The following UPenn / Wharton MBA admissions interview questions and report were submitted to Clear Admit by a Round 2 applicant. Good luck to them!
The interview was Wharton’s standard Team-Based Discussion (TBD). I interviewed on campus in mid-February (R2) and scheduled my interview for the end of the day. Leading up to it, there were opportunities to sit in on classes and have lunch with other prospectives.
Fifteen minutes or so before your interview, you wait with 4-5 others to begin. Use this time to get to know your fellow group members and take the edge off. My group was friendly. We were then led to a round-table room with a whiteboard and timer. Two second-year students introduced themselves and read the prompt we had all prepared for. The timer begins and someone immediately volunteered to go first. Everyone went in a circle and presented their prompt. Some were more nervous/rehearsed than others. Try to remain calm, maintain good eye contact, and do NOT go over a minute. Take notes while others are speaking so you can reference their ideas later.
One member of my group assumed the role of leader. My and one other teammate’s prompts overlapped quite a bit so we settled on some combination of our ideas. Naturally, the three of us had the most to say. Be careful not to dominate the conversation but rather encourage others to contribute. Reference things said by others. We took about 15 minutes to settle on an agenda. We left about 5-10 minutes for our presentation to the interviewers. Each of us covered a section of the presentation.
After this, you are called in one by one to interview with one of the second-year students. This interview is very brief and will cut off at the 10 minute mark. Questions I was asked include:
Walk me through your resume / how does an MBA fit in
How will you contribute to Wharton?
What did you think of the group interview?
Did you play a role that was typical to how you usually function in a group?
Any questions for me?
This interview flies by. I was technically not asked why I want to attend Wharton. The questions asked can vary depending on your interviewer.
All in all, I thought it was a good experience. I tried to strike a balance between informed contributor and encouraging others to engage. Wharton uses the interview to weed out those who dominate discussion or are uncomfortable working with others. The unpredictability of the interview is frustrating but does a good job simulating real life. I was accepted.
Clear Admit Resources
Preparing for your 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
