Top MBA Programs with Early/Open Interviews

Generally, business schools interview MBA applicants after they have had a chance to review their applications. After each round is over and all application are submitted, several MBA candidates receive interview invitations.

There are however some exceptions to this rule, in other words: business schools that require for applicants to schedule an interview before they apply, or offer open MBA interviews/applicant-initiated interviews to all candidates. The interview can be scheduled by the candidate from within the online application, and sometimes there is a specific period for asking for an open interview, so it’s important to pay attention to the instructions on schools websites.

Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management

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University of Virginia, Darden School of Business

Interview Format

Interviews play a critical role in our assessment of candidates and are required prior to acceptance into the program. Our interviews are up to 45 minutes in length and your interviewer will not have read or reviewed your application or resume. It is our policy to conduct anonymous interviews. Applicants do not need to send in their resume for the interview. In our Full-Time MBA application process, interviews are conducted by either Admissions Committee members or Second Year students. Interviews are given equal weight for any interviewer type. Darden interviews may be offered on-Grounds, virtually via Zoom and in some select cases, off-Grounds.

Open Interviews (Early Action Round)

Early Action applicants have the opportunity to schedule an interview during the open interview period and do not need to wait for an invitation. If applicants have not scheduled an interview by the time the application is initially reviewed, they still may receive an invitation to interview. In our Full-Time MBA application process, interviews are conducted by either Admissions Committee members or Second Year students. Regardless of whether the Early Action interview is during the open interview period or by invitation, all interviews are given equal weight for any interviewer type and format.

Interviews in the open interview period will be held during August and September up until the Early Action deadline on a first-come, first-served basis. Interview times are limited. Please schedule an interview only if you intend to submit a completed application by the Early Action deadline. In order to be considered for admission, the application must be submitted and the application fee must be paid by the deadline.

Steps to Schedule Your Interview

For the 2027 application cycle, open interviews will only be conducted virtually via Zoom and Early Action applicants are required to complete the following steps to schedule their interview:

Start your application in the Early Action round
Select your time from the calendar on our interview scheduler page. Early Action applications will receive an email containing a link for the scheduler page.
Provide the necessary information for the registration form to schedule your interview, which includes submitting your resume, submitting a response to the “Relationships Matter Here” short answer essay question and provide a verified test score. If we already have this information in our system, it will automatically display in the registration form.

Open virtual/remote interviews will take place between 24 August and 8 September 2026. Open interview availability will be released on an ongoing basis. Interviews must be scheduled by the Early Action deadline of 9 September. After this date, interviews will be by invitation only. Please note that you do not have to submit a complete application in order to schedule your interview; you may submit your application after scheduling and conducting your interview.

More information on the Early Action Open Interview process can be found on the Early Action information page.

Early Action Invite-Only Interviews

The period for scheduling an Open Interview will close on the day of the Early Action deadline. After that deadline, the admissions team will shift to an invite-only interview process that is expected to run between 17 September and 28 October 2026. Candidates may be invited to interview on Zoom or in-person and will be contacted by email with instructions and information on their interviews.

Dartmouth College, Tuck School of Business

Admissions interviews are an opportunity for you to further demonstrate that you are smart, accomplished, aware, and encouraging. They provide additional information on who you are, what you have done, where you are going, and how you will get there. All applicants admitted to Tuck will interview prior to an admissions offer.

HOW ARE INTERVIEWS SCHEDULED?

There are two paths to an interview:

Guaranteed interviews — Applicants who submit their complete application, including test scores and Letters of Reference, by 5:00pm ET on:
- September 1, 2026, for Round 1/Consortium 1 or
- December 1, 2026, for Round 2/Consortium 2
will be guaranteed an interview.
Invitational interviews — For all other applicants, interviews are offered by invitation only. We will review your application and invite you to interview if we believe it will help us learn more about how you demonstrate our admissions criteria.

We understand that not everyone can submit their complete application by one of the early deadlines. Don’t worry if this is true for you. We value all interviews equally in our evaluation process, whether guaranteed or invitational, in-person or virtual.

WHEN ARE INTERVIEWS SCHEDULED?

Application Round	Interview notifications sent on a rolling basis beginning	Interview notifications sent on a rolling basis until
Round 1	Late August, 2026	Early December, 2026
Round 2	Early December, 2026	Mid-March, 2027
Round 3	Mid-March, 2027	Late April, 2027
Consortium 1	Mid-October, 2026	Early December, 2026
Consortium 2	Early January, 2027	Mid-March, 2027

We release invitations to interview on a rolling basis throughout the round. While we send most invitations at least 1-2 weeks before releasing admissions decisions, it is possible to receive an invitation in the days prior to the notification date. The timing of your interview invitation does not reflect the committee’s level of interest in your application.

HOW ARE INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED?

Most interviews are conducted by a select group of trained second-year students, Tuck Admissions Associates (TAAs). Interviews last 30-45 minutes. Using only your resume, your interviewer will ask you behavioral questions aimed to draw out evidence of your demonstration of the Tuck criteria. At the end of the interview, you will have an opportunity to ask questions of your interviewer to learn more about their experience and Tuck.

We will offer both virtual and a limited number of on-campus interviews for the 2026-2027 admissions cycle. Remember, we value all interviews equally in our evaluation process, whether guaranteed or invitational, in-person or virtual.

Questions? Visit Admissions FAQs and Tuck Admissions Insights: Your Admissions Interview for more information about interviews and how to prepare.