UPenn / Wharton MBA News

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Published: February 9, 2015

Wharton Round 2 Applicants Await Interview Invitations

Tomorrow’s the day. If you applied to the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School as part of Round 2, you will very likely be checking your email repeatedly in hopes that an invitation to interview lands in your inbox. Good luck! Wharton uses the Team-Based Discussion (TBD) format for interviews, as it has for the past few years. In terms of logistics, those invited to interview tomorrow can choose from a range of locations around the globe, including Wharton’s campus in Philadelphia, as well as San Francisco, London, Dubai, Mumbai, Shanghai, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Singapore and Tokyo. Each TBD will include five or six applicants grouped by the order in which they sign up for various locations. And interviews will take place beginning in late February. Read more

Published: December 28, 2014

UPenn Wharton MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 1 / TBD / Off Campus

The following is a set of Wharton MBA admissions interview questions provided by a recent applicant: I arrived there an hour earlier and I met two interviewees. After ~30min the other two also arrived. So we went in and got started.The team composition was :2 consultants, one ex-consultant and current health care, one private equity, one investment management. I guess our team was strong: 2 of them were going to be interviewed at HBS in the weekend. Read more

Published: November 30, 2014

Wharton MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 1 / TBD / On Campus

The following is a set of Wharton MBA admissions interview questions provided by a recent applicant: I recently had my Wharton team based interview on campus. Started off with our one pitches. Very amicable group. Several of us had ideas focused in [region] and we were able to reach consensus on our idea. We then collectively presented our idea to the 2 observers at the end of the time period. During the one on one session, the observer asked me these questions: Asked how do you think the discussion went? Is leading from the front a sign of your Read more

Published: November 30, 2014

Wharton MBA Admissions Interview Questions: Round 1 / TBD / On-campus

The following is a set of Wharton MBA admissions interview questions and feedback from a recent applicant: When I was invited to interview, Wharton emailed us the team-based discussion (TBD) prompt. It asked us to come up with a Global Modular Course (GMC) idea. After reading up on actual GMCs at Wharton, I came up with a topic about healthcare in India, because I was very familiar with the subject. I spent several hours researching the topic, but later learned that there is no value to that (will explain below). Read more

Published: November 27, 2014

New Computerized Matching Process Replaces Course Auctions at UPenn’s Wharton School

Professors at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School have developed a new process for MBA course selection, one they think is more fair, less stressful and less time-consuming than traditional course auctions, the Financial Times reports. Called Course Match, the new system involves a single round of bidding by students, after which 10 high-powered servers spend 12 hours running algorithms to allocate courses. Wharton professors decided four or five years ago that the auction system then in place wasn’t working as they had intended it to. Some students (especially former financial traders) were fairing really well in the auction system, in which class seats were allocated like shares issues. But others were getting inferior schedules. The process was also stressful and time intensive, requiring students to predict the bidding strategies of their peers and go through eight rounds of bidding. Read more

Published: November 23, 2014

UPenn / Wharton MBA Admissions Interview Questions : Round 1 / AdCom / On Campus

The following is a description of the UPenn / Wharton MBA Admissions Interview Questions from a recent applicant: I interviewed at Wharton last week, and I did both my Team Based Discussion and Healthcare interview. For the healthcare interview, since I had already spoken with June before I applied, I interviewed with a recent graduate who is helping out with healthcare admissions on a part-time basis this year. She was very friendly and the interview was very conversational. Most of the time was spent discussing healthcare topics and my current work (rather than why Wharton, career goals, etc.). Read more

Published: November 10, 2014

Duke’s Fuqua School of Business Tops Latest Bloomberg BusinessWeek Ranking

Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business shot to the top of Bloomberg Businessweek’s biennial ranking of full-time MBA programs, released today, up from No. 6 two years ago. In the process, the North Carolina school unseated the reigning University of Chicago Booth School of Business and pushed Harvard Business School (HBS) out of the top five for the first time in the history of the rankings. The formula Bloomberg BW employs to arrive at its rankings is as follows: 45 percent of the score is based on how recruiters rate MBA hires from the school, another 45 percent is determined by how graduating MBAs judge their program and the remaining 10 percent is based on faculty productivity, as measured by a tally of research published in leading journals. Read more

