B-Schools At The Forefront Of Healthcare

Anthony Penna: Wharton’s admissions is “interested in the depth and breadth of the individual’s contributions to their work environment and level of responsibility and progression”

Former Wharton Admissions Director Shares Advice

The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School ranks number one in our “Top Business Schools” ranking — and for good reason.

The B-school’s diverse student body and intensive finance curriculum make it a coveted MBA program for many applicants. With an acceptance rate of 22-23%, it’s also exceptionally hard to get in.

Anthony Penna, former associate director of MBA admissions at the Wharton School and admissions consultant at Stacy Blackman Consulting, recently offered a few insights into what the Wharton program is really like and what it takes for applicants to get accepted.

WHAT MAKES WHARTON UNIQUE

As one of the oldest and most prestigious B-schools in the world, the Wharton School is well known for its cohort learning team model. Penna says a notable feature of the Wharton MBA is the fact that it’s student led.

“The school gives students a chance to impact the program with varying fellows positions, taking on leadership roles in myriad areas, including leadership training, student life admissions, and career development,” Penna says.

Additionally, Wharton is home to over 240 faculty members—each of whom are renown in their field of study.

“[Wharton] has experts in every aspect of the business world, from data analytics to entrepreneurship to diversity and inclusion,” Penna says. “The breadth of the program and the enormous resources of the University of Pennsylvania make Wharton a business school that can help you achieve almost any goal.”

NOT JUST A FINANCE SCHOOL

Despite being known for its finance program, Wharton has much more to offer. In recent year’s, the B-school has made significant investments in areas like entrepreneurship and technology

Tangen Hall is a prime example. A seven-story building across 68,000 square feet, it’s the largest student entrepreneurship hub in the world.

“It’s a significant new aspect of the school that gives credibility to Wharton and Penn in terms of supporting students who want to pursue a career in entrepreneurship while at school,” Penna says.

WHAT WHARTON’S ADCOM LOOKS FOR

Wharton takes a holistic approach when reviewing applications, which means it takes more than just high stats to get in. One particular trait Penna says Wharton seeks is professional maturity.

“They evaluate work experience not only in terms of years,” Penna says. “They’re also interested in the depth and breadth of the individual’s contributions to their work environment and level of responsibility and progression.”

Community is a big component of the Wharton MBA experience with much of the program being team-based. Demonstrating how you’ll contribute to the Wharton community is key.

“It’s being a part of this much larger organization than your learning team or cohort,” Penna says. “And you also want to explain how your unique experiences will shape the experiences of many of your fellow students, the program, and the overall institution.”

Sources: Stacy Blackman Consulting, University of Pennsylvania

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