HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL INTERVIEW 2023-2024

From the HBS website:

1. Interview
After your written application has been submitted and reviewed, you
may be invited to interview.
The interview is a positive indicator of interest but is not a guarantee
of admission; it serves as one element among many that are
considered as we complete a final review of your candidacy. All
interviews are conducted by invitation only, at the discretion of the
Admissions Board. If invited, however, you must participate in order to
complete the application process.

Interviews may be scheduled on campus, in domestic or international

hub cities, or via Skype. Neither the timing of your interview invitation
nor its format, whether in-person or via Skype, implies anything about
the status of your application or affects your candidacy.

Interviews are 30 minutes and are conducted by an MBA Admissions

Board member who has reviewed your application. Your interview will
be tailored to you and is designed for us to learn more about you in
the context of a conversation. Candidates will be required to submit a
written reflection after their interview.

2. Post-Interview Reflection
Within 24 hours of the interview, candidates are required to submit a
written reflection through our online application system. Detailed
instructions will be provided to those applicants who are invited to the
interview process.

.
 Your Post-Interview Reflection
As part of the application process, you will be required to complete a Post-Interview
Reflection. Here are a few details:

 The Post-Interview Reflection is not intended to be another formal essay. Think of it

instead as an email you might write to a colleague or supervisor after a meeting.

 We will be much more generous in our reaction to typos and grammatical errors than
we will be with pre-packaged responses. Reflections that give any indication that they
were produced before you had the interview will raise a flag for us.

 We do not expect you to solicit or receive any outside assistance with this exercise.

 Your Post-Interview Reflection is due within 24 hours of the conclusion of your

interview. Let the interview soak in a little bit... we hate to see people missing
activities because they've blocked out the time right after their interview to write their
reflections.

 There is no word limit for the Post-Interview Reflection. There is a file size limit for the
document you will upload, but it is quite generous.

You will be able to access the Post-Interview Reflection by logging in to your Applicant
Status page and clicking on the Post-Interview Reflection item in your checklist.

Frequently asked questions:

What does it mean to receive an invitation to interview?

The invitation to interview is a positive indication of the MBA Admissions Board's

interest in your application to the MBA program. We interview applicants whom we
believe are viable candidates for our program. Roughly half of the candidates
interviewed are admitted.

Is the timing of my interview or interview invitation significant?

No. The timing of your interview does not imply anything about the status of your
application nor does it impact your candidacy. We use a rolling process for extending
interview invitations so that we can expedite the decision-making process for all
candidates.

Who conducts the interviews?

All interviews are conducted by a member of the MBA Admissions Board.

Am I at a disadvantage if I interview off-campus?

No. Please choose the interview location that is most convenient for you. Whether you
interview on-campus or off-campus, you will always interview with a member of the
Admissions Board and you are not at a disadvantage in the admissions process. No
matter where you interview, we encourage you to take part in the activities offered in
that location.

What is the dress code for interviews?

For your interview, the dress is business formal. For the rest of the activities, business
formal or business casual is appropriate. Some of the on-campus activities offered will
require you to walk throughout the campus so please bring comfortable shoes.

Do I have to register to attend any of the on-campus and off-campus interview

day activities?

Advance registration is required for all on-campus and off-campus activities. To register
for these events, please visit the Get To Know HBS section on the webpage.

Does participating in on-campus or off-campus interview day activities affect my

candidacy?

The only required and evaluative portion of your visit to campus or to an off-site
interview location will be the interview. We encourage candidates to participate in the
activities being offered in order to gain a better understanding of HBS.

What if I cannot spend the whole day at HBS?

All the interview day activities offered are optional, but you are encouraged to
participate in as many activities as your schedule allows. You may choose to participate
in the activities offered on the day you interview, or any other day the activities are
offered.

Will I have time to write my Post-Interview Reflection if I participate in the on-

campus and off-campus interview day activities?

Yes. You will have 24 hours to submit your Post-Interview Reflection. While on-campus,
you will have access to the guest Wi-Fi network.

Can I attend more than one on-campus interview day activities?

Yes. You may choose to participate in activities offered on the day you interview, or any
day the activities are offered. Applicants are limited to one class visit due to space
constraints.

I am interviewing off-campus but will be at HBS on a later date. Can I participate

in the on-campus interview day activities if I already interviewed in another
location?

Yes. No matter where you are interviewing you are welcome to participate in the on-
campus activities while they are offered. You will need to pre-register for the activities
and for the class visit.

Can I bring a guest to the on-campus and off-campus interview day activities?

Yes. Guests are welcome to attend all on-campus and off-campus activities except for
the class visit where we have space constraints.

Will I still have free time to see friends who are current students?

Yes. You are free to schedule your day as you wish.

Can I leave the hospitality suite and explore campus?

Yes. We encourage you to gain a better understanding of HBS in whatever way you
wish. The grounds of the campus are beautiful and the COOP, located in the Spangler
Center features all things HBS.

Do I have access to the HBS fitness center when I'm visiting campus?

