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“Wharton students are smart. You can certainly have an intelligent discussion on any topic. I met a doctor from India and an army officer from Israel (among few others from traditional background). Doctor is aiming for consulting and Israeli is working on his start up. Both were down to earth and were honest in their responses. But the few from banking were not so friendly and arrogant. I think in general TBD is weeding out smart a**holes so we may see a shift in overall attitude of school in the coming years.” - KaptainK
“One thing to pay attention to is the "role" that you'll have in the group dynamics within the TBD. Think of times that you've worked in teams and the usual role that you play (ie. facilitator, time keeper, etc.). Take some time to understand this and just try to mimic that in a productive way during the TBD. Keep it natural, Wharton isn't looking for people to be someone they're not (it would be uncomfortable for you anyways). The TBD goes by really fast and is relatively low stress.” - rapidt
Thought I'd share the key takeaways from my Wharton research.
- Academic strong points: finance faculty is world class, also strong in marketing; recently more focus on social impact - Much more technically oriented than its peers: technical expertise and analytical rigour; offers deep vertical learnings, e.g. could become a valuation expert in emerging markets [I mentioned emerging markets as an area of interest] - Work in groups “like there is no tomorrow”: fares high with employers who value teamwork; need to work well and thrive in this environment - Typical student is collaborative, curious and engaged - Catalyse → Create → Connect - More commercial with its admissions criteria – want to look at professional history/growth - Want students able to bring unique personal qualities and past successes to the programme - Potential for growth an important factor - Student run school – everyone is asked to contribute
This is from discussions with adcoms, professors, support staff, current students, alums and admission consultants. It is not complete, I may have put my own spin on things (linked to my specific interests) and some stuff may well have changed, but I'm hoping to spark a bit of debate and hopefully help your applications too. - TopDogMBA
I want to share my application journey and hopefully, this would be useful to other applicants. Background: Indian male, 26 years, Delhi University, work exp of ~5 yrs at top 3 management consulting firm, a few months of social sector experience in Africa Results: Admitted to Wharton (with $40K), Kellogg & INSEAD. Withdrew application after interview from London Business School and Chicago Booth. Decline from HBS/Stanford Decision: Joining INSEAD in Jan 2015 (yes, it was VERY, VERY difficult to decline Wharton but I believe INSEAD is a better fit for me)
Application strategy: 1. Highlighting differentiating factors among the competitive Indian male category: international work experience, social sector experience, non-IT background 2. Spent a solid time researching unique aspects of each school and relevance to my career goals 3. Focused on keeping my profile "interesting": e.g not just focusing on work exp, career goals but also some hobbies, travel experience etc. 4. Provided very specific examples to highlight my skills, not high-level/generic comments 5. My academics and undergrad were not super impressive (and not from IIT), so I made it up with decent GMAT score (760)
So yeah, after ~22 essays, 6 interviews, and some time since the madness is over (applied in Round 2 of last year), I'm here to help you out with any questions. In addition, I'm also planning to hold a webinar to answer any specific queries. Please PM me if interested. If we have enough people, that may be a more effective "Ask me anything" format.
Note that I also posted this on the "Share your application journey" forum but thought of posting it here as well, since it's relevant for Wharton folks. Hope this is within the guideline of GMATClub (I'm pretty new here) - abhisheksahay
Visited Wharton today. Here is my brief description of the visit:
1. class: It was boring. Most people are on their phones or laptop doing random things. One of the students said they do have 50% classes that are case based. Darden class was relatively very interesting due to lively case discussion. That said, I am not applying to b-school for a class.
2. Campus & Location: Campus is beautiful! Looks like students (especially aiming at IB/wall street) do make frequent trips to NYC - 2 hr ride. All students live in 2x2 block area in rittenhouse square area. This area is expensive (my opinion) but all of them live there. 25 min walk or quick cab ride. One tour guide quipped that most students take cab. I also learned that Wharton bought space on 2401 walnut for students (kind of lounge w/ vending machines). Its mid way between campus and rittenhouse area. Thats good because one of the students said they only come to campus may be 4-5 times a week. Definitely not on weekends. Most of the recruiting (PE/VC/Fin/consulting/IB) happens in downtown four seasons. So from rittenhouse downtown is quick cab ride.
