The Veritas Prep Essential Guide To The Wharton School

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The Veritas Prep 2013-14 Essential Guide to
The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Veritas Prep is the leader in GMAT prep and admissions consulting, so naturally thousands
of clients have asked us for help in their applications to Wharton. We are pleased that so
many of them have gained admission, and we have developed the Veritas Prep Essential
Guide to provide insights into how Wharton has maintained its status as one of the
premier MBA programs in the world. In the pages that follow, you will find details about
Whartons MBA program and tips for how to present your profile in a way that maximizes
your chances of admissions success.
We also encourage you to reach out directly to the school by attending a local Wharton
information session or going to campus and visiting a class, as there is no substitute for
that type of first-hand exposure to what they offer. That said, although first-hand exposure
can certainly enhance a candidacy by providing better talking points on Why Wharton,
the Wharton admissions team is careful not to hold it against a student who is unable to
acquire such exposure due to logistical or budgetary reasons.
Be sure to check out our website at www.veritasprep.com for more free resources to
leverage, and please contact us at info@veritasprep.com if we can offer further assistance
as you craft your application to Wharton.
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Whats Inside
About The Wharton School .................................................................................3
Whats New at Wharton ........................................................................................4
The Wharton Approach ........................................................................................5
Wharton Students ......................................................................................6
The University of Pennsylvania .............................................................6
Degree Programs at Wharton ................................................................7
Joint Degree Programs at Wharton .....................................................9
What Makes Wharton Diferent? .................................................................... 10
The Wharton School Is a Good Fit for You If........................................... 10
Admissions at Wharton ...................................................................................... 12
2013-14 Essays (for the Class of 2016) ............................................. 12
Deadlines and Round Strategies ....................................................... 14
Recommendations .................................................................................. 15
The Interview ............................................................................................ 16
Admissions Criteria ................................................................................. 17
Wharton Academics & Grading Policies ...................................................... 18
Employment & Careers at Wharton ............................................................... 23
Professional Recruitment ..................................................................... 23
Employment Statistics ........................................................................... 24
Pre and Post MBA Career Trends ........................................................ 25
Life on Campus ..................................................................................................... 26
The Wharton Campus ............................................................................ 26
Notable Faculty & Classes at Wharton ............................................. 27
Student Organizations .......................................................................... 30
Wharton San Francisco .......................................................................... 30
APPENDIX ............................................................................................................... 31
Admissions Statistics .............................................................................. 31
Visiting Wharton ...................................................................................... 31
Connecting with Wharton .................................................................... 33
Costs & Financial Aid .............................................................................. 34
Similar Programs ...................................................................................... 35
Veritas Prep & Your Wharton Application .................................................... 36
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About The Wharton School
Wharton is considered the birthplace of modern business education. Although it hit a rocky
patch in the mid-2000s attributable to sluggish leadership and a vacuum in Career Services,
The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania has for generations been one of the most
prestigious programs anywhere, consistently appearing at or very near the top of most rankings.
The Wharton School is Penns prized program and is positioned at the forefront of the research
and business communities. Many consider Wharton to be the best of the six Ivy League graduate
business programs and a continual leader among its peers. Wharton was one of the first business
schools to change its curriculum in response to the economic crisis, an effort that it continues to
this day. And, Wharton impressed many in the spring of 2011 by announcing that their incoming
Class of 2013 was 45% female, which is the highest proportion of women at any top-tier business
school in the world. For the Class of 2014, this number dropped just slightly to 42%
Given Whartons heritage as the worlds first collegiate business school, the school prides itself on
its history of ingenuity and advancement, infusing innovation into every aspect of its approach
to business education. From experiential learning opportunities such as leadership treks, to
first-of-their-kind interdisciplinary dual-degree program offerings, Wharton is a pioneer of new
possibilities in business education. Wharton also offers more electives than any other business
school.
Penn also showcases a very strong global sensibility and commitment to expanding the programs
global reach. Whartons worldview is evidenced through the makeup of its student body
(approximately 40% of which is international), partnerships with 14 different business schools
around the world, and the many international learning opportunities such as the International
Volunteer Project and the Global Immersion Program (GIP). Whartons alumni network totals
about 92,000 and they span the globe, on every continent and in 140 countries. Wharton makes
a conscious effort to provide students with a global experience, both academically as well as
socially.
Wharton faculty members are also known as leaders in their fields. Mainstream journalists
and the business press in the U.S. and abroad frequently rely on experts from Wharton in their
reporting. From the Wall Street Journal to National Public Radio to CNBC to Inc. Magazine on
topics from entrepreneurship to race and happiness to real estate and the Federal Reserve
youll find quotes from and articles by the influential thinkers at Wharton across the media on a
regular basis. In addition, Wharton publishes a free online resource called Knowledge@Wharton
featuring discussions of business trends and articles by faculty. With this online presence,
Wharton is a leader among its peers, launching the K@W portal in 1999, and reporting over 1.25
million subscribers to date. Some content is even available as podcasts distributed on iTunes.
While the information at K@W may be cutting-edge, the portal itself seems a little dated, and
Knowledge@Wharton doesnt quite compare to the venerable Harvard Business Review print
publications in terms of reputation.
With so many graduates typically moving into finance jobs, the economic downturn hit Wharton
particularly hard. Wharton has since recovered significantly, however. In 2010, it placed down
at #17 in 2010 on BusinessWeeks ranking of schools by placement outcomes (an improvement
from a dismal #23 in 2009), but in 2011 it had rebounded to #5, with just 5 percent of the
graduating class still looking for work three months after graduation. In 2012, Wharton jumped
again to #3, coming in ahead of even Stanford GSB, but behind Chicago Booth and Harvard
Business School. The Wharton brand name is one of the strongest in the world, and the vast
alumni network means that current students and recent grads have a lot of possible connections
out there to help them in all aspects of their careers.
With such a prestigious history and reputation, expectations are high at Wharton. This school
considers itself the elite among the elite, and they make no bones about what a privilege it is
to go there. This Essential Guide offers detailed insights to help you see the differences of and
advantages offered by a Wharton business education.
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W H A T S N E W A T W H A R T O N ?
Whats New at Wharton
Whartons Dean Thomas Robertson has led an intensive effort to overhaul the curriculum,
which began rolling out with the Class of 2013. Since taking over in 2007, Dean Robertson
has made an effort to address some issues that had been threatening the school in the
mid-2000s. His focus has been on repairing relations between the administration and
students, improving the schools showing in the major rankings, and launching new
initiatives centered on innovation, international business, and social impact. In addition
to the new curriculum discussed in last years Essential Guide, new developments that are
evident at the school today include:
New leadership. This past April, Whartons Dean Thomas Robertson announced that
he will be leaving his current position at the end of the upcoming 2013-14 academic
year. Throughout his seven-year tenure as Dean, Robertson has brought a wealth of
changes to the school, including a significant increase in the number of Wharton
faculty, the introduction of a new curriculum, and a surge in the schools reputation
all the way to #3 in the most recent Business Week rankings. While a new Dean
has yet to be selected (although speculation has already begun), Robertson has
indicated that he will stay on board as a member of Whartons teaching and research
staff.
Center City student facility. While the primary location for Wharton activities will
remain at Huntsman Hall in West Philadelphia, MBA students will now also have
access to meeting space in Center City, the downtown area where most students
reside. Referred to as 2401 (the buildings address), the new facility is available to
MBA students individual or group study, meetings, small gatherings, specialist
events, club activities, and relaxation and spending time with one another. It is open
with generous hours: 8am to 2am during the week and from 10am to midnight on
the weekends.
Semester in San Francisco. The Wharton Innovation Group spearheaded a new
pilot program, allowing second year MBA students to spend a semester at the schools
new San Francisco campus located on the Embarcadero. The program is highly
selective and is based on a separate application and first year academic performance.
Students may apply for any reason, but based on the first class in the fall of 2012,
most students were interested in the Bay Areas emphasis on entrepreneurship and
technology.
More entrepreneurs. The number of Wharton graduates starting their own
companies or interning with a start-up has increased significantly in recent years. For
Whartons most recent graduating Class of 2013, 7.4% have opted to start their own
business, up from just 2.6% five years ago for the Class of 2008. The number of first-
year students taking internships at start-ups this year is 71, up 15% from the previous
year. This change seems be well received amongst students and administrators at
Wharton, and we expect the trend to continue in coming years.
New resources for law students. The Wharton School announced in March that
they will be offering a new 12-week course to law students who are interested in
adding a management perspective on their degree. The program will be offered
starting in the Fall of 2013, and will be taught by Wharton faculty. The curriculum
will cover a series of business modules designed to help law students become better
managers and leaders in their field. Candidates who complete the program will earn
a Certificate in Management from Wharton.
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T H E W H A R T O N A P P R O A C H
At Wharton, the focus isnt just
on learning and doing and the
common business school refrain
of putting theory into practice;
they are also committed to
creating knowledge.
Wharton is a pioneer of
new possibilities in business
education.
The Wharton Approach
Under Dean Robertson, Wharton has emphasized three pillars of Innovation, Social
Impact, and Global Education.
Innovation. The new Innovation Group is tasked with identifying and cultivating
medium- to long-term projects at The Wharton School. Examples of Whartons
previous innovations include the Leadership Ventures (Wharton is the first school to
offer such leadership-focused global treks), conferences focused on innovation such
as Supernova and the Future of Publishing, and simulations including the Learning
Lab and Management Simulations created in partnership with Penn technology
students. Wharton also commonly makes significant changes to its admissions essay
questions from year to year, which may be a reflection of their focus on innovation
(or it may simply be an effort to ensure that applicants always write their Wharton
essays from scratch!). From permitting students to design their own majors, to
offering first-of-their-kind joint-degree programs like the Lauder MBA, to initiating
the first integrated entrepreneurial curriculum through the Goergen Entrepreneurial
Management Program, the school consistently drives forward and explores new
ideas.
Global Education. While Wharton has about the same proportion of foreign
passport holders in the student body as other top programs, an international focus
permeates here more than any other U.S. school. Wharton faculty has an orientation
to international business that spans back countless years. The Knowledge@
Wharton online portal is available for Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, and
Indian audiences. The awareness of the global community is profound throughout
everything that Wharton is and does. Moreover, the Wharton/Lauder joint degree
program is perhaps the best preparation for a career in international business that
can be found on the planet. Many Wharton students take advantage of the Global
Consulting Practicums work-abroad opportunities. (Interestingly, this is optional at
Wharton, compared to Stanford GSB, which requires it of all students.) Also popular is
the Global Immersion Program, which in past years has focused on regions including
Africa, China, Southeast Asia, and South America. There are also more study-abroad
options with Wharton than any other school, allowing students to leverage the
vast network of relationships with the best business programs around the globe.
Wharton and INSEAD have forged especially deep ties, with a formal alliance of cross-
promotion of each others programs, whereby about 50 students trade places for
semester-long study-abroad experiences each year. In addition, student-led Career
Treks provide a similar experience to the GIP without the class component, with a
mix of business meetings and social/touristy events over the course of the trip. This
isnt to say that all candidates must have international or multicultural experience in
order to be a fit with Wharton. In years past, the emphasis has been stronger in the
application essays than it is today, however in any year, the school is clearly looking
for applicants who can frame their experiences and goals in a global context, and
who plan on engaging in the communities around them.
Social Impact. Namesake Joseph Wharton founded the school to produce
educated citizens who are pillars of the state, whether in private or in public life.
