Webcam Interviews Offer MBA Applicants Advantages Over Phone

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA (January 11, 2008) – The Smeal College of Business MBA Program is piloting a new method of interviewing applicants who are unable to make it to campus to meet with the admissions team in person: the Webcam interview.

A recent BusinessWeek.com article shows how Webcam interviews maintain integrity in the application process. In addition to aiding its focus on principled leadership, Smeal actually started using Webcams to increase the personal focus and "human touch" of interviews, giving candidates the ability to fully express themselves, according to Carrie Marcinkevage, MBA director of admissions.

"Ideally, we would like all candidates to visit campus and do their interviews in person because that's the best way to get a true feel for the college, the campus, and the academic environment—but that's not feasible for everyone," she says. "The Webcam is the next best thing because it enables a personal connection that is not possible over the phone.

"The interview is the only time the applicant gets to show us who he or she really is off paper," Marcinkevage explains. "It's so much more effective to do that over a Webcam when body language, facial expressions, and personality are all part of the communication.

"And that's important because our admissions process is about much more than test scores, essays, and resumes; we really want to know the person we're admitting. We're crafting a network of future business leaders and colleagues. The Webcam allows us to be sure that the applicant is a good fit for our program, and just as importantly, we can ensure that our program is a good fit for the applicant."

For more information on the Smeal MBA Program, visit www.smeal.psu.edu/mba.