Wharton has released its MBA Application Deadlines for the upcoming year.
MBA Application Deadlines
Round One Deadline: October 1, 2013
Round Two Deadline: January 7, 2014
Round Three Deadline: March 27, 2014
2013-2014 MBA/MA-Lauder deadlines
Round One Deadline: October 1, 2013
Round Two Deadline: January 7, 2014
Applications are due at 5:00 p.m. EST on the day of the deadline.
From MBA Admissions Blog:
Notes from the Director: Round 2 Decision Release and Round 3 Update
Greetings from Philadelphia,
With the close of March has come spring (finally!), and we hope that the weather stays after a last hurrah for winter and bout of snow earlier this week. In addition to the change in season, March also brought our Round 3 application deadline and the much-anticipated (from our end and yours) Round 2 decision release. Tuesday morning, the Admissions Committee and our Welcome Weekend Committee had the always delighting opportunity to call and congratulate our extremely excited new members of the Class of 2015. For our admitted students on the West Coast, it was the best kind of wake-up call and for those in Asia, a great way to end a long day of waiting to hear the news. For all of us, it is hands down one of the best days of the year – and from your excited reactions (we love you, our screamers and criers!) we know it was for you as well.
Yet, not unlike the weather, I recognize that this is also a season of highs and lows and mixed emotions, as we were unable to offer admission to every outstanding candidate that we met during the process. On behalf of the entire team, we sincerely appreciate your engagement throughout our process and truly enjoyed getting to know you. We wish you all the best in your future professional endeavors and have no doubt of your incredible accomplishments to come wherever your journey takes you next.
For our Round 3 applicants, we know you are eagerly awaiting interview decisions as your next step. All interview decisions will go out next Friday, April 5. Round 3 Team Based Discussions and 1:1 interviews will take place in April on campus. Should you have any questions around the application or interview process, please contact our office directly by phone at +1.215-898-6183 or via email at mba-admiss@wharton.upenn.edu.
Looking ahead, for those of you considering applying to Wharton next year (or for admits who have not been able to visit yet) please note that this academic year’s fullCampus Visit Program will conclude for the year on Friday, April 19. We will offer limited information sessions at 3:00 p.m. Monday, Thursday, and Friday during the week of April 22 as well. Please consult the website for details or call us with any questions. Our full campus visit program will start up again in late September. Keep an eye on the website for exact dates to come later this summer, and we will certainly keep you posted on the blog as well.
In the interim, we are excited to bring Wharton and life in Philadelphia to you! Beginning in June, the Admissions Committee will be back on the road and hosting information sessions around the globe. The schedule and registration for these events will start to be posted on our website in late April. Please stay tuned for more details to come. As always, don’t hesitate to be with our office by email or phone for any other questions.
We look forward to seeing many of you on campus or around the world soon!
Sincerely,
Ankur Kumar
Wharton invites began going out on January 29th and will continue up until February 22nd.
From MBA Admissions Blog:
Greetings All,
Winter weather officially arrived in Philadelphia, surprising us with the first few inches of snow in the new year just last week. For the Admissions Team, this weather could not have come at a better time as we are hunkered down inside reading the Round 2 applications. We are thoroughly enjoying getting to know each and every one of you through your personal written story.
In the upcoming weeks, we look forward to the opportunity to meet many of you for interviews. Interview invitations will begin to go out on Tuesday, January 29 and continue through Friday, February 22. As a reminder, interview invitations are not released in any particular order as we do not read applications in a particular order. The timing of your invitation to interview does not indicate anything about your candidacy. I know waiting to hear from us is always nerve wracking and appreciate your patience with the process.
After the remarkably positive feedback that we received during Round 1, we cannot wait to see what Round 2 has in store. The interview process is not only a wonderful way for the Admissions team to get to know our candidates “off the page,” this new format has also proven to be a wonderful way for our candidates to get to know each other as well. Should you be invited to interview, we look forward to meeting you in one of the following locations: on campus in Philadelphia, Dubai, London, Mexico City, New Delhi, San Francisco, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Shanghai, and Singapore. All Round 2 applicants received an email with more details on the interview process last week; we’ll be in touch with further details as well. You can also read more about the interview process in a blog posting from the summer here.
Thank you all for your patience during this time. We look forward to being in touch over the next few weeks regarding interview invitations and next steps.
Hope the new year has been off to a great start!
Sincerely,
Ankur Kumar
Wharton will be hosting upcoming MBA admissions events throughout the country. To register go to http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/mba/admissions/admission-events.cfm.
