THE WHARTON MBA

WHARTON HOME

MBA ADMISSIONS BLOG!
Tips on the Wharton MBA Admissions Interview

Invited to an interview? Here are some tips directly from the Admissions Committee to to help prepare you…

    

PURPOSE

Interviews provide additional information about your candidacy that is included in the final reviews of your application.  As such interviews, are not the decisive factor in your admissions decision. In most cases, interviews are fairly consistent with the application.

 

STRUCTURE

Interviews are blind, which reduces bias as your interviewer will have no preconceived ideas of your ability or personality based on your written application. 

   

Interviews may include behavioral questions. Questions may center on specific examples or detailed descriptions of events, projects or experience that demonstrate how situations you’ve faced in the past have been handled and what you learned from them. Behavioral interviewing assumes that past performance predicts future behavior.

   

No advance preparation is required.  Questions are straightforward and cover topics such as why you seek an MBA, why you feel you are a good fit for Wharton (vice versa), what your career goals are, how you spend your spare time, what you value, about what you are passionate, etc. You will not be asked analyze a case study or demonstrate your mastery of particular subjects.

    

All interviews carry equal weight. There is no advantage to interviewing on-campus or with an admissions staff member.  Arrange the type of interview that is most convenient for you.

   

GENERAL TIPS

Interviews are dialogues or exchange between two people. Steer away from pre-rehearsed speech and over reliance on your résumé. We are interested in getting to know you as an individual, so follow the cues of the interviewer.

   

The exact length of the interview does not indicate how well the interview went. While we schedule 30 minute interviews, they may vary a bit.  Deviations from the schedule are random and unrelated to the candidate.

   

Do not expect the interviewer to give you feedback – literally or figuratively. Be careful to avoid any interpretation of verbal or non-verbal communication, as both may mislead you.

   

Interviews are not a popularity contest.  The interviewer is assessing your fit for the Wharton MBA program, not whether or not the two of you would make good or best friends.

The key is to relax, be genuine, and enjoy the opportunity for us to get to know one another.

05 Nov 2008 02:07 PM in Application Strategy | Permalink

Reapplicant Online Feedback Chats

One of the more difficult challenges we face in Wharton MBA Admissions is turning away many accomplished candidates.  As we have received more than 7,000 applications this year, we were forced to deny many fine applicants who would do well at Wharton and who would contribute to the community.

Applicants who requested feedback through the designated channels were randomly selected to receive sessions with admissions officers.  Regrettably, demand for feedback far outstrips our bandwidth to provide it; as much as we would like to provide feedback to all candidates who request this service, the appointments we offered are filled for this year.

However, admissions officers will be providing opportunities for generalized discussion about the reapplication process through online chats, on student2student (http://s2s.wharton.upenn.edu/wh-wharton), on the dates below.  While not an opportunity for individualized feedback, these one-hour chats give applicants who did not receive feedback the chance to learn how to manage the reapplication process. 

Inside tips for Reapplicants: Online Chats with Wharton MBA Admissions
*to access chats, you must log into student2student online discussion board and click on the "chat" tab*

Friday, 11 July, 2008, 10:00 a.m. ET

Wednesday, 30 July, 2008, 5:00 p.m. ET

Monday, 4 August, 2008, 5:00 p.m. ET

In addition, we have extensive information-- inccluding  on the student2student (s2) discussion board, on the blog and on our website-- about the review process and how candidates are evaluated. Of particular interest may be the section on "Preparing a Successful Application"at http://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/mba/admissions/process/prepare.php

Many candidates who utilize our online resources find them as effective in preparing a reapplication as direct feedback. In any given year, reapplicants fare well in the application process because they have taken steps to enhance their candidacy or have had more time to reflect on their reasons for an MBA and goals going forward.

Please note that whether or not you receive feedback has no bearing on your admissions decision as a reapplicant.

We hope to meet with you online or at one of our events in the fall.

