Executive MBA Application Requirements
Admission to the Wharton MBA Program for Executives requires the completion of our online application, as well as the following components, each of which is explained in greater detail on the application:
- Background Information
- Two Letters of Recommendation
- Three Essays
- Transcripts
- GMAT
- GRE
- Letter of Endorsement (sponsorship)
- Interviews
- Application Fee
Background Information
Background information includes: contact information (e.g., mailing address and phone number), date of birth, academic degrees earned, professional experience, and family information.
Two Letters of Recommendation
The Admissions Committee requires two recommendations from professional supervisors who are familiar with your work. Optimal sources for recommendations are your direct managers, who can give insight to the Committee on you as an employee. Other useful sources are clients or former employers. There are two options for submitting these letters: electronic and paper (both available on the online application system).
Essays
There are 3 required essays and 1 optional essay:
Essay 1
Required; 1000 word limit:
- What is your career objective and how will the Wharton MBA Program for Executives contribute to your attainment of these objectives?
Essay 2
Required; 1000 word limit.
- We'd like to get to know you beyond your professional life. You may tell us about the people or experiences that have shaped you, what inspires and motivates you, and anything interesting that we wouldn't otherwise learn from your application.
Essay 3
Required; 500 word limit. Answer this question:
- Given your already demanding job and the desire to remain committed to important family and personal obligations, how do you plan to handle this additional demand on you?
Essay 4
Optional; You may answer the following question:
- Is there anything else you would like to add that would help us in evaluating your candidacy?
Transcripts
Applicants to the Wharton MBA Program for Executives must arrange to have official transcripts sent from their prior academic institutions in time to be received by the February deadline. Transcripts may not be electronically submitted to this program. The Admissions Committee must receive an official transcript before a decision can be made. Do not use the online Transcript Template. If receiving an original transcript from your school will take an extended period (for example, if you studied outside of the U.S.), we will accept certified copies of original transcripts until the originals have arrived.
GMAT
All applicants must submit the results of the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT). There is no minimum requirement; however, GMAT scores have proven to be a useful predictor of success in the quantitative courses that are an important foundation for the MBA program.
For Regular Deadline applicants the latest date to take the test for admissible scores is March 2, 2013. For Early Deadline applicants to San Francisco the GMAT deadline is December 10, 2012. For Early Deadline applicants to Philadelphia, a complete application must be submitted to request a decision. To minimize delays in processing your application, a photocopy of the official GMAT scores may be scanned and emailed or faxed to the appropriate Wharton office (East Coast or West Coast). You must also have a copy of these scores sent directly to Wharton. The GMAT code for the Wharton MBA Program for Executives is G56-97-36 for Philadelphia and G56-97-14 for San Francisco.
GMAT scores are valid for five years. If you have taken the GMAT recently and want to include that score in your application, please have your scores sent directly to Wharton. For GMAT information and registration, go to http://www.mba.com.
GRE
We require the GMAT unless you have earned a prior master’s degree for which you submitted GRE test results. GRE results must be less than five years old at the time of your application to Wharton. Please call the office of the campus to which you're applying so that we can discuss whether this is the best option for your candidacy.Letter of Endorsement
A letter of endorsement from your organization is a required part of your application. A decision on your application cannot be made until we receive this letter. The letter should be on the official letterhead of your organization and be signed by your sponsoring management, and it must indicate that the necessary time will be provided for you to attend. If financial support will be provided, this should also be specified in the letter. For independent consultants and professionals, a letter of self-sponsorship is also required. Learn more about Wharton's Executive MBA Sponsorship.
For Fellows nominations, the organization must provide a letter of nomination, citing the managerial potential of the candidate and confirming a commitment for substantial financial and program-related support.
Interviews
An interview is required for all Fellows candidates and is strongly encouraged for all other applicants to the Wharton MBA Program for Executives. You should schedule an interview before the application deadline of February 1, and you must have completed it by March 1. An early interview is strongly encouraged. You do not need to submit your application before your interview. For more information, please go to Interviews.
Application Fee
A non-refundable application fee of $180 must accompany your application. This fee, which must be paid by credit card online using a Visa or MasterCard only, is processed through Wharton's secure server using Verisign. You will not see the payment option until you submit your application online.
U.S. Military service members (active duty and veterans) are eligible to waive this fee. Please contact the office to which you're applying before submitting the application so that we may waive the fee for you.
