Alongside the deadlines for its MBA, Wharton has also revealed its essay topics for the season. The second question that Wharton added last year remains part of this year’s application. The two still follow the classical pattern of seeking to understand connections between you and the program, and employ a more subtle and open formula than in previous years.
ESSAYS
What do you hope to gain professionally from the Wharton MBA? (500 words)
This essay concentrates on two major themes: your post-degree career (especially in the immediate future) and Wharton’s unique assets. Wharton knows that it can offer amazing educators, courses, clubs, events – and so they don’t want to read a hagiography about themselves. Rather, what they want to see is a series of logical connections between applicants’ needs, relative to their future professional goals, and in relation to their resources.
A lot of people try to bridge different concepts within this essay, especially relative to their background. While it might help to include a small number of relevant examples, keep in mind that the school is judging the seriousness and feasibility of the choices you’re about to make concerning your scholastic and professional future – not your past accomplishments.
If you are struggling to identify what you need for your future role (or even what it might be) and what you might therefore need from Wharton, it’s time to do some heavy digging. Start looking into potential occupational roles and the skills they require, ideally by contacting individuals in the industry; or consider what services Wharton can offer you, especially by contacting alumni, attending Wharton events and visiting the campus.
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)
Wharton’s community is a cornerstone of its program. So, it’s no surprise they’re looking for individuals eager to contribute to upholding the high standards and engagement the school has come to expect. This question contains both a personal and practical dimension, and asks not only what makes you an interesting/unique/outstanding candidate, but also how your qualities and/or experiences could benefit Wharton and its students.
As you begin considering potential events or attributes that you could link to Wharton’s community, try to emphasise those which have impacted others beyond just yourself. For every point you consider mentioning, there are some potential questions that might help identify whether it’s one worth including in the essay. For instance, did it push you to surmount some sort of difficulty or prejudice? What effect did it have on others? Did it shape the way you interact with people going forward? Did it change the way you behave to this day?
When describing how this trait or experience will impact your involvement with Wharton’s student body, try to mention concrete ways you foresee it being applied. These can be general examples, such as how you would interact or work with peers, or they can be more specific, such as what organisation or events you could envision yourself contributing to.
Additional Essay (required for all Reapplicants): Please use this space to share with the Admissions Committee how you have reflected and grown since your previous application and discuss any relevant updates to your candidacy (e.g., changes in your professional life, additional coursework, and extracurricular/volunteer engagements). (250 words)
If you happen to be a reapplicant, use this space to focus on the positive changes that you’ve achieved, such as addressing any issues with metrics like receiving a better GMAT score. If you faced other issues in your first application, it’s also important to demonstrate evolution in your professional career or extracurricular activities, or to explain how reasonable changes in your goals have positively impacted your candidacy.
Optional Essay: Please use this space to share any additional information about yourself that cannot be found elsewhere in your application and that you would like to share with the Admissions Committee. This space can also be used to address any extenuating circumstances (e.g., unexplained gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, areas of weakness, etc.) that you would like the Admissions Committee to consider. (500 words)
If you’re applying to Wharton, it’s very likely that you’re also applying to a host of highly competitive MBAs. For their applications, you might have written an insightful essay for Stanford explaining what matters most to you. Or perhaps there’s a wonderful segment that you’re very proud of from your HBS essay. You may be thinking, wouldn’t it be great to show off that brilliant piece of writing to Wharton in this section? The answer is: No, it definitely wouldn’t be.
Applications are as much a test of what you don’t put into them as what you do include. As stated, this section is exclusively for explaining away issues from your application that will be read negatively by the admissions committee. So, if you do have a problem with your profile – absolutely, use this space to explain it away. Or, if possible and relevant, you can also provide a solid example of corrective steps you’ve taken to make sure that any problem point will not resurface while you study at Wharton.
Getting admitted to UPenn is a very difficult process, yet there are many ways in which you can significantly improve your chances—reach out to our Wharton MBA experts to find out what they are. For additional information on the technical aspects of Wharton’s application, be sure to also visit their official site.
