You worked hard to present your best self to the admissions committee through your MMS application. You spent hours studying for exams, drafting meaningful essays, refining your resume, and working with professors and managers to secure glowing recommendations. Now you face the gateway to admission: the interview.

The interview is my favorite part of the admissions process, because it allows us to get to know applicants on more personal terms. Similarly, it is the applicant’s opportunity to interact with a member of the Fuqua community and get a better sense of how they might fit in as a member of our team.

We want you to make the most of your admissions interview experience with us, so I’d like to share the following tips to help you approach it with confidence:

1. Know your story. Make a point to present your background, experiences, and interests in a cohesive manner that the interviewer will be able to follow. Your interviewer will have access to your resume, but not necessarily your application—so don’t assume the interviewer has information you shared only in your application.
2. Be sure you’re able to clearly articulate why you want to pursue the Master of Management Studies degree and why you want to study at Duke.
3. Be aware of your strengths and how you could leverage them in the program. Also be aware of your weaknesses and consider how you plan to address them. In particular, think about how you’d hope to improve upon your weaknesses using your experience in the program.
4. Be prepared, but natural. Avoid over-rehearsing your answers or reciting prepared responses word-for-word.
5. Answer your interviewer’s questions in a concise and complete manner. We encourage you to share solid examples of your teamwork, leadership, and experiences to support your answers. However, be sure you do so in an effective and succinct way, and always make sure you actually answer the question that was asked.
6. Conduct yourself appropriately. Most interviews take place via Skype, and we expect you to dress and act professionally. Be sure you choose a quiet location for your interview.
7. We encourage you to ask questions. The interview is your opportunity to learn more about the Fuqua community, and your interviewer will be happy to share his or her experiences with you. However, please avoid asking questions for which you could easily find answers on Fuqua’s website.
8. Keep in mind that your interviewer is truly interested in you and wants to get to know you better! Interviews that are conversational are often the most successful ones. Therefore, make an effort to be curious and get to know your interviewer, too.

Most importantly, relax. You are one step closer to becoming part of the Fuqua Family! I hope these tips will help you enjoy the interview process as much as we do.