Wharton MBA Mock Team-based Discussion TBD (2024 - 2025): A peek behind the curtain
Wharton’s interview format, the virtual Team-Based Discussion (TBD), is designed to mimic your experience in the MBA classroom: a collaborative learning environment where you will share and present ideas with peers across industries, roles, and geographies. Given Wharton’s large class size (the Class of 2026 has 866 students!) students are divided into Learning Teams (containing 5-6 students) who collaborate together to tackle challenges – just like in your Wharton Team Based Discussion (TBD) interview!
In this blog, we’ll peek behind the curtain and show you exactly what’s included in a Wharton Team Based Discussion (TBD) in 2024-2025.
How the Wharton TBD is structured:
Your Wharton TBD interview will be approximately 35 minutes long. It includes:
1-minute Introduction: This is your elevator pitch for the topic you feel is most suited to the prompt. (1 minute)
Group Discussion: Your group will then discuss the prompt and each other’s topic, making a decision about the final topic you will present, how to structure your presentation, and assign roles. (25 minutes)
Group Presentation: Together, you will summarize and present your final topic. (5 minutes)
Interview: A Wharton representative will then take each of you aside for a brief 1-on-1 interview. (10 minutes)
Throughout the TBD, your team will be responsible for managing and allocating time amongst yourselves.
For each application round, we conduct mock team-based discussions simulating the actual interview in full. If you want to watch recordings of our mock Wharton TBDs for previous years, head over to the Interview Guide course on MBAconsultant.com.
Let’s dissect our first Wharton mock TBD for Round 2 applicants invited to interview – the good, the bad, and what you can do to improve your chances of converting your interview to an admit.
What is being tested
Wharton looks for 3 key qualities in applicants sitting for the Team-Based Discussion.
Communication: You need to demonstrate that you can speak clearly and pace your speech well – not too fast, not too slow. The school wants to see that you can structure your ideas well and articulate them in a way that’s positive, effective, and persuasive. Smile! They are also looking for positive body language; do you look like someone they would want to spend the next two years sharing a classroom with?
Collaboration: Wharton chooses a group interview over a 1-1 interview style because they want to see your collaboration skills. They like applicants who can bring others into the conversation smoothly, consolidate opinions and find common ground, and help the conversation be more inclusive and productive.
Contribution: Are your ideas sensible? The school isn’t looking for ideas that are necessarily ground-breaking, but they want to see if you’ve done your research, critically analyzed the prompt, and if you can contribute meaningfully to the discussion – without being the person who talks the most (or the least).
Wharton TBD Prompt 2024 - 2025
The Wharton MBA program is dedicated to developing impactful, globally conscious leaders who are passionate about meaningful change. To advance this mission, Wharton has introduced two Impact Communities: Social Equity and Environment. MBA students interested in one or more of these critical issues are invited to join the associated Impact Community to discover the many resources available at Wharton. These communities will consolidate resources and opportunities in research, academics, and career growth, acting as a hub for MBA students to uncover insights, attend engaging events, and connect with peers, faculty, and organizations.
The Wharton School is exploring the addition of a new Impact Community focused on an emerging topic of global interest. For today’s discussion, you and a team of fellow MBA students have been chosen to propose a new Impact Community.
As a team, address the following aspects:
Define the emerging global issue your proposed Impact Community will address.
Identify one or more potential partner organizations that could collaborate with the community by offering resources, support, or engagement opportunities.
Identify resources within The Wharton School and the University of Pennsylvania that could support the proposed Impact Community (e.g., academic programs, conferences, research initiatives).
Outline the key learning outcomes the Impact Community aims to achieve for its members.
Your final presentation should clearly articulate the vision for the new Impact Community, emphasizing how it will provide a unique and impactful learning experience aligned with Wharton’s mission to prepare leaders for the world’s most pressing challenges. Consider discussing why your team selected this emerging global issue, as well as the relevance of the resources and partner organizations identified.
All applicants invited to interview with Wharton have to participate in the Wharton Team-Based Discussion (TBD). The TBD represents and mimics Wharton’s highly collaborative classroom environment, where you’ll solve problems and present ideas as part of a Learning Team or cluster of 5-6 students, which is a core part of the MBA program experience.
The Applicants in our Mock TBD
Applicant 1: A Developer based in Oceania.
Applicant 2: Private Equity Associate based in Europe.
Applicant 3: Investment Banker based in India.
Applicant 4: Private Equity Associate based in the US.
Applicant 5: Civil Engineer based in the US.
Analysis of our Mock TBD
Introductions (1 minute each)
Our five applicants introduced themselves and their ideas for an Impact Community at Wharton.
Almost all of our applicants timed themselves well, sticking to the 1 minute mark for their individual introductions.
They had strong ideas in topics such as AI, future of work, healthcare, and equity. Like many others, after about 5 minutes of discussion, our group decided to focus on the AI theme.
AI is a very common theme in Wharton TBDs nowadays! That’s not to say it shouldn't be chosen by your group, but understand that AdComs might appreciate it if you go against the grain or introduce a fresh perspective, so don’t shy away from pitching an under-explored idea.
Group Discussion (25 minutes total)
In the 25 minute group discussion, our applicants discussed each other’s topics.
What went well: One applicant helped consolidate ideas, such as broadening the AI theme across industries, where the team could apply their expertise across industries (like healthcare, banking, private equity) to the topic. Another helped move the conversation forward, ensuring that there were no awkward pauses or gaps in the conversation. One applicant demonstrated excellent research, naming centres, associations, and faculty who could be involved in the Impact Community. All applicants presented solid ideas for external and internal resources and interdisciplinary opportunities that the Impact Community could benefit from, and unanimously agreed on the projected outcomes for the Impact Community.
We also liked that everyone kept time naturally and no one took explicit control of the team – the conversation was meaningful, productive, and well-paced. The applicants were particularly considerate of each other’s opinions and asked for the team’s thoughts on their idea.
At times, some applicants pushed back on an idea from another. And that’s fine! Both perspectives were valid, and enriched the discussion.
What could have been improved: The team engaged with AI in different industries and even incorporated their own professional experiences, but it felt like our group could have expanded more broadly on their topic (even though the clock was ticking!) For example, our discussion focused on the private sector and didn’t touch deeply on policymaking and government interventions.
One applicant had internet connectivity issues during the call and dropped off at one point – this will negatively impact your interview, so make sure you have a strong network connection (use an Ethernet cable if you have to), check your sound and video quality, and make sure you present yourself well in your interview.
Presentation (5 minutes total)
Our applicants assigned clear roles to themselves for the 5 minute presentation: introducing the topic, explaining its relevance, outlining the Impact Community’s outcomes, discussing internal resources, and external resources.
This may not always be the case! While the 5 applicants here divided the presentation into 5 neat points, other teams may have a larger/smaller number of members. In that case, it is important to structure your presentation well, or make the decision to have someone sit back.
1-1 interview
After the team presentation, applicants are taken into breakout rooms for 1-to-1 interviews. Here are the questions asked by Wharton’s AdCom in the 1-1 interview, according to feedback reports from previous clients:
Applicant 1: What was your role in the interview?
Applicant 2: How did you find the TBD discussion today?
Applicant 3: What would you have done differently today?
Applicant 4: Why do you want to do an MBA and why now?
Applicant 5: Do you have any questions for me?
Want more insider tips for acing the Wharton Team-Based Discussion and interview? Head over to our complete Wharton TBD guide.
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