Yes, while visiting campus you have access to a one-day guest pass to Shad Hall, the
HBS fitness center. The name badge you receive at check-in will grant you access.
Please bring the name badge with you to Shad, and let them know you are interviewing
with MBA Admissions. Shad is open Monday through Thursday from 6:00 AM to 10:00
PM, and Friday from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

How do I get to HBS? Where should I stay?

If you are flying to Boston, the closest airport to Harvard Business School is Boston
Logan Airport. Taxis are readily available at both Logan Airport and the Harvard
Business School campus. Renting a car is not recommended. View the Boston area
public transportation system, MBTA, for more information. For a map of Harvard
Business School as well as driving directions, please visit the
school's Maps/Directionspage. We have compiled a list of hotels close to our campus.
In addition, a special rate is available for candidates interviewing with HBS at the
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel (this hotel is within walking distance to the HBS campus).
Please make reservations in order to receive the special rate.

When will I get my final decision?

You will be notified by email on the notification date that your decision will be available.
You will need to log in the application status page to view the decision.

What if I have to change my interview date and/or time?

Once your interview has been scheduled, we strongly discourage changes. However,
should you need to make a change, please email Christina Malanga
atslatesupport@hbs.edu. We will do our best to accommodate your change, but we do
not guarantee the availability of interview slots.

WHAT HARVARD IS LOOKING FOR

1. High impact leadership (or “footprints”): tangible evidence that you have made a difference in
any community – gone above and beyond, changed the status quo, made an impact. Scale is not
important – but passion is, and evidence of followers.
2. Vision: To show leadership, you must be able to articulate vision for making a greater impact in
your areas of passion. To change the world, not climb up the corporate ladder.
3. Integrity: Need to show honesty, forthrightness, and skill in resolving ethical conundrums. One
form of evidence lies in your community service commitments, and your desire to make your
community stronger. Are you a “giver” rather than a “taker?”
4. Case method compatibility: The case method depends on intellectual curiosity, excellent
communication skills, respect for the opinions of others, and the ability to teach as well as learn
from your peers.
5. Initiative: Can you describe times when you stepped up to address a long-standing problem or
volunteered for duties outside your job? Engaged in the community? Went above and beyond?
6. Solutions Focus: The key in the case method is not “what do you think?” but “what would you
do?” When have acted as a general manager, solving cross-functional problems?
7. Self-awareness: How has your life experience shaped your outlook and perspectives about the
world? How well do you communicate what you have learned from setbacks? What were you
thinking and feeling?
 8. Maturity: Have you grown wiser as well as older? How have you matured, crystallized your
values and passions? What are the defining moments in your life?

Below are sets of potential questions that you may be asked during the interview. Preparing for
these questions will give a solid foundation for your real interview.

Background information: on professional, personal and reasons to do an MBA

 Introducing yourself.
 Why did you choose to join a Tech Based firm (Depends on your resume)?
 What are the best and worst things about your current job?
 What has been the most challenging aspects of your current job?
 What’s the company’s position compared to its competitors? How can your company
improve this?
 If you could change anything about your current company, what would it be?
 How has your leadership evolved with your career progression?
 Who do you admire in your current industry (companies and leaders)?
 Where is the industry heading?
 Where do you want to do your summer internship? How will you market yourself to these
companies?
 What do you like to do outside of work?
 What challenges do you anticipate facing in reaching your career goals? How will you
overcome them?
 Why do you want an MBA?
 When did you decide to get an MBA?
 What kind of people do you look forward to meeting at HBS?
 What do you think will be most challenging for you at HBS?
 How can you contribute to case method discussions?
 What will you do if you don’t get into any business school this year?
 What makes you unique?

On leadership and teamwork:

 Tell me about a recent example where you demonstrated leadership.

 Who is a leader that you admire and why?
 Tell me about a time you dealt with conflict in the workplace.
 Tell me about a time you had to convince a superior to follow your recommendation.

Major strengths and weaknesses:

 How would your colleagues describe you?

 What would your boss say is a strength and a weakness?
  Do you need different skills to really stand out? What are they?
 Give me an example of a project you’ve had a difficult time with. What did you learn from it?

Other Questions:

 How did you find the application process?

 Is there something about you that has not been addressed in your application?
 What is a common misperception people have about you?
 What would your five closest friends say about you? Why?
 What words would people use to describe you?
 Given what you know now, if you could go back to university and pick your subjects, would
you change your choices?
 If you could talk to the president of your college, and give him advice about how to improve
the experience, what would it be?
 What would be your dream job?
 How have you developed your international experience?
 What do you do for fun?

Oddball questions:

These are the type of questions one cannot predict. But below are some “sample questions” asked
recently in interviews,

 If you had 10 minutes with any of these presidents (President Obama, Hillary Clinton,
President of your university or company] what would you say to them?
 If you have to recommend a book to Vladimir Putin which book it will be and why?
 What is your favorite iPhone application?
 What is the worst thing that has ever happened to you in public?
 What will you regret not doing at HBS?
 Introduce yourself to God.
 If you could have lunch with any business leader, who would it be and why?
 If you could have lunch with any political leader, who would it be and why?

