In a letter to Wharton MBA alumni admissions volunteers, Wharton Deputy Director of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid Ankur Kumar this week shared several planned changes to the school’s alumni admissions volunteer program designed to enhance recruitment and improve alumni engagement. Most notably, alumni will no longer conduct admissions interviews, freeing them up for other roles in the admissions process.
“Beginning this year, Wharton will take candidate interviews ‘in house,’” wrote Kumar, meaning that the school will use staff and students to conduct interviews rather than alumni. Going forward, all candidates will have the option of interviewing on campus with a trained student Admissions Fellow or at an increased number of domestic and international hub locations with Admissions Committee staff.
The decision to use staff and students in lieu of alumni reflects several key considerations, according to Kumar, including the fact that applicants seem to want to engage more informally with alumni at other points during the admissions process and that alumni find that interviews limit their ability to share their experiences at Wharton and beyond.
“We believe our new interview arrangements will actually demonstrate an increased commitment to international applicants, and will guarantee a more consistent delivery of the interview structure across thousands of interviewees worldwide,” Kumar added.
Instead of relying on alumni volunteers as part of the interview process, Wharton will now call on them to help enhance the admissions recruitment process and the enrollment of admitted candidates. To this end, Wharton will launch a new alumni candidate appraisal portal, an online platform where alumni will be able to provide supplemental constructive input on candidates, which will be sent directly to the deputy director of the Admissions Committee and included in the candidate’s file for review. The school will also sponsor more alumni-led recruiting events to take advantage of alumni knowledge of markets around the world and connect influential alumni with admitted students during the enrollment decision process through welcome events and other programs.
“Bringing the right students to Wharton shapes the reach and impact of the school, today and as we look toward the future,” said Kumar. “These programs capitalize on the strength of our alumni and the alumni network to ensure this happens,” she continued.
Read the full article: U Penn’s Wharton School to Use Staff, Students to Conduct Admissions Candidate Interviews