abhimahna wrote:Hello
hornet2011 /
ankurgupta03 ,
Congratulations on getting the admit and thanks for helping us out.
Can you both please brief your profile? Also, please help us with the below answers
1. What do you think helped you get into UNC?
2. Did you use any consultants for the same? If yes, how was the experience?
3. How was your application experience and then the interview experience?
4. Any brief about your interview questions?
5. What are the things that you think distinguish UNC from other B Schools? I am looking for the stuff that helped you justify why you need UNC MBA?
6. As a re-applicant, what do you think should one do in order to justify the application.
7. Any tips for us?
Thanks for all your help.
ankurgupta03 : This year we are planning to avoid the bbcode.
P.S: Guys, come and ask all your doubts on this platform.
It's really hard to say what I think got me into UNC. I really do think they are looking very holistically at candidates from a wide variety of backgrounds (this is backed up from what I saw at both admitted students day events and interacting with current 1st year and 2nd year students). However, here are a few things: (1) DEFINITELY sign up for an "Open Interview" slot assuming it is offered again this year and you are prepared to interview. Last year these slots were open in September and October and only offered on campus. Signing up for an open interview is great as it allows you to see the campus and interact with UNC before you submit your essays and guarantees that you will have an interview. I also think it shows that you are very serious about UNC. (2) For the interview, definitely research UNC very well (I used the webstie and talked with current students) to really show why UNC makes sense. I got the impression that a lot of people apply to both Duke and UNC and since Duke is usually higher ranked in US News, many people put all their effort into the Duke interview and not as much into the UNC interview. I feel that this is a huge mistake that can easily be spotted. I really connected my past experiences with things I wanted to involve myself with at UNC and was able to speak to specific parts of the UNC curriculum that would be a major benefit to my career aspirations. (3) It goes without saying, thoughtfully review your essays and make sure you are answering every part of the UNC application. If you are applying to multiple schools it can be tempting to simply cut and paste but make sure you craft each application to each school. I only worked on one application at a time until I submitted it and then started on the next one, which I think was key to keeping all my focus on UNC. (4) For GRE applicants, do pay for the premium US News service as it will show you under admissions the median, and 10th-90th percentile ranges for GRE verbal scores. This is a great tool as once I indentified UNC as a top school for me I made sure I kept studying and postponed taking the test until I was consistently scoring close to the median GRE scores for both Verbal and Quant for UNC.
For the application and interview questions, I'll tackle them in the order I did them since I did the Open Interview first and then the application. I know I already touched on the Open Interview portion and some general tips, but here are a few more. Do yourself a favor and come in a day early and stay in a hotel near campus (Carolina Inn, Aloft Chapel Hill, or The Franklin Hotel are all great options). This will ensure you are well rested. The evening and morning before the interview talk yourself through the likely questions "Why MBA", "Why Now", "Walk Me Through Your Resume", "Why UNC", "How Do You Hope to Contribute To the KF Community". Also if there are any glaring weaknesses in your application be sure to practice your questions on how to address them. For those with lesser demonstrable quant scores, I highly recommend researching the ASW (Analytical Skills Workshop) and discussing how that program in the summer will help facilite your skills since this is something truly unique to UNC (about 80% of the class does it, so even those with strong quant scores you may want to address it. There is even a class offered during that time called Tools of Financial Markets for the banking and finance inclined). My interview was very conversational and with an ad com member. It lasted about an hour. Besides those typical MBA questions, be prepared to answer specific questions to your resume. I recall being asked how I was promoted so quickly, why I switched from academia to business, among others. I don't know how it came up, but I do remember talking about why I chose to apply to UNC and not some other schools, specifically mentioning what I perceived as the benefits of a college campus., Chapel Hill, and the collaborative nature of the program. Remember to thank your interviewer for their time and it goes without saying be polite to all the staff members in the McColl building even if something bad happens in the morning or you get lost on your way to McColl etc. Oh, and parking is very challenging. I'd highly recommend taking an Uber or Lyft to the McColl building. For the application, as I'm sure you've heard before, be yourself. Definitely do all the optional essays if those are part of the application this year. I thought the application was very straightforward and one of the easiest to complete. If at all possible, apply in either the Early Action round or Round 1 (this was a December deadline this past year). I recall overhearing that Round 2 (January Round) has the most applicants and since few other schools have a deadline around the beginning of December there are no other schools you need to be working on.
As far as other things that distinguish UNC. Definitely the school's culture. Not a knock on any other school (I visited almost every school I applied to), but I felt people were especially outgoing, friendly, willing to help, and a rare mix of extremely accomplished and very down to earth. KF calls this the "Carolina Way". It's very real and one of the biggest, if not the biggest draws to UNC. ASW (analytical skills workshop) is another unique element as is the Working Languages Program -- which is a way to take certain foreign languages classes for credit to prep for study abroad and careers. It's a very collaborative school, which is evidenced by the Legacy program. 1st year classes are split into legacies sort of like the houses of Hogwart's and compete against each other in a friendly way throughout the year. The curriculum is probably more "fixed" than other schools such as Booth and this is a big pro for people who want to ensure they get a well-rounded MBA experience, get to know their classmates well (as they can't opt out of core courses), and work together.
As far as any other tips, definitely reach out to UNC students. They (I guess I can say we now!) are an invaluable source of information. Again, do the Open Interview if at all possible and prep for it very seriously. Lastly, no matter your background be yourself and make your case for why a UNC MBA will get you where you want to go in your application and interview. I've met UNC students so far from very diverse backgrounds, so I wouldn't worry about being a non-traditional applicant.
I hope that helps and don't hesitate to reach out with anything else I can help with!
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