The admissions interview at Harvard Business School is a unique and often intense experience. Not all applicants are invited to interview. If you’ve made it to the interview stage – congratulations! You will be evaluated by members of the Admissions Committee who have read your application (or at least your resume) in advance and will come with specific questions tailored to you. Expect the interview to last exactly 30 minutes.

We believe in paying things forward, so when our clients get the interview at HBS (and most do) we use what we learn in their interviews to better prepare future clients for the questions they can expect in that given year. We then get to pass those insights onto you.

These questions asked are meant to clarify elements in your application that are unclear, prod your interests and commitments, or simply to test your ability to think quickly. In all cases, they will be evaluating your oral communication skills to ensure that you will be a strong fit for the case method style of instruction that infuses every course taught at HBS.

Analysis of the questions this year

This year the interviewers again have tended to deviate away from the previously standard opening question of “tell me about yourself.” Instead, we have seen some interviews start out with a random question, such as “do you think your great work ethic is learned or innate?” Otherwise, HBS is staying consistent in the sense that they continue to emphasize drilling down into your past work experience, why you made certain career transitions, and making sure you really understand the industry you’re trying to move into.

New questions we are seeing this year

• How is your current company winning in the market? How could they continue to win in the market?)

• What is the gap between you and the leaders you admire?

• What role does intuition play in decision-making vs. data and analytics?

• When did you use business intuition when the data was telling you something different?

• Tell me about your time in college? (new for how open ended it is)

Older questions coming back into fashion:

• Where do you see the industry you’re interested in now? Where will it be? What is a company you admire in the industry?

• What other companies did you apply to other than the one you’re currently at?

• What is one thing you wish you had done differently?

• What is another industry you find interesting?

• What 3 words would you use to describe yourself?

Keys for success:

• Focus on your transition points in your career and be able to explain them well.

• Know yourself, know your company, know your industry.

• Remember that 93% of speech is non-verbal. Practice your body language, tone of voice and the emotions in your stories as much as you rehearse your content. (give us a call if you need help)

• HBS is a case method school and is testing how easy it is to follow your points. Keep them organized!