Like most M7 MBA programs, MIT Sloan interviews are by invitation only.

Along with the invitation to interview, Sloan also asks candidates to submit a response to one of two questions before your interview. Pre-interview requirements seem to be a growing trend among top schools. Several, like Chicago Booth, Kellogg, INSEAD and LBS, now ask interviewees to also submit videos in which they answer preset or randomly assigned questions. MIT, in contrast, asks for a written response about how you use data to make decisions and analyze results.

Decoding MIT Sloan’s Pre-Interview Question: Top Tips on How to Respond

The required question offers two options to choose from. It is similar to questions I’ve encountered in tech-industry interviews. Let’s break them down and explore how you might approach each option:

We are interested in learning more about how you use data to make decisions and analyze results. Please select one of the following prompts to respond to:

Option A
Please select an existing data visualization and in 250 words or less explain why it matters to you. The data visualization should be uploaded as a PDF. Examples may come from current events, a business analysis, or personal research.

Option B
In 250 words to less, please describe a recent data-driven decision you had to make, and include one slide presenting your analysis. The slide may include a data visualization example and should present data used in a professional context. Your slide must be uploaded as a PDF.

Option B, in particular, is a question you might encounter in an Amazon interview, where you’re often asked about how you used data to influence others. It’s ultimately less about the specific data you used and more about whether you used the data effectively. Sloan is looking to see that your example resonated with and influenced your audience. They want to see that you considered your stakeholders and/or customers, and elevated your credibility with strong logic.

There are many things that can potentially qualify as “data.” Most business leaders need a lot of perspectives and opinions and utilize many resources to make calculated decisions. You could say that those perspectives equate to “qualitative data.”

I’ve also encountered situational questions about how you would go about deciding whether to focus on a new product/partnership, which is really asking, “What data do you need to make that decision?” This may, and should, include qualitative data like “industry expert insights” or “client feedback.”

In structuring your response, consider an adapted version of the STAR (Situation Task Action Result) format, where the task is the decision you have to make, and the action is more about your consideration of the factors and hypotheses that go into making that decision.

Here are a few examples for inspiration on how you might put together a slide.

These examples are designed to guide your reader very simply and clearly through your analysis, starting with your main goal, an enticing visual, a few key and influential insights, and finally a logical conclusion. However, there are several other factors that may be helpful to include, such as a list of key hypotheses, variables, or methodology, so long as the overall effect of the slide doesn’t become too cluttered. Remember: Anyone looking at your visual should be able to draw the same conclusion you did.

Option B lends itself more to a values/goals question, whereas option A is more of a leadership/situational question.

Meaning, option B is an invitation to share startling statistics that have motivated you to make a change or impact.

A good place to go for finding visuals in the “business analysis” category would be CBInsights. They do thorough analyses and collect visuals from a lot of other resources, like Statista and Financial Times. (While it’s a pay-to-play service, they do offer a 30-day trial.)

For additional inspiration, we at Fortuna  recommend seeking out the work of Edward Tufte, often referred to as the godfather of modern data visualization and quantitative design. As you do, consider Tufte’s Fundamental Principles of Analytical Design:

1. Show comparisons.
2. Show causality.
3. Show multivariate data.
4. Integrate evidence; text, tables, illustrations, videos, formulas, etc. shouldn’t be segregated, but presented together so as to reinforce one another.
5. Document evidence.
6. Content above all else.

For more advice on how to prepare for the MIT Sloan interview, along with example behavioral questions from recent clients, view this related article by Fortuna’s Brittany Maschal or sign up for MIT Sloan interview coaching.