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If Wharton seems like the right place for you, we encourage you to apply. While your application is reviewed multiple times in detail, there is no simple formula for success in the admissions process. A successful application combines substance, presentation, and good timing. It should tell your own story and make each element of your application as strong as possible. The application includes four main sections, which together give us a picture of you as a person, student, and professional.
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In any given year, 70 to 80% of candidates are admissible based on academic factors alone. However, less than 14% of the applicant pool can be admitted, so keep in mind that while your academic profiles is very important, it isn't the only factor we consider. While there is no set profile, we value diversity and personal qualities are what make your application unique.
Academic Profile
We evaluate academic profiles looking for the ability to handle the Wharton MBA curriculum. Because the curriculum is quite rigorous, we must ensure that every admitted candidate can manage the workload successfully, with time left over to explore opportunities offered outside the classroom.
Measures of academic ability include undergraduate/ baccalaureate preparation, advanced degrees, post-graduate diplomas, certificates or other coursework, as well as standardized test scores and other credentials (e.g., CPA, CFA).
There are no specific majors or courses required for the MBA. However, a strong grounding in quantitative areas is important. Calculus and statistics are excellent foundation courses for an MBA.
Undergraduate/Baccalaureate Preparation: Your performance and preparation are considered based on the factors that led you to choose your school, the competitive level of your school, the curriculum you chose, and academic trends on your transcript.
Your intellectual curiosity may be demonstrated by the electives taken outside your major. Your grade point average (GPA), class division and/or class rank is weighed against other demands on your time, such as working while in school and/or heavy involvement in extracurricular activities. Note: Not all universities award GPAs, class division, or class rank. Applicants should not calculate any of these items if they are not reported by their universities.
Additional Academic Work: All additional academic work is relevant, including continuing education credits, master's degrees, and doctoral degrees in related and unrelated fields. If you didn't perform at a high level in some of your undergraduate classes, additional coursework may show stronger academic motivation and ability. If you don't have an analytic or mathematical undergraduate background, taking calculus, statistics, or other business-related quantitative classes may bolster your preparation.
Test Scores: The General Management Admissions Test (GMAT) and Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) are one other part of the academic profile.
GMAT: The total GMAT score, as well as each section of the test, is evaluated. There are no minimum cut-off scores, though we are concerned about verbal and quantitative section values that fall below the 80% threshold. If you're disappointed with your test score and believe that with additional preparation you could improve your score, then we encourage you to retake the test. We always consider your highest total test score.
TOEFL: A complete command of the English language, including proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking is essential for success in Wharton's MBA program. All international applicants for the MBA Program whose native language (language first learned and spoken at home) is not English, or who did not complete a degree from an institution where English was the language of instruction, are required to take the TOEFL in addition to the GMAT.
Other Credentials: Professional certifications such as a CPA (Certified Public Accountant), CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst), or MSE are considered as parts of your academic profile.
Essays
Focus your energy on painting a concise, complete, and well-thought-out picture of who you truly are, rather than present what you think the Admissions Committee is looking for in response to essay questions. Use essays to elaborate your candidacy while answering the specific questions at hand within the suggested guidelines. It is important to answer all questions that we present, using good judgment with respect to length. We provide guidelines for word count that reflect our strong sense of how long an essay should be. We don't count words or expect you to list a word count, but if your essays are twice as long as the guidelines suggest, there may be a more concise way to address the question.
Candidates who have worked in nontraditional careers (or for companies that may not be as familiar to the Admissions Committee) will need to explain issues in a little more detail. If that's your situation, please feel free to write more while still using your good judgment. For more information about nontraditional backgrounds and careers at Wharton, please visit Nontraditional Students.
The optional essay is truly optional, and may be presented in one paragraph of 250 words or less. It should be used to highlight any inconsistencies your application may need to address, or you can use it to explain your choice of recommenders, if you believe they are not a traditional choice. We recommend that you don't skip over any issue that may present a concern to an evaluator.
If there is a potential issue (e.g., one poor semester/term at university within an otherwise impressive academic experience, a year out of your career to explore), explain its context, what you learned from the experience, as well as how it may affect your time at Wharton. If you do not explain the context, the Admissions Committee may make uninformed assumptions.
Recommendations
Beyond your personal essays, the Admissions Committee would like to learn about you from two independent people who know you well. We prefer recommendations from people who can speak directly about your aptitude for, or accomplishments in, leadership and management. Thus, work-related recommendations are more valuable than academic ones. Supplementary recommendations, including those from a peer, may be submitted, but should offer additional and valuable insights not addressed in the two required recommendations.
Select the two people who really know you and your work, who you believe can best address the questions asked, not the two most important people you know. If a Wharton graduate happens to be one of those two people, he or she may be able to use his or her understanding of Wharton to describe how you will fit into the Wharton culture. Please don't seek out alumni who aren't truly qualified to write about you.
Recommendations should address the range of questions asked on our Recommendation Form and provide details, depth, and insight. Please make sure your recommenders understand that an effective recommendation is more than checking the right boxes and writing a couple of sentences. If the recommender believes that you are a good team player, he or she should present an example or two that illustrates that point. Useful recommendation letters are usually two to three pages long. You may want to brief your recommenders beforehand so they understand the competitive nature of the admissions process in which you are engaging.
Some candidates submit an additional recommendation. While this is acceptable, carefully consider whether the third recommendation will really add a new perspective.
Applicants working in family businesses, entrepreneurial environments, or other nontraditional environments will need to be more creative in terms of choosing recommenders (and perhaps use the optional essay to allow us to understand how you made your choices). You may consider clients, mentors, or those that you have worked with in the community.
Resume
We evaluate demonstrated experience and/or potential therefore please upload a one page resume in Word. What we evaluate is not a function of the number of years you have been in the work place, but what you have learned. We consider skills acquired, breadth and depth of experience, leadership and/or management skills as we as potential for growth.