I had my Wharton and Lauder interviews this week, both on campus. Hopefully my experience is helpful to those of you who have yet to interview:
Wharton- There was a waiting area with several small rooms surrounding the area. There were 5-6 candidates waiting to interview and we were all asked to provide our resumes. Right at the specified time my name was called and a second year student greeted me and invited me into an office. He jumped right in and asked me to talk about my background and experience. He didn’t ask a lot of questions and allowed me to tell my story, which included the Why MBA, Why Now and Why Wharton answers. He then transitioned right into the behavioral questions which included:
- Tell me about a time when you were responsible for an important outcome and had to convince others of something when they initially disagreed with you.
- Tell me about a time when others convinced you to change your mind.
- Tell me about a time when you managed someone very senior to you.
I felt pretty comfortable with my answers and he asked very few follow up questions. I asked him how we were doing on time during the third answer and he said that we were doing fine and could go over if necessary. I concluded with enough time to ask a couple of questions, and he actually really engaged with the questions I asked and provided helpful answers.
After we concluded, he handed me his business card and we both thanked each other for our time. Overall the experience was comfortable with no surprises.
Lauder- This interview was less structured than the Wharton interview and was basically a friendly discussion. He let me talk about my career path and dreams and how Lauder could uniquely help me succeed. He would ask questions about what I was saying (like anyone wound in a comfortable conversation) and wanted to really know how Lauder could provide something that I couldn’t achieve just at Wharton. This is where I really knew the program and what I wanted to accomplish, so I think the conversation just flowed from that. The office staff at Lauder was really welcoming and friendly as well and I enjoyed the experience.
Overall, I have had a fantastic experience with the students and staff at Wharton/Lauder and am grateful to have participated in the process, regardless of the final decision. Good luck to everyone!
