7 Tips for the 2026-27 Wharton MBA Team-Based Discussion (TBD)

Every candidate Wharton invites to interview takes part in the Team-Based Discussion (TBD). If your invitation has arrived or is about to, congratulations! By our estimate, only around 40% of applicants get this far.

Before you prepare, it helps to understand how the TBD is built, when the key dates fall, and what the AdCom is watching for. In this guide, we’ll walk you through each part of the TBD and share what we learned from our mock TBDs. 

What is the Wharton TBD?

The Team-Based Discussion (TBD) is Wharton's way of putting you inside the kind of teamwork you would meet on campus. It shows the AdCom how you operate and communicate within a group and how you collaborate to handle a problem.

Every TBD is held online. You join a group of 5-6 applicants (you + 4-5 others), assigned at random. Each year the group receives a fresh prompt and has to negotiate and communicate its way to what Wharton calls a "tangible outcome."

The session runs 35 minutes in four stages:

• Pitch (1 minute): each person shares a short idea in response to the prompt.

• Discussion (25 minutes): the group weighs the pitches, shapes one concept and builds agreement.

• Group presentation (5 minutes): the team presents its final idea.

• One-on-one interview (10 minutes): a short conversation with a Wharton representative.
  

Plan on the group owning its own timekeeping. Nobody will remind you where you are, so agree on a rough split early.

Above all, the AdCom is judging how you work with others: whether you listen, adapt your view, invite quieter voices in, disagree gracefully and help the group land somewhere, rather than simply being the most outspoken. The prompt is almost always tied to a real part of Wharton's academic or student life, which gives you room to bring in your own background and industry experience, if relevant.

Wharton MBA TBD Interview Timeline 2026-27

Your Wharton interview invitation will contain specific instructions and the TBD prompt.

What We Learned from Past Wharton TBDs

Every year, we run Wharton TBD mock interviews for each application round. These are the patterns worth preparing for.

2024-25: Design a new Impact Community

In 2024-25, teams were asked to propose an additional Impact Community, alongside Wharton’s existing Social Equity and Environment ones. They had to name an emerging global issue, suggest partner organizations, point to resources across Wharton and Penn, and define what members would learn.

2025-26: Design a new Leadership Intensive

In 2025-26, teams were asked to create a 1-2 day Leadership Intensive for MBA students, as part of the McNulty Leadership Program's Leadership Ventures, on a pilot budget of $25,000 (excluding transportation). The brief asked for a central theme, specific learning outcomes and a way to assess whether participants absorbed them. 

7 Lessons from our Mock Wharton TBD Prep

1. The prompt always starts from a real Wharton program. In both years, the task was built on an existing Wharton student-facing offering, such as centers, experiential programs and communities. So, when you receive your TBD prompt, do your research! Look into existing programs and see what Wharton aims to accomplish through it.

2. Constraints are getting more concrete. The 2024-25 task was open and conceptual. The 2025-26 task added a hard budget and a time window. Expect a limit of some kind, and be ready to prioritize and justify choices rather than brainstorm freely. If you can quickly sketch a rough allocation, it’s a good starting point for your group.

3. The prompt itself is your agenda. Both prompts listed what the final presentation had to cover. Teams that turn that list into an outline in the first few minutes avoid wandering, and they can split the five-minute presentation naturally: one person per component, handing over to the next.

4. Learning outcomes and assessment. Whatever the format, Wharton asks what participants will gain and how you would assess it. Practice stating outcomes in specific, observable terms, and tie each one to a way of checking it.

5. Collaboration is key. Having your pitch chosen does not make you the group's leader. Bring your research, but build on others' contributions, credit them by name and hand the floor back. Aim for a mid-range share of speaking time.

6. Disagreement is fine, and so is letting go. Agreeing with everything to speed things along can look like a lack of judgment. Raise a concern politely or ask a pointed question. If the group goes another way, drop your point and commit to the decision.

7. Use spare time for depth. If the team agrees early, add detail. This could be another partner, another Wharton or Penn resource, a risk to plan for, or a cost check. This shows initiative without taking over.

The one-on-one that follows has also been consistent. Expect questions about your most significant contribution, the biggest challenge the team faced, why an MBA, why Wharton, and a chance to ask your own question.

How to Approach Each Stage of the Wharton TBD

Stage 1: The pitch (1 minute)

Sign in around 10 minutes early and keep conversation light. Do not start on the prompt before the session begins.

When you speak, favor clarity over density. A single well-explained idea beats a rushed list. Read up on the topic beforehand and, where it feels natural, link your idea to your application story. Rehearse aloud, ask a friend whether it was easy to follow and, if useful, get feedback from an admissions consultant.

Stage 2: The group discussion (25 minutes)

Once the pitches are done, the group usually combines the ideas with the most overlap. If yours is picked, share what you know without taking over.

• Be constructive and diplomatic and let others finish.

• Help with pacing and draw people in with a smooth handover.

• Aim for balanced airtime.

• Look the part on camera. Make sure you have a tidy background, steady connection, are dressed in smart casual (a shirt, no tie), and sport a calm, friendly expression.

  
  

Stage 3: The presentation (5 minutes)

Teams typically give each member one section, matched to the parts the prompt asks for. Keep your piece short and consistent with the group's notes, watch the clock, and hand off by name.

Stage 4: The one-on-one interview (10 minutes)

You will meet an alum or admissions officer in a breakout room. Expect a couple of questions, then time for yours. Likely topics:

• Your most significant contribution to the discussion

• The main challenge the team faced

• Why an MBA, and why Wharton

• Anything you would like to ask the interviewer

  
  

For ideas on what to ask your Wharton interviewer, see our list of 28 questions to ask your MBA interviewer here. 

Found this blog helpful? To get personalized interview guidance for your Wharton TBD, book a free chat.