Interview Day Q&A with 7th Grader Oliver Pilkinton

Interview Day is approaching, which means hopeful MBA applicants will flood The Hill in order to make their best first impressions.  We know the prospect of interviews can be nerve-wracking at best, so we decided to get insight from an expert on the matter.

It was just a year ago that Oliver Pilkinton (’23) was nervously anticipating his own interview.  Now he is working towards embodying the MBA ideal of Gentleman, Scholar, Athlete.  He took time out his day to chat with us about what to expect for Interview Day, and offered words of advice for those about to participate.

 

MBA:  Okay, talk to me about Interview Day.

Oliver Pilkinton:  It’s not anything to be afraid of or scared of.  It’s really just a time to talk to a teacher so they can learn more about you and you can feel more comfortable about MBA.  When you come to MBA next year you’ll already know [the] teacher you interviewed with.

MBA:  And who did you interview with?

OP:  I interviewed with Mr. Garvey, who is a seventh grade history teacher.

MBA:  Were you nervous before?

OP:  I was really nervous.  I didn’t know how it was going to go over, or what questions they were going to ask.  But it was really just a time to talk and nothing to be nervous about. 

MBA:  So what kinds of questions did they ask?

OP:  They asked, “What do you do in your free time?  What do you like about MBA?”  Just questions about your family and just why you would like to come to MBA. 

MBA:  How long did it last?

OP:  Maybe 10 to 15 minutes. 

MBA:  Did you prepare for it in any way?

OP:  I didn’t stress too much about writing anything that I was going to say directly, but I thought a little bit about why I wanted to come to MBA and why I think it’s a great place.  

MBA:  Do you feel like that helped you?  If somebody were trying to find out how to prepare for this, would that be what you would suggest? 

OP:  I would suggest thinking about why you want to come to MBA, why you think it’s such a good place, and why – what do you do in your free time?  It’s not going to be an exam or a test.  It’s just a really comfortable time to talk to a teacher.

MBA:  If you could tell anybody anything about that whole process, what would that be?

OP:  Probably just don’t be nervous.  I was really nervous, and looking back on it, it wasn’t anything…to be that nervous about.  You just get to know a teacher, and if you get into MBA you…you already know that teacher, which is really great.  And it’s not a big deal.  Just smile and act – and be – happy about it because you’re in a great place at that moment. 

MBA:  When did you find out that you got into MBA?

OP:  I remember I received a red folder in the mail that said, “Yes, Welcome to MBA.”  And it was amazing.

MBA:  Cool!  Did you celebrate?

OP:  I did!  I was really happy.  My family and I went out to dinner and we celebrated a little bit. 

MBA:  Over the course of this school year, is there anything in particular that has been a surprise for you?  That you didn’t know coming in?  A good or bad surprise.

OP:  Everything that you find at MBA, I feel like you’ll be notified before it happens.  That may not be a year before it happens, but that’ll be at least a few days or so.  And you just have to be able to adapt to what’s going to come next.  And I think that’s what MBA does a really good job of — making sure its students can adapt to different things.

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