Congratulations on earning your Wharton interview. Let's make sure you're ready for it.

Wharton MBA (University of Pennsylvania) · 2026-27 full-time MBA applicants (Class of 2029)

Your Wharton interview

If Wharton invites you to interview, you won't get a standard one-on-one. You'll join a virtual Team-Based Discussion (TBD) with 5 to 6 randomly assigned applicants working on a prompt you receive in advance, then a 10-minute one-on-one where you reflect on how it went.

Sources (5)

Wharton: MBA Interview Process · Wharton: Inside MBA Admissions: 15 Years of the Team-Based Discussion - The Wharton School · Clear Admit: MBA Admissions Interview Reports Archive (2025) · Clear Admit: Penn / Wharton Interview Questions & Reports (2026) · Reddit: What was your experience like in the group interview at Wharton and what is your (2021)

About 40%of applicants were invited to interview, per a 2018 Poets&Quants report. Wharton says it has steadily increased the share since. Poets&Quants · Wharton

About halfof interviewed applicants were admitted, per the same 2018 report. No newer figure appears in our sources. Poets&Quants

Congratulations again: Wharton interviews by invitation only, and applicants note it always interviews more people than it admits. Wharton's own line is that the TBD has consistently been one of the most predictive parts of its process, though Blair Mannix says it is not a pass/fail decision. The invite and admit rates above date from 2018, and Wharton has since widened who gets a TBD, so treat them as rough.

Sources (5)

Wharton: MBA Interview Process · Reddit: Wharton Interview Invites / Other M7s (2026) · Wharton: Inside MBA Admissions: 15 Years of the Team-Based Discussion - The Wharton School · YouTube: Accepted founder Linda Abraham talks with Wharton admissions director Blair Mannix about the TBD · Poets&Quants: Wharton MBA Team Based Discussion (TBD) Advice (2018)

FormatA team exercise with 5 to 6 randomly assigned applicants, then a 10-minute one-on-one reflection interview Wharton · Wharton

How longWharton calls it a 20-minute group exercise; applicants report about 35 minutes with pitches and a final presentation, then the 10-minute one-on-one Wharton · Reddit · Reddit · Reddit

WhoUsually two second-year Admissions Fellows observe; sometimes an admissions officer runs it Wharton · Clear Admit · Clear Admit · Reddit · Reddit

WhereVirtual, on Zoom Wharton · Clear Admit · Reddit

4 more: before, what they know about you, does it count, joint degrees

BeforeEveryone gets the same prompt in advance; applicants report about two weeks ahead. This year's: plan a spring-break trek Wharton · Reddit · Clear Admit

What they know about youBlair Mannix says the one-on-one interviewer has seen only your resume YouTube · Reddit · Reddit

Does it countYes. Wharton calls the TBD one of its most predictive components, but it is not pass/fail Wharton · YouTube

Joint degreesLauder, JD/MBA and Healthcare Management applicants do two interviews: one for that program, one for the MBA Wharton

How you get an interview

Interviews are by invitation only, and every invited applicant does the Team-Based Discussion. Wharton says it has steadily increased the share of applicants who get to complete the TBD.

Invites come in waves. A current student reports invitations going out over several days at different times (for example 5 PM EST, 8 PM EST or 1 AM). Don't read anything into when yours arrives.
Book fast. Applicants report you schedule through a portal that opens when invitations roll out, and good slots go quickly.
Groups are random. Wharton assigns teams randomly, so you won't know your teammates in advance.
Joint-degree applicants interview twice. Lauder, Carey JD/MBA and Healthcare Management applicants have a second interview with that program. The Lauder one covers international interests and experience and your ability to start both programs in early May; the JD/MBA one covers your goals at the intersection of law and business; the HCM one covers your interest and experience in health care.

Sources: Wharton: MBA Interview Process · Wharton: Inside MBA Admissions: 15 Years of the Team-Based Discussion - The Wharton School · Reddit: D-9 Wharton Invites: What To Know (From a Wharton Student, Class of '26) (2026) · Reddit: Wharton MBA R2 Interview Tips from current Wharton MBA student : r/MBA (2026)

How the Team-Based Discussion runs

Wharton describes the TBD as a timed virtual exercise in which your team works toward a shared, tangible outcome from a prompt everyone received in advance. Wharton suggests about an hour of prep on the prompt, according to applicants.

