I have my HBS interview on Monday.  Do you have any last minute tips for what to expect?

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Is an HBS interview a make-or-break interview?  How do they view it?  Does the adcom generally know which of the candidates that have been invited for interview that they want?  Or do they make their final decision based on the interview?

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It can be a  break exp. but not a make exp, if you screw it up, and blather, or cannot explain yourself, or piss off the interviewer: YOU WILL BE DINGED.

 Of the 1800 kids they interview that happens in maybe 180 cases (10 percent). OF those 180, maybe 80 actually know it was a disaster, and walk out REALLY BUMMED, no fooling. Like a kid who wrote me, in response to my wondering about initial report, if this person was just having normal second thoughts, “I cannot tell you how  bad it was…………..”  That convinced me. THAT KID WAS DINGED. (Phone call w.kid, and details of back and forth really did it). Of the 100 kids of the 180 SCREW UPS who DO NOT KNOW they screwed up, it will be a matter of irritating the interviewer, w. a pattern of evasions, jargon, sports talk, bravado, tin ear replies, and interviewer is not the type (and most are not) who overtly expressly dislike but rather  just silenty says, “Keep it up, it’s your funeral……………….” That report gets written up as answers were evasive, arrogant, not aware of audience, etc.etc.

Of the remaining 700 kids who get dinged anyway and are not part of the above 180–their interviews were mostly non-events, but after interview they lost out to better candidates in their silo, however defined, see DeeDee’s explanation of this above.

What interview does not do, IN MOST CASES, is get you in, e.g. turns a marginal app. (by interviewed app. standards) into AN ACCEPT, altho who knows, I imagine if you are borderline, and some guy very similar to you has ok inter. and you have boffo interview, well, maybe you will get in, but that dont happen as much as you might predict.

What to expect: interiewer will be courteous but not empathetic, or gushy, or even warm; inter. may take lots of notes, which can be disconcerting, you will walk out saying, “that was an anti-climax, I did fine, but I did not get a chance to unroll my super leadership answers, or boffo stuff I researched about treks, or my great OTHER failure not in my app…..it was just a chat, and pleasant, with only one substantive team question at the end, s what gives??” WHat gives in most cases is you did fine, and your admit will be determined by rest of app.

DEE-DEE SPILLS THE BEANS AT INTERNAL  ADMISSIONS SEMINAR FOR HBS KIDS–GOD ONLY KNOWS WHY ANYONE SHOWED UP, BUT HUNDREDS DID (HOW COME NO INVITE FOR ME ???????). NOTHING GROUND BREAKING HERE ALTHO SOME GREAT, GREAT TIDBITS. BE SURE YOU KEEP READING………………..PINK FOLDERS, THAT IS A NEW ONE ON MOI. IS ROUND TWO BLUE?

Sandy –  Dee [Deirdre Leopold adcom director]  organized an event for HBS students early this week ­ it was called “What you want to know about HBS Admissions but couldn’t ask…”  A classroom designed to sit 90 and easily 250 people..it was crazy.
She said nothing ground breaking.  Just more about process.  Day the apps start to get reviewed they print all the apps (someone does this all night)…and apps get put into pink folders (round 1)…

She said they are getting younger and the applicants from the 2+2 program are fantastic

Faculty believes that 3-4 years experience is plenty

International / Domestic mix is likely to remain the same

Still looking for leaders, definitely want more women and people from industry.  You aren’t competing against candidates from your own industry / geography / race, etc…they have a general idea of the way they want to class to look like but don’t consciously review the apps in that way…you are competing against everyone else, which was insightful

Alums are not likely to participate deeply in interviewing process going fwd; if alums have the time to do 5 interviews then they are probably the alums that HBS doesn’t want interviewing anyway!

[SOMETIMES YOU GOTTA LOVE THIS GAL– SK]

“Still looking for leaders who care as much about their learning as the learning of their classmates; have to show intellectual curiosity and demonstrate the potential for leadership.  HBS trains leaders, it doesn’t create them”

  In terms of numbers she said only 10% of class spots are available for round 3…go getters apply in round 1, a very competitive pool, but not too many applications whereas round 2 has a “normal distribution” of applications (crappy, ok, great) and that’s where they admit the majority of the class…she said they will look to interview 1800 (not a hard number, but about that) and she wants the candidate to have a 50/50 shot at getting in after the interview.  Nothing about recommenders and legacies (although i wanted to ask but she didnt call on me - way too many people - at least 250 - 300 in a 90 person classroom).  Kids asked about international vs domestic student balance (why not more international?) and she said that its a US school and she even has alums telling her to admit more white males so it is very difficult to please everyone so the balance will likely not change.  Impact of downturn will bring about more applications but she doesnt expect the review process to change at all.  Most students who showed up were 1st years. 

She also said that she spends as much or more time on Businessweek.com more than anyone…

I have a question about Harvard interviews. Unlike the adcoms from many other schools, HBS’ admission committee conducts majority of the interviews. My understanding is that the committe will be aware of the whole application at the time of the interview, including all of the essays that have been written by the applicant. Now my question is the following: what is your opinion about using the some stories from the essays to answer some of the interview questions?________________________________________

HBS INTERVIEWS.

You are correct that HBS interviews, unlike almost all others, are based on adcom having your entire app. in front of them, including essays, and not just resume.

Sometimes they say, “tell me about ANOTHER accomplishment not in your Essays. So be prepared for that.

But basically, you are overthinking this, often questions drill down on essays, e.g. “how did you get team to follow you when you did X, ” or “would you do anything diff. about situation in Essay X now?”

More often, questions are in some 3rd space, that has nothing to do w. app. E.g.,  where do you see yourself in 5, 10, 15 years? What will challenges be, what will you do if that does not happen???  How do you define sucess? How have you accomplished so many things? Tell me about greatest leader at work and why? Tell me about something you are proud of since application was submitted?

To the extent that Q could use Essay example, e.g. What are you most proud of? And you want to regurg. some story fr. essays, you need to be able to spin it towards impact and meaning? And then interviewer might cut you off, and say, “What else are you most proud of?” Bascially —you can assume interview knows app and essays, and DOES NOT WANT TO HEAR THAT STUFF. ALTHO IT ALL COUNTS. So, be prepared for answers about other accomplishments, other set backsk, other ways you were leader, but mostly be prepared for conversation to be in some 3rd space that oddly does not deal w. app much. That is most common outcome, alhto 10- 20 percent of time, they drill down on one or two essays. So be prepared for that too. 

  HBSGURU.COM DOES GREAT MOCK INTERVIEWS FOR HBS–I’VE INTERVIEWED MORE HBS KIDS THAN MOST ADCOMS!!!!