Answers to these questions are not easy. And there is no straightforward response. A key to go
about answering these questions is by linking it to real world examples that the interviewer can feel
connected to.

Your opportunity to ask questions:

At the end of the interview, the interviewer sometimes gives you an opportunity to ask questions.
This is opportunity is not given to all applicants. To utilize this to your advantage, you should come
prepared with a brief set of questions focusing on your priorities and knowledge you have for the
school. To utilize this to your advantage, you should come prepared with a brief set of questions
focusing on your priorities and knowledge you have for the school. Asking questions to
admissions officials
The 3 kinds of interview questions Harvard Business School asks
— and how to nail them
Say the name, anywhere in the world, and it commands instant recognition and respect:
Harvard Business School.

Of course, with that prestige comes a high level of selectivity. Only about 25% of applicants
are invited to interview; those who are passed over may not request an interview, and
ultimately are not admitted.

But if you're fortunate enough to receive that coveted invitation, you'll want to be as
prepared as possible — because Harvard Business School interviewers (including alumni
interviewers) are well prepared and follow a strict 30-minute schedule, almost without
exception. You can take some comfort in the fact that approximately 50% of interviewed
candidates are finally admitted to the program.

Like any MBA program, the Harvard admissions committee is looking for candidates whose
energy, passions, and potential will make a valuable contribution to their student
community. With a mission "to educate leaders to make a difference in the world," Harvard
Business School's scope is set wider than helping students ascend to the next level in the
corporate world. Rather, they're looking for ethical, solutions-focused leaders who are
focused on positive solutions for the future.

To make sure you'll survive and thrive in Harvard's unique environment, the MBA program
interviews are rapid-fire in style to mirror the school's Socratic teaching method. You'll
have to be graceful under pressure and being ready for these three kinds of questions can
help significantly strengthen your case.

1. The "why" of your background

The Harvard interviewer will already be familiar with your resume and application, so basic
background questions are likely to dive right into the "why" behind what motivated you to
pursue your chosen path.
You may be asked things like:

 "Why did you choose to major in art history?"

 "What led you to work for your current company?"
 "Why did you want to work in consulting?"

In your response, try to include some information that illustrates your motives and values.
You might highlight how you enjoy working on a team and being part of a winning
initiative; you could also connect your short-term goals to a longer-term vision to make a
difference in a particular industry.

2. Situational questions on your experiences

Situational interviewing, in which you are asked to share an example of a time you
displayed a particular quality or faced a particular challenge, are common in MBA program
and job interviews.
However, Harvard will be particularly interested in responses that show how your
achievements are more meaningful than simply winning for the sake of winning.
Expect questions such as:
 "Describe a situation where you successfully responded to change."
 "Describe a mistake you have made within the past three years."

In your responses, be ready for additional follow-up questions that probe further, such as:

 "How did your peers react when you initiated that?"

 "Did any of them follow your lead?"
 "How did you identify the right stakeholders in the parent company?"

Prepare and have several examples and types of stories ready — both those used in your
essay as well as additional options. Feel free to think outside the box; your passions make
you unique, and your achievements in those areas show the interviewer what's important to
you and how you have made an impact on the issues that matter to you most.

3. Perception by others
A unique type of question you may be asked by a Harvard Business School interviewer
deals with how friends or coworkers would describe you. Rather than an opportunity to
"toot your own horn," these questions can allow you to tell your interviewer what kind of
colleague you will be to your future Harvard Business School classmates.
While it's obvious that you'll want to avoid bragging in your responses ("They'd say I'm the
smartest person they know"), you will want to consider how to paint a portrait that includes
several diverse aspects of your unique personality.
Choose a few "MBA-type" qualities to describe, such as being driven and goal-oriented, as
well as some more fun, informal attributes that help set you apart from other applicants,
like being an adventurous rock-climber or deeply involved in volunteer work with a
particular nonprofit organization.
While the specific format of these questions may vary, having concrete examples ready to
go will help you feel prepared and give a compelling and appealing portrait of yourself
through the eyes of others.
Every MBA program interview is unique, and hopefully being ready to tackle these three
kinds of questions will prepare you to be at your best in a Harvard Business School
interview, should you have the opportunity.
Remember that at the end of the day, the interviewer wants to get to know you and why
you'd be a good fit for Harvard's challenging yet energizing learning environment — and
why they would be proud to have you as an alumnus as you go on from the program to
change the world in exciting new ways

INTERVIEW FORMAT AND QUESTIONS

Purpose of the interview: The interview gives you a chance to show your personality and enthusiasm
for the program, and to let the interviewer assess how well you would represent Harvard. There is no
formula for the interview – it gives the interviewer the chance to assess all sides of you and determine
whether you are a good fit for their institution, so prepare accordingly.

