How to Get Into Wharton

Update: This article was originally posted on August 5, 2022. It has been updated with new information and tips below.

Wharton Business School is consistently one of the best business schools in the world, producing some of the best leaders and thinkers in the business world and beyond. Considering that Wharton offers one of the best-ranked MBAs out there, earning a spot at this school requires you to really stand out among the competition. 

In this guide, we will go through how to get into Wharton Business School. While many applicants think that simply marketing themselves well is enough to gain admission, successful applicants are the ones who understand a) who Wharton is looking for, b) how Wharton’s MBA program, community, and opportunities fit their profile and goals, and c) how to prepare a Wharton-specific essay and interview. Read on for our expert advice on how to master these three things.

 

1. Understand who Wharton is looking for

(Photo courtesy of @whartonschool on Instagram)

“Our mission is to develop leaders who act with a deeper understanding of themselves, their organizations, and their communities, and contribute positively to the growth of each.” Wharton Admissions

As one of the most consistently top-ranked business schools, Wharton has become almost synonymous with elite business education. With a strong focus on innovation and their unique Lauder dual-degree program in international studies and Health Care Major, it’s no surprise that Wharton is at the top of many applicants’ lists of dream schools. 

Each year, Wharton selects just under 900 students from 70 countries to take part in its two-year program. Though there is no one “perfect” type of Wharton student, the university does favor high test scores. The median GMAT for the Class of 2025 was 728, and the average GRE score was 162 Quant, 162 Verbal.  

Though often called a “finance factory,” Wharton builds a diverse class each year by looking beyond traditional investment banking professionals to fill its class. In fact, the number of Wharton post-MBA graduates breaking into industries like tech has only increased over the past few years. 

Beyond the numbers, Wharton tends to value students who demonstrate a collaborative personality, leadership potential, global mindset, and an ability to think outside the box and innovate. 

So, if this sounds like a community in which you’d be right at home, you’ll have to think of the ways in which you align with the main characteristics of Wharton’s students. This means forming your business school brand and then focusing on the aspects of that brand that align with innovation, globalism, and impact-oriented leadership. 

 

2. Know Wharton’s program and how you can use it

The second thing you must do to get into Wharton is to know the MBA program and how it applies to your career goals. If you want to get into Wharton, you really need to show the admissions committee why it’s a good fit for you (and why you’re a good fit for the community too)!

While you will have to do your own research to find the specifics of what aligns specifically with your goals and profile, below we are highlighting some of the main aspects of Wharton’s MBA program so you can be informed about what makes it unique in comparison to other business schools.

 

Wharton’s excellence in finance and analytics

Wharton has a reputation as “the finance school.” This is because of the school’s rigorous curriculum focusing on these tops and the relevant data analysis that drives Wharton Finance. Learning is focused on data-driven decision making, which prepares pragmatic business leaders in a wide range of fields, even those beyond finance.

Like other MBA programs, students must take core courses and electives, but what makes Wharton unique is that students are required to choose a major to specialize in as well. This means that students finish their MBAs with an edge on what other students get from core business and finance fundamentals in core courses from other MBA programs.

 

Leadership development

Building leadership skills is a core focus of the Wharton MBA, as is illustrated by the wide range of leadership development opportunities. For example, the Center for Leadership and Change Management, which focuses on cutting-edge research and practical experience, is a key aspect of Wharton’s leadership program. Additionally, Leadership Ventures are a popular leadership offering and combine experiential learning and global exposure via activities like trekking and rock climbing.

 

Labs and research initiatives 

Wharton has a number of labs and research initiatives that allow students to pursue projects in their particular areas of interest during their MBA studies.

With over 20 different areas of focus, Wharton’s research centers and initiatives serve as a hub for exchange and study where faculty, students, and members of the business community come together to address pressing global business challenges. Centers include the AI for Business initiative, the Sol C. Snider Entrepreneurial Research Center, and the Wharton Social Impact Initiative. 

There are also multiple labs available to Wharton students. The Venture Lab offers five pathways for students and alumni interested in exploring ideas and projects related to entrepreneurship and innovation. For those interested in analytics, there are multiple labs available, including the ESG Analytics Lab and the Forensic Analytics Lab. There is also the Wharton Credibility Lab, which aims “to make open research irresistibly easy to use by providing online platforms that make it simple for authors to post, and for readers to find and understand the information that makes published research more credible.” Lastly, Wharton’s Behavioral Lab provides the resources for students and faculty to better understand behavioral aspects of business and society.

Looking for more than just a summary of the Wharton MBA? 

Luckily, we’ve created a complete guide on Wharton, including program specifics, MBA class profile, and Wharton post-MBA salary and employment information. Additionally, we have dozens of sample Wharton MBA essays that got our past clients into Wharton (including Lauder!), plus essays for numerous other top schools, all in one place. Click to join!

 

 

3. Prepare a winning application

Last, but certainly not least, is knowing how to write an outstanding essay and prepare for a successful interview. Below are our top tips on succeeding at both of these key aspects of your Wharton application!

 

Write an outstanding essay

Writing any admissions essay is a tough task, however, impressing Wharton’s highly selective admissions committee is especially challenging. According to Wharton, here’s what they want to see in your admissions essays.* 

*Though these questions are accurate at the time of publication, check out our Wharton Essay Analysis post for the most up-to-date questions and analysis. 