Admissions Events |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Type | City | State | |
| 14 June 2012 | General Admissions Presentation – Alumni Led Event | Miami | Florida | |
| 18 June 2012 | General Admissions Presentation | San Francisco | California | |
| 18 June 2012 | LGBT Reception | San Francisco | California | |
| 19 June 2012 | Entrepreneurship Panel | San Francisco | California | |
| 24 July 2012 | MBA Tour | Houston | Texas | |
| 26 July 2012 | MBA Tour | Atlanta | Georgia | |
| 29 July 2012 | MBA Tour | Boston | Massachusetts | |
| 30 July 2012 | JD/MBA Information Session | Boston | Massachusetts | |
| 30 July 2012 | General Admissions Presentation | Boston | Massachusetts | |
| 31 July 2012 | Energy Panel | Houston | Texas | |
| 1 August 2012 | General Admissions Presentation | Dallas | Texas | |
| 6 August 2012 | General Admissions Presentation | Seattle | Washington | |
| 7 August 2012 | Women’s Presentation | San Francisco | California | |
| 7 August 2012 | General Admissions Presentation | Chicago | Illinois | |
| 8 August 2012 | Clean Tech Panel | San Francisco | California | |
| 9 August 2012 | Diversity Reception | Los Angeles | California | |
| 9 August 2012 | General Admissions Presentation | Los Angeles | California | |
| 21 August 2012 | Forte Forum | Boston | Massachusetts | |
| 22 August 2012 | Forte Forum | Washington | DC | |
| 23 August 2012 | Forte Forum | Atlanta | Georgia | |
| 23 August 2012 | JD/MBA Information Session | Washington | DC | |
| 23 August 2012 | General Admissions Presentation | Washington | DC | |
| 27 August 2012 | Diversity Presentation | New York | New York | |
| 29 August 2012 | Diversity Presentation | Washington | DC | |
| 29 August 2012 | Forte Forum | San Francisco | California | |
| 30 August 2012 | Forte Forum | Los Angeles | California | |
| 4 September 2012 | Forte Forum | New York | NY | |
| 5 September 2012 | Forte Forum | New York | NY | |
| 6 September 2012 | Entrepreneurship Panel | New York | NY | |
| 12 September 2012 | General Admissions Presentation | Atlanta | Georgia | |
| 13 September 2012 | General Admissions Presentation | New York | NY | |
| 13 September 2012 | General Admissions Presentation | Charlotte | North Carolina | |
| 13-14 September 2012 | Explore Wharton Diversity in Action | Philadelphia | PA | |
MBA Application Deadlines
Round One Deadline: October 1, 2012
Round Two Deadline: January 3, 2013
Round Three Deadline: March 2013 (Exact Date Still To Be Determined)
MBA Essay Questions
1. How will Wharton MBA help you achieve your professional objectives? (400-word limit)
2/3. Respond to two of the following three questions (500-world limit each):
A. 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.
B. Imagine your work obligations for the afternoon were cancelled and you found yourself “work free” for three hours, what would you do?
C. “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.
4. (Optional) 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-word limit)
5. (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-word limit)
Additional Joint Wharton MBA/MA – Lauder Applicant Requirements
Joint MBA/MA–Lauder applicants must take a 20-minute Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) on the telephone to assess their language skills. For more information about the OPI and to schedule an interview, please visit the Lauder website.
From MBA Admissions Blog:
Notes from the Director: Round 2 Interview Update
Ankur Kumar, Admissions Director
Round 2 interviews are well underway and we look forward to meeting many of you, stateside and overseas. I am constantly inspired to see the unique talent and sheer motivation in our applicant pool. As our staff’s interview travel continues, the Admissions Committee and I look forward to engaging with you and hearing more of your stories.
We released more invitations to interview on Thursday, 16 February and we will continue to release up until Tuesday, 28 February. Again, if you have not received an invitation at this point, please do not be discouraged. Applications are not read in any particular order; interview invitations are extended as we complete each applications evaluation process. We have plenty of interview slots available on campus and we will continue to offer phone interviews for those with extenuating circumstances.
Our office will be open on Monday, 20 February for President’s Day and all campus visits and interviews will take place as scheduled. Please continue to follow our blog, as we will post further updates on office closings, interviews, Round 3 applications and our upcoming global events.
Should other questions arise, please continue to contact our office directly at mba-admiss@wharton.upenn.edu or post on our S2S Discussion Board and we will respond as soon as possible!
From MBA Admissions Blog:
Notes from the Director: Round 2 On-Campus Interviews
Greetings Round 2 Candidates,
Hello from the new MBA Admissions Office in Vance Hall! We have just begun our interview program, when we have the opportunity to meet many of you, in person, after reading your impressive applications. As my colleagues on the admissions committee will be speaking with some of you in various cities around the world, I will have the opportunity to interview candidates in Philadelphia– and I couldn’t be more excited.
For those of you interviewing here in Philadelphia, this is a great opportunity for you to take part in our campus visit program while you’re here. Indeed, it’s a great time to see Wharton’s campus, as this is a busy time, all-around: current Wharton students are back into full swing after winter break; Round 1 admitted candidates have just wrapped up Winter Welcome Weekend; Round 2 candidates are in town for interviews; and prospective students are visiting to learn more about the School.
The visit program gives you the opportunity to sit in on a class, to speak with current students, to tour the campus and to gain further insight into the opportunities that the Wharton MBA offers through our information session. This is an excellent way to interact with the Wharton community and to get a feel for life on campus.
