I am posting because the other posts were incredibly helpful, and I made it to the final round in the interview process.
I heard about the Apple Store Leader Program through my college job fair. I applied online on the last day it was due--a Friday. The Monday after, I received an email. "Congratulations, you stood out." They were moving me forward with the interview process.
It took quite some time to get word from Apple, until I received a call from HR asking me to set up a phone interview. I set it up for the very next day.
The phone interview went well. At first it was confusing because I mentioned my foreign language skills and that I would like to eventually work in other counties, using my language skills for Apple. The interviewer thought I meant I wanted to immediately leave the country and work for Apple, which would not be possible unless I was authorized to work in said countries. The interview went better with the behavioral questions. I provided strong answers of when I accomplished tasks, led a group, etc. I really did not mention Apple products. The final question was "Why Apple Retail?" You should probably have a good answer for this.
I received word a week or so later that I was invited to an interview event at a nice hotel in a suburb of the city I live. You should know that at this event, you are being watched right away. This was probably the most nerve-wracking part of the interview process because it is the least straightforward. The goal is to get noticed. There will be a meet-and-greet period where you get a chance to talk to other candidates as well as recruiters, the store managers, and current ASLPers. Make a point to meet all of the people from Apple. They will be throwing out interview questions, so be quick on your toes.
We then had a presentation with videos and Q & A about the videos. They will ask you what you observed during the videos. I didn't get a chance to answer, but it's a good idea to try. You may just get called on.
Finally, we were split into groups of four and given a business related question, around marketing or sales, and challenged to create a solution for that business. Be creative and cooperate with your group; you don't know who you will be with but make the most of it. When it is your group's turn to present, make sure your part of the presentation is full of energy and enthusiasm. If you have trouble with public speaking then practice in front of friends before you go.
The event ended and we were told we would receive phone calls in the evening. I received a "YES" call and was told to come back to the hotel for interviews the next morning. When I arrived, I found out that I would have two back-to-back interviews. First, I spoke with a regional recruiter and the market manager for the city I was in. This interview was very focused at dissecting my resume as well as behavioral. My second interview was with managers of two stores in my metro area. They were a little more laid back, so I had to work harder at weaving in my work experience into the interview. My feedback from them throughout the interview process was "we like your energy and self awareness," so make sure you have enthusiasm for the position as well as very specific examples for behavioral questions.
I received a call that I would be invited to the final in-store event the next morning at a flagship store in my metro area. I signed a non-disclosure agreement, so I cannot speak to specifics, but you will be given a tour of a store and expected to use Apple technology to give a presentation.
I really put my best into this interview process but unfortunately, after making it to the last round, I did not get an offer. The recruiter called me a few days ago telling me that they did not select me for this program, but that this was only one entry into Apple. She said that if I wanted to explore other opportunities at Apple, I could email her anytime. I also met other employees who can give me an internal reference, which will give me an advantage.
Overall, this was an especially grueling process, and even though I did not get into the program, I know that Apple would gladly consider me for other opportunities and I have invaluable contacts at Apple that I did not have before. I also got a great look at the wonderful work culture that Apple maintains within their company. If this is something that you REALLY want to do, go for it!