Wharton: Calling all applicants - Class of 2016!

Hey Physics -

At risk of getting slammed again as we did in the Harvard thread yesterday here's some help:

First: There's no one way to do it, and we don't want to sound like we're prescribing a formula. But there's definitely some easier ways to frame it out, and you're thinking about things the right way.

1) Go more with your option 2. Wharton definitely wants to see a good discussion of literally what your goals are, with a focus on the short-term (immediate post-MBA) goal first and foremost. A mention and brief explanation of long-term goal can also be good, but be careful about going too long term since that can often make the goals seem unattainable or unbelievable. Keep things very practical and feasible, given your actual background. Then, talk about both what you bring to the table - a quick mention of what you have done that shows you're ready - not just as summary of your resume but some specific experience or achievement that shows you're qualified. And the remainder on "why Wharton" with the angles that you described. The details you had on analyst at DB are awesome, definitely keep that.

It's tough to fit all of that into such a tight space but it's important to cover all of those aspects.

2) EVERYTHING that you mentioned is fair game in answering this question. There's even some other areas that could be explored as well. Participating in a club may not feel "academic" but it's all part of the Wharton educational experience, so it qualifies. Don't neglect the first interpretation you've offered though; sometimes people talk only about the clubs etc. and they forget the classroom bit.

You've got more in this one question than we sometimes see in people's first drafts, so you're headed in the right direction, for sure. To some extent, we can tell you not to overthink it - go with your instincts. As we said above, there's not just one right answer. You're analyzing things really well - go with it and see how it starts to shape up for you.

Hope that helps!
EssaySnark