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Overall, the school is looking for: self-awareness, integrity, good ethics, creativity, perseverance, solid communication skills, emotional intelligence, team spirit and leadership potential. Additionally, it values an applicant’s contributions made to school and community and other personal initiatives. It also favors students with histories of participating in community service and extra curricular activities.
GMAT & Academics - Admissions committee pays close attention to analytical abilities shown in GMAT score, GPA and professional experience.
- Although the school values high quantitative and analytical ability, it’s more concerned about a student’s ability to do necessary classroom work.
- The school actively seeks a class of people with diverse academic and work histories.
Work Experience
Wharton values professional experience and maturity in a candidate. Applicants can be denied simply on the basis of needing a few more years in the field. Candidates will need to make it clear to Wharton why the present is the right time to begin business school. The school sometimes advises applicants to gain additional relevant experience.
Meantime, Wharton accepts existing MBA holders (including holders of on-line degrees), with no minimum work experience required.
Wharton is historically friendly to applicants from non-traditional backgrounds.
Essays and More
Application essays should do very good job of introducing the candidate.
Must be very clear about accomplishments and goals.
Wharton seeks to determine a candidate’s innovative character on the basis of past achievements, work experiences, and stated goals, though the admissions committee does not necessarily assume that past achievements will lead to future ones
Wharton looks for candidates who fit with their record of achievement in innovation, who displays entrepreneurial spirits and who are interested in new ideas, business models and methods for the future.
Students 20-48 years are accepted.
Feedback sessions are limited (some students denied) but all re-applicants are given equal consideration.
Recommendation Letters
Recommendations should come from people who really know the candidate.
Recommenders should write their own recommendations (school frowns on candidate writing them).
Committee Review Process & Interviews
Admissions committee reads application three times. - First reading by a trained current second year graduate student
- Second reading by an associate director of admissions, including all notes by graduate student and all additional correspondence with applicant
- First and second readers decide whether to grant an interview (if no, then must reapply)
- Interviews are given by alumni or associate director, verbally recapping interview questions
- Third reading is by associate director and director of admissions who will decide, with input of first and second readers.
All interviews are blind and on an invite-only basis.
For expert help with your application, check out our MBA Admissions Consulting.
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