Published: November 3, 2014

Trivia Tuesday: Teaching Methods at Wharton

It’s time again for Trivia Tuesday, where we highlight programs and opportunities that distinguish leading business schools from their peer institutions! This week, we give you a peek inside our school guide to The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and discuss teaching methods at Wharton. “As at most of the leading programs, Wharton professors use a mixture of lectures, case studies, group projects, problem sets, discussions, computer simulations and presentations to convey MBA course material. The primary methods of instruction in each course are included in the course description, allowing students to choose elective courses that best match their preferred method of learning. Wharton offers Read more

Published: November 2, 2014

Wharton MBA Class of 2014 Career Report Reveals Record Job Offers

A whopping 98.2 percent of Wharton MBA Class of 2014 students seeking employment received full-time offers, according to a career report released today by the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. That’s an improvement over last year’s 97.8 percent, which was itself the best number the school had seen in more than 10 years. Read more

Published: October 30, 2014

Stanford Graduate School of Business Calls It Quits for MBA Admission Blog

Don’t look for future posts on the Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) MBA Admissions Blog. In a final entry earlier this week, the school announced that it was saying goodbye to its blog. All prior blog content will remain accessible through mid-December, after which prospective applicants will need to keep up with news and developments regarding Stanford MBA admissions via other means. “Our blog has begun to resemble a Tesla at a gas station,” wrote admissions staffer Victoria Hendel De La O as part of a final post on October 29th. She attributed the decline of the blog to the school’s increasing reliance on other forms of social media to communicate updates. Indeed, posts to the Stanford MBA Admissions blog have grown increasingly infrequent over the past year – with the last post going up back in June. Read more

Published: October 23, 2014

UPenn’s Wharton School to Send Round 1 Interview Invitations October 31st

The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School will send invitations to interview out to Round 1 applicants on Friday, October 31st, according to a recent post on the school’s MBA Admissions Blog. Applicants who snag one of these coveted interview spots will have an opportunity to take part in Wharton’s Team-Based Discussion interviews in a range locations around the globe. For Round 1, off-campus interviews will be held in Dubai, London, Mumbai, San Francisco, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo. Candidates can also, of course, choose to interview on campus in Philadelphia. “All invited candidates are encouraged to interview on-campus or in the off-campus location that is most convenient for you,” the MBA Admissions Team wrote on its blog. Read more

Published: October 8, 2014

Admissions Director Q&A: Maryellen Lamb of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School

Maryellen Lamb was named deputy vice dean of Wharton MBA Career Management, Admissions and Financial Aid last fall, and she tells us that she absolutely loves the role. “I have a great job because I get to see both the comings and goings. I see Wharton students from when they just start thinking about an MBA through their time here as students and then as they advance in their careers,” she says. “It is so fun to watch really high-performing individuals reach even higher.” Philadelphia born and raised, Lamb began her career in Princeton as a currency trader, but she found that the more successful she became, the farther away from Philadelphia she was forced to move. About 10 years ago she decided she wanted to return to Philly, and when she got a call from Wharton to come work in the Career Office as an advisor to students looking into investment banking, she jumped at it. “Over time, I have loved being at Wharton even more than I ever thought I could,” she says. Read more

Published: October 5, 2014

New Loan Program Launches for International MBA Students at U.S. Schools

A new pilot loan program will provide expanded options for international MBA students at a number of top programs in the United States, according to a recent report in Poestandquants. The program, offered by Prodigy Finance, will extend to international students and U.S. residents with non-permanent status who are studying at 16 top schools, including Harvard Business School, the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and MIT Sloan School of Management. Especially in recent years, banks have been reluctant to lend to students who are studying internationally. Prodigy Finance seeks to fill this need using a “community finance” model. Basically, alumni from participating schools fund loans for current students, banking on the value of a degree from their alma mater and the likelihood that future alums will repay. Interest rates on the loans vary between 6 and 12 percent, depending on the school, the individual borrower’s profile and current rates. Read more

Published: September 29, 2014

UPenn’s Wharton School Welcomes Exceptionally Entrepreneurial Class

Students entering the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School this fall bring with them record levels of entrepreneurial experience and aspirations, according to a recent blog post by Nadine Kavanaugh, associate director of Wharton Entrepreneurship. “We’re especially excited because the Class of 2016 is already incredibly entrepreneurial,” wrote Kavanaugh. “We can’t wait to see what amazing startups they’ll start.” Read more