Whether you are in Philadelphia or overseas, I wish you the best of luck as we move through this phase in the process. Should you have any questions regarding your interview, please just contact our office at mbainterview@wharton.upenn.edu and a member of our Admissions team will work with you directly.
Many schools now have integrated JD/MBA programs that allow participants to complete the combined programs in 3 years (instead of the usual 4 years) and/or to include both legal and business perspectives in an integrated curriculum. Each program has its own unique structure. Four of the most well-known programs are listed below:
Penn Law/Wharton Business 3-Year JD/MBA Degree
Northwestern Law/Kellogg Business 3-Year JD/MBA Degree
Yale Law/Yale SOM 3-Year JD/MBA Degree
Cornell Law/Johnson Graduate School of Management 3-Year Program
Wharton Admissions Director Ankur Kumar posts on Wharton MBA Admissions Blog:
Notes from the Director: Interviewing
Greetings Round 1 Candidates,
Hope you all are doing well and have been able to enjoy the last few weeks after submitting your applications. I’ve just returned from the final set of marketing events in SE Asia; it was a pleasure getting to meet many of you in person during my travels.
I wanted to give you a quick update on where we are in the cycle. The Admissions team and I have enjoyed reading your applications the last few weeks. It’s been incredibly interesting to learn more about each of you, and not surprisingly, you are an impressive group! Our candidates really wow us every year, and Round 1 is no exception so far.
I know you are all eagerly awaiting news on the next steps in our process. This week, on Thursday, October 27 we will begin to send out invitations to interview. Invitations will continue to go out up until Friday, November 11. During these weeks, you will receive an email that will provide next step information regarding your status with Wharton. If you are invited to interview, you will be given instructions on next steps to set up your interview. If you are not invited to interview, your process with Wharton is closed for this application cycle.
As a reminder, interview invitations are not released in any particular order, as we don’t read your applications in any particular order either. Please don’t stress if you don’t receive your invite until the last day; it indicates nothing about your candidacy.
Starting on Wednesday, November 2nd, we will begin hosting interviews on campus, which will continue until December 2nd. We will also host interviews in hub locations around the world between November 7th and November 30th. Both on-campus and hub location interviews are conducted and considered equally. On-campus interviews are a great opportunity to experience our community and culture first-hand and coordinate with our on-campus visit program. Your VIP page will provide further information as to where and when you can schedule an interview. Spaces are first come first serve and are limited in international locations, so be sure to schedule yourself as soon as possible.
Please see our website for a few tips to keep in mind as you prepare for this phase of the admissions process.
Wish you all the best with this next phase of the cycle.
With Wharton’s application at 5pm tomorrow, Wharton’s Director of Admissions Ankur Kumar shared some last minute tips on Wharton’s MBA Admissions Blog:
Notes from the Director: Round 1 Deadline Coming Up
Greetings to our Round 1 Candidates,
As I am sure you are aware, the Round 1 deadline to apply is just days away. I know you have spent the past few months writing (and rewriting!) essays, taking the GMAT or GRE, and managing your recommenders in their process, all in preparation for this deadline. After meeting with many of you during our travels around the country and globe the last few months, we’re looking forward to getting to know you even further as we read your applications.
As you put the finishing touches on your materials, remember, you should only hit the submit button when you feel that you are able to put your best foot forward with the application you have prepared. That being said, I would strongly recommend you not wait until just before 5pm EST on October 3 to submit. We receive several thousand applications each round, it’s less than ideal (for both you – and us) to have heavy traffic volume so near the deadline. Please give yourself enough time in the end stage of this phase so as not to risk all the work you’ve been doing with a last minute internet issue or a server crash!
A few last minute tips as you fine-tune those applications
1) Spell check, spell check, spell check! Nothing undermines an essay like misspellings and grammar mistakes. Also, while we understand you are likely applying to more than one school, please double check the school referenced in your essays to ensure it corresponds to the one to which you are applying (yes, this does happen!)
2) Double check with your recommenders that they remember the deadline. It is your responsibility to follow up with them and make sure they are submitting prior to the deadline. Late recommendations will render your application as incomplete, and you will be moved to Round 2.
3) Double check your dates of employment and salary/bonus history one last time. If you are admitted, we do verify the information you provide in your application. If you accidentally misreport any information, it is possible you will be flagged as a discrepancy. A quick phone call to a former employer or look back at your tax records or bank statements can resolve any issues with a lack of memory on the specifics.
Once we receive all of the Round 1 applications, we will begin our review process. Given the holistic and iterative nature (as you know, your application is read cover-to-cover by several members of our Admissions Team), we will be spending the next few weeks poring through your applications. We will begin inviting Round 1 candidates to interview starting in late October. You’ll be receiving notification through the online system, so be sure to file away your login information and ensure that emails from the system don’t land in the junk folder of your inbox by mistake.
We’ll be sharing more information on the interview logistics and giving you some tips and tricks to prepare as we near that stage of the process. Please keep an eye out for more information to come in an upcoming blog.
Best of luck to our Round 1 candidates! We look forward to reading your applications next week and to being in touch in a few weeks with interview invitations.
