Fairly standard questions:
- Walk me through your resume/career progress
- Short- and long-term goals, Why MBA
- What do you do outside of work?
- Why Wharton
- What would others at Wharton remember you by after your two years there?
- Example of team conflict?
- Would the adcom have any reservations about your application?
- Questions for me?
I think I was able to convey all of what I had to, especially highlighting the ‘themes’ that the paper application would convey. I talked about leadership/teamwork examples and Why now during the career progress itself, so I wasn’t asked these questions. I tried to throw in passion/emotion/humor wherever I could. The interviewer really didn’t look at my resume.
I have to say that I don’t think that the experience was as ‘relaxed’ and chummy-like as others seem to report. Is this good or bad/ to be expected? I felt it was quite mechanical, with little interactivity. Had this been more interactive, the experience would have been more enjoyable and relaxed, and I’d also have been able to better guage whether the interviewer was following me (I had to rely on body language for this!).
30 minutes is a short time to cover the entire ground, esp with someone like me who has nearly 9 yrs experience; despite the fact that I was doing most of the talking, we finished bang on time. I think Wharton should seriously look at making the interview at least 45 minutes long. And they should certainly ensure that their interviewers spend the first 5 minutes in casual chit-chat, to put the candidate at ease.
One is left wondering whether the interview alone makes or breaks one’s ‘chances’ at Wharton?
