Equally as important as preparing for the interview is choosing your interviewer. I chose a more seasoned alumni who worked in an industry very different from me, because I wanted to meet with someone who would have a very different perspective and who had been out of school long enough to offer a longer term view on the value of a Wharton degree. As a result, I was able to formulate questions that were really relevant to my interests, and we ended up having a very rich dialogue (almost 2 hours).
Questions of particular note:
- Why Wharton, why now?
- In describing my work history, I discussed some of the challenges my previous employer faced regarding employee attrition. I was asked what I would have done to improve this.
- Tell me about some of your proudest accomplishments. This is your time to brag.
- Tell me about your perspective on teamwork and any interesting experiences you have had.
- What do you do for fun?
- What will you do if you don’t get into Wharton or business school?
- Have you considered a joint degree? This is to test how deeply you have researched the school’s offerings. Luckily I had anticipated this question and had a decent response (I have strong interest in international issues, so why didn’t I apply to the Lauder program?)
- Is there anything else you want the adcom to know about your candidacy? Anything you want me to explain to them?
The manner of the interviewer’s questions were opened ended rather than specific, and allowed me a lot of flexibility in my answers. I tried to follow this lead by treating this more as a conversation than a structured interview, which helped both of us become more at east with each other and discuss issues in greater detail than if it was simply a Q&A format.
Good luck!