Applicants report this sequence:

A 1-minute pitch each. Each person opens with their idea. A 2022 report says there's no on-screen timer and no one cuts you off, but going over is noted.
About 25 minutes of open discussion. The team builds toward one plan. Reports describe Fellows watching silently, with no assigned roles and no outside timekeeper.
A team presentation of up to 5 minutes. It's spoken, no slides. Some teams finish early.
Straight into the one-on-one. Applicants report the breakout starts within seconds, and you sign off as soon as it ends.

The 2026-27 prompt, as reported by Clear Admit: plan a school-wide trek for about 40 students over 4 days during spring break, covering the destination, company visits, an alumni event, and how you'd measure success and follow up.

Applicants describe the mood as friendly and collaborative, though some groups have people pushing hard for airtime.

Sources: Wharton: MBA Interview Process · Wharton: Inside MBA Admissions: 15 Years of the Team-Based Discussion - The Wharton School · Clear Admit: MBA Admissions Interview Primer: The Wharton Team-Based Discussion (2026) · Reddit: Wharton Interviews Round 2 (2026): Advice from a Former Admissions Fellow + Mock (2026) · Reddit: Post-Wharton TBD Thread - What was your experience during the TBD like? (2022) · Reddit: Wharton tbd reflection (2024) · Clear Admit: Wharton's Team-Based Discussion (TBD) Prompt 2026-2027 (2026) · Clear Admit: MBA Admissions Interview Reports Archive (2025) · Clear Admit: Penn / Wharton Interview Questions & Reports (2026) · Reddit: What was your experience like in the group interview at Wharton and what is your (2021)

The 10-minute one-on-one

Wharton says the one-on-one is for reflecting on your TBD performance. Blair Mannix, who leads admissions, says it is blind (the interviewer has seen only your resume) and that its focus varies: for some candidates it's more about your resume and why Wharton, for others more about the team exercise.

Questions applicants report:

About the TBD. How did it go? What was your most meaningful input? What was hard for the group? What would you change about how you decided?
About you. Tell me about yourself, why an MBA, why now, why Wharton, your goals, how you'd add to the community.
Behavioral (2026 reports). A time you taught yourself something, succeeded without authority, or received constructive feedback.
Your questions. Sometimes there's time; 2026 reports say some interviewers were rushed and said there was no time left.

Because the interviewer hasn't read your file, give enough context in your answers.

Sources: Wharton: MBA Interview Process · YouTube: Accepted founder Linda Abraham talks with Wharton admissions director Blair Mannix about the TBD · Clear Admit: Penn / Wharton Interview Questions & Reports (2026) · Clear Admit: MBA Admissions Interview Reports Archive (2026) · Reddit: Wharton TBD: What to expect & how to practice : r/MBA (2025) · Reddit: Wharton Interview Prep (2022) · Reddit: Wharton TBD Interview Advice (based on 1K+ admits) (2025) · Reddit: 1on1 after Wharton TBD (2023) · Reddit: Wharton TBD interviewer said our group was the best they'd seen in 5 years of TB (2026) · Reddit: Wharton Interviews Round 2 (2026): Advice from a Former Admissions Fellow + Mock (2026)

What they're looking for

Wharton built the TBD with its faculty after research showed traditional one-on-one behavioral interviews didn't predict talent well. Blair Mannix adds that those interviews were often biased and favored extroverts. The TBD is meant to mirror Wharton's team-based classroom, where she says students work in about 17 different teams over two years.

Applicants and current students consistently describe the same things:

Collaboration over winning. Trying to dominate or interrupt usually backfires.
Structure under time pressure. Proposing a framework, summarizing when things get messy, keeping the team on schedule.
Inclusion. Drawing in quieter teammates and building on others' ideas.
Not too passive either. Someone has to move the group to a decision.
Self-awareness. A current student says the one-on-one tests self-awareness, clear goals and why Wharton.

Applicants also report that introverts who struggle to speak up in an aggressive group still get admitted.

