Top MBA programs interview by invitation, and they don’t all do it the same way. Harvard’s interviewer has read your whole file and you write a reflection afterward; Yale’s interviewer has seen only your resume; Wharton puts you in a group discussion with other applicants. Here is what each school says about its interview, what they assess, and how to prepare, from the schools’ own admissions pages.
From schools’ own MBA admissions pages2026-27 cycleChecked October 28, 2026
Practice with a mock interviewOne-on-one on Zoom with Julie Cunningham, MA, CCC-SLP.
Jump to:Formats by schoolWhat they look forQuestionsHBS reflectionWharton TBDVideo essaysTimingHow to prepareFAQ
Interview formats by school
These come from each school’s own admissions page for the 2026-27 cycle. Check the page for every school that invites you.
| School | Format | What their page says |
|---|---|---|
| Harvard Business School | 30 minutes, then a written reflection | “Interviews are 30 minutes and are conducted by an MBA Admissions Board member who has reviewed your application.” On campus, in hub cities, or on Zoom. Source |
| Stanford GSB | Behavioral, alumni or staff | Asked by “a trained member of our global MBA alumni community or a member of the admissions team.” “We generally interview two to three candidates per available seat in the class.” Source |
| Wharton | Team Based Discussion, then 10 minutes one-on-one | “The TBD is a 35-minute virtual group exercise” with “5-6 fellow MBA applicants,” followed by “a 10-minute one-on-one interview with a member of the admissions team.” Source |
| MIT Sloan | Virtual, plus a short answer | “Invited applicants must submit an additional short-answer response before the interview.” “Interviews are conducted virtually and scheduled in Eastern Time.” Source |
| Kellogg | Virtual interview, plus video essays | “All interviews are virtual.” Every applicant also records five video essay questions, with “up to one minute to give your response.” Source |
| Yale SOM | 30 minutes, blind | Conducted “by a current second-year student, recent alum, or an Admissions Committee member.” The interviewer “will only know what they see on your resume.” Source |
| Columbia | By invitation | “Interviews are by invitation only; applicants cannot request an interview.” Source |
Two differences matter most. First, whether your interviewer has read your file: Harvard’s has, Yale’s has seen only your resume. Second, whether you’re talking to one person or working in a group, as at Wharton.
What MBA interviewers are looking for
“We conduct a structured behavioral interview to gain a deeper understanding of what you have done and how you have done it. We focus on your past actions, rather than on hypothetical situations”Stanford GSB
Kellogg says the interview lets it “further evaluate your interpersonal and communication skills, career focus and motivations for pursuing a Kellogg MBA” (Kellogg). Wharton’s group discussion is meant to show “communication style, level of engagement, leadership skills, decision-making process, etc.” (Wharton). Yale says its questions “are largely behavioral in nature” and also cover “your MBA and post-MBA plans” (Yale SOM).
MBA interview questions to practice
The schools above describe their questions as behavioral (what you did in a real situation) and about your goals, but they don’t publish question lists. These are my practice prompts, written to match what the schools say they assess. They are not questions any school has published:
- Walk me through your resume.
- Why an MBA, and why now?
- What do you want to do after the MBA, and why?
- Why this school?
- Tell me about a time you led a team through a disagreement.
- Tell me about a time you failed. What did you do next?
- Tell me about a time you changed someone’s mind.
- What will you contribute to your classmates?
For behavioral questions, use a real, specific story: the situation, what you did, the result, and what you learned. Stanford says it focuses “on your past actions, rather than on hypothetical situations,” so “I would” answers won’t do.
Your interviewers may have your application in front of them, so reread your own MBA essays before the interview. If you haven't submitted yet, see our MBA personal statement examples, or work with Lauren Hammond, PhD, our personal statement editor.
Harvard’s post-interview reflection
“Within 24 hours of the interview, candidates are required to submit a written reflection through our online application system” (HBS). Harvard says the reflection “is not intended to be another formal essay. Think of it instead as a reflection after a meeting,” with a guideline of “300-450 words.” It also warns: “We will be much more generous in our reaction to typos and grammatical errors than we will be with pre-packaged responses” (HBS).
Harvard’s interview rules are strict. “Recording of interviews is strictly prohibited,” only you and the interviewer may be present, and “The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools or software (e.g., transcription, summarization, or note-taking apps) during the interview is strictly prohibited.”