Published: September 17, 2014

UPenn’s Wharton School Celebrates Opening of New SiriusXM Studio for Business Radio

The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania today hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the opening of a new SiriusXM satellite radio broadcast studio. The new studio will broadcast Business Radio Powered by the Wharton School, which offers direct, exclusive access to some of the world’s top business leaders and educators. Newly appointed Wharton Dean Geoffrey Garrett was joined by SiriusXM President and Chief Content Officer Scott Greenstein for today’s ribbon-cutting ceremony. Wharton first partnered with SiriusXM last fall to launch the full-time radio channel focused on business and management. Read more

Published: September 2, 2014

UPenn’s Wharton School Puts Faculty on the Road to Meet with Prospective Applicants

The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School has planned a series of upcoming admissions events that will allow prospective applicants to “Experience Wharton” by hearing directly from some of the school’s top faculty. These Experience Wharton events are scheduled throughout September in several major U.S. cities. The first event, taking place today in San Francisco, will feature Wharton Professor Karl Ulrich offering a presentation on entrepreneurial success. Ulrich, who serves as Wharton’s vice dean of innovation, is a professor of entrepreneurship, e-commerce and mechanical engineering. His research is focused on innovation, entrepreneurship and product development. Read more

Published: August 24, 2014

Ice Bucket Challenge Continues Its Ripple Through Top Business Schools

It started last week with one section challenging another at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business, ultimately leading to a school-wide dousing and a challenge issued to rival schools UNC Kenan-Flagler School, the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and UVA’s Darden School. And the ice-cold water just keeps flowing (as do the donations). The challenge, of course, is the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge that began going viral in late July and has amassed an incredible $79.7 million in donations to date (as compared to just $2.5 million during the same time period last year [July 29th to August 25th]). The ALS Association reports that it has gained 1.7 million new donors along the way. Those who are challenged are supposed to have ice water dumped over their heads and then challenge others to do the same—or to make a donation to fight ALS—within 24 hours. In taking up the mantle, business school classes have called upon their peers to both endure the icy shower AND donate. Read more

Published: August 19, 2014

Business School Students Accept ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, Pass It On

With the likes of Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey and former President George W. Bush pouring buckets of ice over their heads in support of ALS awareness, surely top business schools are getting in on the action as well, right? At Duke’s Fuqua School of Business, it began with one section (Section 4) challenging another (Section 5). That section upped the ante, challenging the entire rest of the class, as well as all of Fuqua’s MMS Cross Continent students. So on August 13th, Team Fuqua did the #ALSIceBucketChallenge as one. Read more

Published: August 13, 2014

Cambridge’s Judge Business School Extends Lifelong Learning to EMBA Grads

The Judge Business School at Cambridge University this summer becomes the latest in a growing list of business schools that are offering lifelong learning opportunities to some of its graduates. Judge recently announced that alumni of its Executive MBA (EMBA) program will now be eligible to return to campus to take free one elective per year. According to a report in PoetsandQuants, the offer, which had been available previously on an informal basis, is expected to attract roughly a third of the Judge EMBA program’s grads back to campus this fall. Read more

Published: August 11, 2014

Student-Led Program at UPenn’s Wharton School Focuses on Introspection

Ten students at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School have helped create a program designed to help encourage MBAs to make time amid their studies to examine what they value in their personal and professional lives. Called “Purpose, Passion and Principles” – or the P3 program for short – the student-led initiative debuted last fall after roughly a year of development. Participants take part in nine small-group discussions held once a week, in which one student serves as a facilitator. The student facilitator directs the conversation and helps create a safe environment in which students explore topics ranging from reflections on meaningful past life experiences to what success means to them to visions of their ideal future lives. Read more

Published: July 27, 2014

Wharton Social Impact Initiative to Pay Down Student Loans for MBAs Who Pursue Nonprofit, Public Sector Careers

