Wharton Business School – University of Pennsylvania

Representatives names and positions:

Open chat hours: 18:00-19:00
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Q&A with admissions: click to open

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The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is the business school of the University of Pennsylvania, a private Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Wharton was established in 1881 and has campuses in Philadelphia and San Francisco. The school offers a full-time MBA program which is consistently ranked as one of the best in the world, as well as EMBA, several joint programs (MBA/MA, JD/MBA, MBA/MPA) and doctoral programs.

https://mba.wharton.upenn.edu

  • Monday-Thursday weekly schedule
  • 19.5 total credit units
  • 19 majors to choose from
  • Over 225 faculty members

20 months, including a 3.5 month summer internship

The estimated first-year budget for the Wharton MBA Program is $115,432, which includes tuition and fees ($83,230), room & board ($21,720), books, supplies, health insurance, and additional personal costs ($10,482). For the full tuition and cost breakdown, please visit https://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/tuition-financial-aid/

Wharton provides a broad range of fellowship opportunities for many exceptional students, thanks to the generosity of individuals, corporate and foundation donors, and the Wharton School.

All admitted students are considered for Wharton Fellowship support based on the application for admission. Criteria for fellowship selection includes unique personal qualities and background, academic achievement, exceptional professional development, and community involvement.

For more information and a select list of special fellowships offered at Wharton, please visit https://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/tuition-financial-aid/

You can select from 19 MBA concentrations to pursue your goals. Most majors consist of five CUs—usually four CUs in addition to the core curriculum. Courses may count toward more than one major, giving you the option to pursue your MBA with a double major. You may customize your learning further by taking electives in other MBA specialties to round out the curriculum. For a full list of our 19 majors, including the 5 majors that are eligible for a STEM OPT extension, please visit https://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/mba-majors/

