The Wharton School of Business enjoys an internationally renowned reputation. It is considered a global leader of MBA programs and an influential force in the landscape of business education. It is rigorous, global, and highly selective.
The school’s high level of selection translates to an acceptance rate of 24.8%, and a class with an average GMAT score of 732. Admission is incredibly competitive.
With this in mind, we’ve put together this guide to applications at the Wharton School. The guide will walk you through the admissions process, detailing what it entails and how to make your application stand out. Read on to find out more!
Why Choose Wharton for Your MBA?
Before you learn how to apply to the Wharton School of Business, it might be useful to consider why you might want to attend. Aside from Wharton’s stellar reputation, what exactly does the school offer?
Career Opportunities
The Wharton School’s impact ripples through the business world and out into society at large. For the graduating class of 2023, 97.2% of those seeking employment received a job offer within three months of finishing their program, while 92.3% accepted job offers. For those who did, the median starting salary was a hefty $175,000.
Focus on Leadership Development
Wharton puts leadership development front and center of its MBA program. It teaches it through a “distinctive blend” of coaching, coursework and experiential learning.
Great leadership, the Wharton School claims, comes from deep understanding. Leaders must understand themselves, understand their organizations, and understand their communities. They must also ensure to “contribute positively to the growth of each.”
One of the ways in which Wharton develops leaders is through its coaching and feedback program. The program, available to all first-year students, is one-to-one and held online. It operates via a series of self- and peer-assessments, the contents of which inform a personalized set of coaching sessions.
In addition to this course come various co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, such as expeditions, ventures, workshops and more. Each of these activities is an opportunity for students to meet and exceed their own limits, and to put their leadership skills to the test.
Customizable Curriculum
The faculty at the Wharton school develop and adjust the curriculum to ensure that it always reflects the current business landscape.
The two-year curriculum consists of two sections; the fixed core and the flexible core. The fixed core takes place in the first year’s fall semester. It is made up of six rigorous courses which equip students with foundational skills and set them up for career-long success.
The flexible core is, as the name suggests, malleable according to students’ goals and experience. Students can take this core at any stage in their MBA program. Alongside the flexible and fixed core sit the program’s electives: a vast array of subjects that allow students to really personalize their learning experience.
Specializations
Many MBA students applying to Wharton have a target industry in which they would like to work. For these students, a specialized MBA makes a lot of sense—completing a concentrated MBA in finance before heading into the finance industry, for example, is sure to lend a competitive edge.
These students are in luck at the Wharton School. Wharton offers 19 different MBA specializations, plus the opportunity to select a double major and complete two.
Global Perspective
The Wharton School’s MBA is undeniably global. It offers astounding opportunities to its students to study abroad, get to grips with international business, and immerse themselves in new locations and companies.
As a small example, students at Wharton are able to take one of the following three study abroad modules:
- A global immersion program: elective courses with both an on-campus component as well as a multi-week study immersion in global locations.
- A global modular course: experience based, global learning in an intensive workshop format over 3-7 days.
- One of the MBA leadership ventures expeditions: outdoor treks in challenging environments that aim to develop leadership skills.
Key Components of the Wharton MBA Application
Application Timeline
Wharton offers three rounds of admissions, which can be viewed in more detail on their site. Applicants are encouraged to apply the year before they plan to start their MBA. In general deferrals are not allowed, but cases are considered individually.
Applicants who are invited to interview will be notified via email; applicants who are not will also be notified by email, on the same day.
Applicants who are unsuccessful in their first round are encouraged by the school to reapply. Check out the reapplication page for more information here, since there are some extra steps involved.
Academic Requirements
Any applicant applying to Wharton must have completed the following (as well as the Wharton School online application):
- An an undergraduate program in an accredited U.S. college (or the international equivalent)
- A GMAT or GRE score. The school does not list a required mark, but the average GMAT score of its class of 2026 is 732.
- Results of an English Language Test (TOEFL, PTE, or IELTS) unless you have earned a degree that was taught in English.
In regards to the undergraduate degree: this by no means has to be in English. Wharton values diversity in educational background—around a third of its class of 2023 had humanities degrees, and a similar number had STEM degrees.
Professional Experience
Wharton’s admission committee doesn’t stipulate a minimum number of work experience years needed from applicants. Instead, it asks candidates to demonstrate “professional maturity,” evaluating the positions they have worked, their responsibilities, the speed of their progression and what they have contributed. That said, the average student at Wharton has worked for five or six years before joining the MBA program.
Once again, Wharton values diversity in background here, and does not favor experience in one industry over another. Time in the military counts as work experience; academic work does not.
Essays and Personal Statements
Wharton asks that its applicants complete two separate essays.
The first essay asks applicants to answer the following question, considering their experience and goals, and how these relate to the program at Wharton: How do you plan to use the Wharton MBA program to help you achieve your future professional goals?
