The HBS Interview: What to Expect + Sample Questions

UPDATE: This article was originally posted on February 6, 2019. It has been updated with new information and tips below. 

When many people think “business school,” the first MBA that pops into their mind is Harvard Business School. Established in 1908, HBS has been at the forefront of business education for more than a century. 

However, receiving more than 8,000 applications per year, Harvard Business School is one of the most difficult MBA programs to enter. 

That’s why we’ve prepared this guide to help you use your Harvard admissions interview to stand out. We’ve rounded up not only our best tips but have also included sample HBS interview questions to ensure you give your Harvard application your best shot.

 

How the HBS interview works

The Harvard interview is one of the most sought-after – and most difficult – interviews to land in the business school world. 

Thus, if you have passed to the interview phase of the Harvard application process, congratulations! This is already an exceptional achievement. 

The HBS interviews are fast-paced, often including as many as 20-30 questions in the space of 30 minutes! Furthermore, though HBS interviewers do sometimes ask a few standard MBA interview questions, most of the questions you will receive are tailored to your profile and/or are follow-up questions to answers you give during the interview. We believe that HBS adopts this type of interview style to test how well you would fit into the case study classroom environment. 

Despite its fast pace, our clients who have interviewed with Harvard say that the interviewer was very friendly and demonstrated a genuine interest in their answers. 

For some clients, questions were far more personal in nature, covering topics like their childhood and family upbringing. Other clients reported their interview was strictly professional, so make sure you’re ready for anything when you interview with HBS. 

 

Who will interview you?

Members of the HBS admissions committee. You will be interviewed by one or two people. 

 

Will the interviewer have read my application?

Yes. Since a member of the adcom will interview you, they will have read your entire application before the interview. 

 

How long will the HBS interview last?

30 minutes. The HBS interview is exactly timed and will not last longer than half an hour.

 

Where will my interview take place?

After two years of conducting interviews exclusively online, HBS is now offering the option to complete interviews either on Zoom or on campus. After being invited to interview, you will receive a link through which you can schedule a time for your interview. 

If you choose to complete your interview virtually, it will not negatively impact your application in any way. However, if you haven’t had the chance to visit campus yet. 

 

The Post-Interview Reflection

Unlike other most business schools, all candidates that are selected to interview at HBS must answer this open-ended question and submit their answers within 24 hours of their interviews. 

As part of the application process, you will be required to complete a Post-Interview Reflection. Here are a few details straight from Harvard Business School:

• The Post-Interview Reflection is not intended to be another formal essay. Think of it instead as a reflection after a meeting.
• We will be much more generous in our reaction to typos and grammatical errors than we will be with pre-packaged responses. Reflections that give any indication that they were produced before you had the interview will raise a flag for us.
• We do not expect you to solicit or receive any outside assistance with this exercise.
• Your Post-Interview Reflection is due within 24 hours of the conclusion of your interview. Let the interview soak in a little bit…no need to start writing your reflection right at the conclusion of your interview.
• There is a word guidance of 300-450 words for the Post-Interview Reflection.

Though there is no “model” for how to respond to this question, we have gathered several tips to help you ace this part of the HBS interview process here. 

 

Who is Harvard looking for?

(Photo courtesy of @harvardhbs in Instagram)

Every year, Harvard Business School admits the largest single MBA class in the world, with around 1000 students starting each year. In general, Harvard tends to admit applicants with 4.9 years of work experience and outstanding test scores. The median GMAT for the Class of 2025 was 740 and the median GRE was 163Q, 163V.   

Harvard also places a strong emphasis on diversity, with the Class of 2025 containing 45% women and 39% international students. 

According to Harvard’s Admissions team:

In addition, some of the key characteristics HBS looks for in applicants are:

Habit of Leadership

Leadership may be expressed in many forms, from college extracurricular activities to academic or business achievements, from personal accomplishments to community commitments. We appreciate leadership on any scale, from organizing a classroom to directing a combat squad, from running an independent business to spearheading initiatives at work. In essence, we are looking for evidence of your potential.

Analytical Aptitude and Appetite

Harvard Business School is a demanding, fast-paced, and highly-verbal environment. We look for individuals who enjoy lively discussion and debate. Our case and field-based methods of learning depend upon the active participation of prepared students who can assess, analyze, and act upon complex information within often-ambiguous contexts. The MBA Admissions Board will review your prior academic performance, the results of the GMAT or GRE, and, if applicable, TOEFL iBT and/or IELTS, and the nature of your work experience. There is no particular previous course of study required to apply; you must, however, demonstrate the ability to master analytical and quantitative concepts.

Engaged Community Citizenship

So much of our MBA experience – including the case method, section life, and student-organized events – requires the active collaboration of the entire HBS community. That’s why we look for students who exhibit the highest ethical standards and respect for others, and can make positive contributions to the MBA Program. The right candidates must be eager to share their experiences, support their colleagues, and teach as well as learn from their peers.

We want applicants who have these traits, as well as bring a variety of skills, accomplishments and aspirations. In each class, we create a dynamic environment that mirrors the breadth and depth of our world economy. Our promise to our faculty and to every student here is to create a class of 900 students who come from as many different backgrounds and perspectives as possible.

 

How can you prepare for your HBS interview?

The questions you get at HBS will be very tailored to your profile and will adapt as the conversation develops. 

For example, if you say: “I’d really love to do my summer internship in a technology company,” your interviewer might follow with: “Which 3 companies would you apply to?” As such, make sure you have combed through your application and have considered all types of questions and follow-up questions your interviewer might be interested in asking you. 

