The Admissions Committee is interested in getting to know you on both a professional and personal level. We encourage you to be introspective, candid, and succinct. Most importantly, we suggest you be yourself.
Required Question:
How will Wharton MBA help you achieve your professional objectives? (400 words)
Wharton does not explicitly ask you for short term and long term career goals, but an essay on professional objectives, should likely cover both. Our approach to this essay would be to cover the following, in an order that best fits your story:
1. A quick walk through your professional history, with emphasis on the motivations behind doing a particular project or changing jobs. Reflection (or introspection as the adcom terms it), on the past career will help the reader to understand your motivation towards your career objectives.
2. Your short term and long term goals.
3. Why do you need an MBA to achieve your goals? What skills, knowledge or tools do you lack which only an MBA can give you?
4. Specifically, why would it be the Wharton MBA?
RESPOND TO 2 OF THE FOLLOWING 3 QUESTIONS:
1. Select a Wharton MBA course, co-curricular opportunity or extra-curricular engagement that you are interested in. Tell us why you chose this activity and how it connects to your interests. (500 words)
Applicants are likely to take two approaches in handling this essay- 1. Look at a course, extra curricular activity at Wharton, decide to talk about it and then fit it in their own circumstances. 2. Sift through their own needs, interests or passions and explore where they will fit in the Wharton context.
We believe the second approach is better, because it will be guided by real interests and passions, and therefore you will be able to make a genuine case for taking up an activity. You can also utilize this essay to talk about a particular academic course that you are keen to take up, which may not link to your career goals, but which caters to your interests. Note, Wharton has a highly flexible curriculum and you can also take up courses from the 11 schools of the University of Pennsylvania.
Lastly, remember to personalize the essay to yourself. Sweeping statements like I will take XYZ Course in Marketing because “Wharton has one of the largest set of courses and faculty in the area of Marketing” will not work, because, well, the part in quotations is a rip off from the website and this is what the b-school authorities are telling us already.
2. Imagine your work obligations for the afternoon were cancelled and you found yourself “work free” for three hours, what would you do? (500 words)
This question is similar to the previous one and gives you an excellent chance to showcase the non professional aspect of your personality. Though 3 hours is not much for idling away time, but an MBA application is not a place for listing trivia. So ideally, you would spend these three ‘precious’ hours doing something that really matters to you; be it making a business plan; practicing with your rock band of 10 years, for an upcoming performance; trawling through the town to photograph interesting faces; or volunteering at the blind school. Be sure to express your passion for this interest.
3. “Knowledge for Action draws upon the great qualities that have always been evident at Wharton: rigorous research, dynamic thinking, and thoughtful leadership.” – Thomas S. Robertson, Dean, The Wharton School
Tell us about a time when you put knowledge into action. (500 words)
Though the focus is on implementation, it has to be in the context of some information that came to light. Being Wharton, they want to see if you took efforts to do more with the information – dug deeper, asked questions (in other words researched and analyzed) to get fact based and more informed, thereby enhancing your ability to be more effective in implementation.
That is why they use the word thoughtful leadership as against just leadership for this essay.
Don’t confuse ‘knowledge’ with theoretical knowledge acquired from a book. Think of it as cognizance of the fact that some action needs to be taken towards an objective.
ADDITIONAL QUESTION FOR REAPPLICANTS:
All reapplicants to Wharton are required to complete the Optional Essay. Please use this space to explain how you have reflected on the previous decision on your application and to discuss any updates to your candidacy (e.g., changes in your professional life, additional coursework, extracurricular/volunteer engagements). You may also use this section to address any extenuating circumstances. (250 words)
OPTIONAL SECTION FOR ALL APPLICANTS:
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, or questionable academic performance, significant weaknesses in your application). (250 words)