(Get used to hearing this quote from Dean Robertson; hes fond of mentioning it in
speeches and interviews.) The emphasis at Wharton is on creating economic and
social good, anchored in the Wharton Program for Social Good. The economic crisis
has heightened Whartons emphasis on the interconnected obligation to create
both economic wealth and improve the lives of the worlds citizens. The curriculum
features a wide array of courses and even whole majors, including Social Impact
Management, which is a timely and yes, innovative offering that you wont see
at many other top business schools.
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Student Stats (Class of 2014)
Class Size .............................................................. 837
Percent Female ...............................................42%
(one of the highest of any top-ranked program)
Percent US Students of Color .................28%
(a deceptively high number, as Wharton includes
Asian-Americans in this number whereas other
schools do not)
Percent International ...................................37%
Number of Countries
Represented .......................................................... 71
Average Years of Work Experience ............. 5
Wharton Students
As with any elite business school, the student experience at Wharton is defined as much
or more by the students as it is by the program, faculty, or career opportunities. Wharton is
committed to admitting a highly diverse student community, and that diversity extends
well beyond cultural diversity. Whether its professional background, personal interests,
or languages spoken, the student community is intelligent and dynamic. As one of the
countrys largest business schools, Wharton offers a little bit of everything in each class
makeup.
Wharton also has about 2,500 undergraduate students enrolled, with 400 more in the
Executive MBA and nearly 200 PhD candidates.
0
500
1000
1500
2000
Harvard PENN
(Wharton)
Columbia Northwestern
(Kellogg)
Chicago
(Booth)
Michigan
(Ross)
Duke
(Fuqua)
MIT
(Sloan)
Stanford NYU
(Stern)
UCLA
(Anderson)
Dartmouth
(Tuck)
UC Berkley
(Haas)
Yale
475 492
547
750
784
803 804
888
1,000
1,160
1,201
1,264
1,669
1,808
Source: U.S. News 2013 MBA Rankings
Full-Time Enrollment
Consulting
20%
Investment Banking 11%
Consumer Products/
Health Care/Bio Tech/
Retail 12%
Private Equity/
Venture Capital 13%
Government/Military/
Non-Prot 11%
Investment
Management 5%
Tech/Internet/
E-Commerce 5%
Other Financial
Services 10%
Other Industries 13%
Previous Industry Experience:
(Class of 2014)
Other 5%
Humanities/
Social Science
44%
Engineering/Math/
Science 24%
Business 27%
(Class of 2014)
Undergraduate Majors:
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The University of Pennsylvania
The Wharton School is one of many prestigious programs at the University of Pennsylvania.
Other schools at Penn also rank among the top schools in their respective fields, including
the School of Design, the Law School, the School of Medicine, the School of Dental
Medicine, and the Annenberg School for Communications. The School of Nursing is one
of the top two nursing programs in the country. Despite the breadth of programs on
campus, each school tends to be fairly self-contained, infused with its own unique culture
and community. With the notable exception of dual degree programs, there is limited
Wharton MBA interaction with the greater Penn community, and so other opportunities
at Penn should not play a significant role in the decision to apply to Wharton.
Degree Programs at Wharton
The Wharton School offers programs across the entire spectrum of higher education,
including undergraduate education that many business schools do not offer. Wharton
does not have a part-time MBA option, though they do have a part-time post-
baccalaureate (non-MBA) business education program for working adults.
Undergraduate. Whartons rigorous undergraduate business program features
a highly selective admissions process that requires application not just to the
University of Pennsylvania but also to Wharton. Wharton undergraduates are known
for their intensity and seriousness about their studies. Only a small percentage of
them matriculate directly into the graduate business program; this is because
Wharton is still a hold-out among its graduate school peers for preferring their MBA
students to have significant work experience rather than accepting them straight
after their bachelors studies. It is important to that note that for Wharton, seeing an
upward professional trajectory as well as potential is crucial for admissions. This can
be shown by a candidate straight out of undergraduate if he or she has significant
entrepreneurial experience, for instance, but generally this is accomplished through
several years of work experience. A wide range of joint programs are available for
undergraduates to pursue with other schools at Penn. About 2,500 undergrads are
enrolled each year.
Full-time MBA. Wharton has the standard two-year, full-time MBA experience
and its actually a little longer than some other programs because first-years begin
pre-term coursework in late July or early August during their year of matriculation.
About 1,700 full-time MBAs are enrolled at one time. The bulk of this Essential Guide
is focused on application requirements and strategies for the full-time MBA.
MBA/MA Lauder Program. If Wharton is considered a competitive and challenging
program, the Wharton/Lauder combo is over the top. Wharton/Lauder is an MBA
combined with a Masters in International Studies from The Lauder Institute at Penns
School of Arts & Sciences (Penn Law students can also do a dual JD/MA program with
Lauder). As opposed to other international affairs/MBA dual degrees, which generally
provide an international policy angle for students going into any type of business,
the Wharton/Lauder combo is geared toward those entering international business
in a particular region. An important admissions requirement is advanced proficiency
in English and one of the nine target languages ranging from Arabic to Japanese
and now Hindi, among others and a key focus of the program is increasing that
language skill and cultural exposure through in-country projects, extensive field
research, and a masters paper. Its a longer program, starting in May of each year
(compared to the August start date of the full-time MBA track). This is not for the faint
of heart; even the application is rigorous, requiring two additional 1,000-word essays
(on top of the 1,000 words required for the standard Wharton MBA application), plus
a separate oral interview to assess language proficiency, along with all the other
aspects of the admissions process. The Lauder program usually has 60 students. For
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what are hopefully obvious reasons, most Lauder graduates pursue careers outside
of the U.S., though this is not a mandatory element of an application strategy. MBA/
Lauder applications can be submitted in Whartons first or second rounds only. If you
apply for Lauder and are denied, youre still in the running for a spot in the full-time
Wharton MBA class based on their separate evaluation process.
MBA for Executives. Sometimes Executive MBA programs are considered inferior
to their full-time brethren; they can be faulted for not being as rigorous nor as
demanding of their students, partly due to the format, and also because of the reality
that their participants are juggling high-responsibility, mid-level management jobs
(and often families) at the same time as theyre pursuing their education. Many EMBA
students travel from large distances to attend their programs, which typically meet
for short, intense periods (a long weekend, or a full week) several times per quarter,
and then they disband in order to attend to their real job. Accordingly, admission
for most EMBA programs tends to be less competitive, often with more flexibility in
accommodating lower GMAT scores or undergraduate GPAs. Not at Wharton.
The Wharton MBA for Executives, offered both at the main campus in Philadelphia
and through the satellite campus in San Francisco, is actually one of the few EMBA
programs that is comparable to the rigor of the standard full-time track. The MBA for
Executives has a near-identical curriculum and runs on the same cycle that the full-
time program does (the EMBA students accrue the necessary credits by continuing
with coursework through the summer while their counterparts in the regular MBA
program are pursuing internships). The Wharton EMBA even requires a tiny bit more
work, with 19.25 total units required to complete the degree, compared to 19 for
the full-time program. Graduates of the MBA for Executives program are awarded
the identical Master of Business Administration credential as those in the full-time
program. Over 400 students are enrolled in the MBA for Executives programs in
Philadelphia and San Francisco at any one time.
PhD. Student-designed doctoral studies are available in all of Whartons 11 areas
of concentration- from accounting to various flavors of economics to marketing to
statistics. Wharton PhDs typically stay in academia when they graduate. The program
has about 180 students. Wharton actively promotes its available PhD candidates by
listing their research areas on its website, and frequently places graduates on the
faculty of well-regarded schools such as MIT, Chicago Booth, and NYU.
Executive Education. Open-enrollment executive education seminars, certificates,
workshops, and programs are available for individuals and organizations looking to
increase their human capital. (Executive Education is separate and distinct from the
formal MBA for Executives.)
Summer Programs. During the summer, Wharton also opens its doors to high
school students and foreign university undergrads looking to get a jumpstart on
their leadership education.
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Joint Degree Programs at Wharton
Besides the Lauder program, Wharton students can also pursue joint or dual degrees in
conjunction with Penns other leading graduate schools, including:
MBA/JD three-year joint degree with Penn Law School
MBA/MA in Environmental Studies dual degree at the School of Arts and Sciences
MBA/MD available in conjunction with Penn Medicine. Generally 10-15 students in
a given Wharton MBA class are already MDs, and 2-5 complete a joint MBA-MD. Most
of those individuals are Healthcare Management majors as well.
MBA in Health Care Management While technically not a joint degree,
approximately 8% of Wharton MBAs participate in the Health Care Management
program (around 75 per class). This is the only major one must declare before
matriculating, because it requires a separate interview just like Lauder and requires
a Round 1 application.
MBA/VMD and MBA/MS dual degrees with Penn Veterinary Medicine
MBA/MSN and MBA/PhD available through the School of Nursing (simultaneous
applications required for the MBA/PhD)
MB/MBA (Master of Biotechnology), a very unique offering not found at other
schools. This combines coursework from Wharton as well as both the School of
Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and the School of Arts and Sciences
MBA/MArch, MBA/MLA, MBA/MCP, and MBA/MHP dual degrees offered through
the School of Design, another opportunity not typically found at other business
schools
MBA/MSW, or the innovative MBA/MS through the Nonprofit/NGO Leadership
Program, both available in conjunction with the School of Social Policy and Practice,
and both unique options not typical at other schools
MBA/MA with the Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins
University in Washington, D.C., appropriate for those interested in international
politics
Several MBA/Masters degrees available in a partnership with Harvards Kennedy
School of Government
This amazing list reinforces Whartons claim of an interdisciplinary focus to education and
shows how the school leverages not just its own resources but those across Penn and the
higher education universe.
Admission to dual-degree programs requires candidates to apply separately to Wharton
and the respective school. In general, the dual-degree programs require one less year
than pursuing each of the degrees individually.
Whartons decision to accept the GRE as an alternative to the GMAT was motivated by the
variety of joint degree programs available (and, probably just as much, by the fact that
schools like Harvard were accepting it).
Although there is a wide range of incredible options here, approximately 95% of Wharton
students complete the single-degree, standard MBA program. For instance, last year
there was one dual-degree student in the design program and none in the MBA/MSW
program.
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W H A T M A K E S W H A R T O N D I F F E R E N T ?
What Makes Wharton Dierent?
Student Involvement. Inside and outside of the classroom, students play a lead-
ing role in dening the Wharton experience for themselves, their classmates, and for
future students. The expectation is that Wharton students will be active members
of the community a standard that manifests itself in all aspects of the Wharton
experience as evidenced by more than 100 student-run clubs that evolve each year
depending on student leadership, the existence of the Deans Graduate Student Ad-
visory Committee and the Wharton Graduate Association, and student participation
in the admissions process.
Experiential Learning. Nearly every elite business school is advertising its ac-
tion-based or experiential approach, but Wharton deserves credit for the way it
puts a premium on student involvement in campus activities and organizations.
Wharton has undergone a comprehensive branding and identity initiative, resulting
in a new brand platform called Knowledge for Action. This brand platform empha-
sizes and communicates Whartons strengths of rigorous research, dynamic thinking
and thoughtful leadership. Gaining knowledge and putting it into practice is seam-
lessly integrated into the student experience through initiatives such as the Global
Consulting Practicum.