3. Recruiting: Every student I met was confident that they can get the job they want. Mature recruiting (consulting/IB) happens in Oct to Jan. Apparently no company is allowed on campus before term 1 which is ending this week. Lot of people seems to have utilized alumni in their job search with positive results. - KaptainK
They are smart. You can certainly have an intelligent discussion on any topic. I met a doctor from India and an army officer from Israel (among few others from traditional background). Doctor is aiming for consulting and Israeli is working on his start up. Both were down to earth and were honest in their responses. But the few from banking were not so friendly and arrogant. I think in general TBD is weeding out smart a**holes so we may see a shift in overall attitude of school in the coming years.
I sat in two classes: Services Operations (topic was Harrah's revenue model) and Financing early stage healthcare companies. My comment about class is relative to Darden class. There was tons of finance and banking guys in each class. Especially in healthcare class only finance/VC guys were talking while others were disengaged (one girl was sleeping too). Class environment is the last criteria for me to choose a school to apply to.
Coming to recruiting, all firms you can think of for consulting and IB. No interesting conversations about the what they are going to do except that Israeli guy working on his start up. I chatted with him a little bit to understand what kind of resources and support he is getting from school and alumni. He is certainly meeting few VCs from bay area who were alumni. So thats a huge plus to have that kind of access to VCs. - KaptainK
I was at wharton last week of Sept for a class visit. I attended this information session where a member from the adcom told the gathering that there will be a team based interview followed by a ten min one-on-one discussion with the interviewer/panel . He did not call this discussion a " second interview" but a mere follow-up dialogue to answer any questions candidates may have for the adcom. They may also use this discussion to provide the candidate with an opportunity to describe how they felt about the team based interview or anything that they wanted to say but could not during the interview . Basically on lines of the HBS post interview essay. Having said that , I wouldn't quote me on this until y'all see anyofficial communication. Just sharing what I know, - EndGame
I was admitted to Wharton / Lauder last year (LatAm, consulting) so maybe sharing a bit of my experience with the interview process can help someone out there. Assuming the process hasn't changed...interview was with an admission's officer.
Group dynamics: very hard to tell what really matters. I, for instance, made a huge dumb mistake during mine (literally said something that made no sense at the time, but quickly came back saying nevermind, it doesn't make sense, back to previous point) and it all worked out. I do think that you should try and "embody" a role play, be it the leader, the conciliator, the challenger, etc. Take a stance instead of being lost and going with the flow. Don't show off, it's not necessary. Be yourself on how you behave and push yourself to take a stance on the topic being discussed. In my group, "the leader" was admitted, the challenger wasn't and the conciliator was. That was not the case for other groups so...hard to tell.
Blind interview: DONT FORGET YOUR RESUME. Or you'll find yourself begging for the recepcionist to find a printer before you're called back to interview. It was literally 5 minutes and two questions: "do you think you were yourselve in the interview and why?" and "tell me anything you want me to know about you". So (i) good to be yourself so you can defend how you behaved in the group dynamics and (ii) I suggest you have a good elevator speech mixing your (QUICK) story recap with the 5-7 things you want to leave an impression on. It's really a monologue so it's good not to sound boring, pedantic, etc and also to flow a logic storyline. It's 5 minutes to make a (sticky!) good impression. Practicing may help. In my case, I spoke about my life trajectory and how it connects to my professional goals finishing with a "why" I thought Wharton was the place to go given everything.
Lauder was such an easygoing nice interview with a current student. We spoke about international experience, passions, a few classic "tell me a situation..." questions, but that was it. It was more of a conversation that anything else.
I applied last year to wharton, was interviewed, waitlisted and eventually didnt make it. Got an interview again this year and hope to make it in this time. Any body else interviewing on Wed Nov 12 in the afternoon? Happy to link up in advance. Heres the mistake most people make so please dont make the following:
1) Dont be that guy that talks a lot. If you see that one or two people hogging the discussion, they are not getting in 2) Dont be that person either who doesnt contribute. the trick is finding the balance 3) Rather than think about getting admitted as an individual, think of the team. Generally, teams get admitted, so its less of you competing with others in your team and more of your team competing with other teams. The last point is crucial - its very important all of us approach this as a team based discussion - aapplicant
I think the on campus interviews are with Admissions Fellows (it sounds like yours was done off campus in that case?). I went to Philly and met the Admissions Fellows instead.
