How to Prepare for your HBS Interview

It has been a long journey to get to this point and you are only one step away from being admitted. All of your hard work transcribing your essay, resume and gathering recommendations letters has paid off. Alas! You have been invited to interview with the Harvard Business School. What should you do now?The invitation to interview is a great indicator of interest, but it does not guarantee admission. It is one additional element among many that are considered in the final review of your candidacy. As a guide to help you prepare for this last step, here are 5 crucial tips for acing your HBS interview:

1. Know your application inside and out. Be comfortable telling your story in a natural, non-rehearsed fashion. Practice explaining key achievements that you mention in your resume or essay. It has been said that Harvard likes to ask a lot of questions about choices and transitions that you have made.  Be prepared to not only answer why you made that transition but how you made the transition.
2. Keep your nerves at ease. The interview is an opportunity for MBA Admissions Board members to see your personality in action and envision how you would fit in at HBS. They are not trying to trick you and HBS isn't known for using outlandish interview questions. So remember, relax and be yourself.
3. Mock interviews. Try working with someone who has been through the process before. Getting feedback from experienced interviewees will let you know if you're on the right track with your answers. Practice answering interview-type questions that are related to your industry, recent news and broader questions about your story. This will keep you from being caught off guard when you're actually there.
4. Be concise and specific in your answers. Because interviews only last 30 minutes, this doesn’t give you much time to get your point across. The interview is not blind, meaning that MBA Admissions Board members have read all application materials including essays, resume, and recommendation letters. Your interview will be tailored to you and is designed for HBS to learn more about you in the context of a conversation. Therefore, you want to be specific and concise in your answers and stay away from generic or cliche responses.
5. Utilize post-interview reflection. Within 24 hours of the interview, candidates are required to submit a written reflection about their interview experience through Harvard’s online application system. The reflection is not a formal essay but more like an email. This gives candidates an opportunity to briefly reiterate their interest in HBS, their personal brand themes and more importantly, it allows candidates to speak upon anything they weren't able to cover in the interview.

Do you need extra help preparing for your interview? Don’t leave your fate up to one single judgment. Get an entire team who will review your application to identify your gaps and your strengths. Ivy Advisors' team-based approach simulates the process deployed by the admissions board. We will evaluate your application holistically, in the same way that HBS review candidates. Click here to get help from an entire team of experts who not only are well informed about the admissions process, but also survived the interviews ourselves.