For MBAs who pursue careers in the nonprofit and public sectors, paying back staggering student loans they took out to finance their degree can be incredibly challenging. At the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, a social impact‒focused fund managed by the Wharton Social Impact Initiative comes to the rescue. The John M. Bendheim Loan Forgiveness Fund for Public Service was created in 2005 by a 1940 graduate of the school, John Bendheim, and his son Tom, WG/Lauder ’90. The fund will grant up to $20,000 per year to pay down selected candidates’ student loans. Read more

Published: July 10, 2014

Fridays From the Frontline

Hello and welcome to Fridays from the Frontline, Clear Admit's weekly exhaustive enumeration of the enterprising entries in the b-school blogosphere. This week, current applicants are in full GMAT prep-mode, contemplating choice of schools and full versus part-time programs, while the Class of 2016 is looking forward to starting their MBA programs in just a few short weeks, and all the life and career changes that will bring. This week we also welcome blogger QuietTiger81, who is sharing his perspective as a second year student at Oxford. MBAonMyMind has added YaleSOM to the tally board, given the school's focus on social impact businesses, and with three weeks into GMAT prep, all is going according to plan. With a GMAT prep plan of his own, GrantMeAdmission is gaining on his 760 goal with three life hacks to help him stay focused and positive. GrantMeAdmission also takes some time to discuss the pros and cons of doing a part-time MBA, and why he chose to go the full-time route. Read more

Published: June 23, 2014

UPenn’s Wharton School to Host MBA Admissions Events in Europe, Africa, South America

Having just concluded a series of events in cities throughout Asia for prospective applicants interested in the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, the Admissions team is preparing now to host additional admissions events in Europe, Africa and South America. This week, members of the Admissions team will host events in Paris, London and Madrid, on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday respectively. Read more

Published: May 15, 2014

Harvard, Wharton, Stanford Release Class of 2017 Application Updates

Following the Round 3 notification details that went out to applicants to the Class of 2016 on Wednesday, Harvard Business School (HBS) Admissions Director Dee Leopold wasted no time in looking ahead to the application season for the Class of 2017. In a post to her Admissions Director Blog yesterday, she outlined what prospective applicants should expect in the year ahead. Not to be outdone, Stanford Graduate School of Business and the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School also released application updates this week. In her post, HBS's Leopold shared the optional “essay” question that applicants will encounter when they look at the application for the Class of 2017, unchanged from last year: Read more

Published: May 8, 2014

Fridays From the Frontline

Hello and welcome to Fridays From the Frontline, Clear Admit's weekly roundup of the ruminations of the b-school blogosphere. This week, several of our 2016 applicants weigh in with recommendations, from audio books to MBA programs, while current students take stock of the MBA experience, including the challenges and rewards of transitioning from the military to pursuing an MBA. MBATheNonProfitWay has made a resolution to switch her audio-book listening habit away from fiction to various business related books. The first selection, "The McKinsey Mind" did not fare so well in review. JourneyOfaGMATer took some time to share insights on the definition of 'problem', while Sarah'sMBAJourney hasn't given up on the idea of pursuing the MBA, and is now looking at a Cranfield MBA, although she does have some concerns and is open to other options as well. Read more

UPenn / Wharton

CLASS SIZE: 866

Women: 47%

MEAN GMAT: 732

MEAN GPA: 3.7

Livewire Decisionwire Interview Reports Essay Topic Analysis MBA Admissions Deadlines View Full Profile

MBA Applywire

November 14, 2024 6:29am ET

Applying: Berkeley / Haas, Columbia, Cornell / Johnson, Dartmouth / Tuck, Duke / Fuqua, Georgetown / McDonough, UVA / Darden

Intake Year: 2025

Pre-MBA Career: Consulting, Capital Project Development (Renewable Energy/CCS)

Post-MBA Target Industry: Investment Banking, Venture Capital, Private Equity, Commercial Banking, Family Business, Entrepreneurship

GMAT: 664

GPA: 2.9

Years of Work Experience: 7

Notes:

Pakistani male, looking to get into the financial services industry short term, and long-term make a significant contribution to the family business or pursue entrepreneurship. Studied engineering from UT Austin for undergrad followed by three jobs (roughly 2 years each) and a nine month break in between job 2 and 3. Planning to take the GMAT again in 3 weeks to offset GPA. Goal score is 695. Mitigating circumstances around GPA are just illness and general family/self issues but doubt they will be very convincing.

