The WHU MBA is located in a top German city, Düsseldorf, known for its global connections and entrepreneurial mindset. The WHU MBA allows students to hone their international exposure, leadership development, acquire intercultural awareness skills, a strategic vision and entrepreneurial capabilities in a lesser-known country for MBA studies.

How does the WHU MBA interview work?

WHU interviews are conducted by a member of the admission committee who uses the interview to reflect on your entire application personally.  They ask standard MBA questions and questions designed to reflect your interest in their flexible learning environment as the curriculum is customizable.

Through the interview, WHU is trying to understand your motivation to pursue an MBA degree, your interest in the WHU program in general, and if you are a good fit for their teamwork culture. 

Who will interview you?

You will be interviewed by an admission committee member, faculty, or alumni once your application has been reviewed.  Interviews take place in person or via telephone. As the interviews are personalized in nature, expect specific questions based on what you have already written in your application. This personalization means you should be familiar with your application details before going into the interview.  Interviews are 45-60 minutes long. 

Who is WHU looking for? 

A desire of applicants to use their careers to better the world is a crucial factor WHU seeks in their admitted students. Additionally, diversity is vital to WHU. The average class comes from up to 20 countries and is admitted into two groups of 80 students. The average student has around six years of working experience and a GMAT score of more than 600. 

How can you prepare for your interview?

Like all interviews, nothing is 100% predictable. However, WHU does tend to focus on standard MBA interview questions. Below you will find sample questions that candidate similar to you have received in past interviews.

Below you will find questions from previous student’s interview reports and sites like clearadmit.com. This list is not exhaustive, but preparing for these questions and any possible follow-up questions you can imagine will be a solid foundation and preparation for your interview. 

Sample WHU Interview Questions

STARTING UP QUESTIONS

1. Tell me about yourself. (Expect follow-up questions)
2. What was your undergraduate experience like?
3. What do you like to do in your free time? How did you decide to become involved in these activities?
4. What do you do in your current job?
5. What are your short term and long term career goals?
6. Why do you want an MBA?
7. Why now?
8. Why WHU?
9. If you applied to multiple programs, what interests you about each?
10. How will you choose between programs if admitted to both/all?
11. What will you contribute to WHU?
12. What excites you the most about WHU?
13. What other schools have you applied for? If you get into all of them, how will you choose where to go?
14. Have you visited campus? Spoken with alumni?
15. How do you plan to pay for your MBA?

LEADERSHIP & TEAMWORK

1. Tell me about a time when you didn’t get along with your team. What did you do?
2. Tell me about one instance when you disagreed with your boss and how you handled the situation
3. What is your leadership style?
4. What is your communication style?
5. Tell me about a time you had to convince your team members to follow a plan or idea you created?

MISCELLANEOUS BEHAVIORAL

1. Tell me an example of when things didn’t work out as you planned. How did you adjust?
2. Tell me about a time when you were pushed to your limits at work.
3. How would your friends describe you?
4. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
5. Please tell me about a time you failed. What did you learn?
6. Tell me who you are in one sentence. 
7. What is the biggest challenge you have overcome in your career?
8. What has been your biggest achievement in your career thus far?
9. If your colleagues wrote a book about you, what would the title be?
10. What question should we have put in the application and why?
11. What is better, to be effective or efficient?
12. What would you improve on in the WHU MBA program?
13. Describe a technical problem you faced. How did you solve it?

BRAIN TEASER QUESTIONS -

1. How much should you charge to wash all the windows in Seattle?
2. How many times a day does a clock’s hands overlap?
3. You are at a party with a friend and 10 people are present including you and the friend. your friend makes you a wager that for every person you find that has the same birthday as you, you get $1; for every person he finds that does not have the same birthday as you, he gets $2. would you accept the wager?
4. How many piano tuners are there in the entire world?
5. Design an evacuation plan for Berlin. 
6. Why are manhole covers round?

CLOSING

1. Is there anything else you would like us to know about you?
2. Is there anything you wished I had asked you?
3. Questions for me

Instead of just reading a list of questions to yourself and thinking of answers, it is best to have a friend or family member pick questions at random and interview you as preparation.  This simulated interview process also helps you develop your ability to respond quickly and confidently. The more you do this, the better your responses will be on your interview day. 

What to do if you get a question you haven’t prepared an answer for

When this happens, it is crucial to stay calm and take a deep breath. You have already come so far in the application process; one question will not be your downturn!

Next, make sure to answer the question as detailed as possible by giving an example from your actual professional or personal life. As preparation in advance, you may want to think about some common examples of situations that have come up in your professional or personal life, such as dealing with a demanding customer or co-workers and how you dealt with them.

If you are having trouble thinking of an answer from your professional or personal life, take a drink of water and give yourself a minute to reflect. It is possible to answer a question with a speculative answer about how you think you would act in the situation.  Here, confidence, a smile and a positive tone of voice are of the utmost importance because your interviewer is most likely testing how you think on your feet and respond to unrehearsed questions, a common aspect of life in the business world and life in the WHU classroom!