Leadership. Building leadership acumen is a core of the Wharton program. While
wed be hard pressed to say that leadership is more important at Wharton than it is
at Harvard, opportunities to build this skill abound at this school. Wharton features a
dedicated Center for Leadership and Change Management, which spearheads mul-
tiple leadership-driven initiatives including Leadership Ventures (outdoor experien-
tial leadership experiences and global leadership treks) and the Leadership Fellows
Program (a leadership development/mentor program). Leadership is also baked into
the Wharton experience through its entirely student-led community. There are many
opportunities to be a leader outside of the classroom through programs such as the
International Volunteer Program and Wharton Community Consultants.
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T H E W H A R T O N S C H O O L I S A G O O D F I T F O R Y O U I F
The Wharton School Is a Good Fit for You If...
You are interested in finance. We havent even mentioned it much so far because we figure
everybody already knows: Wharton is a finance school. Theyre quick to point out that theyre
more than that, but the core strength and the interest of the majority of their students remains in
the world of finance. They send large numbers of graduates into investment banking, portfolio
management, and corporate finance, and place a few here and there into hedge funds, private
equity, and even sales and trading areas that some schools never place anyone. If youre
looking to go to Wall Street, Wharton is a natural for you to consider.
You are interested in entrepreneurship. Less commonly known is that behind finance,
entrepreneurship is the second most popular field of study at The Wharton School. Around 60-
70 graduates start companies coming out of Wharton every year, and this number is increasing.
Schools like Stanford, MIT Sloan, and even Harvard might give Wharton a run for its money
on the entrepreneurship side, but its an area that is seeing more attention with Whartons
renewed interest in innovation and social good.
You want to go into the health care industry. Wharton has one of the strongest Health
Care Management programs of any business school, and it deeply integrates academic
and professional development. Unlike other majors, students must choose the Health Care
Management major when they apply to Wharton, so if you are interested in going into the
health care industry, be sure to do your due diligence on this program before applying.
Health Care Management majors at Wharton have their own career counselors and recruiting
resources focused in health care consulting, biotech, pharmaceuticals, hospitals, insurance
and government agencies. Be aware, however, that this program is targeted toward students
who are sure they want to enter the health care industry post-MBA, as the vast majority of
participants (likely above 90%) enter the industry upon graduation.
You have had, or want to have, internationally diverse work experiences. Wharton loves
those multicultural stories in applicant backgrounds. Overseas work experience is definitely
not required in order to gain an offer from Wharton, but it never hurts. Just dont be tempted
to try to overstate your two weeks of European vacation into a multicultural experience;
oftentimes, vacation stories can come across as fairly routine, and thats not the level of cultural
exposure the admissions committee values the most. Any travel to foreign countries is worth
mentioning; whether you make it a cornerstone of your application depends both on the real
nature of your experiences in that country, and even more importantly, any international flavor
to your stated future career goals. (Making these kinds of strategic decisions about what stories
to include and how to position them is obviously a key benefit of the Veritas Prep admissions
consulting process.) For Wharton, its less the international experience itself that is valuable,
but rather what it says about the applicant. For example, is he or she the kind of person who
not only enjoys visiting foreign countries, but is also eager to really experience them beyond
staying cooped up in fancy hotels and sticking to traditional tourist paths?
Youre a woman. Sorry, guys: in this case, the women may have a slight advantage. While
Wharton definitely does not have lower standards for its female applicants, it is actively courting
high achievers. Strong women will likely be well received in the application process. While
women need to have the same high qualifications as far as GPA, GMAT, and quality of work
experience, Wharton has acknowledged that their female students tend to be a little younger,
having fewer years of work experience than the average males they admit. So, younger female
candidates should not hesitate to apply. In our experience at Veritas Prep, female candidates
who gain admission to Wharton also are successful at other great schools.
Youre changing careers. Wharton is very welcoming to career changers. If youre in this
position, be sure to highlight the relevant skills and experience that you bring with you from
your previous life, and show how you will apply those strengths in the new undertaking you are
interested in pursuing after Wharton.
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A D M I S S I O N S A T W H A R T O N
The worst thing for a student
to do is to ignore something
they have noticed about their
application that they regard as an
issue or weakness and hope we
wont notice. A hundred percent
of the time, we will notice its
our job to notice.
Kathryn Bezella, Associate Director
of Wharton MBA Admissions
Admissions at Wharton
2013-14 Essays (for the Class of 2016)
Following a trend among several top schools, this year Wharton reduced the total number
of words in the admissions essays, making it all the more important for applicants to
communicate their perspective in a concise manner. As always, Wharton encourages
applicants to be introspective, candid, and succinct, and, most importantly, to be genuine
in your passions rather than telling the admissions committee what you think they want
to hear.
Wharton has cut its required essay count from three to two, although you will actually
have more words to work with for the first essay this year. They have also removed the
element of choice that was part of last years application, as applicants now must answer
both of the two required questions. As is common with other schools, an optional essay
is allowed to explain unusual circumstances or weaknesses in the application that the
applicant is unable to address elsewhere. Those interested in the Lauder joint program
have additional materials and processes, including two separate 1,000-word essays and
proof of language proficiency.
Re-applicants are asked to write both essays just as new applicants do, along with a
very short re-applicant essay explaining how their candidacy has improved (schools like
Columbia only require a single, longer re-applicant essay for those making a second go
of it).
Whartons 2013-14 essays and Veritas Preps snapshot assessment of each are provided
below. The Wharton S2S online discussion forum sometimes contains helpful bits of
advice from the Wharton students who monitor it (look for posts by Fanatical Fan), or
you can post your own question if you get truly stuck.
Of course, Veritas Prep clients receive extensive coaching and guidance on how to approach
each individual question based on their unique background, experiences, and goals.
1
What do you aspire to achieve, personally and professionally, through
the Wharton MBA? (500 words)
The wording of this question is new this year, although we consider this question
to be an evolution of Whartons Essay #1 from last year. Interestingly, while business
schools have been shortening their essays, Wharton actually bumped up the word
count for this essay from 400 words last year to 500 this year. And thats on top of
last years change, which increased the word count from 300 to 400 words. Since the
school has dropped an essay this year, the Wharton admissions team seems com-
fortable giving applicants more room to run with this particular essay.
Looking at what did change this year (besides the addition of 100 words), Wharton
added the personally piece. You absolutely still need to nail the professional part
clear, realistic career objectives are key but the admissions committee also wants
to see maturity and introspection. How do you see yourself growing during your
two years at Wharton? How do you hope the degree and the experience will impact
your 10 years from now? Think about these things and try to jot down specic ex-
amples before proceeding.
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Whartons application volume is
so great that they enlist the help
of graduate students about 70
of them to assist with various
parts of the process.
Veritas Prep spent an entire year collaborating with the publisher of the Myers-Briggs
personality assessments to help candidates with their self-examination and introspection.
We co-authored a new assessment called the Personalized MBA Game Plan, powered by
the Myers-Briggs Assessment. Every Veritas Prep Admissions Consulting client has access
to the Personalized MBA Game Plan assessment, which helps you identify personalized
traits that MBA admissions committees really care about.
2
Academic engagement is an important element of the Wharton MBA
experience. How do you see yourself contributing to our learning
community? (500 words)
This question is new this year. You could consider it a new version of one option-
al essay that Wharton featured last year, which asked you to write about an MBA
course or extracurricular activity that interested you. The Wharton admissions team
has elected to narrow the focus and put it specically on academics. We tend not to
love this kind of question because many applicants are tempted to just nd a class
on a the schools website and write about it thinking they are giving admissions
ocers what they want to see. This essay is about more than showing that you know
how to use the schools online course and faculty directories! Here you want to show
credible evidence that you will be a smart, engaged student who takes Whartons
academic rigors seriously. Your GMAT score and undergraduate GPA can demon-
strate your smarts (and hopefully theyre great), so in this essay you can demonstrate
the other key ingredient, which involves your devotion to learning and authentic
interest in what youll learn in the classroom.
Admissions essays that ask How do you see yourself contributing? are often getting
at diversity, and thats another way you can go with this essay. Note that diversity
often means more than just your nationality and ethnicity, and thats particularly
true here. Remember that the focus is how you will contribute academically. One
way you can do that is by bringing a new point of view based on your work experi-
ence. Especially if you come from a professional background that is not overrepre-
sented, emphasizing how your work experience can give you a unique voice in the
Wharton classroom can be a great use of this essay.
Veritas Prep clients working on their Wharton applications receive expert guidance on
each of these essay questions. Our Wharton Consultants help our clients understand how
to highlight strengths and weaknesses as well as unique elements within the confines of
the question, while also addressing each of the key Wharton admissions themes.
LOOKING FOR
HELP WITH YOUR
WHARTON ESSAYS?
Veritas Prep has the most
Wharton consultants with insider
admissions knowledge.
Click below learn more about our
Admissions Consulting and Essay
Evaluation services.
1-800-925-7737
LEARN MORE
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Deadlines
Wharton features the traditional three-
round admissions process, and their
application deadlines have barely
changed since last year. Note that
applying to Wharton in Round 1 means
that you will receive your decision by
December 17th, giving you time to work
up some more Round 2 applications
for other business schools if you dont
receive good news from Wharton.
Note that applicants to the Lauder MBA/
MA program (see Degree Programs at
Wharton above) must apply during one
of the first two rounds.
All deadlines are 5pm Eastern time on
the date indicated.
Round 1
Application Deadline
October 1, 2013
Decision Release Date
December 17, 2013
Round 2
January 7, 2014
March 25, 2014
Round 3
March 27, 2014
May 6, 2014
Deadlines and Round Strategies
Wondering if your application timing matters? The Wharton admissions committee
has gone on record with advice for both first-time applicants and re-applicants: We
strongly encourage you to apply in Round 1 or 2. The first two rounds have no significant
difference in terms of level of rigor; the third round is more competitive as we will have
selected a good portion of the class. However, there will be sufficient room in Round 3
for the strongest applicants. Note that word strongest Yes, you can get into Wharton
in Round 3, but if you have any big weaknesses, a wait till next year strategy may be
your best bet. And, because of high server volumes on the day of deadline, the chance
of a technical issue or glitch is high adding to the probability of stress during what is
already a high-pressure moment. Our advice? Submit your Wharton application at least a
day or two if not a week or two early.
What if I apply late? Applications received after the cut-off time on the day of the
deadline are automatically rolled to the next round. Applications received after the final
cut-off in March will not be processed.
When will I find out their answer? Acceptance decisions also go out on a specific
day (see schedule to the right), through an email notification that alerts the applicant to
check the ApplyYourself online application system. You must log on and retrieve your
admissions letter from the secure website. Wharton does not call accepted candidates,
although they do also generate a hardcopy letter with further information about your
acceptance to the school.
What is this conditional admission? Wharton is a little unusual with their decision
called conditional admission. Weve seen this outcome at a few other schools before, but
its uncommon. This means that the admissions team wants to admit you, but theres an
issue that you must take care of first, to satisfy them that you can handle the coursework.
The typical condition that needs to be met is an improved GMAT score, retaking the
TOEFL, or perhaps taking a class to demonstrate quant ability.
What about the waitlist? Wharton clears the waitlist at the end of the following round,
so a Round 1 candidate can expect to get a final decision at the Round 2 decision date,
and a Round 2 candidate at the Round 3 date. It makes for a very long summer if you apply
in Round 3 and are placed on the waitlist! Wharton is very direct about not accepting any
additional materials from waitlisted candidates candidates, so please dont try to submit
any information beyond what is requested in your waitlist notification.
