The HBS Post-Interview Reflection is a distinctive element of the Harvard MBA evaluation process, and you’ll have just 24 hours to submit it to the Admissions Committee after your interview.

At first blush, this might feel like a timed version of the essay question HBS has used for years: “What more would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy?” But now, in a refreshed reflection prompt, Harvard asks about the highlight of your interview and why it resonated with you.

With this, HBS is signaling that they see this reflection as another opportunity to learn more about you. What did you think and feel? Why did you respond that way? Think of this as a final opportunity to set yourself apart as the thoughtful, reflective, self-aware and incisive human that you are.

My Fortuna colleagues and I can affirm that no one gets an invitation to interview who doesn’t have a really solid chance of being admitted. Yet the reality at ultra-competitive HBS is that you can have a flawless interview and still not land a place in its incoming class. That’s why leveraging the “Post-Interview Reflection” to your advantage is imperative.

My colleague Michel Belden and I agree that the interview is your opportunity to let your personality and charisma — traits that are difficult, if not impossible, to correctly discern from an application form or essay — shine through. It is also the opportunity for the committee to see how you handle pressure, and being put on the spot, which is something that will happen in case discussions in the HBS classroom. But your work isn’t over when you walk out the door.

Here’s the upshot: With the post-reflection piece, HBS is giving you the chance to have the last word before making a final decision. We hope candidates look at the post-interview reflection as another opportunity to share who they are —what they would add as a member of the HBS community, and how they stand out given their professional experiences, accomplishments and career goals. This is a rare gift, and you’ll want to set yourself up for success to make the most of it.

The Post-Interview Reflection Prompt

After your interview, you have 24 hours to write and upload your response to this prompt:

“What was the highlight of your interview and why did this resonate with you? Is there anything else you would like to share now that you have had time to reflect on your interview?” (Word guidance:  300–450 words).

First, as HBS cautions you in their instructions, do not approach the Post-Interview Reflection as another formal essay. “We want to get a sense here of your real-time thoughts and learnings from the interview conversation. … [P]lease take the time you need to pause and think, but the actual writing should only take about an hour. There’s no need to go through multiple drafts or get any outside help — we want the reflection to be informal, unrehearsed, and in your own words,” HBS advises.

That said, the reflection step is important, so don’t even think about writing it until you’ve distanced yourself from the interview experience by at least a few hours. For one, it’s essential that your response is not prepared in advance. (Your savvy admissions committee members can usually sniff this out immediately, which will be a red flag.) The purpose of this exercise is to see how you think on your feet and how you reacted to the conversation. They want to get a sense of your real-time thoughts and learnings from the interview conversation.

Because Harvard is asking about the highlight that resonated with you, you’ll want to craft your reflection within the context of the actual conversation. From there, you’ll want to consider carefully any of your selling points that you wish to reinforce, expand upon or correct.  What else did you want to say that you couldn’t squeeze in?

Keep in mind that HBS is looking for authenticity and sincere introspection.

Top Tips for Writing Your Post-Interview Reflection

Think of this exercise as a post-meeting memo expanding on and reinforcing what was discussed. In this case, you are thanking the interviewer for their thoughtful questions and reiterating the key selling points you want them to remember. Here is a how-to guide for an effective process for writing your reflection and what to include.

1. Take notes about your conversation.

It’s best to find a quiet place to take notes immediately following the interview. Consider:

• What your interviewer asked you
• What you said
• What stands out from the conversation
• What you didn’t get to say but wished you had
• Answers you gave you are unhappy with
• Whether you hit all your key selling points

2. Next, do some further introspection.

These steps you can do a little later, as you will likely need a mental break after the interview. Think of:

• What was the highlight of your interview?
  • Perhaps it came from a thoughtful question you were asked during the interview that allowed you to share and discuss in greater depth and detail one or more of your key selling points.
  • Or, were you asked about one of your application essays and you were given the opportunity to expand on your answer?
• Why did this resonate with you?
  • This is the opportunity to tell them one final time who you are and what makes you unique! Why did you ultimately enjoy the conversation you had with your interviewer? Why was it important to you to share your story, get them to know you better?
• Is there anything else you would like to share?
  • Consider the key selling points that you may not have fully covered or could expand on more.
  • Career goals – what type of leader do you aspire to be?
  • Why you are excited to join the HBS community; yes, you can and should tell them (if you did not get the chance in the interview). How will HBS benefit you?

3. Craft your reflection, keeping your thoughts to roughly three-quarters to one page in length.
   

A potential flow might look like this:

First paragraph: Thank the interviewer(s) and recap, at a high level, what you enjoyed about your dialogue. (You need to show you did not write this reflection before the interview and mentioning specific interview talking points will help establish that.)

Second paragraph: Choose the highlight of the interview and add texture and dimension to what was discussed. This is an important way of showing them the depth of intellectual curiosity you have. Additionally, here is your opportunity to course-correct if you felt you could’ve taken an answer in a better direction, or if you did not get an opportunity to share and highlight one of your key selling points.

Closing paragraph: Pull back to offer a 30,000-foot reflection on what the entire process has meant to you, sharing any deep insights you’ve had as a result, and what lies ahead for you. (Remember to keep the memo positive and concise. No more than 450 words.)

As your interviewers reflect on their experience with you during the brief (believe me, it goes by quickly) 30 minutes you have together, your Post-Interview Reflection will leave the interviewer (or interviewers) with a core impression of who you are. Delivering one that’s both thoughtful and self-aware can tip the balance in your favor at decision time.

Fortuna Admissions Expert Coach Karla Cohen was Associate Director of Doctoral Programs at HBS and served on the MBA interview board for the Harvard MBA program.

Michel Belden, a Senior Expert Coach with Fortuna, has more than a decade of experience in admissions for Wharton’s full-time MBA program and was responsible for sourcing top talent for Bain and Co. in Los Angeles.

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