Sources: Wharton: Inside MBA Admissions: 15 Years of the Team-Based Discussion - The Wharton School · YouTube: Accepted founder Linda Abraham talks with Wharton admissions director Blair Mannix about the TBD · Reddit: D-9 Wharton Invites: What To Know (From a Wharton Student, Class of '26) (2026) · Reddit: Thread of Post-Wharton TBD/Interview Thoughts - R1 2023 (2023) · Reddit: Wharton Interviews Round 2 (2026): Advice from a Former Admissions Fellow + Mock (2026) · Reddit: Wharton tbd reflection (2024) · Reddit: Wharton TBD Interview Advice (based on 1K+ admits) (2025)

How to prepare

Do mock TBDs. Nearly every report says this. Applicants set up 2 to 4 Zoom mocks through Reddit and similar forums; some Wharton affinity clubs have offered them. The point is learning how you behave in a group, not polishing your idea.
Write a tight pitch. Keep it under 60 seconds, with one sentence on yourself and the rest on your idea and why.
Know the prompt, don't lock in an answer. Be ready to drop your idea for a better one.
Pick a role that suits you. Timekeeper, synthesizer or idea generator are all ways in.
Reflect as you go. Note what worked and what didn't, so your one-on-one answers are honest and specific. Talk about actions, not about teammates.
Prepare a specific Why Wharton. Name classes, professors or clubs, and have a good question ready.
Set up your tech. Applicants advise testing it, natural light, no headphones, an arm's length from the camera.

Sources: Reddit: What was your experience like in the group interview at Wharton and what is your (2021) · Reddit: Wharton TBD Mocks - Round 3 (2024 Intake) (2024) · Reddit: Wharton Interview Prep (2022) · Reddit: Wharton TBD Interview Advice (based on 1K+ admits) (2025) · Reddit: Wharton TBD Invites Come Out Today: Tips from 1,000+ Admits + Free Mock Signup (2026) · Reddit: Wharton TBD: What to expect & how to practice : r/MBA (2025) · Reddit: Wharton Interviews Round 2 (2026): Advice from a Former Admissions Fellow + Mock (2026) · Reddit: Wharton MBA R2 Interview Tips from current Wharton MBA student : r/MBA (2026) · YouTube: Tyler Jackson, Wharton MBA graduate and consultant, on how the TBD runs and how to prepare

How much it matters, and after

Wharton says TBD performance strongly predicts success in its classroom and in post-MBA careers. Blair Mannix also says it isn't a pass/fail gate: some candidates with marginal written applications do well in the TBD and are admitted, and some strong candidates have a so-so TBD and are admitted anyway. Each part of the file shows something different.

Don't over-read compliments. Applicants report facilitators say welcoming things to put groups at ease.
A rushed one-on-one isn't fatal. Applicants report the write-up is one part of a holistic review.
Thank-you notes are optional. Applicants report interviewers often don't share contact details; a short LinkedIn message is fine, but it won't decide anything.

Sources: Wharton: Inside MBA Admissions: 15 Years of the Team-Based Discussion - The Wharton School · YouTube: Accepted founder Linda Abraham talks with Wharton admissions director Blair Mannix about the TBD · Reddit: Wharton TBD interviewer said our group was the best they'd seen in 5 years of TB (2026) · Reddit: Wharton tbd reflection (2024) · Reddit: Wharton TBD folks - did you send a thank you note? (2023)

Your interviewer

Deepak Raghunathan Fictional interviewer

Get a briefing on your own interviewer

Know who's interviewing you? Their LinkedIn profile is the best source.

Use a computer if you can. Open their LinkedIn profile in a web browser, click More (or ⋯) under their name, then Save to PDF.
On a phone: the LinkedIn app can't save a profile. Open linkedin.com in your phone's browser instead, switch to the desktop site, and use More → Save to PDF.
Upload the PDF here, or paste what you know about them (a bio, a profile page).

See the sample briefing

Second-year Wharton MBA (Operations, Information and Decisions major) and Admissions Fellow; ex-supply-chain consultant heading to consumer-goods operations strategy

Deepak is a second-year student (Class of 2027) who, as an Admissions Fellow since August 2026, observes Team-Based Discussions and runs the 10-minute one-on-ones. Before Wharton he spent about five years (July 2020 to July 2025) at a roughly 120-person supply-chain consultancy in Columbus, building warehouse and inventory models and later managing teams of 3-4 analysts. That is roughly the same career stage you are at now. He is a TA for core Operations Management, co-presides the Operations Management Club, and returns full time to a consumer-goods company's operations strategy team in Chicago in 2027. Expect someone who likely values structure, practical plans and clear thinking about logistics. Remember that the one-on-one is blind: he will have seen only your resume, so give context in your answers.