Duration: about 30 minutes with HBS staff, on campus or designated remote locations.

Style: May be rapid fire questions – possibly no option to ask questions –likely to be very probing,
specific questions -- will probe career goals, professional choices, interest in MBA program, essays –
constant follow-up questions –great range of questions--will be highly familiar with your written
application.

Categories of Questions:
 Past experiences: about your background.
“Why did you choose to work for your current company?”
“Why did you choose to major in Chemistry?”

 Situational questions: e.g., when did you show leadership?

“Describe a situation when you responded to change?”
“Describe a time when you helped someone at work?”
“Describe a mistake you made in the past 3 years?”
“Have you ever been part of a team that showed poor leadership?”
“Tell me about a time you came up with an innovative idea?”
“Describe a difficult personal interaction at work?”

 Personality and attributes:

“What is our leadership style?”
“How would friends describe you?”
“What inspires you?”
“What book are you currently reading?”
“Name a leader that you admire.”
“what motivates you?”
“In retrospect, would you do anything differently in your career?”

 Future Goals:
“what do you expect to gain from an MBA at Harvard?”
“Where will you be in 5-7 years post MBA?”
“What excites you most about your career plans?”
“What will you do if you don’t get into business school this year?”

HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL Interviews 2020-2022

10/31/2022

Welcoming, rapid fire but warm.

Experience was great overall - nothing too confusing. Enjoyed arriving to campus a couple days
earlier to explore

Time you felt like you made an impact through X org?

Talk to me about current job / what’s on the to do list?
What can current job do better/ and how can they do it better
Long term goals
Difference between you and a leader you admire?
Talk about X Deal
What is something you would want someone to know about real estate?
Compare and contrast A firm and B firm (both my employers) What can B firm learn from A firm?
Asked question about award won
Org that you admire int he arts space?
What are you most proud of outside of work?
What do you like to do for fun?

Know yourself, speak slowly, don't be afraid to think before speaking.

11/3/2022

Overall, friendly, inquisitive, straightforward, not aggressive

How were your travels to campus?

Your first big decision, why did you decide to go to Y company after graduating, that seems kind of
random?
Why did you go to X? Why move to SF?
Tell me about the matrix org at ABC. How did you get anything done?
How do you influence the drug development teams
Why did you work in operations?
Your recommender said your framework has been adopted as company standard, can you
describe why what you created is standard now?
Can you talk more about the program you terminated?
Your recommender said the new tool you created was first of its kind in the industry, can you
describe it to me?
Why do other big companies not do digital expert bookings (follow up to previous question about
speaker program tool)
How do you destress?
Now that RST drug company bought you out, will your company continue to operate how they are
or will RST absorb them? What are you most worried about with the RST acquisition?
What classes are you most nervous for in your first year?

With the MS/MBA program, in your second year capstone project, what types of people do you
want on your team?

Understand the why for each move on your resume. Relax and meet other candidates if you can!
People are extra nice!!

11/7/2022

Straightforward, conversational. Had a list of prepared questions, but appeared to be willing to be

led briefly into other areas (e.g., I would bring up a topic and leave an obvious question out of a
response, then she'd ask more about the topic).

Brought up to the lounge 15 min before. Then they call you in, group of a half dozen at a time. A
bit of small chat, then right into things. Two interviewers; one asking questions and both taking
 notes.

When did you fly in? Did you attend a class this morning? What did you think?
Why did you study DEGREE at SCHOOL?
Are you living somewhere better than your car now?
How did you get into banking at BANK 1?
Why did you switch to BANK 2? What did BANK 2 do better than BANK 1?
What does sell-side vs. buy-side mean?
What was the BUYER / SELLER deal? Why was it highly valued?
Did SELLER already have an offer when BANK 2 was approached?
Why is BANK 2 so good?
Why did you choose to go to PE FIRM?
What do you mean by technical tech transactions?
How did you know you wanted to do an MBA all the way back in high school?
Why do you need an MBA? What do you hope to gain from it?

Know everything about your resume. Be able to talk about transactions / projects you did several
years ago in detail. Come prepared with other topics and questions--if you answer stuff quickly
they'll make you figure out how to continue the conversation.

10/28/2022

It felt pretty casual – she started by asking me how my day was, and naturally launched into the
interview based on a comment I made about my job. At the end, she walked me out and asked me
about my weekend plans and told me not to "ruin my Friday night" worrying about the PIR

Overall, it felt even more casual than I expected even after hearing that it's very conversational
and casual. We sat down at a table together and just had a chat for 30 minutes, kind of like the
vibe of a meeting with a senior colleague you've never met at work. She had my résumé with her
at the table and took notes on paper. She mostly asked about my current role and my previous
role, as well as my post-MBA plans.

What stood out to you about your transition from your previous role to your current role?
What did you learn about yourself as a leader over the course of your last role?
What do you do as the Operations Director in your current role?
How big is your company and how many staff are on the team?
How did you choose your current organization?
What other organizations were you considering?
What are your post-MBA plans, knowing it might change?
What would be your dream job?

