How to pass the Wharton Team-Based Discussion interview

Congratulations! 

You have been invited

to interview with Wharton. 

Now what? 

 

Since 2012, I helped more than 15 clients pass their Wharton Team-Based Discussion and One-on-One

Some worked with me on interviews for one or two hours, others for as many as five hours

In the process, I gained some insights into the Wharton Team-Based Discussion and One-on-One interviews

 

How do I help clients prepare for the Wharton TBD?

If you want my help preparing for your interview, please complete my prospective client intake questionnaire

I will confirm if I have the capacity to help you

Please note that initial consultations are not offered for interview training

I also encourage you to sign up for my Wharton TBD Seminar, a group discussion practice session conducted in a secure, online format to give you a chance to simulate the interview environment.

Taking part in our practice session allows you to:

Experience the unique pressure/stress of interacting with Wharton-grade peers driving towards a time-sensitive deliverable 

Articulate your response to the Wharton group interview prompt

Discuss your idea and others' ideas with peers also selected to interview at Wharton, gaining feedback

Give and receive feedback on your ideas, and those of other applicants

 Please visit find more details here on my website https://www.vinceprep.com/MBA/Wharton/interview/seminar 

What to prepare before the call / session


What I will cover in the call / session 

How to win the Wharton Team-Based Discussion

I don't think the content of your one-minute answer matters as much as your tone and behavior when collaborating with others

Talk about something you know well 

Share an idea that you feel passionately about

But don't take your idea or yourself too seriously - your goal is not to have the group pick your idea

Rather, you goal is to show love for your group and the group discussion process

What matters most to Wharton - you fit their culture and respect their people

Golden rule - not the cynical version, "The one who has all the gold makes the rules"

Rather, the original version - "Treat others as you want to be treated"

Ask yourself,

You're not trying to be the leader

Nor are you simply trying to be the note taker

I think the situational leadership model fits here

 

SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP MODEL

In simple terms, a situational leader is one who can adopt different leadership styles depending on the situation. 

•   Directing Leaders define the roles and tasks of the 'follower', and supervise them closely. Decisions are made by the leader and announced, so communication is largely one-way.

•   Coaching Leaders still define roles and tasks, but seeks ideas and suggestions from the follower. Decisions remain the leader's prerogative, but communication is much more two-way.

•   Supporting Leaders pass day-to-day decisions, such as task allocation and processes, to the follower. The leader facilitates and takes part in decisions, but control is with the follower.

•   Delegating Leaders are still involved in decisions and problem solving, but control is with the follower. The follower decides when and how the leader will be involved.

DEVELOPMENT LEVEL

Blanchard and Hersey extended their model to include the Development Level of the follower.  They said that the leader's style should be driven by the Competence and Commitment of the follower, and came up with four levels:

D4 

High Competence High Commitment 

Experienced at the job, and comfortable with their own ability to do it well.  

D3 

High Competence Variable Commitment 

Experienced and capable, but may lack the confidence to go it alone, or the motivation to do it well / quickly 

D2 

Some Competence Low Commitment 

May have some relevant skills, but won't be able to do the job without help. 

The task or the situation may be new to them.

D1 

Low Competence Low Commitment 

Generally lacking the specific skills required for the job in hand,

and lacks any confidence and / or motivation to tackle it.

Most of all, show self-awareness and self-control

Keep a sense of humor about your performance when discussing it at the one on one interview

FINAL TIP

Write down the groups and teams with which you work well

Remember the positive and productive discussions that you've had, the business meetings, the conversations where you were able to contribute something and also where others were able to feel comfortable sharing their ideas

I make these videos because I want to pass along some skills to help you live free from negative stereotypes and self-limiting beliefs 

Thanks for watching

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And most of all enjoy the process!

Five ways to fail the Wharton Team-Based Discussion

1. LOGIC FAIL

what you say

Problem:

your answers to prompts seem unclear

 

Cause:

lack of preparation

lack of critical feedback

 

Effect:

team and evaluators doubt your analytical skills

 

Solutions:

know your material

chose a key business skill or a societal challenge you could discuss for 45 minutes

take a position that you can support with personal examples

defend your position, while acknowledging good points made by others

solicit constructive criticism of your ideas before the real interview

 

TBD PROMPT 1

"one key business skill business leaders must have in order to be successful, long-term"

My answer: storytelling

I define storytelling as the ability to convey a message about important information in a way that will engage an audience

Step 1: core problem (business leaders often struggle to communicate important information in a way that will engage stakeholders)

Step 2: immediate cause (why business leaders lack storytelling skills)

Step 3: immediate effect (how lack of storytelling skills might limit long-term career success)

 

TBD PROMPT 2

"most important societal challenge that could be addressed more effectively by the business community today"

My absolute answer:

Climate change?

