The team based discussion was fairly straightforward:
1) Got email for interview
2) Signed up for interview
3) Received prompt for TBD
4) Went to TBD
During the TBD, there were 2 second-year students in the room evaluating us. They read a very generic intro statement at the beginning, which was fairly formal and seemed to add to the tension in the room. From there, we had the standard 35 minutes to discuss the topic and get to a recommendation.
Others in the TBD were fairly talkative, but clearly lots of nerves in the room.
Regardless, we got to a good answer with ~7 minutes left, divided roles and rehearsed, then presented to our reviewers at the correct time. Overall had a good output from the TBD.
After the TBD, we had 1-1 debriefs with the second-year students.
-called in 1-by-1
-Rather formal
-They read a statement about not knowing your application details, etc., how they have to be impartial, etc.
-Was honestly the coldest and least-personal interview I’ve ever had, and I’ve done a large # of speculative job interviews with all sorts of people; similar reactions from peers I asked, too.
-They asked four questions
1) “Why MBA”
2) “Why Wharton”
3) “What classes do you want to take here?”
4) “What questions do you have for me?”
Whole process was super uncomfortable and didn’t seem to help them get to know me any better.
After the interview, I sent a thank you note and a follow-up question and never heard back from my interviewer, despite exchanging business cards and an invitation to email them.
Preparing for your UPenn Wharton MBA Admissions Interview? Check out Clear Admit’s other resources:
- Clear Admit The Wharton School Interview Guide: Strategic tips for approaching Wharton’s interview questions, and more.
- Interview Archive: More firsthand accounts from Wharton MBA applicants themselves
- Understanding the MBA Admissions Interview: Team-based discussion
- Podcast Episode 23: 5 Most Common MBA Interview Questions You Need to Ace
