The Wharton MBA

Class Visit along with Interviewing On Campus

anaru — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:27:44 GMT

Hi,

I will be interviewing on campus. I was wondering if I can also attend a class or interact with students in an informal setting (over lunch or drinks)?

Thanks!

Which recommender to use?

ca2wharton — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:17:27 GMT

I am in between two recommenders. Both have good writing skills, but one does not have good spoken english and he is somewhat of an offensive character. I know both will write good recs, but I heard that recommenders are called as well. I don't want a phone conversation to hurt me, but I also think he could write the better rec.

GMAT Score

atharva — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:48:43 GMT

Hi,

I am an Indian student with a GMAT score of 640 (Quant 47, Verbal 31). Is my score is too low to make it to Wharton. I know that GMAT score is one of the factors still i have been advised to improve it and not to take chances.

Do you really think that with this score will limit my chances significantly?

Please share your thought.

Goethe Equivalent

die_Musik — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:59:30 GMT

Hello,

Would you be able to provide some guidance re: the level of foreign language skill required for matriculation? I am interested in the German track and would like to learn which Goethe Institute examination is the equivalent of the LTI advanced skill level. I realize the Goethe examinations are not accepted in lieu of the OPI test but they do provide a good measure of the needed languge ability.

Here is a description of the examinations:

http://www.goethe.de/lrn/prj/pba/bes/enindex.htm

Would I be correct in guessing the level B1 is the requirement for matriculation and the level C1 for graduation?

Thank you.

Announcing A Themed Chat: "Educational Loans for International Students"

MBA Admin — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:34:18 GMT

Join us!

10 September 2009: Nathan Franklin, Director of Wharton MBA Financial Aid

The MBA Financial Aid Team will be hosting a chat for international students interested in educational loans. Please join Nathan Franklin, Director of MBA Financial Aid, for an online chat on 10 September 2009.

Questions to be covered include borrowing with and without U.S. cosigners, determining your loan eligibility, required documents for educational loans in the United States, and the timing of loan applications and disbursements.

Date: 10 September 2009
Time: 6:00 PM EST, or "Philly" Time
Where: Wharton MBA "Interact With Us" Chatroom

We look forward to chatting with you!

--The Wharton MBA Admissions & Financial Aid Team

About Faculty

nsharma — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:37:02 GMT

Dear MBA Students,

Could someone please answer the questions below:

1. Who teaches the following modules ? And does that change every year?
    Macroeconomic Analysis and Public Policy
    Financial Derivatives,
    Risk and Crisis Management
    Strategic Management

2. Do students attend classes by noble laureate ?

Thanks,
Nitin

interview visit.....cheap hotels near wharton

naigak — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 15:22:11 GMT

Hello all,

I would like to travel to Philly for my interview. I'm travelling from India. Can someone suggest some cheap hotels (as in real cheap!!!) near the campus? Also, are there trains or buses available from the Phila international airport to Wharton? I'm travelling only for my interview and it will be my first visit to the US.

thanks much,

naiga

How can I get in touch with someone in the Technology Club?

jheaslip — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:12:22 GMT

Hi all,

I am heading to Philadelphia in a couple weeks and was hoping to meet up with someone from the Technology Club.

Does anyone know how I can get in touch with a club member? I am trying to get a better understanding of the opportunities available for Wharton students to grow their skill sets in technology.

Thanks in advance!

Cheers

Jesse Heaslip

Goodness of f(IT) !

irix — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:04:02 GMT

Hi there :),

There're quite a few pointers I'd like to state before jumping on to my question(s).

* I'm a Masters' in Mathematics from Indian Institute of Technology

* I currently work in the Management Consulting division ( Supply Chain Planning and Fulfillment ) of Accenture ( ACN ) as a Supply Chain Analyst.

* I currently have 1.5 yrs of job xp (I'd like to re-iterate here that I already hold a masters degree )..and by Sept 2010 I will have completed 2 yrs of job xp.

* My GMAT score is 700 with 5.5 AWA

My concerns are as follows :

1. Given the fact that I dont possess ( and will not so ) 3 yrs of job xp..will my masters degree supplement or aid to my low job ex ?

2. I've heard ( from independent sources ) that ACN is considered an IT company in the US ...how true is this claim ? ( If you're surprised at this question, it is because here in India the very answer to this question can raise or lower my probability of making it to Wharton :) )

3. Given my abysmally low GMAT score..should I even consider applying in the first place ?

4. I am wondering whether coming from premier institutes raises the bar and levels of expectations ?

Give me my Coefficient of Determination and if possible its statistical significance and help me evaluate my fit.