Start your interview prep with going through your submitted application and noting any questions you
would ask yourself if you were interviewing yourself. Then, make a list of the top points you want to be
sure to bring up. Practice connecting your responses to these when it makes sense and have that mental
list you can reference if you're asked what else you want to share about yourself

10/27/2022
My interviewer was relaxed, set context, and kept a reserved face, but she also provided positive
commentary between questions

I felt smooth and conversational enough throughout the full interview. It went by relatively quickly
and stuck to questions in chronological order about my resume with deep dive questions
pertaining to each of my roles after college. College was not discussed.

Tell me about your ties to X Country.

What was it like working at ABC social media co. after the 2016 election aftermath?
What do you think ABC did that prompted you to leave?
What brought you back to XYZ social media co?
How is new your role at XYZ different from your old role?
Why do you want to get an MBA?
What do you want to do before you start a company?
Are there any clubs that you would like to get involved in at HBS?

10/25/2022

X was extremely friendly. She started off by mentioning that she has interviewed clients from the
energy sector, Schlumberger etc. before. She was very conversational, added her
experience/thoughts on some answers.

Very pleasant experience. 30 mins went by really quickly. The interviewer started with education,
and then moved chronologically through my experiences on the resume, asked questions on each
of my 3 roles, with the ending question on my extracurricular experiences. Ended the interview
with a question - what would you have hoped to discuss in the interview.

3/4/2022

Really good experience--felt like a conversation and even though I was nervous going
in, I felt at ease during the process

Would you go back to [current private equity firm] post MBA?

What skills do you still need to gain for your career goal?
What are you doing now in your day to day [I'm working in a different role than the one
I applied from]?
How did your experience at [private equity firm] prepare you for what you're doing
now? What have you learned about yourself in the
last 6 months? What kind of classmates
are you most excited about meeting at HBS?
What job do you want to hold right after HBS?
What strategy of investing would you pursue?
Why did you choose [office location] at your firm instead of [other office location]?

Know your resume, your application and your aspirations inside and out. Be able to
answer 3 layers of "why" for every major career choice you have made and for why you
are pursuing your particular career goals.
3/4/202 Would you go back to [current private equity firm] post MBA?
2 What skills do you still need to gain for your career goal?
What are you doing now in your day to day [I'm working in a different role than the
one I applied from]?
How did your experience at [private equity firm] prepare you for what you're doing
now? What have you learned about yourself in the last 6
months? What kind of classmates are you
most excited about meeting at HBS? What job
do you want to hold right after HBS?
What strategy of investing would you pursue?
Why did you choose [office location] at your firm instead of [other office location]?
3/3/202 You have a very international background. Could you please walk me through your
2 experience growing up?
Why did you decide to return to Mexico for College? What was your college
experience like? Talk to me about your internship at W&C.
How did you end up working there? Why did you
ultimately decide not to become a lawyer?
During college, you volunteered at the social business incubator - what was that
like? Did your experience there help you to find
your vocation? When did you
decide you wanted to be an investor?
How did you transition from W&C to Goleta?
One of your LoRs praises that you were able to carve your own niche in the firm by
founding Goleta Alternative Fund. Could you talk in detail about how you came up
with this idea, how you sold it to management and to the investor and, finally, why
this fund is special? You mention that
one of your greatest challenges was restructuring the Fund to reduce the expense
ratio significantly, could you please talk me through how you designed this
restructuring? What is your definition of
leadership?
You mentioned that a leader should mentor others. Do you have any employees
reporting to you? How have you mentored them?
Talk to me about your future career plans after finishing your MBA. Why do you
think that an HBS MBA would be useful in obtaining these goals?
How would you contribute to the HBS community if admitted?
How have western sanctions imposed against Russia affected the business model of
the alternative investment sector in your opinion?
From your essays, I gather that legacy matters a lot to you. What would you like
your epitaph to be? How would you introduce yourself to God?

3/3/202 1. How has COVID been for you?