Though most questions are unpredictable, HBS does also draw upon some of the more common MBA interview questions, such as those asking why you are interested in attending an MBA in light of your career goals, why you’re interested in HBS, and what you bring to the Harvard community. As such, we have prepared some model questions below that previous candidates have received in their past HBS interviews.

 

Sample HBS Interview Questions

The questions below are drawn from our clients’ interview reports, as well as from sites like clearadmit.com. These are not all the potential questions you could possibly receive during your HBS interview. These are not even necessarily questions that you will receive on your HBS interview. However, these questions will help you understand what sort of questions to expect as you critically review your HBS application and consider what the adcom might dive into during your interview. 

The best way to prepare for HBS is to practice.

 

BACKGROUND INFO/WHY HBS

• Tell me about yourself
• Why did you choose to join Company X (something from your CV)?
• What are the best and worst things about your current job?
• What’s the company’s position compared to its competitors? How can your company improve this?
• What has been the most challenging aspect of your current job?
• If you could change anything about your current company, what would it be?
• How has your leadership evolved with your career progression?
• Who do you admire in your current industry (companies and leaders)?
• Where is the industry heading?
• Who do you admire in your post-MBA industry?
• Where is that industry heading? (post-MBA industry)
• Where do you want to do your summer internship? How will you market yourself to these companies?
• What do you like to do outside of work?

• What challenges do you anticipate facing in reaching your career goals? How will you overcome them?
• Why do you want an MBA?
• When did you decide to get an MBA?
• Why HBS?
• What kind of people do you look forward to meeting at HBS?
• How can you contribute to case method discussions?
• What will you get involved in on campus?
• What will you do if you don’t get into any business school this year?
• What makes you unique?

 

LEADERSHIP & TEAMWORK

• Tell me about a recent example where you demonstrated leadership. 
• What kind of leader are you?
• Who is a leader that you admire and why?
• Tell me about a time you dealt with conflict in the workplace. 
• Give me an example of a project you’ve had a difficult time with.
• Tell me about a time you had to convince a superior to follow your recommendation. 

 

STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES

• What would your supervisor say is a weakness? A strength?
• What would you say are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
• How would your colleagues describe you?
• Give me an example of a project you’ve had a difficult time with. What did you learn from it?

 

MISCELLANEOUS 

• How did you find the application process? 
• Is there something about you that has not been addressed in your application?
• What is the most recent book you’ve read?
• What is a common misperception people have about you?
• What would your 5 closest friends say about you? Why?
• What words would people use to describe you?
• Given what you know now, if you could go back to university and pick your subjects, would you change your choices?
• What motivates you?
• What are you passionate about?
• What would be your dream job?
• How have you developed your international experience? 

 

CLOSING

• Is there anything else that you haven’t mentioned in your application that you would like to share?
• Do you have any questions for me?

 

We have found that answering real interview questions on the spot is a much better means of preparation than reading lists of interview questions for most candidates.

We highly suggest you take a look at mock interview questions and sample interview responses before your interview. 

Our MBA Resource Center has dozens of real interview mocks from HBS, as well as detailed guides to help you prepare for questions ranging from “Why our MBA program?” to “Tell us about a time you failed.”

The Ellin Lolis Consulting MBA Resource Center is your one-stop shop to interview success. Click to join!

If you’re still not quite confident with your interview skills, our interview experts can help you craft your answers or prepare you for the rigorous HBS interview through mock interviews tailored to your profile. 

 

What to do if you get a question you haven’t prepared an answer for

Despite your most diligent preparation, you will almost always receive a question you had not prepared. 

First, stay calm and take a deep breath. You have already made it this far in the process, and one question will not trip you up!

Second, make sure you directly answer the question the interviewer asked you. For example, if the interviewer asks you about a time you had to deal with a difficult manager, make sure to tell a story about a difficult manager and how you handled the situation. 

If you’re having trouble thinking of an answer or an example to support your answer, however, take a drink of water to give yourself a few more minutes to think. If you really can’t think of an example from your personal or professional experience, you can use a hypothetical answer about how you would act in a certain situation. 

Finally, assume that the interviewer is testing how you think on your feet and respond to questions you didn’t prepare in advance. Though your answer might not be as polished as if you’d had weeks to rehearse it, smile and confidently give your answer to show you can respond to any question they throw at you. 

 

Effectively Tell your Story During your HBS Interview

One of the most common mistakes we see in MBA interviews is that candidates fail to tell compelling, well-constructed stories about their profiles while also nailing the basics. 

Striking this balance between sharing STAR-format examples that show off your background while also presenting strong answers to questions like “Why do you want an MBA?” is a challenging task that requires significant thought and preparation. 

Because of this, it’s no surprise that, on average, 50% of interviewed applicants walk away without an offer. 

This is why our interview preparation process here at Ellin Lolis Consulting is known as the best in the industry. We offer customized 1:1 support that ensures you’re able to turn your application’s strengths into compelling answers that show fit and sell your profile in any type of interview.  

That’s the approach we took with Marina, who was admitted to HBS. In her words, 

“My favorite part of working with Ellin Lolis was how well she knew my application and resume and customized the questions so they were realistic and compatible with my story.

Working with Ellin was essential to get into HBS. She prepared me for the interview in a complete manner: question customized for my history, amazing feedback (with orientation and examples on how to improve) as well as a complete post-mock session email with all the practiced questions, answers and feedback

For sure, I would recommend working with Ellin! Preparing with her for my interview was key for being admitted to my dream school.”

Forget simulation platforms or long lists of tips – our 1:1 preparation focuses on playing to your strengths and overcoming your weaknesses to turn you into an interview expert. Hire our interview services here. VIP packages that allow you to work directly with Ellin sell out quickly, so make sure you sign up today!