Thanks !!!

Online application down?

JohnnyBravo — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:26:17 GMT

Hi there,

I am trying to login to the online application, but am receiving what seems to be a generic 'Invalid access' message.

Can somebody please confirm if there is an issue with ApplyYourself in general, or is it specific to my account/computer? The latter seems unlikely as I am logged out, and have cleared all cookies.

Clarification would be greatly appreciated as I am trying to send my recommendation requests out!

Thanks,

hi..this is priyanka a BBA student aiming at wharton MBA..but my problem is

priyankadongre7 — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 13:24:21 GMT

..bank loans are generally not sufficient to pay the whole sum of tuition fees..so what are the other sure options available to finance my MBA degree??and if i get selected for the scholarship then when will i come to know about that,i mean before the paying fees to the college or just by applying to it will i come to know abt that??

and how do international students generally pay their fees??im sure they can not rely upon one single bank loan coz that is not at all sufficient to pay the full fees..

so plz let me know from where cud i get my funding for the tuition fees??

plz help....

Counterintuitive, Very Uneven GMAT

mmt — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:12:21 GMT

Hello All,

Yet another fit question. I recently scored 710 overall, 44Q (69%) and 42%V (95%) on the GMAT. I was a little surprised as I've spent the last six years working in quantitative research (worked in all fixed-income, equities and derivatives) at a buy-side institution.

I understand that there are no cookie-cutter answers and that each situation is unique; but any opinions as to whether or not my quant score (and/or my overall score) will hurt me? Will my work experience help allay fears of potential weakness? (At the very least, I suppose I won't be pigeon-holed as a pure quant; which was my initial worry!!)

Thanks all!

Cheers,

mmt

Ideal mix of recommenders

blayze — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:09:42 GMT

Hello,

Was wondering what you guys would recommend in terms of the ideal mix of recommenders.: 2 professional recommenders, or 1 professional and 1 community work to show my different sides?

Just to provide some context, I spent my first 2 years out of university at a private equity firm, and have spent the last year and a half in a corporate development role at a publicly traded corporation. In terms of the community work, I have been involved with this particular non-profit for 6 years and I am currently the president of its alumni association and sit on the board as well.

I assume the first recommender should be my current supervisor, but for the second recommender, should I keep it professional and use my contact at the private equity firm, or should I use my non-profit recommender to show them a different side of me? The one issue with the non-profit recommender is that this person used to head up the non-profit but has since gone to work for PwC in a similar diversity-HR related role.

Also, I think in the application instructions, I recall Wharton specifically asks for something to the effect of "professional or work-related" recommendations, so I'm not sure if that excludes extracurricular activities.

Which alternative do you guys think would be more effective from an admissions standpoint?

Thanks for your insight.

Wharton-INSEAD

fesoyiona — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:57:49 GMT

Does the university award degrees under the Wharton-INSEAD Program?

If so, how can one apply to the program? The only inter-disciplinary program I saw as an option for applying was the Lauder initiative.

thank you!

Can a Reformed Slacker be Admitted?

RMCole84 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:02:13 GMT

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4  /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} As the title implies, my past is not paved with academia or business experience. I'm 25 years old, and I have 2 1/2 years left before my undergraduate is finished. Is this enough time to right some of the wrongs from my past? Perhaps I should explain......

I left high school at 16 with my GED in hand; ready to take on the world. (Mind you, I was in the top 1% of every standardized test I was given in school, including the GED test.) For the next several years I did exactly nothing impressive. I worked at this and that; as a mechanic, an electronics installer, a car salesman, a jewelry salesman...... I'm sure you get the picture. Only within the last two or three years have I taken myself seriously, and decided that I will never be content until I have made full use of myself. I did do some volunteering in South America recently, but nothing business related. I do speak a touch of Spanish and Portuguese, and am taking courses currently to improve them further.

So are those years before I "saw the light" going to make it incredibly difficult for me to get into Wharton, or any top B-School for that matter? I will likely finish my undergraduate in Finance from a standard-issue state school, nothing glamorous. I do expect, however, that my grades should be exemplary, and my GMAT scores should have no problem meeting Wharton's high standards. I am also hoping to get placed in at least one internship of some real value, and also head back to South America for at least one more summer volunteering. That said, I would like to apply to the MBA program directly, or shortly, after completing my undergraduate. Is this unreasonable?

I would appreciate any and all advice as to what I should and should not be doing to prepare for what I'm sure is an incredibly competitive admissions pool. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, and thank you in advance for your advice.