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

33% international students

Active Israel Club & Jewish Association of MBAs

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Wharton School Of The University Of Pennsylvania Chat
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Guest- Jonah
6/10 06:00PM
Hi! I wanted to know if I could visit the campus or take a tour in late August and if so who should I contact?
UPenn Wharton
6/10 06:05PM
Hi Everyone! William Houder, Senior Associate Director of MBA Admissions, happy to be with you today
Apologies for being a few minutes late but was wrapping up another conversation.
Please feel free to look at the resources on this chat/page as there is a lot of information available to review.
If you have questions i'm here for the next 53 minutes before my next meeting. Looking forward to connecting with you.
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Guest- Sharon
6/10 06:07PM
Hello! I have a 3 year bachelor’s degree. Am I eligible?
UPenn Wharton
6/10 06:08PM
@Jonah...thank you for your question. At this time, Penn still isn't allowing students to visit campus due to Covid. Currently, we're reviewing that policy and hope to have updates in the next 30-60 days regarding visiting campus.
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Guest- Saar
6/10 06:08PM
Hi, A question about military experience effect while applying for an MBA degree. As for myself, an officer serving in the army for the past six years (Captain rank). Through my time in the army, I have both been in operational zones and staff roles, specializing in military intelligence. How is your university admission policy for veterans, having less experience in the labor market?
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Guest- Jonah
6/10 06:08PM
Thank you!
UPenn Wharton
6/10 06:09PM
@Sharon - we do. All we require is a bachelors degree from an accredited insittution.
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Guest- Shai
6/10 06:10PM
Do you have fewer slots in your class due to deferrals from last year?
UPenn Wharton
6/10 06:12PM
@Saar that is a great question. Wharton has a very strong US and INTL military Vets program. It's def. one of the key experiences our students enjoy. What's important is quantifying your military experiences for us. We def. understand that your experiences in the labor market are going to be less. And that is ok! Our Committee understands and through our holistic review that you're looking to make the change.
@Saar def. take a look at the Vets program at Wharton. While it is very US heavy there are students from other prominant US allies in the club and they're a wonderful organization. Quite possibly one of my favorite clubs.
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Guest- Rajiv Shukla
6/10 06:13PM
Hi this is Rajiv Shukla from India. Thanks for having this session
What should an ideal MBA resume look like for full time applicants?
UPenn Wharton
6/10 06:15PM
@shai we do. Last year Wharton made the decision to offer any student (regardless of citizenship) who was feeling severe hardship due to Covid and/or health-related matters the opportunity to either defer or request to defer. While we did have a larger # defer due to these factors (that is why our class profile looks different that other years) we made the decision to also ensure that the incoming class was larger to ensure that the applicants applying this year were not impacted by the number of seats already occuped.
@Rajiv thank you for attending. A good question. Hard to get it into a few sentences but I'm gonna try. 1) progression: show us how you moved up within a company and/or industry. This is helpful so we can see where you have been and what you've done. 2) quantify accomplishments: resumes should not read like HR job postings. They should clearly identify your role and responsibilities and it is imperative you quantify your role/responsibilities with your meaningful/significant achievements 3) several distinct sections: education, professional experience, volunteer/leadership/extracurricular, and usually a mis/personal.
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Guest- Rajiv Shukla
6/10 06:20PM
Any advice on how reapplicants can strengthen their candidacy?
UPenn Wharton
6/10 06:21PM
I'd also say providing a good description of your role and/or company is also key......I know a little about a lot of different industries. So explaining to the committee that you work for a boutigue niche consulting company is key. So desriptions of the company and your role paint a more thorough picture.
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Guest- Saar
6/10 06:21PM
Thank you!
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Guest- SD
6/10 06:22PM
Hi, apart from my recommendation letters, will it help my candidacy if a Wharton alumn, who is a career mentor, sends a note to admissions supporting my candidacy
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Guest- Adi
6/10 06:23PM
Are there any experiential learning opportunities in the program?
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Guest- Rajiv Shukla
6/10 06:26PM
How does Wharton view someone who has taken the GMAT & GRE 7 times in total?
UPenn Wharton
6/10 06:26PM
@Rajiv i think there are a few things: 1) have a close friend/colleague (or yourself) thoroughly review your own application to address any weaknesses. 2) what will you do different next time? don't submit the same exact application. Act on item #1 and make some changes personally and professionally. This could be a new company, role, responsibilities, letters of rec, and/or volunteer experiences, etc.
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Guest- Skye
6/10 06:26PM
Thanks so much for doing this Do you also offer accomidation for students
UPenn Wharton
6/10 06:28PM
@SD additional notes are welcomed and something we'll make note of. It's not anything that will have a significant impact on your review but it's something we'll make note of. I'd make sure you identify the 2 individuals who can write you a personalized and EXCEPTIONAL letters of rec. (sorry...no parents or spouses). But that's the biggest impact and assessment we're focusing on.
@Adi there are so many experiential programs. Is there anything you're thinking about or curious about?
https://leadership.wharton.upenn.edu/experiential-learning/
https://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/leadership-2/
is this what you're thinking about @Adi? See the two links i sent above.
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Guest- Rajiv Shukla
6/10 06:30PM
What kind of additional course work would you recommend for people wanting to better their application?
UPenn Wharton
6/10 06:31PM
@Rajiv our application allows you to submit a maximum of 2 scores. So you can pick the 2 scores that are the best and we'll focus on the highest. Regarding # of times taken the test we don't pay much attention to it. We're more interested in in other academic metrics and performances from your schooling and professional work.
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Guest- Rajiv Shukla
6/10 06:32PM
but the form does ask specifically, "how many times you have taken the test"?
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Guest- Mark
6/10 06:33PM
Hey! Thank you for doing this.
UPenn Wharton
6/10 06:33PM
@Rajiv: Yes you do need to fill in the # of times you've taken the GMAT/GRE but we're not going to pay much attention to it as I mentioned above.
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Guest- Rajiv Shukla
6/10 06:33PM
Sure. Thanks
UPenn Wharton
6/10 06:34PM
@skye we do!
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Guest- Itay Varkovitzky
6/10 06:34PM
Hi! I wanted to ask how do you treat people with ~10 years of experience? Do you recommend such people (if they are good enough) to come to Wharton?
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Guest- Matan
6/10 06:34PM
What is going on now in terms of Visas for international candidates?
UPenn Wharton
6/10 06:36PM