07 Jul 2008 07:57 PM in Application Preparation , Application Processing , Application Strategy | Permalink

Waitlisted Candidates: Comfort and Guidance

For candidates on our summer waitlist:

First of all, thank you for your continued interest in Wharton, and for your patience for remaining on the waitlist.  While your waitlist status should serve as an affirmation of the strength of your candidacy, we certainly can appreciate how trying it can be to simply wait.  We hear from many waitlisted candidates who wonder if there is anything they can do to improve their chances of being admitted. 

In fact, there is not—our policy is that candidates should refrain from sending additional materials, recommendations and updates.  While changes to your personal situation (a promotion, professional recognition, etc.) are indeed further examples of your accomplishment, we recognize that applications are, in fact, a ‘snapshot in time’ and that many candidates are likely to experience personal and professional growth since submission.  Consequently, while we applaud your accomplishment, we ask that you abstain from providing updates (we already have ascertained your potential!)

On that note: instead of being stressed over your inability to take action, please consider the positive aspects of Wharton’s policy.  At Wharton, there is no need to:

• Spend countless hours developing creative ways to keep in touch and “win us over.” You express your interest simply by remaining on the waitlist.
• Expend additional time and resources submitting additional recommendations and other materials. These are unlikely to change your eventual decision, which is made across multiple criteria; or
• Fear that those who lobby lavishly and loudest will receive preference. All waitlist candidates are given equal consideration – equity and fairness rule the day.

So what are Wharton’s waitlist policies again? 

• Please let us know if you would like to be removed from the Summer Waitlist by sending an email by June 1, 2008 to mba.admissions@wharton.upenn.edu, including the words "Summer Waitlist Remove" on the subject line. We fully understand if you are unable to do so due to other commitments.

• The Summer Waitlist has no numerical ranking system. It is not possible to predict the availability of admission because we do not know if any matriculating students will withdraw their currently reserved place in the class.

• All Summer Waitlist candidates will be considered on an ongoing basis for a spot in the class, with decisions to admit or deny off the list released every other Thursday, beginning June 12th and ending July 24th, 2008.

• Any candidate still on the Waitlist after the final release of admissions on July 24th will receive an email stating that the admissions cycle has ended and that they are no longer under consideration for the Class of 2010. This same information will be reflected in their online status.

• In the spirit of fairness and equity, we will not accept additional materials for inclusion in your application. In this same spirit, we do not offer another interview.

• There is no point person in the office for the waitlist. All waitlist decisions are handled by the Admissions Committee.

• Feedback to candidates is not offered to candidates while they are on the waitlist.

• There is no rank order to the waitlist.

• The chances of being admitted off the waitlist are hard to predict.  Historically, the admit rate has varied from year to year and has very little correlation with the number of candidates placed on the waitlist.

Thank you in advance for honoring these guidelines.

21 May 2008 04:59 PM in Application Processing , Application Strategy | Permalink | Comments (0)

Looking Ahead: Applying for Admission in Fall 2009

As we approach the end of this year's admissions season, we know that many candidates are beginning to think about applying to Wharton for admission in Fall 2009.  We very much appreciate your interest in the School, and we look forward to sharing with you our curriculum, community and culture.

Getting to Know Wharton

There are a variety of ways to get to know Wharton, including through our website, at our events around the world and by visiting campus.  Our events include general and diversity-targeted receptions, MBA fairs, student and alumni coffee chats, meet-and-greets, and online chats, to name a few.  Over the summer, we will begin to post details about events at which Wharton MBA Admissions staff, alumni or current students will be present this fall and winter.  Our event calendar is continuously updated, so please check back periodically to find out when Wharton will be in your city. 

For those applicants interested in visiting Wharton, we host visitors every day that the office is open and offer an information session given by an admissions officer.  In the fall, once classes are back in session, we allow applicants to experience Wharton further by attending a class, having lunch with current students and taking a campus tour.

Fall 2009 Application

Our application will be available online for Fall 2009 applications by late summer.  However, we will post our application deadlines, as well as this year's essay questions, right here on our blog before the application goes live (generally, by mid-summer). 

For those applicants eager to learn more about the MBA degree now, or to start preparing for the application process, we encourage you to check out the information about making the MBA decision and preparing a successful application on our website.  You may also be interested in visiting our student2student discussion board, on which current Wharton students, alumni and admissions officers answer questions from applicants (as well as dispel myths!) about Wharton and the admissions process.

