Once your application has been accepted, the interview is the next big step in your b- school admissions procedure. Some tips on how to crack the all-important interview.

Excellent GMAT scores, an unblemished past academic record, substantial work experience and well thought-out essays may still not get you into the top business schools. B-schools want to make sure that you can converse well, are confident, and can logically analyze situations. Hence, they have an interview with prospective candidates.

Interviews with b- schools can be done through the phone or in person. Many schools send their admission officials to India to interview candidates. Most interviewers form their impression about you in the first few minutes and in the rest of the interview they are only confirming this initial impression. So it's imperative that you 'perform well' during the first few minutes.

In a personal interview, you have the chance to structure the interview as per your requirements. You can say things and make the interviewer question you primarily on those things. You can charm your interviewer with your quick wit and confidence. A phone interview, on the other hand, tends to more structured. The questions asked during such an interview may be similar to the ones asked during a personal interview, but often you don't have the opportunity to direct the interview the way you want it. Before you schedule your interview, make sure you carefully analyze your strengths and weaknesses, your career progression and your reasons for pursuing an MBA degree. Take a pen and paper and write down all the attributes of your personality. This exercise will help in your interview and also confirm whether you are making the right career decision by pursuing an MBA. Don't get perplexed by questions such as, Tell me a joke or Tell me some bad things about your boss. These questions are designed to test your ability of spontaneity and the interviewer uses these questions to see how you would react in certain situations. Be honest and frank and if you need time to think about an appropriate answer to these questions, feel free to tell that to the interviewer. Similarly, its fine to tell the interviewer that you are feeling nervous, as this is your first admissions interview.

Almost every interview that you have will either start with or end with - Do you have any questions for me? Use this opportunity wisely and ask the admission official questions and discuss concerns that you genuinely may have. Make sure that you have studied the university website carefully and know what information has already been provided. If you ask a question like So what are my chances of getting in? you can be sure that you have lost a few points. Insightful questions such as What activities do your MBA students do outside of the classroom? or What study methods does your faculty employ? will show the interviewer that you are genuinely interested. Refrain from asking any personal questions such as, Are you married?, How long have you worked with the university?, How are the women at your campus? Even if your interview is informal, you must maintain some code of conduct and not embarrass the interviewer. Similarly, do not discuss politics, religion and certainly do not make any reference to tragic world events. Make sure you go alone do not drag along mommy and daddy. "I am not happy when students bring family members with them for interviews. I interview people for an MBA and want to talk to them alone," says an admission official from Babson College.

Remember that as an MBA student, you are expected to display high levels of confidence and maturity in your answers. Being shy is not going to help your application. You have to put yourself out there and show the admissions committee that you mean business!

Top 8 questions
Why do you want to come to our business school?
Tell me about yourself.
What are your career goals?
Your strengths and weaknesses?
What do you like about your current job?
Tell me a situation where you were the team leader and the team failed to meet its objectives.
What do you do in your spare time?
What would you do if you were not accepted at our school?