Their path

BS Industrial and Systems Engineering, Ohio State (2016-2020)
Consultant, Corbel Supply Partners, Columbus (Jul 2020-Dec 2021): warehouse labor and slotting models for 9 clients. Slotting means deciding where items are stored in a warehouse.
Senior Consultant, Corbel (Jan 2022-Jul 2025): led inventory and network projects for food and industrial distributors, managed 3-4 analysts
Wharton MBA, Operations, Information and Decisions major (2025-2027); Leadership Venture in Patagonia (Jan 2026)
Co-President, Operations Management Club (Apr 2026-present)
MBA Summer Associate, Larchmont Brands operations strategy, Chicago (Jun-Aug 2026): modeled a Midwest distribution-center consolidation; returning in 2027
Admissions Fellow (Aug 2026-present) and core Operations Management TA (Sep 2026-present)

What it means for your conversation

He came to Wharton after about five years of work and managed small teams, so he likely knows what real team contribution looks like. Polished talk about leadership will matter less to him than specific actions.
His background is in logistics and planning. The trek prompt (40 students, 4 days, company visits, an alumni event, how you measure success) is full of logistics, so he may notice whether your group sets a clear plan, timeline and success measures. This is an inference, and you should not perform 'operations thinking' for his benefit.
As a TA for a core course and a former team manager, he probably watches how people build on others' ideas and move a group to a decision. He is unlikely to reward airtime for its own sake.
He is a second-year Fellow, not senior admissions staff. Expect a peer-like tone, but his write-up still counts.
He worked at a small firm in Columbus, not a big-name employer. Clear explanations of your own work will likely land better than brand names.

Questions they may lean toward

How did the TBD go, and what was your most useful contribution? Wharton says the one-on-one is meant for reflection, and he observed the session himself.
What would you change about how the group reached its decision? This tests self-awareness. Someone who has managed analysts will likely spot vague or defensive answers.
Walk me through your resume and why an MBA now The interview is blind except for your resume. He made a similar career move at a similar point.
Why Wharton, specifically? A current student will know quickly whether the courses, clubs or programs you name are real and relevant to you.
A time you led without formal authority or acted on constructive feedback Applicants report these behavioral questions in 2026. They mirror what learning teams demand.

Honest common ground

Similar career length: he worked about five years before Wharton, as many applicants do, so your 'why now' reasoning will make sense to him.
If you work in operations, supply chain, consulting or manufacturing, you share real professional context. Mention it only if it is genuinely yours.
If you truly care about learning teams or Leadership Ventures, he lists both as topics he enjoys discussing. Leadership Ventures are Wharton's experiential leadership trips. He went on one to Patagonia.
Volunteering, if you have done something comparable (tutoring, food banks). Don't stretch it.

Questions to ask them

What did your learning team do in the first fall that made it work, or not work? He names learning teams as a topic he likes, and the answer helps your Why Wharton. Keep it short, since time may run out.
What did the Leadership Venture teach you that a classroom couldn't? It is a real, listed experience and an invitation he offers in his profile.
How did you choose between the programs and clubs competing for your time in year one? It is practical and draws on his heavy involvement without flattering him.

Avoid

Reciting his resume or bringing up supply chain if it isn't your field.
Faking an interest in cricket, cooking, running or cheesesteaks to build rapport.
Blaming or criticizing teammates in your reflection. Talk about your own actions.
Over-reading friendly comments as signs of how you did.
Long questions when he signals there's no time. Have one brief question ready, or none.
Assuming he has read your essays. Give context in every answer.

A sample, to show what the briefing looks like: Deepak Raghunathan and their employers are invented.

Based on: The sample interviewer's profile (fictional) · Wharton: MBA Interview Process · Wharton: Inside MBA Admissions: 15 Years of the Team-Based Discussion - The Wharton School · Clear Admit: MBA Admissions Interview Reports Archive (2025) · Clear Admit: Penn / Wharton Interview Questions & Reports (2026) · Reddit: What was your experience like in the group interview at Wharton and what is your (2021)

All sources · 40 plus 19 applicant threads

Applicant threads are linked under each question.