Again, thank you for your interest in Wharton, and we look forward to reading your application.

15 May 2008 04:53 PM in Application Preparation , Application Processing , Application Strategy , Events | Permalink | Comments (2)

Next Steps for Round 2 Wharton MBA Applicants

All Round 2 Applicants:  The deadline for Round 2 applications was yesterday, 3 Jan 08, at 5pm Eastern Standard Time (EST).  If you submitted your application by the deadline, you shoud have received an email from our office outlining the next steps in your application process. If not (sadly, quite a few emails get firewalled), a copy of the letter follows.

------

   

Thank you for submitting your application for Round Two.

    

The following will provide you with information concerning the processing of application materials, timeline for the release of interview invitations, and final decision releases.

   

If your online account reads “Complete - Round Two,” your application has all the required materials, has been processed by the Operations Team, and has been forwarded to the Committee for review.

   

If your online account reads “Received,” then the Operations Team needs to process your online application submission and any materials submitted by hard copy. After your materials have been processed (assuming they arrived by the Round Two deadline), your online account will be changed to “Complete for Round Two” and your file will be forwarded to the Committee for review. Due to the high number of candidates who submitted their application during the past few days (more than 60% of candidates applying for Round Two submitted their application within 24 hours of the deadline), it will take the Operations Team a few weeks to complete the processing of all materials. Therefore, please allow the Operations Team until Thursday, 24 January 08 before inquiring about the completeness of your application.

   

The Admissions Committee will begin to release interview invitations on Thursday, 17 January 08and will continue to release invitations on a daily basis until 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on Thursday, 21 February 08. Due to the nature and complexity associated with the admissions process there is no particular order in which invitations are released. Also on 21 February 08, the Committee will release all final admissions decisions to candidates that are not being invited for an interview and therefore no longer being considered for admission.

   

If you are invited for an interview, you will need to complete your interview by Thursday, 6 March 08.

   

Interviews will be available on campus with second-year Wharton MBA Students who are full members of the Admissions Committee, off campus with alumni, and off campus in various “Hubs” around the world by Admissions staff members. All interview options are equally considered within the admissions process.

Candidates who are offered an interview will receive their final admissions decision by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on Thursday, 27 March 08.

Thank you again for applying to Wharton. We look forward to reading your application.

   

Sincerely,

Wharton MBA & Lauder MA Admissions Team

04 Jan 2008 10:28 AM in Application Strategy | Permalink | Comments (4)

Tips on the Wharton MBA Admissions Interview

Invited to an interview? Here are some tips directly from the Admissions Committee to to help prepare you…

    

PURPOSE

Interviews provide additional information about your candidacy that is included in the final reviews of your application.  As such inteviews, are not the decisive factor in your admissions decision. In most cases, interviews are fairly consistent with the application.

 

STRUCTURE

Interviews are blind, which reduces bias as your interviewer will have no preconceived ideas of your ability or personality based on your written application. 

   

Interviews may include behavioral questions. Questions may center on specific examples or detailed descriptions of events, projects or experience that demonstrate how situations you’ve faced in the past have been handled and what you learned from them. Behavioral interviewing assumes that past performance predicts future behavior.

   

No advance preparation is required.  Questions are straightforward and cover topics such as why you seek an MBA, why you feel you are a good fit for Wharton (vice versa), what your career goals are, how you spend your spare time, what you value, about what you are passionate, etc. You will not be asked analyze a case study or demonstrate your mastery of particular subjects.

    

All interviews carry equal weight. There is no advantage to interviewing on-campus or with an admissions staff member.  Arrange the type of interview that is most convenient for you.

   

GENERAL TIPS

Interviews are dialogues or exchange between two people. Steer away from pre-rehearsed speech and over reliance on your résumé. We are interested in getting to know you as an individual, so follow the queues of the interviewer.

   

The exact length of the interview does not indicate how well the interview went. While we schedule 30 minute interviews, they may vary a bit.  Deviations from the schedule are random and unrelated to the candidate.