My Wharton TBD answer: 

Problem: children cannot access the best education

Cause: lack of resources

Effect: inequality, lost opportunity for individuals and society

How business leaders can help: provide resources including time, money, and in-kind donations

Business wins

good will with current client base

grassroots marketing (future customers)

tax breaks?

 

Society wins

educated citizens

innovative workers

dynamic communities

______________________________

2. TEAMWORK FAIL

how you treat others


Problem:

you appear stubborn, inflexible, argumentative

 

Cause:

you view teammates as adversaries

they must 'lose' so you can 'win'

 

Effect:

team and evaluators think you lack interpersonal skills or refuse to acknowledge your errors

 

Solutions:

change your perceptions

if you are wrong, admit it

if others are wrong, help them by asking questions and introducing facts that help them recognize flaws in their logic

incorporate others' ideas into your own

prepare to have your idea synthesized into a new form

______________________________ 

3. VOCAL FAIL

how others hear you

 

Problems:

speed

verbal junk (um, er, ah, well, you know, so)

 

Cause:

fear of being evaluated negatively

uncomfortable with the material / insufficient preparation

 

Effect:

team and facilitators evaluate you negatively

 

Solutions:

slow down

say the complete thought in your head before sharing your idea with the group (sometimes hard if discussion is moving quickly)

______________________________

4. BODY LANGUAGE FAIL

how others perceive you

 

Problem:

overly passive or overly aggressive body language

 

Cause: 

you feel insecure or threatened

 

Effect:

you appear threatening

"60 to 70 percent of all meaning is derived from nonverbal behavior"

 

Solutions:

manage how you appear to others

______________________________

5. PERSPECTIVE FAIL

how you feel about the situation

 

Problem:

caring too much

 

Cause:

lack of perspective

 

Effect:

you appear desperate

 

Solutions: 

list your options if Wharton does not work out

TBD is only one data point for adcom

keep a sense of humor

remember to smile

remember to breathe

One-on-One Interview

 

How to fail your Wharton One-on-One Interview

Please do not fail to close the sale

Insead, use this opportunity to show

a. self-awareness: share surprises and takeaways from Team-Based Discussion (TBD) 

b. judgment: share recent professional and personal achievement

c. passion: ask customized questions that engage your interviewer

d. commitment: make sure they know that you will attend if they admit you

 

Related articles

for reference

WHARTON ADMISSIONS CRITERIA

1. Academic Profile: The grade point average (GPA) is not evaluated without considering other demands on the applicant's time such as working while in school and heavy involvement in extracurricular activities.

2. Work Experience: the Committee looks at the nature of work, the level of challenge, supervision and progression of responsibility. What is more important than the industry ... is what he or she has contributed to his/her work environment and what he/she has learned from successes and failures

3. Personal Qualities: the Committee is looking for people who are self-aware, personally and professionally mature,  have a history of being passionately involved in their communities and activities (including work) and  will benefit from and contribute to Wharton

4. Overall Presentation: comes partly from a polished, well-organized application and partly from the message an applicant chooses to send by the tone and topics they discuss in their essays, the type of references they choose, etc.

 

 

 

STEP ONE: CONTACT ME AT LEAST 5 DAYS PRIOR TO YOUR ACTUAL INTERVIEW

 

STEP TWO: ARRANGE PAYMENT 

My fees are listed here

HOW TO PAY

 

STEP THREE: SCHEDULE YOUR FIRST SESSION TO OCCUR AT LEAST 3 DAYS PRIOR TO YOUR ACTUAL INTERVIEW


STEP FOUR: SEND ME YOUR RESUME AS WELL AS THE LIST OF TEAM-BASED DISCUSSION TOPICS SENT TO YOU BY WHARTON

 

STEP FIVE: PRACTICE BEFORE and AFTER EACH SESSION

 

HOW TO CONTACT VINCE


LOGISTICS

 

CANCELLATIONS


TERMS AND CONDITIONS


CONFIDENTIALITY

 

Information is subject to change. Please verify all data with the schools.