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Recommendations:
Wharton requires that all applicants submit two professional letters of recommendations
through their online application system. At least one recommendation is preferably from
a current or former supervisor. The questions change year to year, and below are the
recommender questions for the 2013-14 application process.
1. Describe your relationship with the applicant; what kind of role does s/he play
within your team/organization? How does his/her performance compare to that
of peers? (500 words)
2. Continual development is an important part of the Wharton MBA experience.
What is an area of growth that you would recommend this candidate focus on
during his/her two years at Wharton? (500 words)
3. As we are evaluating this candidate for a place in the class, whats the most im-
portant thing we should know about him/her? (500 words)
We recommend that applicants select individuals who know them well as their
recommenders, not necessarily those with the most impressive title. The primary purpose
of the recommendation is to get an outside, objective perspective on your candidacy
from someone who can speak to your strengths, weaknesses, and overall personality,
thereby shedding additional light on what kind of a person you are and how you
would fit into the Wharton community. Of course, specific examples and anecdotes are
critical in driving your recommenders points home and backing up otherwise-empty
praise. It is also recommended that clients speak with their recommenders about their
goals, application, and general reasons for applying to business school so that the
recommender can address your candidacy in a similar manner as you will be throughout
your application.
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The Interview
Last year, Wharton launched an innovative new model for interviews after a successful trial
partnership with the Wharton Innovation group that piloted a new team-based discussion
interview. Based on positive feedback from the pilot project, Wharton employed this
model for interviews for all candidates in the 2012-13 admissions season. After its first
year, it is clear that this model is here to stay, at least for the time being. Instead of a
one-on-one interview with an admissions officer, student, or alumni interviewer, groups
of five to six candidates will engage in a discussion together. On-campus discussions will
be conducted by Admissions Fellows, a group of second-year MBA students. The majority
of discussions will be held on-campus, but admissions officers will be traveling to select
cities globally as well. Wharton goes out of its way to remind applicants that there is
no advantage to attending a discussion on-campus or off-campus, but they encourage
applicants to visit campus so they can attend classes, have lunch with current students,
take a campus tour and attend an information session. We at Veritas Prep also encourage
candidates to visit the campus if they have the means to do so.
The purpose of the team-based discussion is to replicate the experience of working on
teams of peers, similar to those you will be working with as a student. The discussion will
have a prompt, such as a real-world business scenario, and a purpose. Members of the
team will work toward a tangible outcome. The Admissions Committee is looking for how
you think, lead, communicate and interact. Last year, discussion topics tended to center
around Whartons three pillars of Innovation, Social Impact, and Global Education. The
prompts varied from one discussion group to the next, with students being given the
opportunity to answer a few individual questions after the group discussion discussion in
a one-on-one session with an admissions representative.
Applicants may be tempted to view the team-based discussion as a competition with
the other members of the group. If you have a fairly aggressive personality, we caution
you not to dominate the discussion. This is an evaluation not only of your critical thinking
skills, but also of your collaboration and teamwork abilities. One way to show leadership
but not dominate a discussion is to ask insightful questions that the group may want
to consider. That said, Wharton is looking for future leaders, so if you tend to be shy or
hesitant to speak up, you may want to make an extra effort to contribute to the discussion
when you have a relevant thought or idea. Dont be afraid to break out of your shell!
Remember, this is a bit of an awkward situation for everyone involved, so the other
members of your group are going to be just as nervous as you are.
In addition to the team-based discussion, you will also have an opportunity for a short
individual conversation with an admissions team member.
Roughly speaking, approximately 40% of all Wharton applicants will be invited for a
team-based discussion and about half of those will be offered admission. The team-
based discussion will be required for admission in almost all cases. (There may be some
accommodations for very remote international candidates.)
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Contact Information
Office of MBA Admissions
and Financial Aid
The Wharton School
University of Pennsylvania
420 Jon M. Huntsman Hall
3730 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104.6340
Phone: .............215.898.6183
Fax: .....................215.898.0120
Email: ............... mbaoperations@wharton.
UPenn.edu
Admissions Criteria
Gaining admission to Wharton is as much about the measurable characteristics (grades
and scores) as it is about intangible characteristics (fit, personal experiences, sense of
direction, etc.). While there is no recipe for the perfect Wharton candidate, the admissions
committee evaluates candidates on the following metrics:
Academic aptitude
Leadership potential
Personal qualities & interpersonal/communication skills
Professional experience and progression.
Traditionally, about four years of work experience was recommended to apply, though
this is changing. About one-fifth (19%) of the class of 2014 had 3 or fewer years of work
experience.
No single application component is considered more important than another (e.g.,
essays, GMAT score, interview, etc.) although an early-career candidate would have a
lot to prove about how he or she is ready for a Wharton MBA. The admissions committee
reviews the application holistically and within the context of the applicant pool in any
given year. Academic ability functions essentially as a box to check rather than a quality
that can put a candidate over the top. In any given year, 75% to 80% of candidates are
qualified academically (meaning they would not struggle with the class work). This means
that admissions really comes down to: of those who pass that academic threshold, who
are the candidates with the best intangibles and who are the most interesting people
Wharton thinks would add value to the MBA community?
Wharton places a strong emphasis on professional experience and tends to accept more
seasoned professionals relative to some of the other top business school programs.
Military experience is absolutely relevant (sometimes perceived as more relevant than
other types of work experiences in terms of the leadership and teamwork skills); other
graduate work at Penn or elsewhere does not count as work experience for the application
process. In the absence of extensive work experience, the admissions committee looks
for the maturity that comes from time in the saddle in other areas. How candidates use
their time both personally and professionally is a critical consideration for the admission
committee, given the emphasis on student involvement in the Wharton community. The
candidates with fewer years of work experience who are admitted tend to be the ones
who can demonstrate that they have a professional trajectory with a steep positive slope,
taking on new responsibilities, initiative, and leadership roles.
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W H A R T O N A C A D E M I C S & G R A D I N G P O L I C I E S
Wharton Academics & Grading Policies
Teaching Philosophy
Wharton attempts to strike a balance among the different ways the school imparts
knowledge to its students, using a combination of case-based learning, traditional lectures,
team-based projects, simulations, and experiential learning across the curriculum. In any
given class, a professor may employ any combination of these approaches. Given the
facultys extensive involvement in key industries, a plethora of real-world examples is
integrated into the classroom experience.
Class Organization
Each incoming Wharton class is divided into four clusters (numbered 1 through 4) and
12 cohorts of approximately 75 students (labeled A through L), with three cohorts
to a cluster. The cohorts are established to maintain a mix of professional and cultural
backgrounds in every group. Cohorts tend to assume specific personalities defined
by their constituents, and friendly competition usually emerges amongst the cohorts,
especially within the individual clusters. All the first-year core courses are taken with
members of the cohort, and each cluster shares the same faculty members who function
as a team in order to integrate coursework across different disciplines. Given the size of
the Wharton program, the cohort system is extremely valuable due to the intimacy it
creates within the overall class. Based on student feedback, Wharton has recently focused
more on the 225-person clusters, offering more cluster events and activities to provide
additional networking opportunities with students outside of their own cohort.
Within the cohorts, students are divided into learning teams of six students. These teams
are somewhat randomly selected, taking into account the same need to balance the
different backgrounds of the team: generally, learning teams have three US students and
three international students, as well as 2-3 women. First-year students work intensely with
their learning team in all the core courses throughout the academic year. The learning
team model is considered a cornerstone of the Wharton experience (and has been for
more than 20 years), and is believed to be a critically important way to explore leadership
styles in a risk-free environment while also fostering the development of leadership and
collaboration.
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Content Areas in the new
Core Curriculum
Finance and the Global
Economy
Ethical and Legal
Responsibility
Managing the Global
Enterprise
Understanding and Serving
Customers
Corporate Reporting and
Control
Management of Operations,
Innovation, Information, and
Decisions under Uncertainty
Various courses will be offered in each
of these Content Areas so that the
student may satisfy the core through a
custom curriculum that is tailored to her
background, existing knowledge, and
future goals.
Core Classes
Like most top business schools, Wharton aims to lay a strong foundation in general
management that will prepare students to face a range of business issues throughout
their careers. First-year students are required to attend a one-month Pre-Term session
prior to the official start of the school year. Pre-Term, which begins in late-July or early-
August each year, features several introductory and review courses in financial accounting,
microeconomics, statistics, and financial analysis. There is also an optional math review
course offered to those students whose math skills are rusty or who never took a college-
level calculus or statistics course. The idea of Pre-Term is to level the playing field and
ensure that there is a common knowledge base on which to build over the course of the
program. In addition to the academic elements of Pre-Term, there is also a two-day, off-
campus retreat designed to introduce students to members of their learning team and to
begin the practice of leading in a peer environment.
The first year is defined by a flexible core curriculum. All students are required to satisfy
educational requirements in six separate Content Areas, however they are given choices
in how the requirements may be met (called pathways). Wharton operates on a
quarter system, with most courses lasting only a quarter and some the full semester (a
combination of quarter one and quarter two, or Q1 and Q2).
A Wharton MBA degree requires a minimum of 19 credit units (referred to as cus) of
graduate-level courses. There is flexibility within that requirement to take up to 4 units
outside of the Wharton program. Students may also waive out of most (although not
all) of the core courses on the basis of prior coursework or experience in a given subject.
Students can waive a course in one of two ways: by waiver application and through the
waiver exam process. All waived credits, however, must be replaced by electives to meet
the minimum 19 unit requirement. Roughly 65 percent of first-year students waive out
of at least one core course, which allows them to take advantage of one of over 200
electives offered.
In addition to the core courses, first year students can also pursue the optional Global
Immersion elective, which is a four-week immersion experience in one of several different
regions of the world immediately following the spring semester of the first year. Once all
core course requirements have been satisfied, students can begin to explore the roughly
200 elective offerings across 19 different majors. This typically begins in the second year,
but should a student waive out of courses in the first year, those credit units can be
satisfied with electives.
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Majors include:
Accounting
Business and Public Policy
Environmental and Risk
Management (Interdisciplinary
Major)
Finance
Health Care Systems
Insurance and Risk Management
Management
Entrepreneurial Management
Human Resource and
Organizational Management
Management
Multinational Management
Strategic Management
Managing Electronic Commerce
(Interdisciplinary Major)
Marketing and Operations
Management (Joint Major)
Marketing
Operations and Information
Management
Information: Strategy and
Economics
Real Estate
Statistics
Majors
Wharton students are required to select one of 19 different in-depth majors. The idea
behind majoring is that it provides students with the opportunity to delve deeper into
specific areas of interest, either to cultivate an area of expertise, or to assist in facilitating
a future career shift. Students have the choice to double major and roughly 30 percent
of students go this route. Representative of Whartons focus on innovation, students can
also design an individualized major based on their unique professional interests (roughly
10 percent of students take advantage of this opportunity).
A major is typically declared by completing five course units within a specific department,
with certain courses counting towards more than one major. Students can also petition
their major advisor to have specific courses counted toward a major. Additionally, students
also have the opportunity to participate in dual or joint degree programs.
While Wharton is known as a finance school, it boasts the largest marketing department
in the world and is also well known for its strength in management, real estate and
insurance and risk management. Some of the most popular majors include Finance,
Marketing, and Entrepreneurial Management.
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The party line on the new
grading system is that both
students and faculty were
dissatised with the shape of the
old forced curve.
There is a long-standing tradition
among students (dating back to
1994) of Grade Non-Disclosure
(GND).