   

Do not expect the interviewer to give you feedback – literally or figuratively. Be careful to avoid any interpretation of verbal or non-verbal communication, as both may mislead you.

   

Interviews are not a popularity contest.  The interviewer is assessing your fit for the Wharton MBA program, not whether or not the two of you would make good or best friends.

The key is to relax, be genuine, and enjoy the opportunity for us to get to know one another.

08 Nov 2007 07:13 AM in Application Strategy | Permalink | Comments (5)

The Wharton MBA Waitlist: A Time for Inactivity & Repose

You are on the Wharton waitlist. You feel as though your hands are tied: the policy is to truly wait. Surely there is something that can be done to secure a spot in the class – not.  Instead of being stressed over your inability to take action, look at the positive aspects of Wharton’s procedures.

   

At Wharton, there is no need to:

• spend countless hours developing creative ways to keep in touch and “win us over.” You express your interest simply by remaining on the waitlist.
• expend additional time and resources submitting additional recommendations and other materials. These are unlikely to change your eventual decision, which is made across multiple criteria; or
• fear that those who lobby lavishly and loudest will receive preference. All waitlist candidates are given equal consideration – equity and fairness rule the day.

So what are Wharton’s waitlist policies again? For some reason, waitlist candidates seem to have trouble remembering them. However, here is a copy of the email that was sent to all Round 1 waitlist candidates (please note that the dates will change following our Round 2 decision release):

   

Dear Waitlist Candidate:

As a waitlist candidate, you may have some questions about the admissions process going forward.  Below is some information about waitlist procedures that will be helpful to you:

      

We will retain your name on the waitlist for consideration at the end of the next round unless you request your application be withdrawn. If you would like to withdraw, please e-mail mba.admissions@wharton.upenn.edu, using the subject header: “Waitlist Remove.”

      

All waitlist candidates who do not ask to be removed from the list will be reconsidered for admission in Round 3 and notified of the Admissions Committee decision by 5pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) of the Round 3 decision release date of Thursday, May 17, 2007. 

      

Decisions include: admit waitlist, waitlist continue, and deny waitlist. In the spirit of fairness and equity, we will not accept additional materials for inclusion in your application. In this same spirit, we do not offer another interview.

   

There is no point person in the office for the waitlist. All waitlist decisions are handled by the Admissions Committee.

    

Feedback to candidates is not offered to candidates while they are on the waitlist.

   

There is no rank order to the waitlist.

   

The chances of being admitted off the waitlist are not predictable since much depends on the strength of the pool in subsequent rounds.  Historically, the admit rate has varied from year to year and has very little correlation with the number of candidates placed on the waitlist.

Thank you in advance for honoring these guidelines.  We sincerely appreciate your interest in the Wharton School.

23 Mar 2007 09:50 AM in Application Strategy | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The Wharton MBA Waitlist: A Time for Inactivity & Repose

You are on the Wharton waitlist. You feel as though your hands are tied: the policy is to truly wait. Surely there is something that can be done to secure a spot in the class – not.  Instead of being stressed over your inability to take action, look at the positive aspects of Wharton’s procedures.

   

At Wharton, there is no need to:

• spend countless hours developing creative ways to keep in touch and “win us over.” You express your interest simply by remaining on the waitlist.
• expend additional time and resources submitting additional recommendations and other materials. These are unlikely to change your eventual decision, which is made across multiple criteria; or
• fear that those who lobby lavishly and loudest will receive preference. All waitlist candidates are given equal consideration – equity and fairness rule the day.

