Kate Harper, Wharton MBA Class of 2026
Age: 26
Hometown: Charleston, SC
Undergraduate Institution and Major: University of Virginia; B.S. in Commerce
Pre-MBA Work Experience: Before coming to Wharton, I spent ~4 years at Bain & Company in Washington, DC as a Consultant.
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
I’ve always had business school on my radar. It’s a common path for consultants, and I liked the idea of returning to school. I played golf in college, which was an amazing experience, but I knew there were parts of academic and social life I missed out on because of my athletic time commitments.
In terms of timing, I started my career in 2020 and spent much of my first year entirely remote. I knew I wanted at least a couple years of “normalcy” before returning to school, but also didn’t want to wait too long since the opportunity cost increases the longer you wait. I feel like I’m at the right pausing point in my career to take the two years off, and have a solid foundation of work experience to really benefit from business school.
Why did you choose The Wharton School? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
At the beginning of the decision process, I really didn’t know which school I wanted to attend. I went to admitted students days to really get a feel for what each school was like. It was really helpful to understand the academic structure of each program and get a feel for the student body. At Wharton, I really liked how the first semester is mostly spent with your cohort, but after that, you have a high degree of liberty in which courses you take. I also appreciated how diverse the student body is, with a club for every possible interest you could imagine. Finally, the brand name of Wharton definitely moved the needle a bit. My parents are both Wharton alumni, and I’ve seen how their Wharton networks have benefited them throughout their careers. I know the Wharton alumni network will do the same for me.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2026?
A lot of time in business school (and in one’s career) is spent working in teams. My experience as a student athlete exposed me to several important aspects of teamwork. Golf is typically played as an individual sport, but at the collegiate level, it’s morphed into a team sport. Making the adjustment from playing as an individual to playing as a member of a team (when everyone was used to being an individual) was an incredible learning opportunity. This experience, combined with my background in consulting, gives me a unique perspective on how to effectively collaborate with others. I’m also looking forward to teaching some of my classmates how to play golf!
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
At 5’10”, I’m the shortest person in my family. My older brother, Victor, is almost seven feet tall and also works at Bain.
Post-MBA career interests:
In the short term, I plan to return to consulting after graduation. In the long run, I hope to combine my athletic and consulting backgrounds at a sports-focused CPG firm.
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
Start early. The application process takes a lot of time, and you need that time to fine-tune your story. I didn’t realize how long just inputting basic application information like where I went to college, what my GPA was, etc., would take. And unlike undergraduate applications, each school has their own system which means inputting that information for every application separately.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
Before starting applications, I would spend more time thinking about which schools I could actually see myself attending. There were a couple of applications that I wasn’t excited to write, which should have been an indication that I wasn’t going to be a good fit for that school. I got caught up in where I thought I “should” apply, instead of focusing on where I actually wanted to attend.
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
It took me a while to re-learn how to write an essay. After four years of working full-time, I was really good at writing an email but had forgotten how to write a meaningful story. Thankfully, I started early and was able to give myself time for iteration. When I was struggling to come up with something to say, I would wait until the next day before continuing to write. I also leveraged my friends, family, and coworkers to help edit my drafts, which gave me different perspectives and reactions to each essay.
What is your initial impression of the Wharton students/culture/community?
The student body is incredibly diverse. I have classmates from all over the world, and people have worked in a wide variety of roles before business school. I’ve been really impressed with how everyone brings a different perspective to the table, and with how we’re encouraged to share those perspectives both inside and outside the classroom.
What is one thing you have learned about Wharton that has surprised you?
I came into Wharton thinking most people are trying to enter consulting or finance after graduation. While there are a lot of people interested in those industries, I’ve been surprised at the breadth of industries people are considering. I have classmates who want to run international family businesses, enter impact investing, start their own companies, acquire their own companies, and more. It’s been rewarding for me to hear about each person’s aspirations, and there’s been much more diversity of career interests than I expected.
What is one thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
Shifting from working full-time to being in a classroom is a big adjustment. I’ll also have a lot more control over how I spend my time, but since there’s always something going on at business school, making sure I prioritize what I want to accomplish over these next two years will be really important.
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
Meeting people from many different backgrounds and having the time to explore new interests. I have classmates who have worked across so many different industries, and there’s so much I can learn from them.
