Meet The Wharton MBA Class of 2017

Chris Shelton

The Wharton School Of The University of Pennsylvania

Hometown: Salt Lake City, UT

Undergraduate School and Major: Brigham Young University (BYU), Finance

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

• Ascend Alliance Humanitarian, Volunteer
• Citigroup, Investment Banking Analyst
• Sorenson Capital Partners, Associate

Recalling your own experience, what advice do you have for applicants who are preparing for either the GMAT or the GRE? Take plenty of practice tests and don’t save the actual test for the last minute.  Give yourself plenty of time in case you want to retake it.

Based on your own selection process, what advice do you have for applicants who are trying to draw up a list of target schools to which to apply? It’s worth the extra time spent to apply to a few additional schools. Have at least a few stretch schools on your list and then at least a safe school or two. Also, visit your target schools if you can. There is only so much you can learn online and through phone calls. Actually being on campus and attending a class is irreplaceable when it comes to truly understanding the culture of the school.

What advice do you have for applicants in actually applying to a school, writing essays, doing admission interviews, and getting recommenders to write letters on your behalf? Be yourself throughout the process. Don’t write your essays the way you think admissions committees want you to write your essays.  Also, spending hours agonizing over small details of your application really won’t make the difference in the end.  Put together a good application and go with it.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? Wharton felt right from the beginning. The school has endless opportunities and resources along with a flexible core curriculum. This allows you to customize your experience to a level that other schools with rigid curriculums do not allow. You can maximize your time spent to the highest degree!

What would you ultimately like to achieve before you graduate? There are so many things I could list here. One of my top priorities is to build a global network of incredible people that will stay with me for the rest of my life. I am also working on a socially responsible business idea that I would like to get off the ground before I leave Wharton.