So what are Wharton’s waitlist policies again? For some reason, waitlist candidates seem to have trouble remembering them. However, here is a copy of the email that was sent to all Round 1 waitlist candidates (please note that the dates will change following our Round 2 decision release):

   

Dear Waitlist Candidate:

    

As a waitlist candidate, you may have some about the admissions process going forward.  Below is some information about waitlist procedures that will be helpful to you:

• We will retain your name on the waitlist for consideration at the end of the next round unless you request your application be withdrawn. If you would like to withdraw, please e-mail mba.admissions@wharton.upenn.edu, using the subject header: “Waitlist Remove.”
• All waitlist candidates who do not ask to be removed from the list will be reconsidered for admission in Round 3 and notified of the Admissions Committee decision by 5pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) of the Round 3 decision release date of Thursday, May 17, 2007.  Decisions include: admit waitlist, waitlist continue, and deny waitlist.
• In the spirit of fairness and equity, we will not accept additional materials for inclusion in your application. In this same spirit, we do not offer another interview.
• There is no point person in the office for the waitlist. All waitlist decisions are handled by the Admissions Committee.
• Feedback to candidates is not offered to candidates while they are on the waitlist.
• There is no rank order to the waitlist. 
• The chances of being admitted off the waitlist are hard to predict since much depends on the strength of the pool in subsequent rounds.  Historically, the admit rate has varied from year to year and has very little correlation with the number of candidates placed on the waitlist.

Thank you in advance for honoring these guidelines.  We sincerely appreciate your interest in the Wharton School.

09 Jan 2007 04:14 PM in Application Strategy | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

MBA Admissions Essential #10: Submitting Supplemental Application Materials

You succeeded!   All of your MBA application materials arrived by the deadline and your file has been sent out for review.  Since submitting your application, however, you have been promoted, received a new community or work award, or experienced some other noteworthy event. You are convinced that this one new change in your personal or professional life is significant enough to tip the balance of your candidacy toward a sure admit – or at least make you more attractive to the Admissions Committee. J Should you submit this additional information even though school policy encourages you not to?

   

While MBA programs differ in their policies, many schools, including Wharton, discourage the submissions of supplemental materials once the deadline has passed. For one thing, the timing is poor. There is no guarantee the information arrives in time for the application review.  To ask for an additional review based on new data could delay the evaluation process, particularly if hundreds of applicants make this same request. At some point in time, there has to be a real deadline.

    

In terms of equity, it is unfair to add supplemental application materials for those who request it, knowing that just as many (if not more) individuals who have similar new accomplishments to share do not do so because they honor established guidelines. We prefer to dispel, rather than reinforce, the old adage that “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.”

   

On practical grounds, supplemental information rarely, if ever, alters a candidate evaluation.  Admissions decisions are made across multiple criteria, so that bolstering any one area is unlikely to alter the overall profile. And, in most cases, additional information is work-related.  A promotion or raise, while certainly a nice bonus, is not likely to be a key differentiator.  You are, after all, applying to graduate school and not for a job.  An MBA program considers not only your demonstrated abilities to date, but your potential going forward.  Potential would already be recognized.

   

So, before you send in additional materials, think again. Remember that the timing is poor; respect the need for equity; and be mindful that the practical benefit is negligible.  Do not provide the Admissions Committee with reason to question your judgment.

07 Dec 2006 06:53 AM in Application Strategy | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

MBA Admissions Essential #7: Extracurricular Activities & Community Service

What do these MBA Admissions folks want from me? Not only do they expect me to take the GMAT test, demonstrate an ability to handle the academic rigors of b-school, write essays that outline my entire life history and goals, but they also want me to describe every club, hobby, volunteer activity, and/or community service in which I’ve been engaged since high school!  What if I don’t measure up? What if I don’t have the right number and mix of activities? What if the adcoms don’t find my interests of value?

                     

Relax… It’s as simple as this: we adcoms simply want to know more about you and your values. What matters to you beyond academics and work?  What motivates and inspires you? How well rounded are you?  For many applicants, these questions will be answered through formal, organized activities and events. For others, they will be addressed through less formal means: commitment to family or religion, observations made by recommenders, information revealed in essays.  And for some, the answers reflect a combination of formal and less formal contributions.

    

And why do we care about these things? The MBA is a professional degree that develops individuals for leadership and management positions at work and in the world. Applicants who are well-rounded possess a greater capacity to develop these skills.  Indeed, there are significant differences around the world as to the level of extra-curricular activities and community service in which people engage.  It is with this awareness in mind that we seek applicants who are broad-minded in perspective, if not in deed.

01 Nov 2006 03:12 PM in Application Strategy | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack