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Wharton Mock Interview Services

In Wharton’s signature interview process—called the Team-Based Discussion, or TBD—you will work with a small group of other Wharton applicants to devise and propose a solution on a challenges of Wharton’s choice. Past TBD challenges have included designing a new Global Modular Course and creating a course or experience using interactive games and simulations. Throughout the TBD, you will be observed by one or two members of the Wharton admissions team. Following the TBD, you will have a brief one-on-one interview with a second-year Wharton student or a member of the Wharton admissions team.

Wharton created this interview process to simulate the team-based nature of Wharton’s MBA program. Throughout the TBD, the admissions team is able to observe how you communicate with others, engage and act within a team, and, ultimately, contribute to a group’s outcome. Wharton also believes that the TBD will give you, as an applicant, a feel for what working with a business school team is like, as you leverage one another to reach a goal.

You will be given the topic for your TBD when you are invited to interview so you can prepare ahead of time. At the beginning of the TBD, you will be given approximately one minute in which to present your proposed solution to the challenge, and your teammates will each do the same. You will then have approximately 35 minutes to discuss, agree on, and further define a path forward, and to present your final recommendation to the observers.

In a subsequent one-on-one interview, you will have the opportunity to explain why Wharton is the right place for you and how the Wharton MBA program fits into your plan for the future.

To help you put your best foot forward in all three components (your pitch, the TBD, and your one-on-one), we have created a comprehensive Wharton Mock Interview, led by our team’s Wharton alumni, Rachel Nelson and Marcus Dahllof. Not only are Rachel and Marcus proven admissions coaches, but also their firsthand experience in the Wharton MBA program enable them to give you targeted and “Wharton-insider” advice.

What’s included in the Gatehouse Wharton Mock Interview service?

As a client of our Wharton Mock Interview service, you will receive the following:

• Access to Gatehouse Admissions’ Interview Training video series, led by Liza Weale, founder of Gatehouse Admissions. Leveraging more than 20 years of coaching in strategic communication, Liza breaks down the core types of questions typically asked in business school interviews and models how to approach answering them. The training series will take two to three hours to complete in full and will be highly valuable for your post-TBD one-on-one interview—or any other MBA interview, for that matter.
• Gatehouse Admissions’ proprietary Wharton Interview Preparation Pack, including tactics for developing your pitch, typical Wharton interview questions, and strategies for approaching the TBD.
• A 90-minute group session, which includes an approximately 35-minute simulated TBD with three to five other Wharton applicants, mirroring what you will experience in your actual Wharton interview. Gatehouse’s Wharton Mock TBD Interview will use the same prompt as Wharton does in its TBDs. After the simulated TBD, you will receive individualized feedback from Gatehouse moderators, as well as strategies for continued practice before your official interview.
• A one-on-one, 60-minute interview training session with a Wharton graduate (and Gatehouse Admissions Consultant). During this session, you will practice your TBD pitch and received targeted coaching. Your Consultant will also conduct a simulated mock interview, giving you on-the-spot guidance and feedback so that you are well prepared for the short interview that follows the TBD.

Wharton Interview FAQs

What percentage of Wharton’s applicants are invited to interview?

Wharton does not share the percentage of applicants it invites to interview, but if you are invited, you can assume that Wharton is very interested in your candidacy. Only applicants who are invited to interview are considered for admission to the program.

What is Wharton’s interview like?

The Wharton interview is a 35-minute, Team-Based Discussion (TBD) based on a prompt that is provided to you in advance via email. The TBD will have one or two observers from the Wharton admissions team and involve six applicant participants, including you. Following the TBD, you will have a ten-minute one-on-one interview.

What are the logistics for the Wharton interview?

The Wharton TBD is generally conducted and observed by a combination of second-year students working with the Wharton Admissions Office and members of the admissions committee. Both the TBD and the subsequent one-on-one are typically conducted virtually.

If I am invited to interview, when should I schedule my interview for?

Whether you schedule your Wharton interview for early or late in the cycle does not matter, so go with what works best for you, but be sure to schedule your interview as soon as you can access the scheduler—the slots fill up quickly. Keep in mind that you want to give yourself sufficient time to prepare and practice both your pitch and your overall interview skills before the actual interview, and schedule accordingly.

Learn more about the Wharton MBA interview process from Wharton MBA alumna (and former MBA interviewer) Rachel Nelson in our Resources.