If students arent happy with
something at Wharton, they
force change, whether the
administration supports it or not.
Grading Policies
Grading System. In 2006, Wharton made signicant changes to its grading system,
moving away from a non-numerical system that consisted of Distinction (DS), High
Pass (HP), Pass (P), and No Credit (NC) grades allocated on a forced curve. In any given
course under the old system, 15 percent of students received Distinction, 20 percent
received High Pass, 60-to-65 percent received Pass, and zero-to-ve percent received
no credit. Wharton courses are now graded on a traditional letter grade system of A
through F, with plus and minus distinctions carrying the usual point values (A=4,
B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0 with the pluses and minuses coming in at 0.33 above or below
the full grade value). Students are also permitted to take up to one elective credit
unit each semester as pass/fail. The party line on the new grading system is that
both students and faculty were dissatised with the shape of the old forced curve,
believing there wasnt enough incentive to study hard since 65 percent of students
in each class, by denition, received the same grade (Pass, equivalent to a C). Given
the greater grade granularity associated with the addition of pluses and minuses, the
belief is that there is now greater incentive to exert more academic eort.
Distinctions. In addition to the grade designations, there are also opportunities for
academic distinction and the criteria for this did not change with the 2006 grading
system changes. Based on GPA each semester, the top 10 percent of students are
placed on the Directors List, and the top 20 percent at the end of the rst year are
awarded First-Year Honors. Additionally, the top ve percent of students at gradu-
ation are designated Palmer Scholars while the top 20 percent receive Graduation
Honors.
Grade Disclosure. Another very contentious topic with respect to the grading sys-
tem is the grade disclosure policy. The Wharton administrations stance is that stu-
dents are free to disclose any aspect of their transcript to employers and are, in fact,
encouraged to do so. The administration also contends that employers are permitted
to request grade information from students. Having said that, there is a long-stand-
ing tradition among students (dating back to 1994) of Grade Non-Disclosure (GND).
The idea behind GND is that it promotes risk-taking, teamwork, experiential learn-
ing, and community building while preventing over-reliance on metrics that may be
imperfect predictors of job performance, according to the Wharton Graduate Asso-
ciation (WGA). As such, the GND policy is rearmed annually by the WGA (in which
the vast majority of students are dues-paying members) and students are asked to
adhere to it.
Its worth noting that the debate around GND within the Wharton community (spe-
cically the administration and faculty versus the students) perfectly illustrates the
student-led nature of the community. If students arent happy with something at
Wharton, they force change, whether the administration supports it or not. In prac-
tice, NGD is taken very seriously: it is unheard of for a fellow student to ask you what
grade you got on a project or in a class, and in fact, it is common when getting back
an exam for students to look it over just out of curiosity to see what they got wrong,
and not even look at the grade given. Alumni take NGD seriously too: a Wharton
student was interviewed recently by a Wharton alumnus at a NY hedge fund. The
alum asked him what his GPA was at Wharton, to which the student politely replied
that he was not willing to share that information due to NGD. The alum smiled and
said, Thats good, because if you had dishonored NGD and told me your GPA, I would
have rejected you on the spot!
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Most students feel that the
auction system is a fair way of
securing electives because it
forces students to discern how
much they want a specic
course, to prioritize what is most
important to them, and to make
trade-os accordingly.
Course Enrollment
While students are automatically enrolled in most of the core courses, Wharton students
engage in an auction-based process to register for elective courses. Upon entering the
program, each student is given an initial endowment of points that can be used to bid
for seats in electives over the course of their time at Wharton. The registration process
consists of 10 auction rounds in each semester, during which students are able to buy
and sell seats in their desired courses. Courses command a range of auction points for a
variety of reasons, such as the reputation of the professor, whether or not a given course
is required for a major, the number of course sections offered, and the day or time the
course is offered.
Students either love or hate the auction process. For some students it becomes something
of a sport to try to game and strategize the system, collecting as many points as possible
by buying a seat in one round and selling it in another. For others, it is a painful and
laborious process. That said, most students feel that the auction system is a fair way of
securing electives because it forces students to discern how much they want a specific
course, to prioritize what is most important to them, and to make trade-offs accordingly.
Through careful planning and strategizing, as well as significant effort to understand the
system, students can collect enough points to secure spots in all or many of the most
coveted elective courses.
Entrepreneurship Experiences
Wharton Business Plan Competition. Launched in 1998 by the Wharton Entrepreneurship
Club and now a part of the Wharton Entrepreneurial Programs (WEP), The Wharton
Business Plan Competition is one of the most renowned business plan competitions
across all the top business schools. The competition, which is open to all Penn students,
spans a seven-month, three-phase process. The top three finalists in the competition
share in $70,000 in cash and prizes.
Venture Initiation Program. While not an actual competition, the Venture Initiation
Program (VIP) is among the most well known opportunities for budding entrepreneurs
in the Wharton Entrepreneurial Programs. Students apply to the VIP in which they can
remain for up to five consecutive semesters, assuming they are making the proper
progression. As members of this program, students benefit from access to office space
and administrative tools to launch their businesses, as well as access to an entrepreneurial
support system including monthly advising sessions and networking opportunities.
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E M P L O Y M E N T & C A R E E R S A T W H A R T O N
Employment & Careers at Wharton
Professional Recruitment
Career Development Resources: Similar to all the top business schools, Wharton offers
a number of resources to its students to assist them in their job search process. Students
are encouraged to take advantage of these resources from the moment they step onto
campus and as alumni. However, the career management process is largely in the hands
of the students, so they must take the initiative if they want to benefit from Whartons
career management resources. In addition to official Career Management resources,
Wharton students themselves are a resource, coming together to help and coach one
another in preparation for interviews, etc., as part of professional clubs or as informal
groups of students interested in similar career paths.
Whartons Career Management team facilitates the following opportunities for students:
Career Planning Workshops. These workshops are targeted at first-year students to
assist them with a range of topics including how to conduct job research, interviewing,
and rsum writing.
Knowledge Resources. This is a comprehensive website maintained by Career
Management offering students information on careers in specific industries, industry
visits to campus, as well as tools to research companies and industries.
Career Counseling. The Career Management office offers one-on-one counseling
to assist students in their job exploration process, discussing a range of issues from
identifying the right industry to developing a job search strategy to mock interviewing.
Career Treks. The Career Management team, in conjunction with the various professional
clubs, coordinates Career Treks. These small groups of students visit a range of companies
and parts of the world, providing students with the opportunity to engage with target
companies and learn more about working in certain industries or regions of the world.
Some examples of past treks include the China trek, San Francisco trek, and the Venture
Capital/Private Equity trek.
Employer Information Sessions. These informal sessions bring representatives from
various companies on campus to educate students about their company, culture, and
industry.
Rsum Book. A web-based rsum creation and collection system available to employers
for recruiting purposes to identify students with the skills and abilities they seek.
On Campus Interviews. The Career Management office works with hundreds of
companies to bring them onto campus for interviews. A web-based system exists for
students to identify companies coming to campus, to drop resumes, to schedule
interviews, and to bid for interview spots.
Job Board. An online job posting board is available to Wharton students and alums
hosting internships, full-time jobs, and post-graduate level job opportunities.
Alumni Network. Wharton boasts the largest alumni network (accessible through a
searchable online alumni directory) of any business school (approximately 91,000 as of
August 2012), which serves as an excellent resource for networking within or learning
about industries and job opportunities.
Alumni Resources. Career Management maintains a number of tools available to alums
long after they graduate to assist them in the management of their career, including an
alumni job board, experienced hire resume book, and salary and relocation resources.
THE WHARTON SCHOOL
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Major Employers
Major companies across the globe recruit
Wharton graduates and many of the
most common employers are similar to
those that recruit at other top business
schools. The following are among the
most common employers, listed in order
of popularity.
McKinsey & Company
Boston Consulting Group
Bain & Company
Morgan Stanley
Citigroup
JPMorgan Chase
Deloitte Consulting
Deutsche Bank
Goldman Sachs
Credit Suisse
Microsoft Corporation
Pacic Investment
Management Company
Amazon
Booz & Company
Merrill Lynch
Barclays Bank
Johnson & Johnson
Salaries
Median figures for Wharton graduates
have been stable for several years:
Base Salary: ......................................... $120,000
Hiring Bonus: ........................................$20,000
Employment Statistics
Wharton puts the vast majority of its graduates into finance and consulting positions.
In general, almost 60% of the accepted offers tend to originate from Wharton-initiated
recruiting activities or an alumni contact; this is not the strongest number weve seen
(compare to 83% school-facilitated jobs landed by Duke graduates, for example
though to be fair, Duke has a much smaller class so the absolute numbers are probably
comparable).
46 students from the Class of 2012 were reported as starting their own businesses or
becoming self-employed. By September 30, 2012, 95.5% of the Class of 2012 reported
having full-time job offers, with 93% having accepted offers. Over 40% of graduates
stay in the Northeast (primarily New York and Boston), with nearly one-quarter working
abroad. For more information on post-MBA career trends, see below.
Media & Entertainment 3%
Consulting 27%
Technology 12%
Real Estate 2%
Public Interest 1%
Health Care 6%
41%
Financial
Services
Manufacturing 1%
Jobs by Industry:
Consumer Products
& Retail 6%
Energy & Utilities 1%
(Class of 2012)
Product/Brand Mgmt 8%
General/Project Mgmt 6%
Consulting/
Strategy
30.8%
Investment Banking 12%
Investment Mgmt/
Portfolio Mgmt 11 %
Operations/Production Mgmt 1%
Private Equity 12%
Product Dev/Structuring 2%
Real Estate 1%
Other 7%
Jobs by Function:
(Class of 2012)
Business Development 6%
Corporate Finance/ M&A 2%
Sales & Trading 1%
Consulting/
Strategy
30%
US West 16%
US Southwest 3%
US South 4%
US Mid-Atlantic 8%
US Midwest 5%
Europe 5%
Africa 1%
Asia 11%
Jobs by Location:
Latin America 3%
Middle East 1%
Other 1% US Northeast
42%
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Pre and Post MBA Career Trends
Traditionally a finance-oriented school, economic necessity and broader student interests
have combined to shift post-Wharton careers to a wide range of industries and functions.
Although consulting and finance still comprise over 50% of immediate post-MBA careers,
every year more and more Wharton graduates start their own business (over 45 this
year) or join technology companies, mostly in business development or operations roles
(almost 70 this year).
Much of this is a function of who is admitted to Wharton in the first place: the school has
placed a disproportionate emphasis on attracting applicants from industries other than
finance in recent years, particularly pursuing those from non-profits and public interest
firms. The objective here is both idealistic and pragmatic. On the one hand, Wharton is
seeking to diversify its student body and provide its community with a wider range of
interests and perspectives; on the other hand, Wharton wants to boost post-MBA job
placement rates by minimizing the number of graduates going into finance (where
jobs are scarcer these days) and maximizing the number of graduates going into public
interest and the non-profit sector (where jobs are plentiful).
Many applicants see that Wharton has a relatively large percentage of graduates who go
into Private Equity upon graduation (12% last year), and therefore believe that they will
be able to easily make a career switch into Private Equity by going to Wharton. This is a
common misnomer. As you can see in our Wharton Students section, 13% of the student
body already comes from the Private Equity or Venture Capital industries. PE recruiters
at top-tier MBA programs generally look for candidates with two years of I-banking
experience plus two years of pre-MBA Private Equity experience. If youre coming to
school without PE experience and state that your primary goal is to switch careers into PE
on your application, this may raise concerns with the admissions committee that you will
not be able to achieve your goal. Do the proper amount of due diligence about how you
could make this very challenging industry-switch and be sure to include details in your
essays about how you can achieve it.
