UPDATE: This article was originally posted on March 16, 2020. It has been updated with 2024/25 information and tips below.
Located in one of the world’s hubs for luxury goods, HEC Paris, with two intakes each year, is one of the most sought-after MBA programs for international applicants – especially after securing a #11 spot in the Financial Times’ 2022 Global MBA ranking.
However, with options to add a finance certificate or do a double degree MBA with any of a number of global partner schools competition to join HEC’s elite MBA is more difficult than ever.
That’s why we’ve prepared this guide to help you use your HEC Paris interview to stand out. We’ve rounded up not only our best tips but have also included sample interview mocks to ensure you give your HEC interview your best shot.
How the HEC interview works
Making sure you shine during your HEC interview is no easy task.
HEC interviews are slightly unusual. If you successfully pass the pre-selection, you will be invited for two separate interviews. Each one consists of a 10-minute oral presentation on the topic of your choice, followed by an in-depth discussion concerning your application. Both interviews have equal weight in the decision-making process.
Our clients who have interviewed with HEC in the past say that the interviewers were very friendly and demonstrated a genuine interest in their answers. Though questions do tend to focus on standard MBA interview questions, be ready for anything.
Who will interview you?
You will interview with members of HEC’s alumni community.
If you and your interviewer opt to conduct these interviews online, this will not negatively impact your application in any way.
Will the interviewers have read your application?
The HEC Paris interview is blind, meaning the interviewers will only have access to your CV. This means that you can repeat examples from your essays if you choose to.
How long will the HEC interviews last?
45-60 minutes
Who is HEC looking for?
(Photo courtesy of @HECParisMBA on Instagram)
“Our MBA students are not only team players. They are individuals who can inspire their colleagues to do their best work. They are ambitious and motivated individuals who want to make a positive and lasting contribution to any organization they serve.” HEC Admissions
Every year, HEC Paris searches the globe for outstanding professionals given the honor of joining each class (HEC has two intakes per year), each of around 235 students. With a strong emphasis on diversity, there is no “typical” HEC student, yet the average admitted student for the Class of 2025 (the last year for which official data is available) had a GMAT score of 690 and 6 years of work experience.
Beyond the impressive statistics, though, HEC is looking for candidates who want to make a positive impact on the world through their careers. That’s why, in addition to strong academic performance (demonstrated through the GMAT and university grades), HEC seeks candidates who possess the following qualities:
Leadership Potential
You should be able to share instances where you have excelled as a leader in your personal or professional life.
International Exposure
Our HEC Paris MBA students are globally minded. You must be a well-rounded individual, able to adapt to different cultures from all over the world and collaborate with people of different backgrounds. You must have a good understanding of cultural differences, as well as be ready to share your knowledge and experience with others.
Interpersonal Skills and Personality
We value passion, humility, individuality and respect for others. You must be able to lead as well as collaborate within a team.
Trends in recent HEC MBA interviews
Recent feedback from candidates interviewing at HEC highlights several notable trends that you should consider when preparing for your interview:
Resilience and Leadership During Crises: There is a noticeable trend towards exploring candidates’ leadership during times of uncertainty or crises, reflecting a need for resilient leaders.
Sustainability and Ethical Leadership: Questions on how candidates integrate sustainability and ethics into their career goals are becoming more common, highlighting HEC’s emphasis on responsible leadership.
International Exposure and Adaptability: Questions about cultural adaptability and experiences in diverse teams are frequently asked, emphasizing HEC’s focus on globally-minded candidates.
How can you prepare for your HEC Paris interview?
Though no interview is 100% predictable, HEC interviews do tend to center around a fairly standard list of MBA interview questions. As such, we have prepared some model questions below that previous candidates have received in their past HEC interviews.
What questions are asked in the HEC MBA interview?
The questions below are drawn from our clients’ interview reports, as well as from sites like clearadmit.com. Though these are not all the potential questions you could possibly receive during your HEC interview, preparing for these (and any follow-up questions you think you might be asked) should give you a very solid foundation for your interview.
STARTING UP QUESTIONS
- Tell me about yourself. (Expect follow-up questions)
- What do you do in your current job?
- What do you like to do in your free time?
- What are your short-term and long-term career goals?
- Name three firms you would like to work at after your MBA.
- Why do you want an MBA?
- Why now?
- Why HEC?
- What will you contribute to HEC?
- What other schools have you applied to? If you get into all of them, how will you choose where to go?
LEADERSHIP & TEAMWORK
- Tell me about a time when you didn’t get along with your team. What did you do?
- Tell me about one instance when you disagreed with your boss and how you handled the situation.
- What is your leadership style? Can you give me an example?
- How would you handle a member of your team who wasn’t pulling their own weight?
- Can you describe a time when you led a team through a challenging period? How did you maintain team morale and ensure objectives were met?
MISCELLANEOUS BEHAVIORAL
- Tell me an example of when things didn’t work out as you planned.
- Tell me about a time when you were pushed to your limits at work.
- How would your friends describe you?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- What/who has been the greatest influence on your career thus far?
- Which accomplishment are you proudest of?
- Can you share an experience where you worked with a culturally diverse team? How did you adapt to different perspectives, and what did you learn?
- Tell me about a time when you faced a challenge while working internationally or with international clients. How did you adapt to the situation?
- Describe a time when you made a decision that balanced business needs with environmental or ethical considerations. What was the outcome?
PRESENTATION QUESTION
- Why did you choose this topic?
- Why are you passionate about this topic?
CLOSING
- Is there anything else you would like us to know about you? / Is there anything you wish I had asked you?
- 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 HEC Paris, 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 for 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 HEC Paris 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 respond to show you can handle any question they throw at you.
Practice makes perfect!
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 why 98.9% of our complete consulting clients get into at least one of their target schools.
We took our individual approach with our client Lorena, who was admitted to HEC Paris. In her words:
“When I started the process I knew very little about it. Ellin guided me throughout the entire process. Preparing for interviews can be overwhelming, since you must dig deep into your professional and personal life, and she pushed me to show the best I could offer, while also being available, kind, and patient to help me or to clear up any doubt I had. Even when I second-guessed myself, she was there to support me. I‘ll be forever thankful for her and her team’s support in achieving my dream of an MBA. I surely couldn’t have chosen better. It was a pleasure to work with you!”
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.
Our interview packages sell out quickly, so make sure you sign up today!
Want to put the Ellin Lolis advantage to work for you? Schedule your preparation session with our team of interview experts today
Real MBA Essays That Got People In
School-specific sample essays that got our clients accepted
