Harvard Business School Interview Questions

1. Why MBA?

2. Post MBA goal. where do you see yourself working?

3. How is your experience working in AA company?
4. What drives the growth? Follow up: is this the only reason for the growth?
5. What are the challenges faced the company?
6. Tell me more about the opportunity you mentioned in xyz.
7. Telll me about your role as a xyz.
8. What is a unique skill set you have and others don't.
9. What do you find most challenging at work?

10. Any hobby?
11. Anything you would like to add?

1. Describe an accomplishment in the past 5 years you are proud of.
2. Explain a situation when you were blocked from your goals and you figured your way around it
3. Give a leadership example
4. Why MBA, Why Stanford
5. How do you deal with conflict

6. Any Questions?

1. Tell me about yourself.
2. Tell me about a time you led a group.
3. Tell me about a time when you worked at ____ and you tried to counteract the hierarchical structure there (with 2-3follow ups drilling down on specifics)
4. What would you have done differently?
5. Asked to explain specifically about a bullet on my résumé in my work experience (again with follow ups)
6. Why do you want an MBA?
7. Why now?
8. What specifically are your 5-year and 10-year plans, how are they different? What are the steps involved in the future and what steps have you already taken to get yourself there?
9. What clubs that relate to what you want to study and do post-mba do you plan on participating in?

1. Tell me about a time you had a conflict with someone at work.
2. Tell me about a time you led a team.
3. Tell me about a time when you had to convince others.
4. Tell me about a time you failed
5. Tell me about a recent success
6. Tell me about a personal goal you want to accomplish in the short term.
7. Self-reflection from last year (Re-applicant)
8. Why MBA/Sloan/Now?

9. Have you done anything of significance since you applied which isn’t covered on your résumé
10. Tell me about a situation where you received push-back
11. Now tell me about an instance where you pushed back on something
12. Recount a difficult conversation you had at work
13. Why does it make sense for you to take 2 years for an MBA at this stage of your career
14. Why MIT Sloan
15. You’ve covered a general direction of what you’ll be working on, what are some specific future plans post-MBA
16. Anything else you’d like to cover outside of your application
17. Anything you want to ask me

After a team-based disscusion, there is another short interview.

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1. How do you think the discussion went?

2. What happened at the end? Why did/didn’t you jump in?
3. How did the team perform overall? How did you perform?

    How does your performance differ from how you interact with teams at work?
4. Why Wharton and a few resume questions
5. Any questions for me.

1. Walk me through your résumé.

2. Why an MBA?

3. Post-MBA Goals

4. Do you think you could achieve what you want without an MBA?

5. Why Kellogg?

6. How will you be engaged in the community? Clubs and courses?

7. What role do you play in a team/leadership style?

8. What are some positive things your coworkers would say about you?

9. What does a typical day at your job look like?

10. What are some negative things your coworkers could possibly say about you?

11. Any questions for me?

1. Introduce yourself and run through your résumé

2. Why MBA?
3. Why Haas?
4. What communities/student groups will you get involved with?
5. What will you do if you don’t get into business school?

6. What is your current job?
7. How do I plan to support myself and make a strong career?
8. What do I know about Haas – Why Haas?
9. Are there a lot of Haas graduates?

1. Tell me about yourself and why you are pursuing an MBA
2. What is it about the Tuck experience that interests you?
3. What will you bring to the Tuck Community/Culture?
4. How do you see Tuck furthering your career goals in the short term?
5. How do you plan to engage with Tuck after graduation and as an alumni? How do you anticipate being a Tuckie will add value to your career in the long-term?
6. Do you have any questions for me?Walk me through your resume

Additonal Questions

• Why do you want an MBA at Tuck?

• What am I most proud of?

• What type of leader are you?

• Talk about your current job. What role do you fill in a group?

• Tell me about a time when you had to deal with an unproductive colleague.

• Tell me about a failure.

1. What is your biggest success which means most significantly to you? What is your biggest failure?
2. Tell me one typical day in your current company. (and follow-up questions on some details)
3. Why did you change your job from xx to xx company? Why technology?
4. Why MBA? (Did not ask why SOM, but I tailored the answer)
5. Which clubs do you want to join?
6. What is your submitted quote related to Yale SOM community?
7. Tell us your proudest leadership experience, and how you can apply this experience in MBA study?
8. Any questions?