-R.C.-

[SOS] GMAT 770, but AWA 4 (18%) – A Chinese applicant

larrywang — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:48:58 GMT

Hey all,

I got a GMAT 720+ AWA 5, and later a GMAT 770+AWA 4 (18%). I wonder if this low AWA score will hurt me. Besides, I got a high score in Tofel TWE, 28/30. Will my first AWA 5 and Tofel TWE stand out to testify my written and communication skills? Should I in the optional essay urge the admission officer to judge me on the background of three scores, or no need to do so as the officer will naturally rely my Tofel TWE and the first AWA score?

Many thanks!

Larry

GMAT submitted after deadline

DKM — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:37:00 GMT

Hi,

If I were to apply in round 2 using my current gmat score, and then took the gmat again in January after the deadline to increase my quantitative score, would I have to become part of the round 3 applicant pool if I wanted to submit my new, higher GMAT? Or is it possible to just update my application and stay in Round 2?

Thanks

Does Admissions committee read Fellowship essays?

BostonGirl2012 — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:44:41 GMT

Hi,

I'm in the process of applying for R2 and am working on the Fellowship essay. It is unclear to me whether the Admissions committee will read the Fellowship essay as part of my application. Does anyone know? I want to make sure I don't over-explain and use up valuable word-space in any of my essays, but I also want to make sure that the entire story I want to tell is told in the essays that the Admissions committee will read.

Also, in the same vein, does the Fellowship committee ead the rest of my application as part of the decision to give me a fellowship if I am admitted?

Thank you,

R2 Applicant

Using an old example

keenaspirant — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:39:13 GMT

Hi,

The example that I am using for my failure essay is about 8 years old. Does the age of this example make it less relevant?

Thank you

JD-MBA Application Options

cacoliver — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:44:29 GMT

Hi,

I am applying to Wharton in round 2 and am also planning on applying to the Penn law school in order to pursue a joint degree. Here is my dilemma: I am scheduled to take the LSAT in December (less than three weeks away). Due of work-related responsibilities, I have been unable to properly study for this exam, and I am nervous about scoring poorly and hurting my chances for admission.

I do not want to defer my application to business school as my recommendations have already been submitted and my application is complete. I would prefer to push back my LSAT, but I don't want to risk being ineligible to particpate in the joint degree program because of the hinderances of a late test date.

Therefore, I am wondering if it is possible to be granted admission to the business school and then apply for entry into the law school during my first year? This schedule appears to unworkable for the 3-year program but I think it would work under the 4-year program, if that is still an option.

Any information or advice on this topic would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Which MBA program to choose?

BarathCS — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:20:09 GMT

Hi,

Im a Computer engineer from India willing to do MBA to enhance my career options in the field that I work on. I want to stick to IT post MBA also and I wud like to know the programs that will best suit me. Im currently working as a Software developer and I would like to go in for something like General Management.

Do we hv any other programs other than General Mgmt like Technology mgmt or IT mgmt(to name a few)

Pl throw some light on this. The context of my question is post MBA which program will attract IT companies so that I can enhance my career options without changing the field that Im in right now.

Thanks in advance.

-Barath

Interview Host

cwhs — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:15:19 GMT

Hello,

On my interview schedule confirmation notice, the host is listed as an 'Admissions Officer'. Does this mean that I will be interviewing with one of the six individuals listed on the Wharton Admissions Committee, or could I also be interviewing with a second year student?

Thanks

cwhs

PS. For your reference, the committee members are listed at

http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/mba/admissions/admissions-committee.cfm

Round 3?

Dim — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:15:18 GMT

Hi,

I am international student and have now to make a rather tough decision:

- apply in R2 with my current gmat scores, or

- take my chances to improve gmat and apply in the R3

I took gmat twice, 650 (q62%, v83%), which of course I considered strange since I am not 'math-avert' :) but the second time I scored 640 (q76%, v58%). And I will not have time to take gmat again before the deadline.

so, which option is better: lower score/2R vs perhaps higher score/3R?

also, I have strong reasons to believe that getting visa will not be an issue if admitted in 3R

thanks,

Change of Alumni Interview Time

clnyc — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:05:32 GMT

If I had to change the time of my alumni interview after I registered my initial time online, do I have to update my time slot anywhere? There doesn't seem to be any option to update the interview time after registering.

Wharton General Curriculum vs...

MBAApplicant29 — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:58:21 GMT

Hi -

Curious if someone can give me some insight into what separates the academic curriculum from some of its competitors... what makes it different from a Columbia or HBS? Why, from purely an academic perspective, did you choose Wharton and how, now that you've been there for a while and presumeably have peers in similar institutions, do you feel it differs from other MBA programs?

Thanks!