ke18sb wrote:
I think the above posters that state "its wharton of course you will do fine" aren't really thinking about the situation in its entirety. When you are applying for jobs you are competing against your peers, who will on average have 2-3 years of additional experience on you. Think, if you were an employer and there are two applicants, obviously both at wharton, one of which has 2 years experience the other 4 or 5, who would you choose. The argument of quality over quantity does hold because this is wharton after all, everyone has quality.
You are obviously a smart guy/gal and you won't be unemployable you just won't be as competitive as the majority of your peers for positions that you will most likely be applying. So you will get a job but it might not be your dream job.
At the end of the day either decision you make you will be fine but I think 1-2 more years of experience will put you in a better position to get the most out of bschool as your career goals will be more refined. You will also have 2 more years of salary and savings which is always nice. Also, the argument that you got in once but not again doesn't really hold as your gpa and gmats are rock solid and your work experience is only gonna get better.
What you should really do it ask yourself what you want and why you want to go to school. If it doesn't make sense don't go. You are still super young and have tons of potential. Mainly, don't let fear dictate your decision making process.
Asking him to wait 1-2 years is wrong. A bird in hand is worth 2 in the bush, he may never get into Wharton again. And as I said,..you're assuming that more work experience = better candidate. WRONG. IBs prefer younger folks. And when you get into Wharton,...at that point interview skills will trump work experience. They're not hiring you based on what you've done,...they're hiring you on your potential.