HBS Interview Experience – A Candid Look at James’s Story
Landing an HBS interview invite is a big deal and it means the admissions committee already sees something compelling in your story. But it also signals the start of a new challenge: proving you can hold your own in a high stakes conversation with someone who has read your application inside and out.
The HBS interview is known for being fast paced, highly personalized, and deeply informed. Interviewers come prepared with a thorough understanding of your background and dive quickly into the decisions, experiences, and impact that define your story.
To help you understand what to expect, James, a recent HBS admit, walked us through his interview day from the interview format and questions to the post interview reflection and student conversations. Whether you are preparing for your own HBS interview or just curious what it is really like, this firsthand account offers valuable insight. Please note the name has been changed to protect client privacy.
Interview Day Begins
I scheduled a 1:30pm interview and arrived on campus around 10:00am to attend a class visit. I sat in on a finance class with several other interviewees. The session was about an hour and a half long, and while we weren’t allowed to participate, it was helpful to observe how finance and accounting concepts are taught through the case method rather than textbooks or deal work.
After class, I went to the interview waiting area and spent time speaking with other candidates before my interview. The overall HBS interview experience began to take shape from this moment — a shared space with applicants rotating in and out for interviews and post-interview reflections. Everyone was friendly, and it was interesting to meet people from very different backgrounds: consulting, the military, nonprofits, hedge funds, and more. It really underscored the diversity of the HBS applicant pool. We were brought upstairs in groups of 10 and interviewed in individual recruiting rooms.
What the HBS Interview Format Was Like
My HBS interview experience followed the standard two-on-one format: one admissions officer led the interview while a second person observed. One notable difference from what I had expected was how collegial the interview felt. Based on conversations with alumni and other candidates, it seems HBS has intentionally shifted away from adversarial interviews toward a more conversational, relationship-building approach. Several candidates mentioned spending the first part of their interviews chatting casually with their interviewer. That was consistent with my experience.
The interview began with light conversation about my day and whether I had attended a class visit or other events. That naturally led into a discussion about the finance class I observed and how learning through the case method compared to learning finance through private equity or traditional coursework. In hindsight, attending a class was very helpful — it gave me an immediate and natural entry point into the conversation, and it came up for several other candidates as well. From there, the interview moved quickly into professional and leadership topics. The overall tone of my HBS interview experience was friendly, fast-paced, and curious rather than confrontational.
What Stood Out in My HBS Interview Experience
The majority of the interview focused on my professional experiences, with leadership themes embedded throughout. Every question had follow-ups, but the number felt natural — more like a thoughtful conversation than an interrogation
Some representative questions included:
- What are you working on currently at your firm?
- Tell me about a recent project involving AI in X industry segment – what were your key takeaways?
- Based on your experience, what ABC industry trend should everyone understand, even outside the industry?
- What legacy do you hope to leave at your firm?
- What did you enjoy most about your time in ABC industry?
- How did you choose your firm relative to other options?
- What advice would you give someone hoping to pursue ABC industry?
- Walk me through a deal you worked on. What was your contribution?
- What other companies or sectors do you actively follow and why?
- How did you get involved with ABC nonprofit?
- How did you define success and choose the metrics you want for the program you led?
- What kind of leader do you aspire to be?
- How have you built up and developed others in the past?
These types of questions made my HBS interview experience feel highly personalized and reflective of my background and goals.
What Happens After the HBS Interview
Immediately after the interview, I wrote down every question I could remember in my notes app. Nearly everyone did the same — candidates stepped out of the interview rooms and immediately started typing. I spent about an hour to an hour and a half working on the post-interview reflection, initially on my phone due to a technical issue.
After submitting the reflection, I participated in a student meet-and-greet where current students rotated through casual coffee chats. I spoke with three different HBS students and appreciated the chance to ask candid questions about their experiences. These were very informal and candid, focused on daily life at HBS, classroom dynamics, and how students were finding the experience overall.
Final Thoughts on My HBS Interview Experience
The interview was far more relaxed and human than I expected. Based on what I had heard from alumni, I anticipated something more grueling. Instead, it felt like the interviewers were genuinely trying to understand who you are, how you think, and how you lead.
Advice for future candidates:
- Attend class visits and other campus events if you can – they come up naturally in the interview.
- Know your professional experiences deeply, especially the “why” behind your decisions and the broader industry implications.
- Reflect on leadership and legacy questions ahead of time. I hadn’t fully articulated what I wanted my legacy to be, and I wish I had spent more time on that beforehand.
- Prepare thoroughly but don’t over script. I did a ton of mock interviews which helped me build confidence, but the interview itself rewards authenticity and reflection more than rehearsed frameworks.
If you’re preparing for your own HBS interview experience, know that it’s less about having perfect answers and more about showing how you think, lead, and reflect on your journey.
Keep Reading
HBS Interview Experience- Daniel’s Perspective
The HBS Interview – What to Expect, How to Prepare & Sample Questions
Gina believes that the MBA admissions process is an opportunity to step back, reflect on your strengths and passions, and discover your “why” – outside the expectations and bar set by family and peers. As a writer and marketer, Gina enjoys helping clients tell the stories that make them unique and exciting applicants. As someone who has pivoted more than once in her career, Gina particularly enjoys working with people who are interested in changing careers after business school but are unsure of how to pitch themselves or what transferable skills they bring.
