We’ve offered advice on the Wharton team-based discussion a few times (like here and here), but it seems like applicants are still struggling to wrap their heads around this interview experience.

Here I will reinforce some key points, as well as let you know about our mock Wharton interview for both the individual and team based interview (see tip #4).

1. Don’t underestimate your one-minute intro!

Prepare a statement for each of Wharton’s three prompts so that when the timer starts, you’re prepared to deliver a 60-second into confidently and smoothly. Most round 1 & 2 participants reported that the facilitators WILL stop you when you hit the 60-second mark of your pitch, so practice with a stopwatch!

2. Bring a few notes, but don’t bring a 300-page treatise!

You don’t want to be shuffling through notes (even paperless notes on a tablet) while you should be paying attention to the comments of your co-interviewees. The same thing goes for furiously scribbling notes during the interview – keep this to a minimum! Remember, this is a group discussion, not a chance for you to read your monologue from a stack of papers!

3. Put the team’s success first and you will come out a winner.

Those who put the success of their team above that of their own proposal will score in the mock TBD. It’s a team exercise; not an airtime contest. Be prepared to encourage teammates, be flexible, and take respectful initiative when you have something to contribute.

4. Practice makes perfect – by yourself and as a group!

The best way to prepare for the Wharton team-based discussion is by sampling the experience for yourself. Accepted ran several mock interviews (with excellent participant feedback), and is gearing up for its next round soon. Make sure you’re a part of this essential interview prep! See details and register here: mock interviews for Wharton’s group and individual discussions.

We asked participants in previous mock Wharton TBDs what they found most valuable about the exercise. Here is a sampling of their responses:

• “The opportunity to practice discussing the interview topic with other skilled and motivated candidates. I believe after participating in one of these groups, the candidates are much more prepared for the real interview.”

• “The most valuable aspect was to be able to know how the team discussion would go and also experience a really close simulation to it. So I felt much better prepared.”

• “Finding out how the interview is run and seeing it in action. I believe I will be more confident going to the interview.”

When asked if they felt better prepared because they participated in the mock Wharton TBD, 100% said “yes.”

 Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

When You Interview, Matters

New Wharton research shows that interviewees need not only compete against the crowded field of candidates in general, but against those specific candidates who are interviewing on the same day as they are.

The study measures the success of applicants who interviewed at the end of the day, rather than early on in the interviewer’s schedule. The results show that a qualified candidate who would have scored high earlier in the day, ended up scoring lower if interviewed at the end of the day. This low scoring, however, resulted only if our highly qualified candidate followed other highly qualified candidates. If our end-of-the-day highly qualified candidate interviewed late in the day following a series of WEAK candidates, then his end-of-the-day timing would work with him to increase his interview score.

The theory behind the data here is that if an interviewer goes into the day knowing that he will probably accept or score highly 50% of his interviewees (for example), and if by the end of the day he’s already reached his quota of “good interviews, then even if our highly qualified candidate does extremely well, the interviewer will be less likely to accept him.

According to Uri Simonsohn, Wharton operations and information management professor, “The effect very well could be an unconscious one,” or “it could be very conscious. It could be an agency thing. It could be you don’t want your supervisors to think you’re doing a bad job when they see a bunch of [candidates rated as] fives in a row.”

The flipside of all of this is that a weak candidate who interviews later in the day, really lowers his chances of scoring high during the interview.

See “Why Being the Last Interview of the Day Could Crush Your Chances” for more information.

Takeaways

Obviously, you don’t know the strength of the candidates scheduled to interview on any given day. Therefore, you don’t know whether you are better off scheduling in the morning or late afternoon.

I asked a few of Accepted’s former admissions directors about the study, and they were skeptical of this data, and they disagreed with any conclusion that interviewing in the morning is an advantage.

I have always wondered or perhaps assumed that there are certain random factors no one can control in this highly subjective application evaluation process. What if the reader has a fight with his or her significant other that morning? Or conversely if something wonderful happens just before the reader opens your file?

The irrational, random aspects of the evaluation process can contribute to what outsiders see as anomalous results: applicants rejected at less selective programs and admitted to more selective programs; or less “qualified” competition accepted at your favorite program when you are “more qualified” and your answer is a sympathetic but definitive denial.

Perhaps the real takeaway from this study is not when you should interview, but a reminder that the MBA application process is a subjective process imperfectly evaluating your application, not you. It is not an authoritative analysis of your worth as a human being; it isn’t even an omen of professional triumph or a sign of success in the business world.

The study also serves as a reminder, given the subjective and even capricious elements in the application process, that applying to one highly selective school runs a high risk of rejection. Unless you really can’t leave the city where this school is located, apply to several schools that meet your needs.


 Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Wharton

Due to frequent requests, Accepted.com is adding a new interview prep service to its always-growing menu of business school admissions consulting services. The new package, Wharton Premium Interview Preparation, is available to Wharton applicant interviewees and helps them prepare for the new team interviews, as well as the traditional individual interviews.

The Wharton Premium Interview Preparation package provides:

• One Wharton team interview simulation with 3-7 other Wharton applicants and two Accepted consultants/facilitators. (There will initially be three simulation dates to choose from.)
• One mock one-on-one interview.
• Professional written feedback on the client’s performance during the simulation and the individual mock interview.
• One phone consultation to discuss feedback on both team and one-on-one interviews.

Linda Abraham, CEO and founder of Accepted.com, talks about the company’s new addition: “We decided to offer this service because recently we have been bombarded with questions about the Wharton interview and requests for specific coaching for the top b-school’s unique interview procedure. We’ve already coached applicants for the Wharton team interviews and have also offered the simulation to clients.”

Accepted surveyed the applicants who participated in the team simulation — 100% felt better prepared. When asked what they found “most valuable” in the mock team interview, this response was typical “The opportunity to practice discussing the interview topic with other skilled and motivated candidates. I believe after participating in one of these groups, the candidates are much more prepared for the real interview.”

Team interview simulations will be held starting the last week of February. Applicants are encouraged to purchase the Wharton Premium Interview Package as soon as possible to secure a spot on one of the interview teams.

 Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best