1. Walk me through your résumé.

2. Why B-school?

3. Why Columbia?

4. What I will add to Columbia?

5. Backup plan if I don’t get in?

6. Am I applying to other schools, and specifically, to what other schools am I applying?

1. Tell me about yourself

2. Why MBA

3. Why Darden

4. Tell me about a time you have worked with diverse people

5. Tell me about a leadership role

6. Tell me about a mistake you made in the past

7. What are you bringing to Darden

8. What clubs do you want to be a part of

9. What do you see yourself doing after MBA

10. Any questions?

1. Why Fuqua?
2. Why get an MBA? And why get it now?
3. Tell me about yourself.
4. Give me a time when you lead a team or were part of a team and things didn’t work out.
5. What would your current supervisor say is defining characteristic?
6. Give me a time when you’ve worked with someone else and had a conflict.
7. Give me a time when you’ve had to give someone else negative feedback.
8. What will you contribute to Fuqua?
9. What makes you unique?
10. What do you like to do outside of work?

1. Tell me about yourself

2. Why MBA

3. Why Ross

4. Tell me about a time you have worked with diverse people

5. Tell me about a leadership role

6. Tell me about a mistake you made in the past

7. Name 3 strengths and one weakness you have

8. What are you bringing to Ross

9. What clubs do you want to be a part of

10. What do you see yourself doing after MBA

11. Any questions for him

1. Why MBA?
2. Why transition from my current career?
3.  What were some of my transferable skills and experiences?
4.  Why Johnson?
5.  Talk about a time that I solved a problem. How did I arrive at my solution?
6.  What was one of my biggest weaknesses?
7.  In what careers or industries did I see myself working?
8.  What would I do if there were no available jobs in my desired career or industry?

1. Walk me through your résumé.
2. Short term & long term goals
3. An example of teamwork
4. What is your biggest accomplishment?
5. What will be your contribution to Anderson?
6. What clubs are you interested in joining?
7. Is there anything you want to ask me?

1. What did you major in? And what inspired you to pick this?
2. What are your goals? Short term and long term?

    And why do you want to transition into these roles?
3. What at UNC attracted you to the program? 
4. What did you do at ABC company? 
5. Describe a time you had a conflict with a coworker and how did you resolve it?
6. Describe a time you worked in a group and you took initiative?
7. Describe a time your coworker had a difficult time and how did you react?
8. What do you plan to get involved with at UNC?
9. Will you commit to UNC?
10. Questions?

​​1. Talk me through your career path. explain skills you developed after graduating

2. What are your short term and long term goals?
3. Why do you seek an MBA now?
4. Why MBA
5. Why McCombs?
6. What clubs/activities are you interested in?
7. How do you see yourself being involved on campus?
8. Recent professional feedback
9. What do you consider your biggest accomplishment professionally?
10. An example of leadership experience
11. An example of conflict
12. An example of having to adapt to a new culture
13. What did you learn going through the MBA admissions process

1. Why MBA? (I did not get “Walk through resume”)
2. Short-term goal
3. HowI did research on Tepper?
4. What is the important trait of a leader?
5. When working in a team, how do you interact with other function?
6. How do you solve conflicts?
7. What do you prefer outside work?
8. What is challenging in your work?
9. What is your strength as a leader?
10. Do you want to work abroad?

1. Walk me through your résumé.

2. How would your co-workers describe you with three character traits?
3. Why MBA, why now, why Goizueta? Why do you want an MBA and why Goizueta?
4. Post MBA plan, and how will Goizueta help you achieve them?
5. What are your long term goals?
6. What will you contribute to the community?
7. Tell me about a time you failed at something and what you learned from it.

8. Professional advice I’ve received.
9. Do you have any questions?

1. Tell me about your current role
2. Why MBA now?
3. What do you do besides work?
4. Leadership experience/greatest accomplishment
5. Strengths and weakness
6. What do you expect from Stern?

