About Wharton
Wharton is the world’s oldest collegiate business school. As part of the venerated trinity known as HSW (Harvard/Stanford/Wharton), it is consistently ranked among the top three programs in global MBA rankings.
Long considered dominant in finance, Wharton has expanded its strengths into other realms. The entrepreneurial community at the school has surged in the past few years, with a higher percentage of student graduates starting a business after earning their degree than at Harvard Business School. Tangen Hall, its signature entrepreneurship space, offers further evidence of the exciting ways the business school continues to evolve beyond its roots in finance to also drive entrepreneurial innovation. Wharton is also top ranked in real estate, marketing and accounting.
Wharton also claims one of the highest percentages of women in a top MBA program. For example, the class of 2024 was 50% female. The 2020 appointment of Dean Erika James, representing both the first woman and first Black person to serve as dean in Wharton’s 139-year history, positions Wharton and its community even more uniquely as leaders in business advancing broader global impact. Wharton’s focus on DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) is an important part of this approach.
The old stereotype of a cutthroat competitive student body is outdated at Wharton. The incorporation of the Team Based Discussion into the admissions process affirms Wharton’s commitment to collaboration and inclusion inclusive values.
Strengths and Specializations
Graduating Class of 2025
Number of Applicants: 6,194
MBA Class Size: 874
Avg. Work Experience: 5 years
Avg. GMAT: 728
International Students: 31%
Female Students: 50%
Tuition: $87,370/year
Post-MBA Careers (class of 2023)
Sector: Finance 37.3%; Consulting 28.8%; Technology 13.5%; Healthcare 5.4%; Starting Own Business: 3%*
Top Recruiters: Accenture, Adobe, McKinsey, BCG, Bain & Co., Blackrock, Credit Suisse, Deloitte, Doordash, Amazon, Apple, Goldman Sachs, Google, Meta, Morgan Stanley, Pepsico, Strategy&
Avg. Base Salary: $175,000; Salary Increase: 121% (source: FT Rankings 2024)
Employment after graduation: 93.5%
Wharton School Rankings
Admissions
Deadlines for Sept 2023-2024: R1: Sept. 6, 2023, R2: Jan. 4, 2024, R3: April 2, 2024
Essays
Essay 1: What do you hope to gain professionally from the Wharton MBA? (500 word limit)
Essay 2: Taking into consideration your background – personal, professional, and/or academic – how do you plan to make specific, meaningful contributions to the Wharton community? (400 word limit)
Required Essay for all Reapplicants: Please use this space to share with the Admissions Committee how you have reflected and grown since your previous application and discuss any relevant updates to your candidacy (e.g., changes in your professional life, additional coursework, and extracurricular/volunteer engagements). (250 word limit)
Optional Essay: Please use this space to share any additional information about yourself that cannot be found elsewhere in your application and that you would like to share with the Admissions Committee. This space can also be used to address any extenuating circumstances (e.g., unexplained gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, areas of weakness, etc.) that you would like the Admissions Committee to consider. (500 word limit)
Read Fortuna's Wharton MBA Essay Tips & Analysis.
Interview - Team Based Discussion
Wharton’s Team Based Discussion (TBD) has become an integral part of the MBA assessment since its roll out in 2012. It reflects the Learning Teams model at the heart of the Wharton experience, which lauds teamwork in the spirit “persuasive rather than positional leadership.” If you are invited to interview, you will participate in a team-based discussion with 5-6 other applicants during your scheduled session. The team-based discussion will allow you the opportunity to interact with your fellow applicants through discourse involving real-world business scenarios, which will highlight how you approach and analyze specific situations. Your discussion will have a prompt and a purpose and you will work towards a tangible outcome with your group. The team-based discussion is additive and does not replace the opportunity for an individual exchange. There will be time allotted for a short one-on-one conversation with a member of the Admissions faculty during the interview.
Fortuna Tips & Advice
Read our Tips & Advice for the Wharton Team Based Discussion.