2 2. When are you going back into the office?
3. What is your company’s org structure? How do you fit into the structure?
4. How do you interface with Technology Product/Project Managers?
5. Who are the customers for each of your products?
6. How do you prioritize between those customer segments?
7. How high is the revenue for those products?
8. What has been the biggest challenge for you since FMI?
9. What are you excited about in your current job in the next 3-6 months prior to
business school? 10. What was a notable McKinsey project that you worked on?
11. What did you ultimately recommend to the client?
12. How did COVID impact the client’s manufacturing capabilities?
13. What are Cell and Gene therapies and how do they work?
 14. Sounds like you prefer being within an organization over being an advisor?
15. What are your long term goals post-MBA?
16. What are some companies building AI/ML medical devices?
17. What inspired you to build your vaccination website?
18. And sounds like you decided to give the website to the state government?
19. Anything else that you would like to tell me?
20. What do you do for fun?
3/3/202
2 Tell me more about your army preparation and how you prepared
Tell me about your average day at your job How did you convince your army friends
not to quit during trainings
How does Harvard fit in to your dream of your career 10-20 years down the line?
Why MBA now?
Why did you go into VC?
What does your company do?
2/24/20
22 Tell me about a challenge you faced in X consulting firm?
What challenges did you face transitioning from X consulting firm to X PE firm?
What challenge did you face during your time in X PE firm?
What have you learned investment-wise during the pandemic?
How do you deal with the lack of information when making decisions in Latin
America? What drew you to take the PE job at X?
One of your recommenders spoke about how you helped improve the recruiting
process, tell me what drove you to do that?
Why did you think you got promoted in X PE firm?
What challenges will you face in starting your own firm in X Latin American country?
What industry(ies) would you look for in X Latin American country?
Why stay in finance and not work in one of those companies directly?
What extra-curricular are you most proud of?
2/17/20
22 What is your day to day in your current role?
How many people do you manage?
How does your company make money?
What is an API? Who are your customers?
Who are your competitors and what do they do better than you?
Why were you awarded employee of the month? What skills enabled you to get
promoted in both your current role and previous role?
What do you actually do to support your company's operations?
How do you determine pricing?
You said your goal was [X].How does business school fit into your goals?
Give me an example of what specifically you'd do if you were in the position stated
in your longer-term goal?
What are tangible levers we can pull to achieve your ambitious goal of [X]?
What's the most creative icebreaker you've ever come up with?
11/6/20
Let's start with your Senior Finance Thesis. Have you followed up on that?
21
So, given your interest in sports, how did you get to your tech company X then?
So then how have you been able to balance consulting and growth strategy? (she
was confused by my title I think)
So why is your team so different? Explain that. So, what’s been most challenging?
How have you gotten these account CEOs on board then?
What about managing the 8 people - what have you prioritized for them?
What are you still trying to learn/what areas are you trying to work on?
So, I know you’ve had to travel a lot; how has that been different being remote?
But has there been anything good that came from working remotely, that can be
 adopted moving forward?
So, I know you got sponsorship - what was it like to turn it down, know that must
have been hard?
So, before business school, what would you like to accomplish while at your tech
company? What will be most challenging in business school for you?
So, sports - what do you think business school can help you with in that path?
What is it in sports or the NBA that you hope to solve?
If NBA didn’t work out, what other career options would you consider?
What do you hope to accomplish outside of work between now and business school?
Is there anything we didn’t get to talk about?
How do you hope to be remembered? [I asked at her tech company or in general,
and she said we could do both]
11/5/20 How did you handle the transition from your hometown (southern) to college
21 (northeast)? Lessons learned from being a varsity collegiate athlete
Why did you go into investment banking after studying engineering?
What challenges did you face in transitioning from investment banking to private
equity Where did you add the most value in joining your
new firm What are your firm's
strengths / weaknesses relative to peers What are the major challenges in growing
renewable energy?
What are the red flags you look for in evaluating an investment What makes an
investment / transaction good or bad What do you focus on in leadership?
What are some challenges that you've faced in becoming a leader
What's an example of critical feedback you've received
What did you do to improve?
What will you gain from an MBA
There are going to be times when you feel uncomfortable in class because you have
relative inexperience in the class. Can you give an example of a class that you’d be
excited to take that you don’t have experience on?
11/2/20
21 What is your new role like vs. old role? (due to recent promotion)
Do you report into a different manager?
Do you get training/guidebook as a part of your new role or did you already have
the skills you needed?
What is X brand like vs Y brand? (all brands I had worked on) I saw X brand at a
retailer, is this similar in Canada? Is X a seasonable business?
Tell me more about your Pro Bono project
What was it like leading X for your company?
Where do you think your company could do better when it comes to diversity?
11/1/20 Set the background for me: tell me about Nokia, differences between US and
21 Finland, where you fit in the organization
Did COVID slow down/speed up Nokia's growth?
Why do you think that during COVID, chip companies didn't ramp up their
production? Do you know much about this industry? I saw
some recent news about HMD Global changing ownership. How has that impacted
Nokia (not relevant, he thought HMD Global was a Nokia company, which it's not)
Explain two things about cloud computing to me
What exactly is different between physical and virtual servers?
What trends do you see in cloud in the short, medium, and long term?
Tell me about a project on your resume. Where was that team located?
If Andrea (recommender) had to write a professional profile about you, what would
she say? You said your manager is a technical guy. Why
did he put so much trust in you knowing you don't have any technical background?
Wouldn't it have been easier for him to communicate and work with someone who
was technical?
Tell me about X Partners. Why did you join?
 You went to X university to study foreign service. How did you end up in consulting?
What else do you want to leave us with, one professional and one personal.
11/2021 • What drove your interest in moving to private equity
• Tell me about how COVID changed the way you work and perform diligence
• Tell me about your favorite deal and what was the investment
• Tell me about the competitive landscape in the travel agency business.
o I talked about X travel booking company, that’s why the follow-up was framed in
this manner • Tell me about how your PE firm’s approach
changed during COVID • Tell me
about a time where you were in disagreement with people on your team and how
you worked through that
• Sometimes data doesn’t give you the answer, or it doesn’t convince people. Can
you tell me a time when you faced that and what you did?
o In the previous question, I used an example where I cited being data driven was
critical to convincing people. That’s the reason
• Shifting gears, what drove you to tutoring and what do you like about the
organization you’re involved with
• Why do you want to professionally focus on LatAm moving forward
• Why do you want to professionally focus on LatAm moving forward
11/2021 You mentioned you grew up in a small town in China and witnessed the
transformation - what was that like? What was that like moving to the US?
You mentioned resources from your university - What are some connections and
help you got? You mentioned in your application about
one manager who did XYZ - how did you deal with that? You had this deal in your
resume - talk about their market space and strategy.
You talked about what they did - But what about their strategy?
How can they improve the strategy?
Your career has progressed really fast - how did you make it happen?
You mentioned creating initiatives - What are some kinds of initiatives you created?
What are some kinds of events you did from this initiative?
Were they better than the ones your firm had originally?
Are there any allies in these events and initiatives?
How do you think your firm is doing now with diversity?
What are some areas you are still improving?
Why HBS/MBA?
What kind of firm do you want to build (my long term goal)?
What areas do you want to invest in?
11/2021
How is your company (Company X) doing these days?
How can Company X prepare towards the future?
What does your team do?
Tell me about project X from your resume.
How is the day-to-day?
Who are the people you work with?
What would they say about you (positive or negative)?
Many other follow-ups questions.
Tell me about student organization X you participated in college.
Many follow up questions afterwards.
What is your career vision?
Follow up questions afterwards.
Why do you like Company Y's products?
Why do you need an MBA to achieve your vision?

