The Wharton Experience – Interview

I arrived for my interview 15 minutes ahead of schedule amidst a brewing snow storm. After a 5-minute wait, sign-in and submission of my resume to the front-desk, I was escorted by my interviewer to his office and the interview began. The interviewer started by introducing himself, along with a brief summary of his background. He then explained that the interview was ‘blind’ and that the interview itself was not definitive, but is used as one more data point in the application process. The interviewer also offered a pre-apology for possibly interrupting me during the course of the session. I was advised not to be offended if I am interrupted mid-answer, but was very politely told that we were only allowed 30 minutes of interview time, and if I answered the sufficiently, that we would move on to ensure we cover the full spectrum that the interview encompasses.

The questions did not follow the ‘typical’ Wharton script that I read in a few blogs and on the bulletin boards. However, I did note that the interviewer made a couple annotations on my resume and referred to these annotations when asking questions. My interview unfolded as follows:

1. Some introductory industry specific questions on my work environment, industry specific performance indicators, and profiles of my direct reports.
2. Explain the daily duties in my current position.
3. How was I able to be effective to be in XYZ position despite the challenges involved?
4. Describe how I achieved a particular accomplishment, and how did that impact my leadership skills.
5. What is my plan upon graduation from Wharton if accepted?
6. Describe my role in a particular community service group in which I was involved.
7. What motivated me to pick up ABC-hobby and how did this impact my development as a leader?
8. What achievement am I most proud of and why?
9. Any questions for me?

In all, I think it went well. I did not rehearse answers during preparation, instead I focused on the major positives that both made me unique, and showed that I could fit in. I am hopeful that I managed to convey these eloquently and effectively.

With the interview behind me, I was invited by my hosts to chill out and to converse for a few hours. The discussion meandered among ‘lighter’ topics such as relationships, Wharton and religion (yikes!). I came into Philadelphia with high expectations, and they were exceeded.