“The Admissions Committee wants to get to know you on both a professional and personal level. We encourage you to be introspective, candid and succinct. Most importantly, we suggest you be yourself.”

More specifically, if applying to Wharton, you’ll need to answer the following questions.

We go through the main two essays below. 

 

Essay 1

Essay 1: How do you plan to use the Wharton MBA program to help you achieve your future professional goals? You might consider your past experience, short and long-term goals, and resources available at Wharton. (500 words)

For many years, Wharton has maintained this rather traditional goals essay. Here, you’re asked to specifically consider your past experience, short- and long-term goals, and how Wharton can help you achieve those goals. 

Like most goals essays, we suggest you start your essay with a bit of context before revealing what you intend to do in your future career and how Wharton’s MBA can help you reach your professional goals. This essay tends to work best when you focus on one or several stories that demonstrate your professional excellence, collaborative mindset, and commitment to your own leadership development. 

In the Why Wharton section of your essay, identify two or three pillars you intend to work on during your MBA. Connect these in a meaningful way to Wharton, showing how this offering will bring you closer to your goals. This will require reflection and research into how the Wharton curriculum and program function. 

We then suggest ending with a stellar conclusion sentence that ties your essay together and reinforces your thesis. 

 

Essay 2

Taking into consideration your background – personal, professional, and/or academic – how do you plan to make specific, meaningful contributions to the Wharton community? (400 words)

For many years, we have advised clients to answer Wharton’s community-focused essay either by focusing on several examples and relating each to Wharton or by focusing on a single example and tying the key lesson to their Wharton experiences. 

When telling your stories, make sure to use the STAR method to ensure you clearly demonstrate what happened, your role in the events, and what you learned. Then, link this lesson to specific resources and opportunities at Wharton, showing how you will improve the overall community. 

To create an amazing essay, stay focused, do your research on Wharton, and choose your examples wisely. Showing you’re a leader and team player who fully understands the Wharton experience and who is prepared to contribute to the Wharton community is the key to success. 

To learn more about Wharton’s essays (including how to complete its optional and/or reapplicant essays) and check out sample essays that got our clients into Wharton, click here!

*Note: these are the latest essay questions as of the date this guide was published, but we suggest that you check for recent changes, as schools often update their essay questions closer to the round 1 deadline. You can access Wharton’s essay questions and more application info here.

 

Prepare a winning interview

After you’ve submitted your application and essays, you must wait to see if you get an invitation to interview. If you do get to the interview phase of the Wharton application process, congratulations! This is an exceptional achievement. 

Wharton’s interview process totally deviates from the process employed at other top business schools. This is because the school wants to test applicants’ ability to thrive in Wharton’s teamwork-focused environment.

Though the Team Based Discussion (TBD) might sound daunting, by preparing in advance and developing a clear game plan for your session, you can minimize your anxiety and ensure you perform at your best. 

To kick off the actual session, each applicant will have one minute to present their ideas on a predetermined prompt. After each person presents, your group will then have 35 minutes to discuss ideas and come up with a final recommendation. The TBD will end with a small presentation that summarizes your group’s ideas. 

After the TBD session ends, each group member will have a short one-on-one interview with the admissions team. The interview will last 10 minutes and will focus on your motivations for wanting to pursue the Wharton MBA. 

 

Prepare a winning interview

After you’ve submitted your application and essays, you must wait to see if you get an invitation to interview. If you do get to the interview phase of the Wharton application process, congratulations! This is an exceptional achievement. 

Wharton’s interview process totally deviates from the process employed at other top business schools. This is because the school wants to test applicants’ ability to thrive in Wharton’s teamwork-focused environment.

Though the Team Based Discussion (TBD) might sound daunting, by preparing in advance and developing a clear game plan for your session, you can minimize your anxiety and ensure you perform at your best. 

To kick off the actual session, each applicant will have one minute to present their ideas on a predetermined prompt. After each person presents, your group will then have 35 minutes to discuss ideas and come up with a final recommendation. The TBD will end with a small presentation that summarizes your group’s ideas. 

After the TBD session ends, each group member will have a short one-on-one interview with the admissions team. The interview will last 10 minutes and will focus on your motivations for wanting to pursue the Wharton MBA. 

 

Make sure you prepare a successful Wharton application

Getting into the Wharton MBA is no easy feat. 

With multiple essays, numerous letters of recommendation, and admissions interviews, a successful application to Wharton requires that you carefully think about all aspects of your profile and craft the most cohesive, compelling narrative possible. 

Starting from scratch, though, can leave many applicants like you feeling confused and uncertain they are developing an application that will impress the Wharton admissions committee. 

That’s why we created our MBA Resource Center, which includes everything you need to get into the Wharton MBA, all in one place. 

This includes dozens of sample essays, recommendation letter questions and guides, sample letters of recommendation, MBA CV templates, interview mock sequences, and even sample answers to the most common interview questions. 

In short, our Resource Center puts the Ellin Lolis Advantage into your hands, giving you exclusive access to the materials we used to help maintain our 98.9% success rate.

The Ellin Lolis MBA Resource Center has helped countless applicants around the world get into Wharton. Sign up today to put this competitive advantage to work for you.