When I first heard that I got an interview from HBS, the first thing I did was email Sandy for interview prep. I figured I was so close that I wanted to do my best. At the start of the prep, Sandy made it clear to me what I had to do and not do during the interview. Throughout the 90 minutes we spent together, Sandy was nice and helpful. He was blunt at times, but it was always done in a kind and thoughtful tone. Whenever I did any of the “do not dos”, he corrected me and helped me understand, even suggesting better phrasing. He had read my entire file and he tailored his applications to the parts that he suspected the committee would ask.
On the day of the interview, my interviewer focused on the sections that Sandy had identified. I was able to say some of the answers Sandy and I had come up with for some of the questions. I was still worried after the interview, but Sandy reassured me that I was over thinking my performance and that my story probably came across well to the adcom. I provided a list of questions I was asked to Sandy and that really helped me replay my interview, which helped me for my post-reflection.