It shouldn't make a difference but I always think the dynamic is a bit different between a "professional" admissions director and, essentially, a current student.
Off campus indeed. No idea on the difference to actual students...good point. I assume everyone is well trained, as much as possible, to level interpretation.
Arriving early to interact with the group is also a good tip to connect with potential classmates and build some sort of connection, but, honestly, you're only going to see their behavior when the real deal starts. Consulting-wise (pls no prejudice, just common beliefs!), if it's a Mck or a BCG guy, you can kind of tell how they're likely to behave, but it's still a guess and I wouldn't count on it to build a strategy 15 minutes before the TBD. Know the topic, know your position, have your set of arguments and then dive in open to whatever outcome just making sure you take a stance. To be more clear, my TBD involved a new class for Wharton and one of the pillar was social innovation I think. So I brought my NGO experience and point of view. Another guy brought social entrepreneurship ...and etc. In the end, instead of the best individual suggestion, the group proposition was a mix of everyone's idea.
I def agree no one will rip you, after all, we're all grown ups who know are being assessed on behavior. It's almost too fake it you frankly ask me. Everyone strives to be so polite to make sure they're not cut off. But it's part of the deal. I REALLY believe you should be as close to your natural self as possible...but that's just me.
On the one-on-one, many people take it for granted and forget to prepare eventually getting caught off-guard without structured, well thought answers. Don't do that. One-on-one matters as well as the TBD.
Preparing for Wharton Interviews for the Class of 2017
In this post, I discuss how to prepare for Wharton Interviews for fall 2015 entry. My post on Wharton’s essays for the Class of 2017, can be found here.
There are two parts to the Wharton interview, the team-based interview and one-to-one interview. Each part can be prepared for. I am assuming anyone who is reading this post has actually been invited for a Wharton interview and has reviewed the official information regarding it. TEAM-BASED DISCUSSION
I will not disclose the contents of the specific team-based question that Wharton has asked interviewees to prepare. I do know the question and it surprised me that was quite similar to one asked last year for R1. I do provide analysis of the TBD discussion question to my own clients, but will not do that here.
Here are some basic group interview strategies to keep in mind:
1. Be someone who makes clear and effective points in the conversation, but does not dominate the conversation.
2. Don’t be rude to others. Rude jerks are the easiest people to get rid of when evaluating participants in a team based discussion. Stanford Professor Bob Sutton’s No Asshole Rule surely applies here: CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT IF YOU ARE AN ASSHOLE.
3. Listen closely enough to others in order to say something that builds on or reacts against what other people are saying. Refer to what others are saying in order to build consensus. Clients who were dinged last year after interview from Wharton frequently told me that they did not listen enough to others. Those that did seemed to have a better outcome.
4. Try to provide constructive communication that moves the discussion forward to a positive conclusion. Make an effort to include others in the conversation.
5. Don’t be afraid to make a less than perfect point. If you were about being perfect, you will never get enough speaking time and perceived as shy and ineffective in team situations. That will get you dinged.
6. Synthesize and summarize the team’s conversation in order to move the conversation forward.
7. Use hedging language and other forms of consensus building language. Try to avoid being dismissive of the views of others.
8. If you are having difficulty understanding someone because of their accent or because of your poor English listening skills, still engage in non-verbal demonstrations that you understand what they are saying. Non-verbal communication will surely be observed, so if you look confused or frustrated that could be used against you.
9. Smile and show eye contact with other people.
10. Make sure that you don’t slouch in your seat, but are sitting tall and look like a positive and engaged person.
11. Be willing to serve as the group in a functional role: timekeeper, notetaker, or facilitator. Making a contribution is of bottom line importance.
SHORT INDIVIDUAL DISCUSSION (ONE-TO-ONE POST TEAM-BASED DISCUSSION INTERVIEW)
Based on what my clients reported to me and the public reports on Clear Admit for the interviews for 2013 and 2014 entry, the 15-minute one-to-one interview is likely to consist of 4-6 questions, which I have divided into the following two categories. I will obviously modify this section if the content changes once 2014 entry reports become public.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TEAM BASED INTERVIEW
It appears that all applicants were asked both of the questions below. Be prepared to provide your feedback on the team-based interview. Assume that this is a test of your self-awareness of group dynamics, an opportunity to explain the role you took in the group, and a chance, hopefully to correct any misperceptions of yourself on the part of the interviewer.
