harvard business school interview questions

alumni interview

Were you invited to an interview by HBS? This is a Harvard Business School interview and questions from four candidates.

The minutes are from a client of Sandy Kreisberg, founder of HBSGuru.com, who helps rehearse and prepare mock interviews for over 100 invited applicants each year. Perhaps Kriesberg does more interviews with HBS candidates, with the exception of a few people on her HBS admissions team who actually conduct her 30-minute sessions.

His sample size of over 100 out of 1,900 people interviewed in a given year gives him a unique perspective on who makes the cut and who doesn’t. His advice in How Not BLOW The Harvard Business School Interview is a must-see.

Questions from 4 Candidates at Harvard Business School Interview

The questions MBA applicants are asked in Harvard Business School interviews can vary widely as each session is tailored to the individual candidate. At HBS, interviews are conducted in her 30 minutes by a member of her MBA admissions committee who reviewed the candidate’s application. Typically, one admissions staff member will ask questions and another staff member will take notes.

It is important to remember what HBS is looking for in a candidate for employment, interviewing, or submitting an application to be interviewed. According to HBS, there are three key elements of her that every candidate should have. leadership habits, analytical aptitude and willingness, and community citizenship. All three should be subtly reflected in your interview answers.

Here are four recent examples from four very different candidates: a project manager, an investment bank analyst, a private equity shop analyst, and a US military veteran.

Interview questions for project manager.

How has COVID-19 affected your job or industry?
do people work at home?
Are you working from home?
how was it?
What technology are you using to share updates with your remote workers?
Do you think some people will adapt well to remote work?
OK, let’s get off Covid.
What was the most exciting project you worked on this year?
What role did you play?
how did you launch?
Looking back on this project, what do you think is different?
How do you handle pushbacks?
Have you ever been unfairly criticized for your opinion?
what did you say?
What would you say is the most valuable feedback you’ve ever received?
What was your situation?
What kind of leader do you want to be?
Other than managing your time, what’s the hardest thing about HBS?
What do you mean by lower difficulty?
How do you think you have changed after two years at HBS?
We are receiving applications from many highly qualified applicants in your industry –why should i admit you

Interview questions for investment bankers

How has COVID affected your business?
Tell us about your favorite deals, your toughest deals, and your worst deals. The reason is?
How do you market yourself to investors?
What is your company’s “secret sauce”?
What type of investors are attracted to your company and why?
What was your biggest fundraising challenge?
Tell me about a time when you influenced someone
Thinking about your previous roles – deal maker, working with portfolio companies, team leader, fundraising – what was the most difficult role and why?
Have you ever wanted to run a company full time?
How does your impact as an investor differ from your impact as a CEO?
How did you hear about HBS?
what do you want to know about

Interview questions with a private equity analyst

Can you talk about a recent deal on your resume (I have a lot of follow-up questions)
What is your current role?
You seem to work in different offices of the bank and different continents. What are some of the cultural and operational differences? Which office did you enjoy the most?
How would your boss describe you?
What kind of constructive feedback have you received in the past?
What did you learn in JOB 2?
Please tell us about your goals. where would you like to work What do you think you’ll be doing if those goals don’t come true?
What do you get with an MBA?
How did you feel about spending an exchange semester at D? 1
Tell me more about your life in A and B.
Please tell me about extracurricular activity A.
Anything else you would like to know?

Interview questions for veterans

What made you want to join the military?
Tell us about the team you are currently working with. A lot of follow-up – what team culture is, who is the “leader”, how decisions are made,
Name two words your teammates would use to describe you.
What constructive feedback have you received from your teammates?
What goals have you set for yourself in the military?
When did you decide to pursue an MBA and why?
What are you interested in doing?
Please tell us which company you would like to work with and why.
Is there anything else you would like to tell us about yourself?