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(4.7) |
Wharton allows you the flexibility to create an experience that best suits you and your goals. The scale of the school means there is always someone interested in what you are interesting in pursuing - be it networking, career, or academic. The school helps greatly with recruiting, but nothing rivals the quality of the clubs and second year students that are more than happy to help you reach your personal goals. The student body is diverse in backgrounds, and the perspective gained from learning in this type of environment is huge. It is important to also note how stron student life is at wharton and how student life programs help create a cohesive student body which fosters an extremely exciting and comfortable learning and networking environment.
Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
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Specialization in a particular area (e.g. Finance, Consulting, Healthcare, etc)
I applied with a consulting background and a liberal arts undergrad degree. While living in Philly after growing up in California wasnt the best (hello snow!), it was a great college town and the MBA program is really a little bubble within the city, both on campus and where students typically live. The school has an amazing alumni and career management support system, and their healthcare program is top notch. And dont discount brand - everywhere in the world, people know what Wharton is.
Through the program, I was able to land a job at a bulge bracket investment bank fairly easily, so I would say this school is a safe bet if that is the field you are interested in. Finally, the people you will meet are the most smart, well-grounded people EVER. If you go, get ready for 2 years of fun and hard work, both in class and outside of class!
Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
Schools contribution (5.0)
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There are many things that can be said about Wharton, but the full time MBA program has far exceeded my expectations. My classmates are collegial and supportive, the professors are world class and leaders in their industry, and the amount of career opportunities I've been exposed to is staggering. I was really on the fence between Wharton and another program and would go back and make the same decision again in a heartbeat if I could. Could not be happier with my decision.
The two biggest perks of the program, in my experience, are the student body and the alumni. My classmates have worked in nearly every country on Earth, at nearly every company you could think of, and in an incredibly wide range of roles. If I want to learn more about the McKinsey office in Moscow, I can grab lunch with someone who spent 2 years there tomorrow. If I'm curious about working in a fintech startup in San Francisco, I can grab coffee with someone that was employee #3 at one later today. If I want to know the gritty details about working at Goldman TMT in NYC, I can bump into a person that did that between classes. I didn't fully understand how valuable that level of connection would be until I got here and was able to take advantage of it before the waves of recruiting hit during my first year.
The alumni support has been very impressive. Coming into school, I knew I wanted to work in a certain industry in a certain geographic area, so I started reaching out to alumni from both schools I was considering to get a feel of the strength of each network. The Wharton alumni far and away were the most responsive and receptive to me and several of them went beyond the extra mile to meet or chat with me during my decision process. Since I've been a student, that aspect has only improved. I may be an anomaly, but I've had a hit rate of 100% when it comes to returned emails, phone calls, or coffee / lunch invitations from alumni. I know the burden will be on me someday to repay the favor to the next set of students, but I cannot overstate how strong and open the Wharton network has been for me thus far.
I thought the competition between students would be extremely cutthroat based on what I heard from some of the older alumni at my pre-MBA firm, but that hasn't been true at all. All of my classmates are extremely helpful and there isn't this "I win if I can make you lose" mentality like I was expecting. I think the TBD interview style really works to wash out the gunners before they get to campus.
The amount of electives and flexibility you have within the degree programs thanks to the short fixed core classes program is really fantastic. You can get as deep or as broad as you want in any subject and I've really taken advantage of it by using the course catalogue as a shopping menu for classes that I think sound interesting outside my chosen field of study.
WAY more tech firms and start ups recruit at Wharton than I thought would when I was applying. I come from a finance background and plan to continue in the investment field after school, but I've been pleasantly surprised at the amount of opportunity that exists beyond the typical financial roles. The school has a finance reputation for a reason, but there is a big push from the leadership to expand entrepreneurship and tech stuff and it's really starting to show when you look at the post-MBA jobs a lot of people are taking.
Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
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How Wharton describes itself during admissions events is very similar to the experience: big brand, large student body, diversity of classes, and diversity of classmates. There are so many positives that the admissions office does a great job of describing, so here's a list of negatives:
1) School is tough. First semester you are in intro finance, econ, etc. with students who worked in finance, econ, etc. so you're not going to get an A. Face it. Many, many classmates struggle to adapt to this realization and it ruins their classroom experience as a result because they're just bitter all the time. You should know what you're signing up for.