1) How do you think the team-based interview went?
2) Was your behaviour typical of how you work in a team? / Was your behavior in the Team-Based Discussion representative of the way you typically act in group settings?
How I prepare my clients for this part of the interview: I can’t really do that because it is based on what actually happened in the interview. The only thing I can do is make sure that my client realizes that they will be asked such questions and that they should be mindful of the role that they performed in the group. For example, if the interviewer perceives you, as say, overly reserved or overly aggressive, you need to be ready to discuss that issue.
TYPICAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS (Assume 2-4 such questions)
For a more extensive list of Wharton 1-to-1 interview questions, see this post.
This is the standard part of the interview. If you are doing more standard interviews, it will be easy to prepare for this part. For advice on more standard interviews, please see my MBA Application Interview Strategy. I highly recommend reviewing your resume and Wharton essays as part of your preparation. You should surely be able to explain why Wharton in particular is the ideal place for you to study. You should have 1-2 questions available. If you are interviewing off-campus, you should have questions ready for an admissions officer. If you are interviewing on-campus, you had better be prepared to have questions ready for both an admissions offer and a 2nd year student.
Do you want to highlight anything in your application?
Introduce yourself
Discuss your career progress
Tell me about a time when you worked in a group in which everyone did not agree and how did your team resolve the situation?
What is your post-MBA goal?
Why MBA?
Why Wharton?
Do you have any questions for me?
Anything you want to add?
How I prepare my clients for the individual interview: I would typically ask my clients these questions in a mock interview. It would not be completely realistic because I would go over all the above questions just to make sure that my client was covered for all the above topics. If we were preparing for more standard interviews (Booth, Columbia, Kellogg, Haas, etc.), it might not really be necessary to go over this part of the interview for Wharton. For more about my interview services, please see https://www.adammarkus.com/services/.
All done with the Wharton TBD! Feels great to be done with the process. Let the waiting game commence.
Some thoughts on the TBD (take these with a grain of salt, given that I have not received any feedback on my performance): - Don't spend too much time preparing - I actually found it nice to be in a position of exploring a teammate's proposal rather than my own - Ask probing questions, but don't put too much pressure on receiving a detailed response - in theory there will be relatively minimal subject expertise around the room - Be sure to always get the group moving towards an end-goal - don't get lost in trivial debates about logistics, etc. You need a proposal at the end of the day that passes a logic test, but it doesn't need to be perfect. If you see your team going down a road that is not going to directly impact the "deliverable," say something and get the team back on track (be polite about it though) - There is the potential to witness a fellow applicant "bombing" the TBD, either by lack of or ineffective participation - use this an opportunity to showcase your ability to politely get people involved. NB: There is a fine line between involving everyone and putting someone on the spot - don't do the latter. - ConsultingtoVCMBA
For those who have finished the TBD, how did you think it went and how much impact do you think it will have on the overall decision? I had mine last week. Overall, I walked away feeling that it went well. The more I thought about it though, there wasn't anyone in my group I thought didn't do well. Did anyone have an experience where there was someone in the group who made a fatal flaw mistake? Are they really looking that closely at each person's responses or are they just using the TBD to weed people out who are clearly uncomfortable working in groups?
My gut feeling is that the TBD is mainly a pass/fail event meaning as long as you aren't too much of a d-bag or too quiet you get a check. After that I think they just re-read the rest of the app and then make a final decision. I don't think it could carry the same weight as an HBS interview or even a Booth, Tuck, etc.
My TBD experience was interesting to say the least. We had two students that really right out of the gun took over the conversation and at every pause in the conversation one of them interjected what seemed to me to be very scripted and prepared questions or comments. I had a hard time getting into the conversation but in the end made a few key suggestions on the scope of our pitch and also on keeping us on time and ready to pitch at the end. When I did my one-on-one I praised the group for accomplishing our goal, but said that I was quieter than normal just because of the dynamics of the group. Not sure, that might hurt me but honestly given the circumstances I don't know what else I could have done without being rude.
