Wharton Business School | UPenn | Full time MBA | Admission details

Background Information

Background information includes: contact information (e.g., mailing address and phone number), date of birth, academic degrees earned, professional experience, and family information.

Application Fee

A nonrefundable application fee of $265 is required for the MBA and MBA/MA-Lauder programs. For details on how to submit the fee, please visit our online application.

Essays

• First-time applicants and reapplicants are required to complete the same set of essay questions.

REQUIRED QUESTION:

How will Wharton MBA help you achieve your professional objectives? (400 words)

RESPOND TO 2 OF THE FOLLOWING 3 QUESTIONS:

1. Select a Wharton MBA course, co-curricular opportunity or extra-curricular engagement that you are interested in. Tell us why you chose this activity and how it connects to your interests. (500 words)

2. Imagine your work obligations for the afternoon were cancelled and you found yourself "work free" for three hours, what would you do? (500 words)

3. "Knowledge for Action draws upon the great qualities that have always been evident at Wharton: rigorous research, dynamic thinking, and thoughtful leadership." - Thomas S. Robertson, Dean, The Wharton School

Tell us about a time when you put knowledge into action. (500 words)

ADDITIONAL QUESTION FOR REAPPLICANTS:

All reapplicants to Wharton are required to complete the Optional Essay. Please use this space to explain how you have reflected on the previous decision on your application and to discuss any updates to your candidacy (e.g., changes in your professional life, additional coursework, extracurricular/volunteer engagements). You may also use this section to address any extenuating circumstances. (250 words)

OPTIONAL SECTION FOR ALL APPLICANTS:

If you feel there are extenuating circumstances of which the Committee should be aware, please explain them here (e.g., unexplained gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, or questionable academic performance, significant weaknesses in your application). (250 words)

Transcripts

Transcripts of all academic work completed at the baccalaureate/undergraduate level and beyond, whether or not for credit or a degree, are required. Grades or marks may be self-reported on our online transcript template, with official documents required upon admissions and matriculation.

Letters of Recommendation

The Admissions Committee requires two recommendation letters, preferably from supervisors.

GMAT/GRE

All applicants must submit results of a Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) or a Graduate Record Examination (GRE) that are no more than 5 years old, based on the start date of the program. For the fall 2013 entering class tests taken between August 1, 2008 and March 5, 2013 will be accepted. Scores may be self-reported.

TOEFL

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required for non-native English speakers with limited exposure to English. The test may be waived by candidates who earned a baccalaureate or master's degree from an institution at which English is the language of instruction.

Interviews

Interviews are by invitation only, following a thorough review of the completed application. Instructions are provided at the time of invitation.

Resume

Please upload a one-page resume in Microsoft Word. We are more concerned with what you have learned than in your length of time in the workplace. We consider functional job skills, breadth and depth of experience, demonstrated leadership and management skills, as well as potential for growth.

We offer interviews by invitation, based upon a full review of your application.

As someone selected to interview from a tremendously accomplished group of individuals around the world, you should feel excited to communicate your background, your interests, your plans, and your decision to pursue an MBA at Wharton.

All applicants will have the option of interviewing on Wharton’s campus or in one of our selected major cities around the world. While there are two options and no one way is preferred over another, we do encourage invited candidates to interview on campus whenever possible to get a sense of our community and culture.

Interview Format
The Admissions office has partnered with the Wharton Innovation group to launch a new evaluation method, the team-based discussion for the 2012-2013 application cycle. If you are invited to interview, you will participate in a team-based discussion with 5-6 other applicants during your scheduled session. The team-based discussion will allow you the opportunity to interact with your fellow applicants through discourse involving real-world business scenarios, which will highlight how you approach and analyze specific situations. Your discussion will have a prompt and a purpose and you will work towards a tangible outcome with your group. The team-based discussion is additive and does not replace the opportunity for an individual exchange. There will be time allotted for a short one-on-one conversation with a member of the Admissions staff during the interview.

source - http://www.wharton.upenn.edu