Wharton’s Team Based Discussion
“Your discussion will have a prompt and a purpose and, as a team, you will work together to achieve a tangible outcome.” Wharton sends the details ahead of time, and its advice is plain: “Be yourself. There is no specific role that is expected of you” (Wharton). In a group, the goal isn’t to talk the most. Move the team toward a decision, build on other people’s ideas, and bring quieter people in.
Video essays and recorded questions
Some schools add recorded questions before any interview. Kellogg’s video essay has five questions: “You will have a brief moment to think about the question and up to one minute to give your response,” and “You will not have an opportunity to re-do the answer” (Kellogg). Yale’s has two questions with “60 seconds to deliver your response,” and Yale says “reading from a script or relying heavily on notes defeats the purpose” (Yale SOM). See our Kira Talent and recorded interview guide for how timed video answers work.
When MBA interviews happen
- Wharton: Round 1 interview invitations on October 28, 2026, with decisions December 17, 2026; Round 2 invitations February 19, 2027 (Wharton).
- Stanford: Round 1 interviews “mid-September to mid-November,” Round 2 “mid-January to mid-March” (Stanford).
- MIT Sloan: Round 1 decisions in mid-December 2026 and Round 2 in early April 2027 (MIT Sloan).
- Kellogg: “Interview invitations are sent on a rolling basis throughout the evaluation period up until decision release” (Kellogg).
An invitation is good news, not a decision. Harvard calls it “a positive indicator of interest, but is not a guarantee of admission,” and Yale says “It’s not uncommon to be placed on the waitlist without having been interviewed.”
How to prepare
- Know your format. Read-file, blind, group, or recorded each needs different preparation.
- Reread your application. Yale says “The best way to prepare is to review your Yale SOM application, resume, and essay.”
- Build six to eight stories. Leadership, conflict, failure, influence, teamwork, and an achievement you’re proud of. Each should work for several questions.
- Make “why MBA, why now, why here” specific. Name your goal, the gap the MBA fills, and the people, classes, or clubs at that school.
- Practice a group discussion if you’re applying to Wharton: speak early, build on others, and help the group finish.
- Do a mock interview with feedback. Practice answers out loud and get honest notes on length, clarity, and filler words.
For video essays and recorded questions, see one-way video interview tips from Julie Cunningham, a licensed speech-language pathologist.
Practice with a real interviewer before the real one. My wife, Julie Cunningham, MA, CCC-SLP, is a licensed speech-language pathologist who runs mock interviews on Zoom for MBA applicants. She coaches every format: one-on-one, panel, MMI, and recorded video interviews such as Kira Talent. She works on how your answers come across: clear key words, pace, voice, filler words, organizing an answer so it has a point, staying steady when you're nervous, and how you look and sound on camera. It's $250 an hour.
Frequently asked questions
Do all MBA applicants get an interview?
No. Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, MIT Sloan, Yale, and Columbia interview by invitation only. Stanford says it generally interviews two to three candidates per available seat.
What kind of questions are asked in MBA interviews?
Mostly behavioral questions about what you have done, plus questions about your goals and why the school. Stanford says it focuses on past actions rather than hypothetical situations. Yale says its questions are largely behavioral and about your MBA and post-MBA plans.
Has my MBA interviewer read my application?
It depends on the school. Harvard’s interviewer has reviewed your application. Yale’s interview is blind: the interviewer sees only your resume.
What is the Harvard post-interview reflection?
A written reflection due within 24 hours of your Harvard interview, with a guideline of 300 to 450 words. Harvard says it is not another formal essay and should not be pre-packaged.
What is the Wharton Team Based Discussion?
A 35-minute virtual group exercise with 5 or 6 other applicants, working toward a tangible outcome, followed by a 10-minute one-on-one with a member of the admissions team.
How long is an MBA interview?
Harvard’s and Yale’s are 30 minutes. Wharton’s is a 35-minute group discussion plus a 10-minute one-on-one.
Waitlisted? See our letter of continued interest guide, which covers Yale SOM and Kellogg as well as law schools.
Related guides: Grad school and PhD, MPH and epidemiology, Health administration (MHA), Biomedical sciences and postbac, Business analytics (MSBA), and Law school. See all interview guides by program.
Every format and quotation on this page comes from the school’s own admissions page, linked where it appears. Last checked October 28, 2026.