The 2026 MBA Interview Guide
The questions top MBA programs ask, with second-order follow-ups, plus interview breakdowns for the Top 25 programs and an extended question bank. Updated for the 2026-2027 cycle. Written by a 4x Leland Top MBA Coach and Stanford GSB alum.
A practitioner's manual for the 2026-2027 MBA admissions cycle. What's inside (11-page PDF): • Setting-the-stage questions: "Tell me about yourself" and "Walk me through your resume", and what interviewers are listening for • Challenge and setback questions, with the second-order follow-ups that come next • Leadership, success, and aspiration questions • Motivation and decision questions: why this school, why an MBA, why you made each career move • Program-by-program interview breakdowns for the Top 25 MBAs, with what's new this cycle • An extended question bank for practice How to use it: answer out loud, not in your head. Map your experiences to each question category so a small set of stories covers most of what you will be asked. Want live practice? My Stanford GSB and HBS Mock Interview Packages include this guide.
What's included
Meet your expert
Ben L.
4x Top MBA Coach | 400+ M7 Admits | xSpeechwriter | GSB '21
• Stanford GSB Alum, Class of 2021 -- see relevant background & experience below: • Coaching | Advised 400+ admits into Stanford GSB, HBS, Wharton, Kellogg, MIT Sloan, INSEAD, Haas, and more (230+ Leland reviews), while teaching multiple courses through Leland • What I'm Doing Now | Based in NYC, building a publication 'Staying Human', working on a stealth, marketplace startup, coaching and playing chess profssionally, and advising a slate of Seed to Series C startups through Elevate LLC • Public Policy | Prior to Stanford, worked on the Policy Team for the Chicago Mayor's Office under Mayor Rahm Emanuel, focusing on 5G infrastructure policy, criminal justice policy, and citywide corporate/economic development deals • McKinsey | Before policy, worked at McKinsey & Co , with casework focused on job training for the formerly incarcerated and workforce development for at-risk youth • PE / VC / Startup Advising | After Stanford, worked in Bain's Private Equity Group on various due diliegences, managed deals with several venture capital firms, and advised multiple startups on growth and go-to-market strategy • Professional Writing | Speechwriting in public policy & political environments, Lead Editor for Nondisclosure (Stanford GSB's magazine) and Managing Editor for the Stanford International Policy Review • Additional Writing | Crafting op-eds, ghostwriting for major publications, developing a fictional short story collection, policy deep dives, a book on chess applications to life, and application essays of all sorts • GMAT / Test-Taking | Scored in the highest percentile of GMAT test-takers, but more importantly I've honed my ability to help others extrapolate top test-testing strategies in the areas they're weakest • Additional Coaching Details | 5+ years experience working with >750 individuals on essay writing and resume professionalization for top consulting firms, MBA programs, execs, and the broader job market • Interview Training | I was interview-trained with McKinsey, helping me give high-quality mock interviews for MBBs and any MBA program; I've also held 10+ events through Leland on interview prep for McKinsey's PEI and GSB's interview process in particular