03/04/2021
How did you feel about the impact you made in the undergraduate student philanthropy
program?
How have you helped company management deal with the recent business challenges?
How has the supply chain struggled, given the liquidity pressures?
Can you tell me about your company's sustainability initiatives?
Best Highlight from your rotational program?
Why did you decide to take a position in Corporate Finance?
Can you talk more about your long-term career goals?

How have you seen pubic-private sector partnerships in transportation industry during COVID?
Can you tell me more about the organizations you provided grants to as part of your
professional grantmaking board?
What does the MBA mean to you?
What do you do for fun?

02/26/2021
Congrats on your promotion! Can you tell me about your new responsibilities?
Give me an example of a time when you took an idea and just ran with it
(Follow-up to previous question) You designed operating metrics for your team, how did you go
about designing them?
(Follow-up to previous question) You got some pushback during your operating metrics project,
how did you respond to this?
Talk to me about ESG investing. What do I need to know about ESG investing?
Tell me about the work you've done at your firm on ESG investing
What's your relationship with your manager like?
You're passionate about [target industry]. How do you see this passion playing out? Can you tell
me about your career goals?
Can you tell me about [startup that I work with, mentioned in my application]?
(Follow-up to previous question) How did you first come to be involved in this startup?
Why now for an MBA?
Is there anything else we haven't covered?

11/06/2021
Let's start with your Senior Finance Thesis.
Have you followed up on that?
So given your interest in sports, how did you get to your tech company X then?
So then how have you been able to balance consulting and growth strategy? (she was confused
by my title I think)
So why is your team so different? Explain that.
So, what’s been most challenging?
How have you gotten these account CEOs on board then?
What about managing the 8 people - what have you prioritized for them?
What are you still trying to learn/what areas are you trying to work on?
So, I know you’ve had to travel a lot; how has that been different being remote?
But has there been anything good that came from working remotely, that can be adopted
moving forward?
So, I know you got sponsorship - what was it like to turn it down, know that must have been
hard?
So before business school, what would you like to accomplish while at your tech company?
What will be most challenging in business school for you?
So sports - what do you think business school can help you with in that path?
What is it in sports or the NBA that you hope to solve?
f NBA didn’t work out, what other career options would you consider?
What do you hope to accomplish outside of work between now and business school?
Is there anything we didn’t get to talk about?
How do you hope to be remembered? [I asked at her tech company or in general, and she said
we could do both]

11/13/2020
Tell me about the schoolwide award you got in college – why did you receive it?
Why did you leave your consulting firm when you did?
Do you regret not staying on at the firm your worked for during your externship?
Talk about your PE firm's investment in X and what role did you play?
Your letter of rec mentioned a time you pushed back on a superior – can you tell me more
about that?
What have you added / changed at your PE firm?
What was better and what was worse than you expected at your PE firm?
What area are you still developing at your PE firm?
What’s going on in the world of social enterprise / impact?
What would be your dream summer internship?
How do you compare yourself to your peers?
Anything else you’d like to share?