I got the same sense. My group had 6 kids and I'd say 5 of us demonstrated capabilities that would have checked the box for the TBD session. Some were content drivers, others were time keepers, note keepers and summarizers, and others kept the conversation moving by asking the right questions. Not sure that any of these "roles" are better than the others, but I can say that there is no way 5/6 of us are getting in to Wharton. For those who have not gone yet, don't worry about the interview. Easier said than done, but BE YOURSELF. If you are, the TBD section will just be like any conversation with peers, and the 10-minute post-interview section will be over before you get to ask all of the questions you prepared - ConsultingtoVCMBA
Hi. Thought I'd share my interview report in case it helps you. I opted to do my Team-Based Discussion (TBD) and interview in London with a member of the Admissions office.
It was a benefit to have been through the same process last year so I knew what to expect. And, my group being European instead of American meant that I felt more comfortable in my skin. The TBD on campus was definitely more intense and aggressive ...or maybe I was just a lot more nervous last time.
My team consisted of four other applicants (five of us in total, two male, three female). It was a diverse group which I tried to inspire with enthusiasm and drive - the chemistry was OK but not amazing. I was first to give my introduction and suggestion for a project. I spent 1-2 hours preparing this, but mainly so I had a lot of data to back it up in case everyone liked my idea.
Everyone had clearly spent more than an hour researching their introduction and it took a while to flesh out a workable idea. We chose to pursue another person's idea which meant the discussion quickly moved away from my chosen topic, so it was good not to be too attached to it.
The conversation moved naturally and politely from person to person. I was conscious that I should not be too silent or too vocal, but it never felt strained to jump in with an idea, some data point relevant to the discussion or even just to say "that's a great idea, X".
As more than one person was keeping time and also reminding the team of the main deliverables, I chose to step up once or twice to give a recap of the situation and prioritise our next steps. Consequently, we ended up with a detailed conclusion which I presented on the whiteboard (there was a lot of flexibility on how to present our idea).
The Admissions Director was a lot more strict with time than when I interviewed on campus. Furthermore, my previous experience didn't involve a formal presentation of our conclusion, whereas it was required this time around.
My main tips are to be prepared for your introduction, and have a lot of data about the prompt so you can throw in facts and figures to support you case. Most importantly, you need to be calm, relaxed and able to change direction quickly.
My one-on-one interview was also more polished and I ended up having a great conversation (again, strictly keep within 10 minutes):
- [Country where I'm currently based] must be an interesting place. Was this always part of your plan? - What is your main motivation for the MBA/Wharton? - What would you like me to remember from this interview? - Any questions for me? [I asked about Dean Garrett's influence and any action points since he was instilled, as well as about specific entrepreneurship and social impact tracks/courses] - Any final comments?
Surprisingly, I wasn't asked how I thought the TBD went (this was definitely the first question last time). I made a comment about it being quite lively but not as much as in Philly (my interviewer observed they are always different and depend a lot on the location).
I definitely came out feeling a lot more confident than last time. Keeping my fingers crossed for good news on 16 December! - TopDogMBA
Hi All, Has anyone submitted recommendation letters using a previous employer, rather than the current one? Thanks!
I got one recommendation from my current employer and one from my former employer. They typically like to see at least one from your current employer, so if you use both from a former employer, you should explain why in the application (i.e. "I just started working at my current job within the past 6 months", "I haven't told/can't tell my employer I'm applying to business school", etc.). The most important thing is that the recommender knows you well and will be an advocate for you. - MBANY27
Hi everyone, is Wharton's 2nd essay question separate to the traditional 'optional information' essay that all schools have? The website indicates 400 word limit for the 2nd essay but 250 for the optional information essay.
Bit confused!
I was confused as well, as I have undergraduate coursework that requires explanation (gap between transfers). I searched everywhere and what I determined was that unusual circumstances (low GMAT/GPA, gap in work experience or school) should be explained in the 250 word essay. The 400 word optional essay is similar to the HBS essay. For Wharton's application, I concluded it should only be used if you have something really special/unique that would really add to your candidacy and were unable to find a place to include it in the application. - cgottuso
On February 11th we will be sending out invitations for Round 2 Team-Based Discussions. In the past, I’ve highlighted the logistical aspects of the TBD and we’ve shared a student’s personal experience. I know that many of you still have questions about how to best prepare for the TBD and what to bring to the table when you show up for one – I’d like to take a moment and demystify some of this for you.
