What to Expect When Interviewing During a Pandemic

Over a month into the new - and very unique - academic year, I continue to be amazed and humbled by the enthusiasm and resilience of our students. They are embracing the hybrid learning experience (and the time it frees up from having to walk to class) and engaging with each other in new ways. 

I’m particularly excited about our upcoming OutX event, which is part of Coming Out Week at Ross. At this event, students from our LGBTQ community share their personal coming out stories on stage (this year, on screen) with hundreds of classmates, friends, and family. This year, the Out For Business club even delivered watch kits to supporters; I’ll be wearing mine! 

We are also into Round 2 of the application cycle. The Admissions team is reviewing applications we received in Round 1 and preparing to send out interview invitations via email on October 5. All Round 1 invitations will be sent at the same time. We’ve heard from some applicants that their interview invitation email went into their spam folder, so be sure to check there in case it happens to you. 

The team and I wish we could welcome candidates to campus for interview days, but we want to ensure that all community members, both prospective and current, stay safe. That means all our interviews will be conducted virtually by an MBA2 or Ross alum. 

Given the impact of the pandemic on travel, along with our building’s capacity limits, we will be suspending our Team Exercise this year. However, we are excited to offer some alternative events for interviewees to get to know Ross, our community, and each other. 

We will kick things off with a Welcome and Interview Tips Session, featuring a Q&A with Ross Dean Scott DeRue, panels with current students, and virtual breakout sessions to get to know other interviewees. We will also offer mock classes for those interested in experiencing a Ross class. 

There are three months until the Round 2 deadline (Jan 4). 

That gives you plenty of time to put together a solid app. One of the first things you’ll want to do is decide who you are going to ask to be your recommender, as you should give the person plenty of time to write a good letter for you. It should be someone who knows you well in a professional setting and can speak to various aspects of your work style and performance. 

In the coming weeks we will share additional app tips on this blog. So be sure to  keep an eye out for future posts from me.