2) Social dynamics are surprising. You have the foreign students, 80% of whom always hang out with other foreign students (likely from their country). They're able to do this because there are 80 students from China, 10 from Japan, etc. At a smaller program (Tuck, Haas) these students probably can't hide among those similar to them so this wouldn't be the case. On the non-foreign students side you have a few different groups that are mostly similar to high school except many people derive their self-worth from their pre-MBA job instead of their athletic ability.
3) They don't tell you this in August during pre-term, or at least not enough, but everything you could possibly participate in from a leadership perspective you have to sign up (see: tryout) for from Sept-Nov, so you should really know what you want to do during school before class even starts.
The core curriculum is interesting but mostly irrelevant. First-year students should try to test out of as many core classes as possible.
Banking - you can work anywhere. ~90 students are recruiting for this
Consulting - not as prevalent as consulting and much more competitive. ~200+ students trying for this
Big tech (Amazon, Microsoft, etc.) - Wharton is well established but the roles themselves didn't seem too appealing. Check Linkedin to see where students go
Overall BSchool experience (4.0)
Schools contribution (3.0)
Classmates rating (4.0)
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Social dynamic - people hang out with similar peop
Wharton has been a great experience, but it has been more difficult than I had expected. There is definite truth when they say that you will have no free time, since classes, clubs, social activities and recruiting take up so much take.
The people are honestly some of the best people I have met - everyone is approachable and willing to help you out, no one sabotages anyone, etc.
Wharton also has a lot more to offer than finance - in fact, I think that more students go into consulting and tech than into finance.
The only complaint I have is that it is too far from where all the students live (or maybe that was our own fault).
To future applicants I would suggest visiting the school and talking to students to really learn what they think, the students are honest and won't sugar coat anything . Really learn what differentiates Wharton.
Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
Schools contribution (4.0)
Classmates rating (4.0)
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Wharton has not exceeded my expectations as many told me it would, but it has provided a solid business school experience thus far. I have already met what I know will be lifelong friends - with such a large class, you are bound to meet people on your level. One major hurdle I think the school needs to overcome is its struggle to define its core differentiator. Recently, Wharton has attempted to brand itself away from its typical finance image, but it seems to result in a lack of confidence on the part of the administration. I hope the Dean is able to execute on a clear strategy moving forward to make the business school experience more seamless and enjoyable for us full-time MBA's.
Overall BSchool experience (4.0)
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I applied to business school with a 2-3 primary goals in mind: to broadly meet, at a deep level, many highly motivated individuals with backgrounds far different from mine, to secure a job in the niche investment management industry, and to learn some hard skills that my liberal arts undergrad experience could not provide.
Wharton has delivered, beyond expectations, on all three of these primary goals. With 800+ students in each class, it is very easy to find someone who has experience in x, y, or z. On the second point, I have found that the majority of major investment management firms only recruit at 2-4 business schools; fortunately, Wharton is typically in that group. And the broad range of classes offered at Wharton has easily satiated my desire to learn.
For me, I have no regrets on the decision to return to business school - specifically to Wharton. For others, I would suggest that you think long and hard about the career you want after business school, and the target schools based on those that are best situated to launch you into that career.
Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
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Helped me pivot careers. Exposed me to many new perspectives, people, and places. Gave me great leadership experiences in student groups. Provided ample time for career reflection and learning. A very fun and social place! Not the best place for academics overall. Can be overwhelming at times with its large size, however the large size is ultimately beneficial because you meet more people and have a larger alumni network. Philadelphia is an underrated city and a great place for business school. Easy access to the east coast cities and international destinations. Great and affordable restaurants. Highly recommend Wharton to interested applicants!
Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
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Great school, great classmates. I'm glad to be here and have been really enjoying the classes and classmates. Even with the nature of B-school, which is being competitive, people really do go out of their way to help you and provide resources. Especially the help from 2Ys.
It is overwhelming at first but I'm sure it's the same with other schools. However, Wharton people really know how to party and enjoying life in general. Tons of social events and treks (both professional and for fun) during Labor Day weekend, Thanksgiving, Winter and Spring Break. Overall a great place to spend your two years as a student again.
Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
Schools contribution (5.0)
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Wharton has met every need, goal, and expectation. The student body is extremely diverse, the course opportunities are plentiful, and the alumni network is strong. Having a large student body has been one of the beneficial aspects as you are in classes and clubs with people of all different backgrounds. The opportunity to learn from all of them has been extremely rewarding. I have also thoroughly impressed by the quality of speakers that are brought in to speak with Wharton students. The career services department is extremely helpful and focused on finding you the best job possible. Wouldn't change anything.
Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
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Admissions Team
