools ask, “why our MBA program?”

What do they want to find out?

A couple of things:

• The sincerity with which you are applying to their program
• Are you a good fit?

We all know that ‘Why do you want to join us’ is almost invariably asked in a job interview. The employer wants to find out if you have done enough research about their company, have spoken to people who are in the similar role, have a good idea about what will do and what will you learn. It’s the same thing here.

Preparing your response:

The extent of your research tells the interviewer about your interest in the program. And while they will make their own judgment about the fit – which is important – if you can point out why you think there is a good fit between you and the school  – it just makes their job easier. That’s the way to crack this question. Make their job easier.

As you would imagine, your response needs to go beyond the obvious-  the school’s rankings, the placement record and the location. We would suggest focusing on:

• Courses which are relevant to your career goals
• faculty whom you are excited to learn from
• Specific clubs which you would like to engage in based on your professional or personal interests. Show your passion
• Don’t miss out on the community aspect. Highlight the cultural fit. Some schools care a lot more about this and it reflects in their positioning and communication. Emphasize accordingly.
• Mention something which is unique to the program. As an example, if you applying to LBS and are interested in entrepreneurship, you would write about the fact that as a department they write their own cases and bring these entrepreneurs in the class. You may also be excited about the opportunity to build your idea in the entrepreneurship summer school that LBS offers
• Mention about your conversations with alumni or current students which gave you these insights