I was referred to this program (after initially expressing interest) in the beginning of 2014, and upon initial contact, was asked to attend a Virtual Information Session. After this, a phone screen was set up and lasted about 15 minutes, mostly asking me about my GPA, and leadership experience. After a short discussion about the position, the recruiter said that within a few weeks I would hear back about a hiring event. I made it to the Hiring Event stage, which took place in my geographical market, within 300 miles from where I lived. Unlike previous years, this was a 1 day event (instead of 3 days), with Apple picking up the tab for travel and accommodations. The event started somewhat early in the morning, and ran until mid-afternoon. Upon arriving, all the applicants (maybe two dozen total) were given name-tags and signed non-disclosure statements about the Apple Store. I think the interviewers wanted to see how we socialized with each other as well. From there, we all went into the back of the store and introduced ourselves - a good chance to show some personality. The recruiters were taking notes on answers and personality, and seemed very focused to our listening skills, For the actual interview, there were 3 stages - a tour of the Apple Store, a session with two interactive group activities, and, after a lunch break, two 20 minute interviews with recruiters. The tour consists of ALL parts of the store (which I can't talk about further). The recruiters study you and take notes on your responses, interactions, etc.. If you get this far, I think it's crucial to be attentive and observational about the store and why it works the way it does. Be energetic and make sure you answer their questions. While everyone is friendly, they are trying to compete with you as well. After the tour, you're broken into groups to do interactive activities with different group members. You're picked for these groups before you arrive for the event, and are given different scenarios and asked how to prioritize them, or come up with a solution for an ambiguous issue. You are scrutinized in these groups more than at any other point. During one group, there were more recruiters watching us than there were applicants interacting. For this stage, being open minded, creative, confident, and listening to peers are essential. You're studied on your listening skills, triage, and ability to work in your group. Lastly, after lunch, there are two 20 minute interviews with different recruiters. The first interview was one-on-one with a manager at an Apple Store, and the second was with two managers. Lots of behavioral questions and judging your personality. They want you to be fun and open, while also intelligent. Technical knowledge is not really assessed - they want to see if you can manage and lead. Almost all the questions are leadership based, with some just being small talk or asking about your hobbies, goals, etc. After the interviews, the program manager debriefed us, and said it would take a couple weeks to coordinate everything before we heard back. About 2 weeks later, I was contacted by the program manager, who informed me that I didn't make it, but did very well and was one of the last people cut. Overall, it was a positive experience, although the 3 month process from start to finish is a little long and drawn out. My best advice for anyone applying: be confident, friendly, energetic, and bring examples of leadership with you. One person that made it exhibited all of those qualities. Besides, that, just know that only about 1% of applicants make it into the program. Good luck!