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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The old stereotype of a cutthroat competitive student body is outdated at Wharton.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

General Management, finance, healthcare, entrepreneurship, real estate, nonprofit/social responsibility, international management, economics, big data

Incoming Class

Number of Applicants: 6,319
MBA Class Size: 877
Tuition: $169,748

Post-MBA Careers

Sector: Finance (38.6%); Consulting (24.3%); Technology (16.9%); Starting Own Business (6.9%); Healthcare (5.6%)

Top Recruiters: Accenture, McKinsey, BCG, Bain & Co., Blackrock, Credit Suisse, Deloitte, Doordash, Amazon, Apple, Goldman Sachs, Google, Morgan Stanley, Pfizer, Pepsico

Avg Base Salary: $175,000

Salary Increase: N/A

Employment in 3 months: 98.7%

Wharton School Rankings

Wharton MBA Admissions

Avg. Work Experience: 5

Avg.  GMAT: 733

International Students: 35%

Female Students: 50%

Deadlines for 2023-2024: R1: Sept 06, 2023, R2: Jan 04, 2024, R3: Apr 02, 2023, Deferred Admissions Round: Apr 24, 2024

Sources: Wharton, BusinessWeek, Financial Times, US News

Essays

Essay 1: How do you plan to use the Wharton MBA program to help you achieve your future professional goals? You might consider your past experience, short and long-term goals, and resources available at Wharton. (500 words)

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 words)

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 words)

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 words)

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 rollout in 2012. It reflects the Learning Teams model at the heart of the Wharton experience, which values teamwork in the spirit of “persuasive rather than positional leadership.” If you are invited to interview, you will participate in a team-based discussion with five or six other applicants during your scheduled session. You will interact with your team of fellow applicants in a discussion of real-world business scenarios. This will demonstrate 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. 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.

Request a copy of our team’s Insider Tips Report for applying to Wharton Business School.

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