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L I F E O N C A M P U S
Philadelphia is the fth
largest city in the U.S. (behind
Houston, and ahead of Phoenix).
Philadelphia is a just few hours
away by train to Washington, D.C.,
New York City, and Boston. Most
Wharton graduate students come
from outside the area to attend
the school. Wharton is a very
large program, and Philadelphia
is a big city. It may help to be
more of an extrovert in order to
not get lost in the hustle and
bustle at Wharton and the City of
Brotherly Love.
Life on Campus
The Wharton Campus
Situated in an urban setting, Wharton occupies several city blocks on the Penn campus
just west of downtown Philadelphia. The Wharton School is mostly housed in its own
state-of-the-art building, Huntsman Hall, further enhancing the Wharton as an island
feel. School administration is in Steinberg and Vance Halls, while the Lauder program
is primarily based, appropriately enough, in Lauder-Fisher Hall. Wharton students have
access to all the main Penn facilities such Van Pelt Library (and Lippincott Library, the
business library housed there) and the David Pottruck Fitness Center.
The 2002 opening of Whartons Huntsman Hall kicked off a building boom at business
schools across the country that is still going strong today. Huntsman was designed to
flexibly support the specific needs of an innovative curriculum and changing student
body. Wharton undertook the development project the way any smart business would, by
conducting research and holding focus groups of its constituents faculty and students
to incorporate practical needs into the core of the design. At the time of its opening,
Huntsman Hall was by far the most advanced and innovative business school facility in
the world. Huntsman is new enough that its technology infrastructure is still relevant;
however, technology support for students is a moving target that business schools often
struggle to keep up with. Whartons peers have of course studied Huntsman in the quiet
quest of top schools to one-up each other, and you will find as good or better features in
the new buildings on other campuses such as those opened at the University of Chicago
in 2004, Stanford in 2011 and Yale in 2013.
There is very little interaction between the graduate and undergraduate communities at
Wharton, or between grad students in other Penn programs other than Lauder and the
occasional joint-degree student. There are three notable exceptions to this rule: 1) the
rare occasions when Wharton undergraduates take MBA courses and work together on
group projects; 2) the many volunteer and extracurricular efforts, such as the SBDC, which
combine MBA and undergrad teams; and 3) the maximum of four credits units of non-
Wharton classes that MBAs are allowed count toward their degree.
Study rooms at Huntsman can be tough to come by given the focus on team-based
work at Wharton, and undergraduate and graduate students usually scramble to book
them during prime study hours. When rooms are fully booked, students can be found
in clusters all over the building. Much of the group work done by MBAs takes place in
local coffee shops or at students apartments in downtown Philadelphia (about 15 blocks
away), which is closer to where most students live. The large main forum in Huntsman
serves as a gathering and meeting place for students. However, graduate students tend
to congregate in the graduate-designated Caf on the second floor or in one of the
building entrances on Locust Walk or Walnut Street.
As we mentioned in the Whats New at Wharton section, the school also added space in
Philadelphia Center City for MBA students to congregate. This new location at 2401 Walnut
Street, colloquially called 2401, has been well received and utilized by MBA students who
dont want to make the trek back to the Huntsman Center in West Philadelphia. More and
more events are being held at this location on both a formal and informal basis.
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The Wharton faculty is
divided into 11 academic
departments
1. Finance
2. Management
3. Operations & Information
Management
4. Marketing
5. Statistics
6. Accounting
7. Legal Studies & Business
Ethics
8. Business & Public Policy
9. Real Estate
10. Insurance & Risk Management
11. Health Care Management
Professor Bradlow is always
willing to make himself available
to chat with students about
course concepts and projects
and he has been known to return
emails o his BlackBerry at all
hours of the night.
Notable Faculty & Classes at Wharton
Populated with many prominent business leaders, researchers, and teachers, the Wharton
faculty is nothing less than exceptional. There are a handful of professors who are
considered a must by Wharton students due to their reputation both as educators and
as experts. This list isnt merely a collection of famous names, but rather the instructors
that Wharton students deem to be essential for the full experience.
These notable professors include:
Eric Bradlow
The K.P. Chao Professor; Professor of Marketing, Statistics, and Education; Co-Director,
Wharton Interactive Media Initiative
Professor Bradlow is well loved by students not just for his teaching prowess and ability
to make dry topics such as marketing research dynamic, but also for his affable manner,
teaching enthusiasm, approachability and genuine interest in getting to know students.
Professor Bradlow is always willing to make himself available to chat with students about
course concepts and projects and has been known to return emails off his BlackBerry
at all hours of the night. He prides himself on his accessibility to students (even those
students who arent in any of his classes). Given his background as a statistics PhD., he is
somewhat of a quant guy demonstrating how sound marketing decisions can be made
by breaking down data. His classes are typically characterized by 50 percent lecture and
50 percent case discussion and he employs a Socratic style at times. Hes not afraid to cold
call (but goes as far as to warn students ahead of class that they might be cold called), but
will never embarrass a student if he/she doesnt offer a solid answer.
Michael Useem
The William and Jacalyn Egan Professor; Professor of Management; Director, Center for
Leadership and Change Management
A world-renowned expert on corporate leadership and change management, Professor
Useem consistently ranks among the most popular professors at Wharton. His extremely
interactive teaching approach and dramatic storytelling ability- featuring examples
ranging from the boardrooms of Fortune 500 companies to famous military moments
to NGO and non-profit organizations- captivates his students. Professor Useem has
close relationships with top executives around the world, and is particularly mindful
that managerial styles and work cultures differ by geography, making it a point not to
suggest that western and U.S. managerial practices are always ideal or applicable. His
classes are typically characterized by a 50/50 split between lecture and case method,
with a very inclusive approach as he skillfully weaves students comments and feedback
into class discussions. Useem has been nicknamed Pat by some of his students because
his classroom style is similar to that of a game show host such as Pat Sajak. Lets have a
volunteer from the audience...come on down...lets give him a nice round of applause!
Its a slightly goofy approach, but still an excellent class on teamwork and leadership. In
addition to being very accessible to students outside of the classroom, he also creates
a Feedback Circle where students can provide him with guidance on how to improve
his courses. Finally, as Director of the Center for Leadership and Change Management,
Professor Useem is also responsible for pioneering Whartons very well know Leadership
Venture program which students clamor to be a part of.
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Franklin Allen
Nippon Life Professor of Finance, Professor of Economics; Co-Director of the Financial
Institutions Center
Professor Allens approachable and engaging teaching style and ability to make complex
corporate finance topics simpler to understand has won over Wharton students year after
year. His introductory finance class, which he has taught for 25+ years, has often been
referred to as a well polished diamond. Professor Allens class material is very accessible
to students (they can attend lectures in person, view online, read his lecture notes, or read
the textbook which he co-authored) allowing them to learn the content in whatever way
best suits them. Students often describe his class as story time since his course notes
essentially serve as a script for what he says in each class making class attendance optional,
a luxury for time constrained Wharton students. Although his class is almost 100 percent
lecture, he is very willing to take questions to cement students understanding. Professor
Allens classes are always characterized by his signature motivating stories and examples,
which are presented at the start of each class. Amazingly, he learns every students
name despite having roughly 700 students each semester. He is highly approachable
and accessible outside of class, providing lunchtime chats to allow students to interact
with him in informal settings, and responds quickly to student emails and inquiries.
Professor Allen is very engaged in Wharton Student life, and has even had a few cameo
performances in Wharton Follies demonstrating his enthusiasm for the community.
Students have made clear their affection for Professor Allen, handing him their Whatever
It Takes and Above and Beyond the Call of Duty student teaching awards. He is also
a recipient of the Helen Kardon Moss Anvil teaching award for outstanding teaching
quality, selected by students, administrators, and faculty members.
Jeremy J. Siegel
Russell E. Palmer Professor of Finance
In addition to being a world-renowned and very high profile finance expert whose book
Stocks for the Long Run is considered one of the top books on investing, Professor Siegel
is considered one of the best professors on the Wharton faculty. A recipient of countless
teaching awards including the Helen Kardon Moss Anvil award, students bet the farm
in the auction when it comes to securing a spot in one of Professor Siegels classes. His
lectures are not only entertaining, but also highly relevant to what is going on in the
financial markets. If students arent lucky enough to get into a Professor Siegel class, they
can always hang out by the front door to witness him pontificating on whats happening
in the market while staring intently at his Bloomberg screen in one of his legendary
weekly market updates. In addition to his tremendous enthusiasm for his area of study,
Professor Siegel does a great job of integrating course material with current events, and
is known for bringing the real world into the classroom. Professor Siegel speaks from
the perspective of a trader and does not get bogged down in theoretical minutiae. One
student referred to him as a traders trader. While his courses are heavy on lecture, his
engaging style encourages students to grapple with the complexities of the market.
However, given the large size of his classes, they can be somewhat impersonal at times,
and Professor Siegels very busy schedule makes him difficult to reach, although he does
respond to email. Overall, however, Siegel is an excellent, engaging, brilliant, legendary
professor, and he would be the first to tell you so.
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Z. John Zhang
Murrel J. Ades Professor; Professor of Marketing
Professor Zhang epitomizes genuine enthusiasm for his area of expertise (Pricing). Its
clear that pricing problems keep Professor Zhang up at night. Students love Professor
Zhangs passion for his subject and his ability to integrate real world examples into very
theoretical course content. His coursework has also been praised for its applicability to
marketing and non-marketing majors alike given his ability to put the content into a
broader context of increasing firm value. Professor Zhang brings a great sense of humor
and engaging manner to the classroom, and there is never a dull moment in his classes.
Starting each class with his signature brain teaser underscoring the concept of the day,
Professor Zhang gives students the tools to think strategically about pricing and teaches
them how to frame issues enabling them to think through them. Very accessible outside
of class,
Professor Zhang is eager to help students think through class projects and to sponsor
independent studies. He is also quick to respond to email questions and easy to find for
questions.
Marshall L. Fisher
UPS Transportation Professor for the Private Sector; Professor of Operations and Information
Management; Co-Director, Fishman-Davidson Center for Service and Operations
Management
In addition to being a highly regarded expert in the retail and global supply chain
management fields, Professor Fisher is enthralled with the topic and his enthusiasm
is something students love. Professor Fishers classes are very discussion-oriented and
typically 90 percent case method and 10 percent lecture. Professor Fisher is known for
leveraging his excellent relationships in the industry to bring in fantastic guest lecturers
from companies ranging from Nokia to Nike that provide unique, real world insight that
extends student learning beyond the case material and that significantly improve the
classroom experience. Many of his students have also been lucky enough to interact with
these executives outside of class as a direct result of Professor Fishers close relationships.
Professor Fisher is also known for his affable manner and approachability. He is very
accessible, responds quickly to email, and regularly meets with students outside of class.
