Enterprise Risk Management
School of Professional Studies, Columbia University
Unlock with a Pass
Use 1 Pass to unlock this program.
You're Almost There!
Unlock all interview questions of this program by upgrading your plan. Or try our free Real-World AI Mock Interview Demo first.
2027 Admissions Interview Question Bank* (COLUMBIA SPS ERM)
How do you define success?
Analysis
- Why asked: Tests values and self-awareness — the interviewer is probing whether your definition is intrinsic and thoughtful, or superficial and purely external.
- Expectations: Strong candidates give a definition that reflects genuine reflection — balancing personal fulfillment, impact on others, and professional achievement.
- Strong answer: Define success in terms specific to who you are, give a concrete example of what it looked like at a key life moment, and connect it to your longer-term direction.
- Common mistakes: Giving a generic definition, defining success purely as wealth or status, or providing a definition so idealistic it seems disconnected from any personal reality.
Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Analysis
- Why asked: The ten-year horizon tests the ambition and coherence of your long-term professional vision — whether you have a genuine sense of what you want to build or become, not just a title you want to hold.
- Expectations: Strong candidates describe a compelling long-term vision: a specific type of leadership role in a specific industry context, with a clear sense of what they will be building, leading, or contributing — and a traceable path from today through the MBA and early career to that destination.
- Strong answer: Give the ten-year vision with enough specificity to be compelling: 'In ten years, I expect to be [specific role type] in [specific industry or company type], having [built/led/transformed/created something specific] — I see the MBA as building the analytical foundation and network for my first leadership role, and the subsequent years of execution as building the operational experience that qualifies me for the broader role I am describing.'
- Common mistakes: A ten-year vision of 'being a senior executive with global impact' is too generic to be meaningful; but an overly precise multi-year roadmap sounds artificial — the best answers show genuine aspiration with honest acknowledgment of uncertainty.
*Disclaimer: This question bank is compiled and generated by MockMore (mockmore.com) based on applicant feedback, historical data, and our proprietary AI model. MockMore is an independent platform and is not affiliated with any university or video interview platform (such as Kira Talent, VidCruiter, InitialView, Vericant, etc.).
Interview Experience Records (from Real Candidates)
* The records were obtained from publicly available data or contributed by users of MockMore (mockmore.com), then reviewed and refined by our AI models.