Use the strongest and most relevant stories, regardless of whether they happened before or during the MBA.

Pre-MBA professional examples often have greater stakes, longer timelines and clearer ownership, which can make them excellent interview stories.

MBA experiences can still be useful when they show something new, such as leading a team, navigating a conflict or making an impact in a club, internship or project.

Recency matters less than substance unless the story is so old that it no longer reflects who you are. Build a balanced set where each example demonstrates the competency clearly and gives the interviewer enough detail to probe. For more detail, see the consulting interview questions guide.

My best stories were all pre-MBA because the stakes were simply higher.

I used one MBA club example because it showed a different side of me, not because it was newer.