John Moreno, WG'05
“Before I applied, I spoke to the president of the company and asked if he would consider sponsoring me for an MBA. When he said he would, I started looking at programs. I did a cost analysis comparing Wharton and an executive MBA program in Atlanta, where I live. When we looked at the hours of class time, the cost is about the same, even with the commute. The biggest driver for both of us was the value of that cost, given the quality of Wharton's program.”
» Read more of this EMBA student perspective.
Traditional sponsorship requirements are for applicants with a minimum of 8 years work experience who will receive either some or full financial support from their organizations. Financial sponsorship sends a strong signal of endorsement for an applicant and can return significant benefits to the sponsoring organization.
Letter of endorsement (required). All applicants employed by an organization must have a formal letter of endorsement from their employer, signed by a supervisor and submitted on company letterhead. The letter should:
- Acknowledge that the company is aware of the employee's interest in applying;
- Provide assurance that he or she will be able to take the time away from work to attend classes and handle approximately 20-25 hours of study during the week;
- Indicate the level of financial support the organization intends to provide.
The letter of endorsement is separate from the two professional recommendations, which are also required as part of the application. However, it can further support the applicant's candidacy by providing an endorsement of the employee's qualifications and leadership potential.
Financial support (full or partial). The level of financial support should be specified in the letter of endorsement. For approximately 70% of applicants, employers provide full or partial financial support. Some organizations cover all expenses, including travel; for others, support may be limited to tuition reimbursement or a fixed level of tuition contribution. Read Financing Your MBA if you do not have full financial support. Fellows applicants must have full financial support from their employers.
Career development plan (highly recommended as supporting documentation for your application). A career development plan for an applicant frames how the Wharton MBA can lead to broadened responsibilities and opportunities within the firm. Such a plan increases the benefits for both the student and the sponsoring organization by ensuring that an employee's new leadership capabilities and business knowledge are rewarded by the organization. Sponsors and students who stay in regular communication about the program use the Wharton experience and resources not only to advance personal skills and knowledge, but also to address specific challenges at work.
Interview (highly recommended). We strongly encourage traditional candidates to come for an interview. Make your appointment right away, even before beginning or completing your application. For more information, see Interviews.