11/02/2020
How has COVID impacted work? We used to do team daily lunch. We have tried to stay in touch
by catching up via Zoom.
We talked about how I got interested in Energy. Talked about how my interest started in college
by studying chemical engineering and how I landed in investment banking.
We talked about what made my team at X Investment Bank successful. We cared for each
other. It's not only about liking each other personally, but also about being driven.
Was asked how I stepped up in my X team. Discussed how I had to not only do the model but
check that it was right and prepare the outputs that the client would like to see.
Was asked about my associate experience and how that was different? Talked about having an
analyst and having to take a step back and think what the client would want.
Why did you not go to private equity after two years? Wasn’t ready (I didn’t come from a finance
background) + I still didn’t have my H1B Visa
Why Y PE firm? The people I met were great. Only fund that focused on power (with an
increasing interest in renewables).
We talked about ABC solar and why that makes sense. Talked about tax incentives driving the
investments.
We talked about how optimistic I am with the energy transition. I responded that I'm optimistic,
but that it's not going to be as quick of a transition as people think.
We talked about some of the challenges associated with energy transition, such as training
people that work in oil and gas. Mentioned how I believe the change has to come from
regulatory bodies so that it's a cohesive plan.
Going to HBS is a big investment? What do we have to do to make it worth your while? I
discussed how I had been lucky enough to attend a class and really valued the diverse opinions.
She asked me, "As long as we have a diverse class you would be happy to come" to what I
responded "diverse class of driven people.
I added at the end how lucky I've been so how I've always tried to give back. Back in college with
the Panama food bank, then RLC more recently.

10/27/2020
What is X drug company doing to try to get new patients from COVID testing & vaccines?
Why is your bonus not tied to COVID vaccinations?
How are you in particular going to try to adapt the business for COVID?
What do my reports do and what do I do?
Can you explain how you might work with your team to identify whether something is an
opportunity worth pursuing?
How have you kept your team motivated during remote work
Why an MBA now?
What are two to three things you hope to get out of the MBA?
You say you want to improve your leadership skills, but your recommenders make it seem like
you are already a leader. What do you need to work on?
Ideal internship, job after program, longer term plan
What did you do between graduating in May & starting at Y consulting firm in January?
Why did you take your role at ABC? It seems like it would be similar to the role at Y consulting
firm.
Most challenging part of your role at X Drug company.
What do you hope to accomplish between now and the time you go to business school?
You want to go into an innovation function, but you already have innovation in your title. What
do you think will be different elsewhere? Are there roles in CVS that do more "true" innovation
work?

10/23/2020
Discuss ABC onboarding revamp you did. Do you think it changed the experience for people
Particular loan applicant at RST firm that you're proud of
Why have you been so successful in your current role?
Time you worked smart (follow-up to previous)
Explain what Y does
Why use an acquisition strategy to expand in the US?
Who are Y's competitors?
Talk about the big data project you took on at ABC Investments
How would the investment process have gone differently if you didn't use big data?
Talk about your leadership style
Talk about a time you failed as a leader
Explain in more detail what you'd like to do post business school
What you've said would make sense for the pharmaceutical industry, how does it apply to
behavioral health
Company you admire in the MY space and why
How do you straddle line between effective care and profits?

10/23/2020
How was your overall experience at X college?
Please explain how you transitioned (Startup #1) into (Startup #2)
What was the business model for Startup 1?
Who was part of the team at Startup 1?

What is the business model for Startup 2? What has your role been in helping set up the firm?
How has the pandemic impacted or helped Startup 2 grow?
How is Startup 2 differentiated from some other companies in the space?
How did you make the transition from working in the US and Y bank to going to XYZ county?
What has the transition been like so far?
How have sanctions impacted the country and the foundation, as far as the different units?
How has COVID impacted children's learning and are they learning in person or online?
What do you hope to do at work between now and until when you start the MBA?
What would you like to say that we have not covered?

10/22/2020
What project you have done at your company was most meaningful and why?
Can you explain the breakdown in the project costs, what is the profitability and what are the
major inputs?
Are you talking about Net or Gross Profit?
How do you evaluate if a project will generate good returns for your company?
How do you balance working across the different departments and stakeholders at your
company?
Tell me about one of your biggest setbacks in the job and what you learned from it?
What part of the job do you need to improve your skills in?
What will be the hardest change for you when going to business school?
Outside of your industry, what other industries interest you?
What are some new innovative changes coming to your industry?
What industry competitor do you believe is doing the best and why?
How do you think about scale and the importance of it within your industry?

07/13/2020
Where did you spend time during the pandemic?
Did you have an online graduation? How was it?
Did you manage to finish all school projects during the semester despite Covid?
What problem were you trying to solve with X project?
What are you doing during the summer and when do you start at X consulting firm?
What does the team look like for your own venture? What's your role? Tell me more about your
idea
On the entrepreneurial note, how did you go about founding X?
What do you hope to get from X consulting firm?
What's your role now at X? Will you continue with that in parallel to X consulting firm?
How was the transition from teaching to managing at X?
How did you plan your succession when you left X for studies at Y?
What's your role at X and how did you get involved?
Do you have anything more you want to share?