Stuart Diamond
Practice Professor of Legal Studies; Adjunct Professor of Law
The recipient of top student ratings every year, Professor Diamonds Negotiations course is
a tough one in which to gain a seat. Influenced very much by his own experiences versus
just negotiation theory, Professor Diamond uses and refines his negotiating methods
every day in his own strategic consulting practice where he advises and trains Fortune
500 companies, veteran executives, and even heads of state. His teaching methodology
forces students to practice negotiating every week in real-life situations, and students
quickly learn that Professor Diamonds lessons are practical and that his negotiating
methods effective. He is known for engaging honestly with students, giving them tough
feedback but also asking them for unvarnished criticism of his class. Professor Diamond
is very open-minded and is actively tweaking his course throughout the semester based
on feedback from current and past students. His classes are typically a split of lecture
and case study and are quite demanding, requiring quite a bit of preparation outside of
class. Despite his busy travel schedule, he is very accessible and consistently offers his
time to students outside of class, going as far as to make himself available for phone call
appointments if the need arises.
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The most popular clubs at
Wharton include:
Community Consultants
Consulting Club
Europa
Finance Club
Follies
International Volunteer Project
Investment Management Club
Latin American Student
Association (WHALASA)
Marketing Club
Media & Entertainment Club
Private Equity & Venture Capital
Club
Wharton Social Impact
(Whartons Net Impact chapter)
Women in Business
Wildmen Hockey Club
Student Organizations
One of Whartons most prized attributes is its student-run community. No other
component of the Wharton program illustrates this more than the 110 student-led
campus clubs including Professional, International/Cultural, Social/Special Interest,
Athletic, and Community Service clubs. (Most schools have about 50 student clubs. In
fact, with such a huge number at Wharton, it is likely that some are not very active.)
The diversity present within these clubs serves as a strong reflection of the overall diversity
of the Wharton student community. A complete list of all student clubs can be found on
the Wharton website.
Wharton San Francisco
San Francisco is home to Whartons MBA for Executives program which primarily attracts
individuals living in the Western U.S. A variety of Executive Education programs and some
research initiatives are also located at Wharton San Francisco. The satellite school moved
to renovated facilities at the Hills Brothers building in the Embarcadero area in 2012.
Wharton also launched a pilot program called Semester in San Francisco, where full-time
MBA students may spend the fall semester of their second year taking classes in San
Francisco. The program combines classroom instruction with extracurricular and recruiting
activities. Students vote on the electives that they want to take during their semester. The
program started in the fall of 2012, with most students interested in entrepreneurship,
technology, new product development and the finance of innovation. This comes as no
surprise, given the Bay Areas resources in these areas. Full-time MBA students who are
interested in the Semester in San Francisco must apply to the program in their first year
and selection is based on your application and first year academic performance. If youre
interested in tech startups, venture capital, technology product management, or another
career in the Bay Area, you may want to mention your desire to participate in Semester in
San Francisco in Essay 1 of your Wharton application.
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THE WHARTON SCHOOL EssentialGuide2013|14
HOME
Class of 2013 Statistics
The data below is for the Class of 2014,
reflecting candidates in the 2011-12
admissions season, and an incoming
class that matriculated in the Fall of 2012.
Total Applications ....................................... 6,408
(a drop of 34 from previous year)
Enrolled Class ....................837(down from 845)
Median GMAT ....720 (stable for several years)
GMAT Range
of all admitted students ................... 560-790
Middle 80% GMAT Range ................ 660-770
Median Years of Work Experience .............. 5
Percent of Early-Career
Candidates Accepted ..................................19%
(with 0-3 years of work experience; a decrease
from 26% previously)
APPENDIX
Admissions Statistics
In keeping with its status as one the biggest (and best) business schools in the world,
Wharton receives over 6,000 applications each year a number topped by few other top
programs. That massive application volume, combined with a robust yield rate of around
70%, is why Wharton admits just 20% of the applicant pool despite bringing in a large
class of over 800 students. The average GMAT and GPA numbers are as lofty as one would
expect for a program of Whartons caliber, however there is a much larger range of both
scores and grades than a smaller program typically has (such as Stanford).
Wharton is very generous in reporting the entire range of scores, which many schools do
not do. Do not read too much into this though; it could be raising hopes inappropriately
high to presume that because they admitted at least one person last year with a 560
GMAT score, that your application with a similar score will be successful. The odds against
it are great that individual probably had some very significant accomplishments on
his or her resume.
Visiting Wharton
The best way for candidates to truly understand if Wharton is the right fit for them is to
visit the campus and get a feel for the academic environment, student life, and overall
campus culture, though visiting the school has no effect on the admissions decision.
Visiting the school presents the opportunity for face-to-face contact with current
students, professors, and admissions representatives. Interestingly, some of Whartons
peers have cut back on the opportunities that visitors have to engage with them on
campus, while also restricting travel for their admissions team due to budget concerns
with the economic downturn. Wharton still offers a variety of ways for candidates to
experience the school for themselves. Advance registration is recommended for all
activities, although it is not required.
Campus Tours. Wharton oers student-led tours that allow the candidate to explore
the campus from an MBA students perspective. Tours depart from the Admissions
Oce reception area in Huntsman Hall on Monday, Thursday, and Friday from 12:00
noon to 12:45 PM during admissions season (mid-September through mid-April).
Advance registration is recommended.
Information Sessions. On-campus information sessions are oered by Admissions
Fellows daily during the academic year on Monday, Thursday, and Friday at 3:00 PM.
Information sessions are held on Fridays only in April and May, and are discontinued
entirely in the summer months (check the Visit Wharton page of their website to
conrm availability). These sessions provide candidates with the opportunity to in-
teract with a member of the admissions committee who will present an introduction
of Wharton and answer questions about the program and the admissions process.
When school is in session, current MBA students join the group to provide a student
perspective. Meet at the reception area of the Admissions Oce in Huntsman Hall
(advance registration is recommended).
Class Visits. Class visits aord the candidate an opportunity to observe the inter-
action between Wharton students and professors. Candidates are permitted to visit
classes anytime school is in session from mid-September to mid-April either inde-
pendently based on class availability, or accompanied by a student escort when one
is available for the class you wish to visit. The candidate can choose the course they
would like to attend from the courses oered while they are visiting. Class visits are
90 minutes long and are oered Monday and Thursday at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.,
mid-September through mid-April. See the Visit Wharton page to explore the op-
tions available.
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Lunch with Students. Wharton oers prospective students the opportunity to
lunch and learn with current students, which is an excellent opportunity to gain
rst-hand insight into the Wharton community. The Lunch Program is available to
candidates Monday and Thursday, 12:45 p.m. - 1:15 p.m., mid-September through
mid-April. (Lunch is Dutch treat, meaning each person pays his or her own meal).
Meet at the reception area of the Admissions Oce in Huntsman Hall.
Happy Hour at the MBA Pub. MBA Pub is a weekly activity that allows Whar-
ton students to connect with their classmates in a fun, social setting. Prospective
students are invited to attend the MBA Pub Happy Hour if visiting campus on a
Thursday. There they can interact with many Wharton students and experience the
schools culture directly. Happy Hour takes place every Thursday starting at 4:30 PM
(and usually going on quite a bit longer than an hour!) from mid-September through
mid-April.
Outreach Events. In addition to campus visits, Wharton oers a variety of oppor-
tunities to engage with the Wharton community, including admissions events and
coee chats in more than 150 cities and 45 countries. Unlike other schools who often
dont begin these outreach activities until August or September, you can spot Whar-
ton on the road starting around June. There are also MBA/Lauder events designed
specically to educate prospects about that unique program. Visit the schools web-
site to view the most current list of upcoming events.
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Connecting with Wharton
The main Wharton website and expanded Internet community at Wharton are useful,
and the admissions team, along with both graduate and undergraduate programs, are
active in various channels. Certain questions about the MBA application process can be
answered on the valuable S2S (Student to Student) discussion board. Try searching
through the forums before posting a new question, as most of the basic ones have
already been answered.
S2S Discussion Board - http://engage.wharton.UPenn.edu/MBA/forums/ - This is
a valuable source of information on the school and on admissions. Keep in mind that
its student to student - the answers you see here are generally not from the Whar-
ton admissions oce. A few contributors have very valuable information to share;
some others (even if they are current Wharton students) may not be as reliable. (Just
because a student is posting on this forum does not mean that he or she is directly
involved with the admissions process.)
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/WhartonSchool - Wharton Admissions
seems much more active on Facebook than most of their fellow admissions oces;
lots of other mes- sages from the overall community.
Twitter - http://twitter.com/wharton - Worth following; lots of activity across the
school campus and community (more than just admissions).
YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/user/thewhartonschool - Becoming more
prolic with a stronger presence of videos featuring alumni, EMBA and conference
activities, and of course commencement and convocation addresses.
Flickr - http://www.ickr.com/photos/thewhartonschool/ - Wharton is perhaps the
only top school using Flickr as part of its social media strategy; features both under-
graduate and MBA events.
Admissions Blog - http://engage.wharton.upenn.edu/MBA/blogs/mbaadmis-
sions_blog/default.aspx - mostly announcements about admissions events and
news of holiday schedules, updated every few weeks.
The Wharton Diaries http://engage.wharton.UPenn.edu/MBA/blogs/studentdi-
arists/ - Allows candidates to explore life at Wharton through the eyes of current
students.
The Wharton Website - http://www.wharton.UPenn.edu/mba/index.cfm - con-
tains a lot of information, though, as with other schools, it may require digging to
uncover the details
LinkedIn - Wharton Alumni Aairs has a private group on LinkedIn just for graduates
Veritas Prep Blog http://www.veritasprep.com/blog - is an active resource for
Wharton-specic information and targeted admissions strategies, available for free
and updated every weekday.
The Wharton School invites candidates to register as a prospective student in their
database. By registering your interest in the school, you will receive periodic updates
including announcements of admissions events and other information about admissions,
and you will gain access to the myWhartonMBA page.
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Tuition and Costs
The following annual costs are based
on information released by Wharton
for the 2013-14 academic year, and are
estimated for a single student with no
dependents:
Tuition and Fees ....................................$64,828
(Includes $2,000 Pre-Term fee)
Health Insurance ......................................$3,430
Room and Board ...................................$22,495
Books and Supplies ................................$2,000
Miscellaneous ............................................$4,327
Total Estimated Cost
(1 year) ...................................... $97,080
The Global Immersion Program is optional;
participation would incur additional costs
This is definitely one of the more expensive
MBA programs around, however Wharton
does offer Financial Assistance through a
variety of scholarships, loans, grants, and
fellowships.
Costs & Financial Assistance at Wharton
For those who aspire to attend Wharton, the only thing more daunting than gaining
admissions is figuring out how to foot the bill. Like most elite graduate school programs,
Wharton offers a variety of programs to help students pay the programs lofty tuition - a
tuition that is higher than almost all other programs in existence.
Financial Assistance Options
Wharton Merit-Based Scholarships. Approximately 30 percent of first-year Wharton
students receive merit-based fellowships, ranging from small awards to full scholarships.
Specific instructions and criteria for applying for these fellowships are provided at the
time of admission. Wharton encourages fellowship applications from all students given
that the criteria for selection of awards can extend beyond financial need and merit to
include personal background, academic and extracurricular achievement, leadership,
community involvement, interpersonal skills, integrity, and honesty.
Corporate and Foundation Fellowships - Provided through the donations from a
range of companies, for-profit, and not-for-profit organizations.
Joseph Wharton Fellowship - Wharton Fellowship grants range from $5,000 to
$20,000 named in honor of Joseph Wharton, the founder of the Wharton School.
Specific instructions and criteria for applying for Wharton Fellowships are provided upon
admission.
Howard E. Mitchell Fellowships (HEM) - This full-tuition fellowship is awarded to
exceptional students of Hispanic, African-American, and American Indian descent.