• Why MBA?
• Short Term Goal after MBA?
• Why Stern?

• Questions about résumé items
• Give me a 15 second elevator pitch for your short term goal?
• After 2 years, what do you want your fellow students to say about you?

1. Walk me through your professional career.
2. Why MBA?
3. Why Olin?
4. Tell me about a time when you received criticism.
5. Tell me about a time when you received praise.
6. Tell me about a time when you made an improvement.
7. What do you like to do in your free time?
8. What are your weaknesses?
9. What are your strengths?

​​1. Walk me through your résumé and job trajectory thus far.
2. Name a time you struggled to work together with a coworker. What did you do about it?
3. What do you want to do with an MBA/why now?
4. What’s your ideal role right out of an MBA? 10 years down the road?
5. Why Georgetown?
6. Best piece of criticism or constructive advice you’ve ever received.
7. What would you consider your biggest strength? Opportunity for growth?
8. Any questions for me?

1. Walk me through your résumé after graduating from college.
2. Why Foster?
3. Tell me about a time you’ve received criticism.
4. Tell me about a time you saw a problem and addressed it.
5. What do you like to do in your free time outside of work?
6. What are some weaknesses in your skills you’d like to strengthen with an MBA?
7. What are some strengths you have that will help your future endeavors?
8. What is a compliment you’ve heard about yourself in a work setting that you are particularly proud of?

Walk through résumé.

What are your post-MBA plans after graduation? Why MBA? Goals?

Why Owen?
How will you contribute to the community?
Target companies?

If you have 60 seconds to present yourself to a potential employer, what would you say?
What are some skill areas you have to strengthen with an MBA?
What can you contribute to your peers in a small group setting?
What do you hope to learn from your peers?

Tell me about yourself. Walk through your resume.
Why MBA? Why Now?
Why Rice?
An example of your leadership.
Why did you choose your career field?

How did you handle a conflict with your teammate?

1. Walk me through your résumé.
2. Please tell me a little bit about your business
3. Please tell me more about your role
4. Why do you want to do an MBA? What are your goals? Where are you applying?
5. Is your company sponsoring you?
6. Do you think that your company is the better place to reach your goals? Why?
7. Tell me more about the branch of your company you want to join after your MBA 
8. What kind of position do you think you can hold after the MBA and 5 years after the MBA
9. Start-up/Banking/Consulting setting.

    Wouldn’t be better to join a star-up/banking/consulting before changing brands of your company?
10. Extracurricular involvements – tell me what interests you in these specific activities?
11. Why should your clients or coworkers trust you
12. Do you have any professional regrets/failures?
13. Tell me about your childhood and where all you have traveled?
14. What are your post-MBA goals and how does LBS fit into the puzzle?

1. Introduce yourself

2. What was your most greatest achievement?
3. Please explain how your career isin an upward trajectory, what is your short term, long term goal?

4. Why did you do AA (which is in your resume)?

5. Why did you only apply to INSEAD?

6. What will you do if you don't get accepted?

7. Any questions for me?

Interview 1: Informal chat with questions on

1. Details on my profile? Describe job in detail? I am a consultant so was asked to describe my most challenging project.
2. Why MBA, why MBA now?
3. Leadership roles

4. Asking questions on experience during and post INSEAD.

Time: 45 minutes

Interview 2: Slightly formal with questions on goals and why MBA

1. What is your post-MBA goal?
2. Why do I pursue an MBA if I already have a successful career?
3. Leadership skills
4. What other schools have I applied to?
5. My track record compared to my peers?

Time: 1 hour 20 mins.

1. Describe your childhood until the beginning of university. What was your greatest achievement during this time?

2. Why did you choose your university?

3. Describe your undergraduate experience

4. Describe your employment history

5. Why an MBA? Why now?

6. Why IESE?

7. What other schools have you applied to?

8. What are your short-term and long-term career goals?

9. Name three firms you’d like to work for after the MBA.

10. Have you visited the campus? Have you spoken with any alumni?

11. Describe a situation where you used your network to achieve something.

12. Is there anything else you’d like the Adcom to know about you?

13. Summarise yourself in a single sentence (my answer was written down verbatim).