The Weingarten Learning Resource Center is the University of Pennsylvania's "hub" for all accommodations and learning resources. Any student who wishes to provide documentation for accommodations can do so through this center. Once approved, each school within the University will make the necessary accommodations for students. For example, any student joining Wharton this year is currently submitting their information to Weingarten in the summer so they can have approval in time for Pre-Term and/or any necessary requirements in advance of the fall semester. https://wlrc.vpul.upenn.edu/
@Rajiv any additional coursework is going to depend on prior coursework. For example, a student who already took Stats in undergrad but did poorly may want to take it again and show strong evidence of mastery now. OR if a student has no prior quantitative classwork the big 4 are usually an accounting, stats, econ, and finance class. These classes will help with any MBA Program to show/boost more documentation with academic readiness.
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Guest- Noy
6/10 06:38PM
Hi, I have two questions: 1. Can you share about the school’s culture and how it comes to reality in the school’s programs and curriculum? 2. Given that about 30% are international students, how effective do you find the career counseling the school offers them? Thanks!
UPenn Wharton
6/10 06:40PM
@Itay good question. We welcome students with 10+ years of experience to the full-time MBA Program.
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Guest- Mark
6/10 06:41PM
Hey I wanted to ask if it is possible to start the MBA right after my first degree (going to graduate in 2023) I've been in the army for 4 years and working as a project manager right now but still in my first degree. The question is if I must to have a full time job experience after graduate or not
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Guest- MBA here I come
6/10 06:41PM
What are my chances of acceptance with a 640 GMAT? Do I have to take it again?
UPenn Wharton
6/10 06:41PM
students with more professional work experience bring a wonderful element of diversity within the Program. However, do keep in mind that a good contingency of students are going to be about 3-5 years less in WE so accomplishments, work experience, student life involvement will be different.
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Guest- MBA here I come
6/10 06:42PM
and can you talk about the healthcare track? is it only for people with healthcare background? I dont have any healthcare background, but I want to shift to this indust
UPenn Wharton
6/10 06:43PM
but we'll never turn away and/or tell someone NOT to apply to the full time program. If that is your preferred method of delivery, curriculum, and experience you should apply for that mode of delivery. It's also important to stay why and/or include additinonal specs to help the Committee understand why this is the right choice for you.
@Matan i'm trying to keep up as fast as I can, haha. The Upenn ISSS office has issued all I-20s for the MBA students. The bigger challenge is within certain countries with acquiring emergency appointments and/or appointments at all if they're closed. But Wharton/Penn is issuing I-20s and right now we're working hard to get every student to Philly for the start of the fall which will be delivered in-person. Penn has required students be vaccinated with either a US FDA approved covid-vaccine and/or WHO approved vaccine.
@Noy sure happy to.
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Guest- Itay Varkovitzky
6/10 06:47PM
Thank you very much for your answer! It's quite a challenge to do it over chat. I'm not sure yet if it will be right for me to apply to the MBA or to the EMBA since I feel I'm borderline for both. How do you consult me to move forward?
UPenn Wharton
6/10 06:49PM
@ Noy re: schools culture: I love the large inclusive culture. It's one of the few times in someones life that you have students from over 80 countries in one location going through an evidence based team curriculum. That's pretty special. I also think it's a great "safe" space for students to talk about making REAL changes to address REAL issues regarding business and the role it plays in society. To undersand the different perspectives, values, culture, and how business is done both within the US and across the globe makes it hard for other programs to repicate to the same degree/scale what we do at Wharton. It's def. a community of "change agents" and I love that we have students drawn to our program who don't just want to make $$$ but actually make real/meaningful change.
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Guest- Rajiv Shukla
6/10 06:51PM
This session was really insightful. Thanks for having this session
UPenn Wharton
6/10 06:52PM
@Noy re: school counseling/MBACM: I personally love the industry model of our MBACM office. It is great b/c they'll work with you to develop a plan on what you would like to do. Are you looking to stay in the US? Return to Israel? Go somewhere else etc. etc. So you'll work with them to develop several plans based on the industry/companies you're targeting. It does require work from you though. They will show you the door and provide recommendations but it is up to you to walk through it. So you'll have to network and reach out, explore, and do some legwork on your own if you're looking at specific industries and markets globally. The nice thing is the alumni network is over 100K strong worldwide so you almost always have a contact that can help you get started with anything you're thinking about
@Itay i'd attend a Wharton FT MBA event from our event page AND also reach out to our EMBA office and learn more about them. Do both and see what seems to be attracting more of your attention and is the right direction for you
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Guest- Itay Varkovitzky
6/10 06:53PM
Thank you very much!!
UPenn Wharton
6/10 06:54PM
@Mark that is good question. So I'm guessing you've been doing your degree part-time while also being in the army FT?
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Guest- Noy
6/10 06:55PM
Great!! really appreciate your sharing. one last question if you'll have the chance: If I'm not able to provide recommendation letter from my current employer (in the last 3 years), how would that affect my application?
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Guest- Mark
6/10 06:56PM
That's right
UPenn Wharton
6/10 06:58PM
@MBA here I come: It is hard to say re: 640 GMAT. It is on the lower end no one area within our holistic review is a "dealbreaker". We're going to look at everything in your entire application to make a decision. But our range is usually high 500s to 780 every year. The closer to the average the better but it's not something that is going to sink your entire application. Keep working on it and do the best you can to get as close as you can but also don't neglect other areas of your application as many students who are lower have exceptional letters, work experience, essays, etc. and they're just as talented as a 730 GMAT. Re: HCM it IS a very selective cohort of 72 students who do have a very strong prior background in Healthcare. I'd consider maybe doing the FT MBA AND doing the healthcare elective classes, the healthcare club, and go that route to break INTO healthcare if that is the goal.
@ Noy it wont impact your applicaiton as we understand that some of the current supervisors/employers may feel differently about an MBA. Identify/pick the BEST individuals to write the EXCEPTIONAL LORs for you.
@ Mark you would use your military experience as your Work Experience. That is what many of our FT military Vets do when they apply.
I do have to run to my next appointments but please do make sure you reach out to our MBA Admissions Office for additional questions. We have a lot of GREAT events coming up this summer on our website: https://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/events/. Also, we do have a scholarship for students from Israel that was started this past year call the Friends of Israel Scholarship: https://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/tuition-financial-aid/. Also, if you want to talk to current students please feel free to check out our Admissions Fellow page at: https://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/admissions-fellows/#t=All
thank you all for your questions and time today. Be safe and be well!