The goal of the TBD is to give all prospective students the opportunity to show us who they are and demonstrate key skills such as communication, leadership, peer-to-peer interaction, decision-making, etc. Going into this next level of the admissions process, many of you are already pretty prepared – you’ve worked in teams for years. Make sure you tap into these experiences and skills – this will set you on the right track.
Everyone’s TBD experience will be different. That is the nature of the exercise. Each interview group will be unique in its dynamic and content. We want to see how you integrate and engage with your peers – part of what we’re looking for is how you quickly adapt to the particular group dynamic at play.
Your approach to the TBD will be a balance between being prepared and adapting to the situation. Use your instincts and knowledge of what works best in a team-based setting to navigate the exercise. Consider the following elements:
Flexibility: Team dynamics are constantly changing. The challenges a team faces can vary from moment to moment. Don’t come in with pre-conceived notions about how you’ll contribute.
The overall process: How can you provide value to ensure that best possible outcome for your team? Does your team need more brainstorming? Do they need more clarity around the proposed ideas?
Your skills and strengths: What are different approaches/tactics that you have used in past team settings and how can they help move the team forward? Is a strength of yours providing structure for the group – or do you prefer to generate new ideas?
The absence of a “right way”: Be yourself. There is no specific role that is expected of you; get a feel for the group dynamic and let the rest fall into place.
The TBD is an opportunity for you to express yourself both as an individual and a member of a functioning team. Remember to balance these two roles during this exercise and make the most of it! This is your time to show us that you are a fit for Wharton as an individual, and also a Wharton community and team member.
Interviews will take place starting in late February. Similar to Round 1, we will be holding TBDs on campus, in Philadelphia, as well as in Dubai, London, Mumbai, San Francisco, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, and Tokyo. All invited candidates are encouraged to interview on-campus or in the off-campus location that is most convenient for you.
I hope that this information helps to provide further insight into the TBD. As always, reach out to the office directly if any questions should arise. Thanks, again, for your interest in the program and I hope to meet many of you in person during the coming weeks.
Regards,
Maryellen Reilly Lamb
Deputy Vice Dean, MBA Admissions, Financial Aid and Career Management
This Blog post was imported into the forum automatically. We hope you found it helpful. Please use the Kudos button if you did, or please PM/DM me if you found it disruptive and I will take care of it.
-BB
Thank you for being so awesome! Can you briefly introduce your interview experience? any tip? Do you keep in touch with your interviewer and other fellow candidates?
Sure! I signed up for a slot on the last day in Philly, and stepped into the reception area about 15 minutes before the scheduled interview. I started casual conversations with a few of the other applicants there (everyone will be chatting with everyone), and this definitely helps. It helps you "warm up" before the TBD and you may even be in the same group as someone you just met in the reception area.
One thing to pay attention to is the "role" that you'll have in the group dynamics within the TBD. Think of times that you've worked in teams and the usual role that you play (ie. facilitator, time keeper, etc.). Take some time to understand this and just try to mimic that in a productive way during the TBD. Keep it natural, Wharton isn't looking for people to be someone they're not (it would be uncomfortable for you anyways). The TBD goes by really fast and is relatively low stress.
I exchanged a short email with my interviewer since then but haven't kept in touch. She was really open to any further questions I had, and should they come up, I would definitely ask her. I also ran into a few of my group members from the TBD during the recent welcome weekend and caught up for a bit, it was nice seeing that the majority of my group were admitted. - rapidt
I’ve thought a long time about whether to post this since it puts me way out there, but I tried real hard to think how a Wharton student would deal with it. My conclusion is that the collaborative Wharton spirit would prevail and they’d share their insight with others in the same situation so here goes…
As you probably know, I got waitlisted by Wharton in R1 and, despite getting admitted by the two other schools I applied to, Wharton remains my top choice. Being on the waitlist is a strange existence though, where you know you came within a hair’s breadth of being admitted yet didn’t quite make the cut.
Admissionado estimates your odds of being admitted from the waitlist (at any school) at somewhere between 15% and 30%. (See this presentation for some waitlist strategy advice from Jon Frank. I also found recent articles from Clear Admit and Veritas Prep very helpful.) Those aren’t great odds. It can also be a very long process so you’ll have to be prepared to deal with it mentally for a few months, but you definitely still have a shot!
