Harvard Business School
If you are one of the thousands of applicants whose sights are set on attending Harvard Business School (HBS), odds are you have wondered if you will receive a coveted invitation to interview with the school’s admissions committee. Whether you have already applied and are preparing for your admissions interview or you are researching the process in anticipation of applying, you are likely asking yourself an important question:
What can I expect during a Harvard Business School interview?
With its unique and intensive interview approach, HBS has continuously vexed MBA applicants for years. To help, we at mbaMission recently teamed up with Poets&Quants to create a new resource for HBS applicants that presents exactly the types of questions one might expect to be asked during a typical HBS admissions interview—and the best way to answer them.
Poets&Quants Founder John A. Byrne sat down with mbaMission’s Managing Director and HBS Interviewer in Residence Devi Vallabhaneni for a one-of-a-kind mock HBS interview, in which Devi interviewed John just as she has hundreds of real HBS applicants.
As an HBS graduate, a former HBS alumni interviewer, and a former HBS Admissions Board member, Devi has interviewed thousands of HBS candidates in Boston, London, and Paris. Over her more than 20 years working in MBA admissions and readiness, she has helped candidates across all industries, geographies, and backgrounds showcase their best attributes via the interview process—and now she is using her unique experience to better inform and benefit the pool of today’s HBS applicants.
During the 30-minute mock interview and subsequent debrief, John and Devi illuminated common HBS interview concerns including the following:
- What is stressful about the HBS interview?
- What are the myths surrounding preparation for the HBS interview as well as the interview itself?
- How can someone prepare? Isn’t it hard to know what is covered?
- What does it mean to be “authentic” in the interview?
- Does your interview have to be perfect for you to be accepted? What if you feel like you messed up an answer?
- What is HBS really looking for in the interview? Can it make or break someone’s candidacy?
Although no two HBS interviews are the same, the intention of the mock interview video session was to present some types of thought-provoking questions and answers that HBS intends to cover during an interview.
We encourage you to watch the full video below or via our YouTube channel.
If you believe you could benefit from a prep session with Devi, please reach out to us or book your spot for one of our HBS Intensive Interview Simulations exclusively for HBS applicants.
Via the intensive interview simulation, applicants receive:
- Two or more 30-minute interview experiences customized to your application: Before your first session, Devi will spend several hours reviewing your written HBS application, following the same process she used when conducting candidate interviews for HBS. This allows her to target her HBS interview questions based on what she discovers about you from your application.
- Personalized feedback: After each interview session, Devi will provide you with targeted feedback, talking you through her impressions and offering strategic advice for improving your HBS interview skills.
- A reflection period: You will have time between your interview sessions with Devi to internalize the feedback and adjust accordingly before trying again.
- Post-Interview Reflection support: After their interviews, intensive-simulation clients who are not already working with an mbaMission Consultant can have Devi provide targeted support on their HBS Post-Interview Reflection.
If you have questions about other ways in which mbaMission might be able to assist with your MBA interview readiness, please contact us anytime.
