Wharton Team Based Discussion

Yesterday, Wharton released invitations to R1 applicants to participate in both a Team Based Discussion (TBD) and a 1:1 interview. If you received yours, congratulations! Now what?

Many of our clients have found that the best way to prepare for Wharton’s unique interview is to simulate the experience, especially as this year’s TBD and 1:1 will once again be virtual. That’s why we’re offering a 1-1.5 hour simulated TBD with 4-6 candidates, led by a Wharton MBA who will provide feedback on your performance. You’ll also receive Admitify’s Wharton Interview Guidance document and a video of your team’s interview session for you to review at your leisure for a total cost of $497. If you’d like to join one of our sessions, follow this link and sign up!

Whether you join us for the TBD prep session or decide to tackle it on your own, we wanted to share some helpful information with you.

What you need to know about the TBD & 1:1 interview

• The TBD is a 35-minute team exercise with 4-5 other MBA applicants.
• Teams will be randomly assigned.
• Everyone will participate virtually.
• You will need to come to the discussion with a 1-minute pitch that addresses your approach to this year’s prompt.
• After each team member has made their pitch, the remaining time will be used to choose the best idea or combination of ideas to achieve the prompt’s outcome, refine that idea or ideas, and create a strong presentation that you will give in the last 5 minutes of the exercise.
• Following the TBD, you will participate in a 10-minute one-on-one interview with a member of the admissions team regarding your interest in Wharton.

What is being measured during the TBD?

 This year the TBD will once again be virtual. Although the admissions team will have their cameras turned off during the exercise, they will be watching how each of you interact. This is your chance to subtly show off your leadership skills in how you communicate, how engaged you are with your teammates, and your decision-making style. While daunting in a normal, face-to-face situation, the virtual format adds an additional layer of complexity. You’ll need to be aware of how to position yourself so that your facial expressions and body language are easy to see in order to establish rapport. You’ll have to be especially sensitive to the flow of the discussion, especially if there are any technological glitches or time lags. If your idea is chosen, you will need to show that you can be inclusive and welcome ideas from other team members that can strengthen yours. If your idea is not chosen, you will need to show how quickly you can pivot and contribute to making the chosen idea better because of your participation.

TBD Tips

1. Show up early. The Zoom sessions typically open about 10 minutes early. Use this time to get to know your team members and establish rapport.
2. Solid pitch. Make sure you have a solid, well thought out pitch that you have practiced before the TBD so you can deliver it quickly (1 minute) and confidently.
3. Be nimble. You have a great idea but it’s important to be flexible enough that you can pivot to adopting or adapting your teammates’ ideas and evolving them to reach the best possible solution to the prompt and create a strong presentation.
4. It’s especially challenging to collaborate virtually because it’s very hard to pick up non-verbal cues, and technical glitches can result in missed or garbled words. You’ll need to take extra care to listen to your teammates and make sure you understand what they’re trying to convey.
5. Keep time. 35 minutes goes very quickly, and you have a lot to do. Make sure that your team is keeping time and moving the process along so that you’ll be able to finish the exercise and make a strong presentation.

For more tips, information, and practice, sign up for one of our TBD prep sessions right away!