Written by: Stephen J. Skripak, Associate Dean for Graduate Programs, Pamplin College of Business, Virginia Tech
Open-ended questions like this one pose perhaps the greatest interview risk and opportunity to a prospective student. A weak answer could damage whatever positive impression you may have made to that point, while a strong, well-articulated response can cement positive impressions or, when needed, improve upon any weak points thus far. Probably the worst answer you could give would be along the lines of “No, I think we’ve about covered everything.” If that’s the case, your interviewer would have to rank among the most thorough in academia—for that matter, anywhere.
Even if you believe that nothing material has been left unexplored, this question presents an opportunity for you to recap positive points that you have raised throughout the interview. In a sense, your answer would be like a 30-second commercial, except that you’d be giving it as a deal-closer instead of an intro. You might begin with a statement like, “Just to reinforce why I think I would be a good fit with your program….” and then restate your main selling points.
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