• Business School
    • Admissions Help
    • School-Specific MBA Essay Tips
    • Executive MBA Essay Tips
    • MBA Admissions Calendar
    • Free Guides
    • Video Tips
    • Podcast
    • Selectivity Index
    • EMBA: The Ultimate Guide for Applicants
  • Medical School
    • Admissions Help
    • Med School Admissions 101
    • Secondary Essay Tips (by School)
    • Student Interviews
    • Free Guides
    • Video Tips
    • Podcast
    • Selectivity Index
  • Law School
    • Admissions Help
    • Law School Admissions 101
    • Selectivity Index
    • Free Guides
    • Podcast
    • Video Tips
  • Graduate School
    • Admissions Help
    • Grad School Admissions 101
    • Free Guides
    • Video Tips
    • Podcast
  • College
    • Admissions Help
    • Free Guides
    • Supplemental Essay Tips
    • Video Tips
    • Podcast
Accepted

1 (310) 815-9553

Blog HomePodcastContact Us

Accepted Admissions Blog

Everything you need to know to get Accepted

January 22, 2014

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Study Shows that WHEN You Interview Matters

Want Interview Tips?
When You Interview Matters.

Wharton research shows that interviewees need not only compete against the crowded field of candidates in general, but against those specific candidates who are interviewing on the same day as they are.

The study measures the success of applicants who interviewed at the end of the day, rather than early on in the interviewer’s schedule. The results show that a qualified candidate who would have scored high earlier in the day, ended up scoring lower if interviewed at the end of the day. This low scoring, however, resulted only if our highly qualified candidate followed other highly qualified candidates. If our end-of-the-day highly qualified candidate interviewed late in the day following a series of WEAK candidates, then his end-of-the-day timing would work with him to increase his interview score.

The theory behind the data here is that if an interviewer goes into the day knowing that he will probably accept or score highly 50% of his interviewees (for example), and if by the end of the day he’s already reached his quota of “good interviews, then even if our highly qualified candidate does extremely well, the interviewer will be less likely to accept him.

According to Uri Simonsohn, Wharton operations and information management professor, “The effect very well could be an unconscious one,” or “it could be very conscious. It could be an agency thing. It could be you don’t want your supervisors to think you’re doing a bad job when they see a bunch of [candidates rated as] fives in a row.”

The flipside of all of this is that a weak candidate who interviews later in the day, really lowers his chances of scoring high during the interview.

See “Why Being the Last Interview of the Day Could Crush Your Chances” for more information.

Takeaways

Obviously, you don’t know the strength of the candidates scheduled to interview on any given day. Therefore, you don’t know whether you are better off scheduling in the morning or late afternoon.

I asked a few of Accepted’s former admissions directors about the study, and they were skeptical of this data, and they disagreed with any conclusion that interviewing in the morning is an advantage.

I have always wondered or perhaps assumed that there are certain random factors no one can control in this highly subjective application evaluation process. What if the reader has a fight with his or her significant other that morning? Or conversely if something wonderful happens just before the reader opens your file?

The irrational, random aspects of the evaluation process can contribute to what outsiders see as anomalous results: applicants rejected at less selective programs and admitted to more selective programs; or less “qualified” competition accepted at your favorite program when you are “more qualified” and your answer is a sympathetic but definitive denial.

Perhaps the real takeaway from this study is not when you should interview, but a reminder that the MBA application process is a subjective process imperfectly evaluating your application, not you. It is not an authoritative analysis of your worth as a human being; it isn’t even an omen of professional triumph or a sign of success in the business world.

The study also serves as a reminder, given the subjective and even capricious elements in the application process, that applying to one highly selective school runs a high risk of rejection. Unless you really can’t leave the city where this school is located, apply to several schools that meet your needs.

Tips to help you ace those MBA interviews!
Accepted.com Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Article by Accepted / MBA Admissions / MBA Interview, Wharton

Get Accepted!

Choose your desired degree and then the service that best meets your needs.

Which program are you applying to?

What do you need help with?

Join the informed applicants who read Accepted's blog!

8 Popular Posts

1. Your Guide to Getting off the Waitlist in 2022

2. How to Write About Your Research Interests

3. 4 Ways to Show How You’ll Contribute in the Future

4. 7 Simple Steps to Writing an Excellent Diversity Essay

5. Top STEM MBA Programs: A Comprehensive List and Overview of STEM-OPT Eligible B-Schools

6. Sample Essays from Admitted HBS Students

7. The 9 Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make on a Med School Waitlist

8. M7 MBA Programs: Everything You Need to Know in 2022

Recent Posts

  • 2022-23 AMCAS Work and Activities Section: What to Include (With Examples)
  • The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans Application Essay Tips
  • Teamwork in Medical School Admissions: How to Show You’ve Got It
  • How to Get Into HEC Paris MBA Program [Episode 470]
  • Why Do You Want to Be a Doctor? [Short Video]

Sample Essays

MBA Personal Statement Examples

Medical School Personal Statement Examples

Graduate School Personal Statement Examples

Law School Personal Statement Examples

College Application Essay Examples

 

This Site is Featured on GMATClub

Home Page Services and Prices MBA Med School Law School Grad School College

About Us Press Room Contact Us Podcast Accepted Blog
Privacy Policy Website Terms of Use Disclaimer Client Terms of Service

Accepted 1171 S. Robertson Blvd. #140 Los Angeles CA 90035 +1 (310) 815-9553
© 2022 Accepted

BBB A+ RatingStamp of AIGAC Excellence

Copyright © 2022 · Education Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in