November 13, 2024 11:52am ET

Applying: Berkeley / Haas, Columbia, Dartmouth / Tuck, Georgetown / McDonough, Michigan / Ross, UNC Kenan-Flagler, USC / Marshall

Intake Year: 2025

Pre-MBA Career: Real Estate Development Analyst and Acquisitions Project Manager

Post-MBA Target Industry: Private Equity, Family Business, Entrepreneurship Companies: Other

GPA: 3.44

Years of Work Experience: 3

November 13, 2024 3:41am ET

Applying: Berkeley / Haas, Cambridge / Judge, Columbia, Duke / Fuqua, Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, Oxford / Saïd, Stanford GSB, U. Chicago Booth, UCLA Anderson, UPenn / Wharton, Yale SOM

Intake Year: 2025

Pre-MBA Career: Pharmaceutical

Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting, Pharmaceutical Companies: AT Kearney , Bain , BCG , McKinsey , Other , Amgen , Astra Zeneca , Johnson & Johnson , Merck , Novartis , Pfizer , Roche

GRE: 329

GPA: 3.1

Years of Work Experience: 4

Location: Tokyo

Post MBA Location: US

November 12, 2024 5:15pm ET

Applying: Columbia, Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, Stanford GSB, UPenn / Wharton

Intake Year: 2025

Pre-MBA Career: Investment Banking

Post-MBA Target Industry: Technology, Consumer Goods, Entrepreneurship Companies: Amazon , Google , IBM , Microsoft , 3M , Anheuser Busch InBev , LVMH , Mondelez

GPA: 3.6

Years of Work Experience: 2

Location: New York

Post MBA Location: New York

Notes:

I would like to attend a top business school to launch my career as a strong business leader. I am a senior dual major in Information Technology and Business Analytics. I'm involved in greek life at my school and also have founded and quickly grown my school's Finance Club. I will begin my career in investment banking but would like to gain admission to a deferred admission MBA track before I join the workforce.

November 12, 2024 3:30pm ET

Applying: Berkeley / Haas, Dartmouth / Tuck, IESE, Northwestern / Kellogg, U. Chicago Booth, Yale SOM

Intake Year: 2025

Pre-MBA Career: Financial services

Post-MBA Target Industry: Private Equity, Entrepreneurship Companies: Carlyle Group , TPG , KKR

GMAT: 645

GPA: 7/10

Years of Work Experience: 4

Location: Latam

Post MBA Location: USA

Notes:

I have been working in financial services for the past 5 years. I have been promoted in my current job (private credit).

I have been active in volunteering roles throughout my life, especially from grad school and then while working (blood drives, low income kids, and people with different abilities).

I am a father (and provider of my family) which has shaped and inspired my main post MBA goal which is to focus on early childhood development. Alternative is to continue in private markets.

Concerned about low GPA (7.4/10). Not mitigating circumstances; however, I have two bachelor degrees: one in math and one in finance (both heavily quantitative), and both from the top business school in my country.

I got a 645 in my first try at the GMAT FE; will take another shot to try and raise my score to 665-675.

Eager to hear about school selection (my top choices are Yale and Kellogg).

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MBA LiveWire

November 15, 2024 12:19am ET

Waitlisted at NYU Stern

Round: Round 1

Received via portal November 14, 2024

GPA: 3.85

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: Finance

Application Location: Southeast Asia

November 14, 2024 11:52pm ET

Waitlisted at NYU Stern

Round: Round 1

Received via portal November 14, 2024

GRE: 331

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: Healthcare

Note:

Waitlisted after interview

November 14, 2024 10:03pm ET

Accepted to NYU Stern

Round: Round 1

Received via phone November 14, 2024

Program Type: One Year Program

Target Career: Technology

Application Location: United States

November 14, 2024 9:12pm ET

Accepted to NYU Stern

Round: Round 1

Received via phone November 14, 2024

GPA: 3.98

GMAT: 740

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Note:

Interview - 10/15, offer via phone call - 11/14, official offer expected 11/15 on portal

November 14, 2024 8:01pm ET

Rejected at NYU Stern

Round: Round 1

Received via portal November 14, 2024

GPA: 3.52

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: Non Profit / Social Impact

Application Location: Southeast Asia

Note:

rejected with no interview invite

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