A frequent doubt that students encounter is whether they should ask something or not at the end of the interview. We recommend that you do not ask any questions unless specifically asked to do so. It is not necessary for you to ask a question. You should not feel pressurized to come up with something intelligent.
However, if the panelists do ask you if you have any questions from them, an intelligent move would be to pose an informational query. The panelists want to see if you have taken the effort of studying the b-school's background and exploring the various courses it offers. Hence, you need to make sure that you do not ask questions that are too obvious or questions where it is possible to find out the answers through your own initiative. Also, since such questions can indicate your level of seriousness w.r.t. admission into the MBA program, it is important to keep such questions deliberate, genuine and no-nonsense in nature.
Let’s take up some examples in this case and understand what kind of questions qualify as good and bad ones.
Bad Questions:
Questions pertaining to the evaluation process, weightage attached to the interview.
Questions which are too personal.
Some Acceptable Questions:
What are the opportunities of lateral learning in this school?
What are the key challenges students are expected to overcome to be successful?
Is it possible to get an opportunity to be exposed to cross-functional domains and learning?
As you can see from the above illustrations, the acceptable questions focus on learning and professional development. These questions exhibit a positive and pro-active attitude, something you need to showcase in the interview. Before the interview, go through various sources to gather information about the respective management school and its various programs. You can refer to the college website, b-school counselling sessions, LinkedIn profiles of its alumni, etc to learn all about what is in the basket for you. Frame some questions accordingly beforehand to be well-prepared.