The second essay asks applicants to answer the following questions, considering their personal, professional and academic background: How do you plan to make specific, meaningful contributions to the Wharton community?
There is a third, optional essay, which is open for candidates to add context to their application. This essay is a chance to share more information, to explain extenuating circumstances, or to acknowledge weaknesses in their application.
Recommendation Letters
The Wharton School requires two letters of recommendation. Ideally, these would be written by a former or current supervisor, but at the very least they should be from people who know you in a professional context. The position of the recommender matters very little, but they should know you well, and be able to provide detail on your work.
Interviews
Interviews at Wharton are invitation only. Candidates who are invited to interview will be notified via email; candidates who are not will be informed on the same date.
The interview at Wharton is a little different to what applicants may be used to. It is the Wharton MBA Team Based Discussion (TBD). It involves 5-6 interviewees, lasts 35 minutes, and consists of a team discussion followed by a short one-to-one resume interview.
The idea is that the TBD mirrors the high level of collaboration found in the Wharton MBA, assessing applicants’ suitability to contribute via skills such as communication, engagement and leadership. It gives the school a clear picture of who applicants actually are.
Strategies for Strengthening Your Application
Define Your Career Goals
Essay goals vary slightly from year to year, but they are always likely to reference your career goals. Or, if they don’t, this is sure to come up in your interview.
In either case, the application committee at Wharton expects to see your career goals. They expect to learn what you want from the MBA, to be shown your thinking behind it, and to understand why you think this particular MBA will get you where you want to go.
These goals should be feasible, well-defined, and specific. They should demonstrate the direction in which you plan to go, and your reasons for selecting it. The MBA is designed to unlock career opportunities; you need to know what you want unlocking.
The final thing that these goals need to be is contextual; applicants must explain why they are aiming for their goals. Linking your goals to your past experience also works to create a cohesive narrative in your application.
Use the Essays
The essays are the part of the application where your story can really shine through. They give applicants the chance to explain and describe their experiences, careers and backgrounds. They are also a crucial opportunity to demonstrate applicant understanding of Wharton’s particular MBA program, why it will advance their career, and what they will contribute to the Wharton community.
The first essay asks applicants how the MBA will help them achieve their goals. The Wharton School suggests that applicants cover the following three points to answer this question:
- The setup: in which candidates should introduce themselves, what they do and what they have learned.
- The pivotal moment: candidates should outline the point at which they became aware of their knowledge gaps and identified the skills they needed to succeed.
- The future: in which the candidate should outline their short and long term goals, explaining why the Wharton MBA is necessary for achieving them.
The second essay asks applicants how specifically they will contribute to the Wharton School. The school suggests that this is a good place to outline extracurricular and co-curricular achievements from your past and hopes from your MBA future, outlining exactly what you will bring to the MBA community.
Preparing for the Team-Based Discussion
The team based discussion lasts 35 minutes. All applicants that are invited to the interview will receive a prompt, several weeks in advance, from which they should prepare a 1 minute presentation. On the day of the interview, they will be paired with up to five other candidates, who will all give a presentation. The group should discuss the problem together and decide on a solution.
The Wharton School names four things that applicants invited to interview should bear in mind.
- Your personal skills and strengths: In particular, when in the past have you used your skills to propel your team forward?
- Adaptability: Have you ever had to adjust in the midst of tricky group dynamics? If so, what worked?
- Yourself: You should behave in a way that feels natural and comfortable to you. You are not expected to fulfil a role, but rather to showcase your personality and strengths.
- Relax: The invitation to interview is a big step, and indicates your potential suitability for the MBA. Enjoy it!
We also recommend one further thing to consider: timing. The interview is timed, and so practicing your presenting and discussing ability under time pressure would be wise.
Tips for Standing Out in the Competitive Applicant Pool
Wharton’s culture is widely-famed and long-standing. Any successful applicant should show that they fulfil not just the academic requirements, but will also meaningfully contribute to the Wharton School community, too. Doing so means demonstrating the following points:
- A global perspective
- Leadership potential
- Effective communication
- Critical thinking skills
- Collaborative ability
Understanding the community and showing you will integrate into it could also come from networking. Wharton has an alumni network: use it! Reach out to Wharton alumni (and even current students) to understand what the business school was like. Doing so will have the dual advantage of adding depth to your application and providing you with more insight into what the MBA program at Wharton is all about. If you’re wondering how to get in touch with students and alumni, MBA events, campus visits, or even a bit of LinkedIn research can be a good place to start.
Before you rush off to start your application to Wharton, we would like to share with you this quote from the Wharton School’s admissions director, Blair Mannix:
“We have a ‘read to admit’ philosophy, which means that in every application we are looking for reasons to admit you and not reasons to deny you. We are looking for your best day and not your worst.”
