Wharton Admissions Essays and Deadlines for 2010-2011

After Wharton made some important changes to its admissions essays last year, its essays carry on unchanged for the 2010-2011 application season:

Wharton Application Essays

1. As a leader in global business, Wharton is committed to sustaining “a truly global presence through its engagement in the world.” What goals are you committed to and why? How do you envision the Wharton MBA contributing to the attainment of those goals? (750 – 1,000 words)

   (After Wharton added this question last year, the admissions office must have liked what it saw, because it returns. At its core, this question asks you to to describe why you want an MBA, and why a Wharton MBA specifically will help you in your career. In this way, it’s very similar to other schools’ “Why MBA? Why this school?” questions. Note the emphasis on “you”… Very telling that they want to hear the impact that you have had and you plan to have… Also, the emphasis that the school has placed on “global business” and “engagement in the world” is very telling. This isn’t a sign that you need to have international or multi-cultural experience in order to be a fit with Wharton, but Wharton looks for applicants who can frame their experiences and goals in a global context, and who plan on engaging in the communities around them.)

2. Tell us about a time when you had to adapt by accepting/understanding the perspective of people different from yourself. (750 – 1,000 words)

   (This question was also new last year. Clearly, JJ Cutler and his team were happy with the changes they made to last year’s application. Consider this question another hint that the school seeks a great deal of diversity in its applicant pool, and wants students who will thrive in this environment. Don’t let this question intimidate you if you feel that your global experiences are minimal — any situation where you accomplished something by working with someone who has a different background or outlook than you is fair game. That can include someone’s personal beliefs, cultural background, professional experience, or academic background. Your natural tendency here may be to go for the most obvious case of a cultural or language barrier, but it’s more important that you can make clear why the situation was challenging, what you did to overcome it, and — hopefully — how you were successful.)

3. Describe a failure that you have experienced. What role did you play, and what did you learn about yourself? (500 words)

   (As with all failure-related questions, the key is to put enough emphasis on what you learned. This sort of self-awareness is what admissions officers typically look for when they ask a “failure” question. Also, ideally you will be able to describe a later time when you applied what you learned to a new situation to avoid a similar failure. That’s what separates a “good” from a “great” response to this question.)

4. Choose one of the following: (500 words)

   - Give us a specific example of a time when you solved a complex problem.

   - Tell us about something significant that you have done to improve yourself, in either your professional and/or personal endeavors.

   (Both of these questions were new last year, but carry on unchanged for the 2010-2011 application season. The first question gives you the opportunity to take the reader through how you broke down the problem at hand, whether it was an analytical problem or an organizational challenge. The word “complex” will often take people down the path of a story that shows off their quantitative abilities, but think broadly about the definition of this word. A story about how you overcame multiple organizational or cultural challenges to achieve something is also fair game, and potentially more interesting. The second question gives you another opportunity to demonstrate self-awareness and a commitment to self-improvement. One example of a good essay here is a story of how you overcame tremendous odds to better yourself at a particular task or skill. Note that both questions call for the class “SAR” response: Situation, Action, Result.)

5. 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, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, significant weaknesses in your application). (Optional, 250 words)

   (Most schools offer such an essay. As we always tell applicants, it’s tempting to use this type of question as an opportunity to pour out a list of excuses for weaknesses in one’s background. Avoid this temptation, and only use it if you must address a glaring weakness in your application. Address it, explain what happened, and move on.)

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