Now, all the admissions strategy books and consultants articles I read had one common theme: obey the rules! That sounds simple enough, right? The trouble is that Wharton specifically says they’re “unable to accept additional materials” from waitlisted candidates. So, how do you improve your odds if you aren’t technically allowed to send Admissions anything?
I asked this question to a lot of current students (who got in off the waitlist or knew people who had) as well as my consultants of course. The consistent response was that to get admitted from the waitlist you have to stay in contact with Admissions and, while they don’t take additional materials, an update email doesn’t really count
Slowly my waitlist plan came together. It’s dead simple actually.
Step 1: Reply to the email sent by the waitlist coordinator. This is a no-brainer to say thank you, that the result brought mixed feelings but ultimately I’m dead excited to still be considered for a place at Wharton which is my number one choice.
Step 2: Chill the heck out for the next 1-2 months while working on Step 3. A common mistake is to bombard Admissions – patience is the key here.
Step 3: Send an update email with recent “big wins” closer to the next admissions milestone, which in my case was the date R1 deposits were due (on the assumption that some places might become available around that date).
‘Big wins’ might constitute recent and significant professional developments and/or involvement in social projects or charities and subsequent results. If you don’t have any obvious big wins (and they have to be big to make it relevant to sending an update) then think about what was potentially weak about your application and how you could fix it. I considered retaking the GMAT, doing a relevant quant course, and even doing a Wharton MOOC.
The crafting of this email has to be perfect: 2-3 paragraphs which are deftly dropped into a ‘thank you for remembering me’ message to Admissions.
Step 4: Ask Wharton students or alums who knew me well to write a strong endorsement for me. As a rule of thumb, the best alums to write for you are those who have big names and/or have given money. Those aren’t easy to find, so any alum will do; but the bigger the title and/or the company brand they’re associated with, the better.
And there it is! Not rocket science when you think about it, so please don’t be afraid to stay in touch with the school you’re waitlisted at if it remains your top choice and they have a zero additional materials policy like Wharton. I read so many posts and comments from people who literally interpreted Wharton’s instructions and didn’t even send them a thank you note for being included on the waitlist. That just seems like a big lost opportunity to me!
Like I said at the beginning of this post sharing this puts me way out there and chances are that I’ll still not get an offer, but I totally think that my waitlist plan will help me or, in the worst case, not do me any harm.
Finally, I’d just like to thank all the students, alums and fellow applicants who’ve given me support during the waitlist process. Will keep y’all posted!
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-BB
I am a Round 3 Wharton applicant . Tried hard to make it in round 2 but could not because of several factors. The problem is - I am interested in the Joint Lauder program and Wharton does not accept applications for this program in Round 3. Should I request adcom to consider my application for Lauder in Round 3? Did anyone in the forum had similar experience ?
You should check Lauder website to see if it is them who don't accept R3 applicants. Wharton and Lauder have separate applications so I doubt Wharton can do anything about it.
I would call the admissions office, and they can direct you to the right person to speak with either in admissions or with the Lauder program. My guess is that the reason they don't consider Lauder applicants in round 3 has more to do with logistics than anything else. Lauder students do an 8 week study abroad before the MBA program starts (i.e. they start their program in early June). The admission decision for R3 applicants is released in early May. I just don't see how you could finish the enrollment process, including background check (which usually takes 2-3 weeks in itself) and be ready to start the study abroad portion all in just a few weeks time.
Even if you can't do the Lauder program, you may still want to consider applying for the full time MBA program in R3. Wharton has a lot of amazing study abroad opportunities, opportunities to consult or work for businesses abroad, and internationally focused classes and clubs that are independent of the Lauder program. In other words, you can still gain a lot of the same experience without doing the Lauder program. It just depends on what you want to get out of your experience. It may also be worth speaking with a current student who is doing the joint degree and asking him/her what you'd be missing out on if you just did the MBA vs. the joint program. For example, I'm focusing on finance at Wharton, but am also interested in learning more about the healthcare industry. Even though I'm not going to be a health care management major, I'll still have access to all of the same classes, clubs and resources that the HCM students has access to. - MBANY27