Wharton 2012 - Calling All Applicants

thanks xerox, good advice. Since resume is supposed to a comprehensive brief view of one's best successes, there may be some repeat in essays and resume.

- Are application fields known to be less important in college admissions?
- Can't find if school asks for certain resume margin/font? (mine is 0.5" and font size 9.5).
- My recommender is asking me if he should mention a soft (which can be a strength sometimes) or real/major weakness in a rec question...

thanks

I did a mock application workshop at Wharton last week and Tiffany Gooden addressed this. The weakness should be real. Adcoms can smell a strength disguised as a "weakness" from a mile away. When I prepped my recommender I asked them to think of a weakness that an MBA could help me develop. But the whole "Johnny's weakness is that he gives too much too his job" BS won't fly and actually doesn't look good at all.

This is good advice, thanks! Is this relating to the recommender question about feedback? My boss wrote about a knowledge based issue (asking me to learn more about the industry I was covering as part of my equity research job) and how I stepped up to the plate accordingly. Something that you did in the past that you have since corrected could be a good story to tell, as it shows not only what a potential weakness/area for growth is, but also how you responded to it (ie did you correct the problem, did you ignore the problem, did you internalize it or were you vocal about it, etc etc)

I have a question for all Wharton folks..

1) What are the kind of roles do technology firms come for in Wharton...for someone who wants to be in product management - manage end to end product lifecycle, map market requirements into product design etc.
2) All schools have leadership programs. If I were to ask a Wharton alumnus/na/current student - what was that one thing that really taught you (practically) or made you realize what real leadership was - what would the reply be.

Thanks in advance!

Continuing the previous post, I would also like to know if Wharton has an official band? If yes, what is the name of the band? What are the activities they carry out, what songs/genre they play...sry if the questions are too specific.

Thanks

I believe that there is a Wharton ambassadors forum. Also if you go to Wharton's website you will find Student Ambassadors. They make themselves available to prospective students and answer all of these types of questions. Hope that helps.

Hope everyone's getting their apps wrapped up with as little stress as possible. Wanted to stop in here and post and see if I could help out at all. Tis forum was really helpful for me last year and wanted to see if I could help any of you who are over stressed

1. All major firms come: Apple, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Yahoo, GM, GE, etc. If you are interested in entering a particular company, but it does not necessarily recruit at Wharton, chances are there are alums or classmates that can help make a connection.

2. For me personally Wharton Leadership Venture to Patagonia was a defining experience: that week at the end of the Earth gave me enough food for thought and self reflection to regularly revisit and rethink all of it. For the first time in my life was I able to observe and experience a dozen different leadership styles in a span of a week, and compare myself to others, hear a candid feedback of my strengths and weaknesses from some of the most insightful people I have met in life.

The Wharton approach is to put everyone on an equal playing field initially (stones, mud, sweat, wind, beautiful nature and a very heavy backpack), give the same opportunities to everyone that way, so that everything that matters is one's ability to lead. Your past accomplishments and current ambitions mean pretty much nothing--they are left in the other unrelated world--so personalities are stripped bare of much of the usual masquerade, and people are seen as if through a magnifying glass. It is exclusively about people.

This is a very rich experience with a multitude of facets and intricate paths; it is difficult to replicate in a corporate setting, which makes it ever so valuable a business school exercise. It won't make you a better leader immediately, but you will feel its impact with time. I think, the goal of the LVs is to give you a very clear understanding of your leadership style, give you a good chance to test your limits, and get you into the mode of continuous self reflection--powerful, impactful stuff.

It is a smart idea to stress certain things in different parts of the application. If you are strategic about using the application tools at your disposal, it could be quite a strong approach.


Some parts may bear more weight than others.


At Wharton font is usually Times New Roman, 11pt or 10pt; only your name on top in all caps 14pt. Margins 0.5" are fine.

What is your strategy? Are you describing a major weakness elsewhere? Then maybe a small one would be a better choice for your recommender's deliberations.

This is where it helps to have a clear plan.
It could be something like this:
a) Goal: my goal is to show my personality and development though my weaknesses.
b) Here's a list of weaknesses that define me: 1, 2, 3.
c) I'll effectively achieve my goal if I talk about my weakness 1 in Essay 2, mitigate my weakness 3 by scoring 730 on GMAT, and have my supervisor enthusiastically explain how I deal with my weakness 2.

There is an annual "Battle of The Bands": a bunch of Wharton bands compete live: this could be any music or style, but usually rock.

Wharton Follies always have a live band.

for reapplicants, what do you guys think about using an example mentioned in the interview last year for an essay topic this year? would that be frowned upon?

Sure, why not? Certainly you can't expect every single one of your answers to be different (especially questions about your history, like "Why did you choose your undergrad for college?" or "Tell me an important accomplishment from your past job.").

The important thing is that people don't remember what you said per se, but they really only remember how you made them feel. Consider the reactions your interviewers had to some of your answers, and think about how to either use a different examples, or rephrase them in a more impactful way.

Appreciate the detailed response..thanks!!

Just submitted...feels...anxious and a little bit worried about my LORs

The GMATClub Wharton School guide penn-wharton-103701.html
I see there are 6 recommendation questions mentioned on this link..however..
1) There are only 5 questions mentioned on the Wharton Application Instructions
2) I verified this with my recommender and it seems there ARE ONLY 5 questions..there is no 'when did applicant not meet expectations and how did he handle the setback' question...

Am I doing something wrong here?? Thats scary..I don't want my recommender to miss any question (for very obvious reasons)

One of my recommenders is running late and it might be Tuesday before he submits it. How lenient are schools with recommenders? or does it have to be in by 5PM eastern time?

thanks

Hey, I am a first year Wharton student with a technology background, and I can address your questions:

1. Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Apple, and Facebook recruit from Wharton for positions such as New Business Development and Product Management (though Product Management for a tech firm requires a programming/engineering background in many cases). There are also more traditional positions within those firms relating to general management and finance.

2. Wharton is very leadership-oriented (note: make sure that you talk about your leadership development/potential in your essays, if you choose to apply). Some of the most impressive leadership programs at Wharton are called Leadership Ventures, where you and a team of other Wharton students travel on an expedition to a place with an unpredictable environment (i.e. Cotopaxi, Quantico Military Simulation, Antarctica, Kilimanjaro... etc.). The trip and the challenge itself is of course a metaphor - you actually get 360 leadership and teamwork coaching throughout the experience. In addition to Leadership Ventures, you have the opportunity to lead business and industry conferences that take place every year - they are run entirely by students and there is a variety of positions that can be valuable to your career and learning. Finally, Wharton has a wide variety of clubs, where you can be a club officer as early as September of your first year. If you're not quite sure where to start, you can always talk to Leadership and Career Fellows, second year students who can guide you through your first year.

Although I cannot answer your question regarding "what made me realize what real leadership was," I am confident the myriad of opportunities that Wharton offers will allow me to grow. Even if you feel that you're not the best speaker or motivator, the atmosphere here is contagious! You will find yourself wanting to do everything!

Good luck with your MBA program search,
Chase