Emerging Economy Fellowship - $20,000 fellowships for students from emerging
economies, which help offset the financial costs of the MBA for students from regions
where repayment of large loans would be difficult.
European Fellowship - Established in 1996 by Whartons European Advisory Board,
selected recipients receive $15,000. Applicants must be citizens of a European country.
United States permanent residents, students who will become permanent residents
during the MBA program, and dual citizens of a European country and the United States
are not eligible.
Henry Ralph Ringe Fellowship - Established in 1959 by Henry Ralph Ringe, this
$10,000 fellowship is awarded to a Mexican citizen. United States permanent residents,
students who will become permanent residents during the MBA program, and dual
citizens of Mexico and the United States are not eligible.
Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation Fellowship - Established in 2007
by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the
United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai. This is a full-tuition fellowship.
Second-Year Fellowships/Assistantships - Wharton features a variety of second- year
fellowships and assistantships including: Leadership Fellowships, Admissions Graduate
Assistantships, Teaching/Research Assistantships, and Omnicom Communications
Fellowships.
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Federal and Private Loans - As with most graduate programs, Wharton makes available
a series of loan programs that make up the bulk of each students financial assistance:
Federal Staford Loan - Available to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. The
maximum dollar amount is $20,500 and the subsidized amount can be up to $8,500,
depending on nancial need.
Federal Perkins Loan - An interest-free loan while in school, it is a smaller loan
program available to qualied students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
Federal Graduate PLUS Loans - This loan can cover cost of attendance after other
assistance has been calculated, provided the student qualies and is a U.S. citizen or
permanent resident.
Outside Funding Options - Once a Wharton student has borrowed $20,500 in
federal loans, they may engage with an alternative loan lender to subsidize the re-
maining expenses. Wharton does not advocate for any one program; however, they
provide a list of options to explore. They also encourage students to identify a lender
of their choosing outside of this list should they nd more favorable terms.
Wharton Teaching and Research Assistantships - Wharton makes it clear that its
a full- time job to get an MBA. However, sometimes on-campus jobs are available as
a TA or Research Assistant, based on faculty need.
Similar Programs
As a top-tier MBA program, Wharton is often mentioned in the same breath as Harvard
Business School and the Stanford Graduate School of Business. (In admissions circles,
the acronym HSW is often used to refer to these three programs.) However, if you are
thinking of applying to Wharton, you may also consider applying to the following schools
which all incorporate different aspects of the Wharton experience:
MIT (Sloan) Known for attracting a broad array of students with varied backgrounds,
Sloan incorporates analytical and quantitative elements into nearly every aspect of
its curriculum.
Columbia Business School Traditionally known for its strong nance focus, Colum-
bia is also looking to broaden its appeal in new areas. Its curriculum places a strong
emphasis on learning big picture frameworks that go beyond technical expertise.
NYU (Stern) Given its Greenwich Village location in lower Manhattan, Stern is anoth-
er nance powerhouse. It leverages its location to provide students with hands-on
experiences with prestigious companies in the area.
London Business School (LBS) LBS prides itself on its global community and in-
ternational connections, as well as its world-class faculty. Applicants interested in
international nance would be remiss to leave it o their list!
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A P P E N D I X
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I am thrilled to inform you that
I will be attending Wharton
this year! Veritas helped me to
discover what Wharton has to
oer, and why it would be a good
t for me. I truly feel that this
program is the best t for me,
given my international business
background and my future
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Domenick Scioli
Veritas Prep and Your Wharton Application
Veritas Prep has a distinguished track record helping our clients gain acceptance to the
worlds elite business schools, including Wharton at the University of Pennsylvania. Our
years of experience and unique consulting process are the keys to helping our clients
present the best possible applications to this very selective school.
Our Team
Our team of Wharton consultants includes former admission representatives, alumni
interviewers, members of influential student groups, and, of course, accomplished
professionals in a variety of fields. With multiple Wharton consultants on our admission
consulting team, we are able to provide customized service to clients based on
background, timing, and needs. Our Wharton consultants have career experience in a
variety of industries and functions. Each client who works with Veritas Prep on a Wharton
comprehensive package is assigned a customized team of consultants: a Head Consultant
and a Wharton Specialist.
Head Consultant. All of our Head Consultants have experience in admissions that
aords them a unique perspective on the applicant pool and how Wharton candi-
dates must position themselves to express proper t, and to stand out in an increas-
ingly competitive process. Your Head Consultant guides you through every step of
the process: from the initial Diagnostic Session to submission of the application,
through the interview and hopefully to acceptance!
Wharton Specialist. Every comprehensive package client will also receive input
from a Wharton Specialist who is either a current student or a recent graduate. Spe-
cialists provide insider information about the program they attended to ensure that
you demonstrate school t. In addition, they oer valuable insights about how to
stand out from your competition. If you select a Wharton school package or choose
to work with a specialist on an hourly basis, our team will ensure that your applica-
tion components are perfectly tailored to Wharton. For more on Veritas Preps incred-
ible team and the individuals who serve as our Wharton consultants, please visit the
Consultant Proles page of our website.
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Our Diagnostic Session
the consultation that serves
as the rst step with your
Head Consultant in our
Comprehensive School Packages
assures that each clients
goals and prospects are properly
aligned.
Your Head Consultant will
create your Personalized MBA
Game Plan, Part II, a strategic
approach based on your
professional, academic, and
personal history.
A source of great pride in the
Wharton community is the fact
that its students lead important
initiatives that are often adopted
by the administration and lead
to exciting improvements at the
business school.
Our Wharton Services
The Wharton School is always one of the most popular schools among our clients due to
its reputation as an innovative international program and because of its incredibly strong,
globally recognized brand.
Self-Refection and Awareness. In a yearlong collaboration with the publisher of the My-
ers-Briggs Personality Assessments, we developed the Personalized MBA Game Plan, Part I.
This is a personality assessment that was co-authored by the Myers-Briggs and Veritas Prep
experts that is tailored to oer personalized insights around the traits that MBA admissions
ocers are looking for. Not only will you become aware of your unique personality strengths
and weaknesses, but youll also begin to brainstorm ways to incorporate these traits into your
MBA applications.
Diagnostic Session. Our Diagnostic Session the consultation that serves as the rst step
with your Head Consultant in our Comprehensive School Packages assures that your
goals and school choices are properly aligned. Once we have identied the reasons motivat-
ing an application to Wharton, we start building a timeline and a strategy specically tailored
for a Wharton engagement. In addition, we can help you identify other target schools based
on your background, experience, and professional and personal goals.
Personalized MBA Game Plan, Part II. After the Diagnostic Session, if you have pur-
chased a comprehensive package, your Head Consultant will create your Personalized MBA
Game Plan, Part II, a strategic approach based on your professional, academic, and personal
history. Those elements will become the foundation of the Wharton application story, allow-
ing you to demonstrate leadership, innovation, maturity, teamwork skills, analytical ability, and
potential for academic excellence. A major component of the Game Plan is the identication
of your strengths and weaknesses as well as truly unique qualities relative to the Whar-
ton applicant pool. This becomes the application platform from which you will work and helps
mold and shape your strategy of how to address application components such as the rsum,
essays, and letters of recommendations.
Leadership. Leadership is an important theme to communicate in the Wharton application,
particularly because Wharton knows that it is competing with Harvard for the best candidates.
They will be looking for similar qualities in the essays, although they will also be on the lookout
for evidence that an essay has been repurposed from another school! Leadership at Wharton
is best expressed in terms of impact, and on a candidates ability to inspire and motivate. This is
about more than just leading a team or spearheading a volunteer eort. Veritas Prep encour-
ages clients to reach into their background and identify instances that may not be the most
obvious stories to tell in order to display this important quality.
Involvement. A source of great pride in the Wharton community is the fact that its students
lead important initiatives that are often adopted by the administration and lead to exciting
improvements at the school. Students are expected to play an active role and make their mark
on the Wharton community. Communicating and demonstrating this level of involvement
in your background can help the admissions team understand the type of contribution you
might make while at Wharton.
Global Sensibility. Whether applicants have never traveled outside of the U.S., or they have
lived on multiple continents and speak several languages, communicating a global sensibility
in a Wharton application is important. Wharton has one of the most diverse and internation-
ally rich communities of all the top business school programs and a stated focus on expand-
ing its global reach (as evidenced by partnerships like the Wharton/INSEAD Global Alliance).
Candidates may want to demonstrate how they will benet from the global aspects of the
program and the contributions they will make to the diversity of the Penn community.
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Balance and Perfection. Once the themes of leadership, involvement and global sensibil-
ity have been installed as the foundation of the Wharton application, the Veritas Prep Head
Consultant ensures that all of the questions have been properly answered, that the rsum
and essays have been crafted with style and eciency, and that all of the key themes have
been addressed in a balanced way throughout the application. Your Wharton Specialist will
ensure that your application shows that youve done an appropriate level of homework on
the school and that you understand the schools unique culture, programs, academic oer-
ings and so forth.
Its not easy applying to one of the most popular schools in the world, but Veritas Preps team-
based consulting approach and unique methodology ensure that our clients give themselves
the best chance of admissions success through the most accurate, engaging, and persuasive
portrayal of their candidacy that they can possibly create. This is true of our approach to all
schools, but particularly at Wharton, where the themes must resonate so strongly and consis-
tently throughout the application.
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About Veritas Prep
Founded in 2002, Veritas Prep has emerged as a global leader in GMAT education and
MBA admissions consulting. The companys business school team includes more than
300 graduates of the worlds elite MBA programs, managed from its headquarters in
Malibu, California.
The Veritas Prep consulting model is built on adding value to a students application
process by providing both mentorship and expertise. The business school admissions
process has become increasingly competitive and applicants must do everything
possible to showcase their value. Our consultants assist applicants in presenting their
unique stories in the most professional and meaningful way possible. In a sense, our
consultants are translators helping an applicant discover raw materials and information
and then helping that candidate articulate a unique story in a language that admissions
committees understand. More than anything, Veritas Prep gives candidates a sense of
ownership and control over the process. Quality of work, attention to detail, care for the
client, and integrity are the lynchpins of a successful consultation.
In addition to elite MBA admissions consulting services, Veritas Prep also offers the finest
GMAT preparation available in the industry, as well as admissions consulting for law
school, medical school, and other graduate programs.
For a complete list of Veritas Preps many services, please visit our website.
Success Favors the Prepared
Admissions Consulting Services
If you are interested in assistance in the application process for Wharton and other top-tier MBA programs, we have a number of
Admissions Consulting services to fit your needs. Veritas Prep has the largest team of Wharton Specialists with insider knowledge of their
unique admissions process. For more information on our services, please visit our website.
Comprehensive School Packages (most popular): Your complete, start-to-nish service for everything from career goal identication,
target school selection, recommender selection, resume review, essay brainstorming, outlining and editing to mock interviews and wait-
list assistance. Only with Veritas Prep will you work with a Head Consultant with insider admissions experience, plus a School Specialist
with rsthand knowledge of Wharton, its programs and culture
Hourly Packages: For applicants who seek ultimate exibility, you may work with an expert consultant on any aspect of the appli-
cation process on an hourly basis.
Essay & Resume Editing Services: Submit your completed essay drafts or resume for an expert to review and provide written
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Mock Interviews: Did you receive one of the coveted Wharton interview invitations? Congratulations! Prepare for your interview
with a Veritas Prep Wharton Specialist who has rsthand knowledge of the interview process and can conduct a mock interview,
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walk into your interview prepared and condent.

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