Wharton 2008 MBA Application Deadlines

                    APPLICATION DEADLINE       DECISION RELEASE DATE
Round 1     11 Oct 2007                                 20 Dec 2007
Round 2     03 Jan 2008                                 27 Mar 2008
Round 3     28 Feb 2008                                15 May 2008

Wharton's essay questions (below) represent something old, something new, and something similar. This application provides less flexibility than last year's, but you still have some choice. My comments are in red. 

2007-08 WHARTON MBA APPLICANT ESSAY QUESTIONS

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.

First-time Applicant Essays

All first-time applicants are required to complete four essays, with the option of a fifth essay that may be used to address extenuating circumstances. Reapplicants who applied for the Entering Fall 2006 or 2007 Class are to complete the re-applicant essays. All other reapplicants are to complete the first-time applicant essays.

REQUIRED:

1. Describe your career progress to date and your future short-term and long-term career goals. How do you expect a Wharton MBA to help you achieve these goals, and why is now the best time for you to join our program? (1,000 words)

Wharton's #1 for years has been a classic b-school goals question. This question explicitly asks you to connect the dots between your past, present, and future. Use specifics to highlight your achievements and pivotal experiences in your past. Then show how your future goals developed from those experiences and how Wharton will help you to achieve your goals.

Make sure you address the Why Now part of the question. It doesn't ask why is now a good time for you to leave the work force or get an MBA, but it asks why is now the right time for you to attend Wharton.

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

The second part of the question is slightly different, perhaps clearer this year. In any case, like most failure questions, this is not an easy one to answer. It requires honesty and candor...and a little damage control. So choose a real failure, preferably a few years ago so that you can show how you handled a different situation with aplomb since the initial bomb. Also, try to use this question, and all questions, to bring out a different side of you. 

3. Tell us about a situation in which you were an outsider. What did you learn from the experience? (500 words)

***New Question** This question is about adaptation and interpersonal skills. (Think about Wharton's learning teams. ) If you have an international setting to place the response, so much the better, but in my opinion the purpose of this question is to give those, especially younger applicants, the ability to show their adaptability, cultural sensitivity, and communications skills even if they have never left their home country. 

4. Please Complete One Of The Following Two Questions:

New Questions. Old Themes.

• Where in your background would we find evidence of your leadership capacity and/or potential? (500 words)

If you have not displayed leadership in previous essays, choose this option. If you have, you can still choose this option or the next one to show a facet of your experience and background not revealed in previous essays.

• Is there anything about your background or experience that you feel you have not had the opportunity to share with the Admissions Committee in your application? If yes, please explain. (500 words)

If your previous essays show leadership and teamwork, then use this essay to show breadth or simply to reveal something distinctive about your background. Wharton values breadth so if you started a small business in college or along side your full-time employment, this essay may be a great place to bring out that side of you. Or the fact that you are a singer, guitar player, butterfly collector, marathon runner, mountain climber, environmental activist... the list could go on and on. Take an anecdotal approach and let both your the breadth of your experience and your individuality shine through.

OPTIONAL:

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, TOEFL waiver request, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, significant weaknesses in your application). (250 words)

Re-applicant Essays

Reapplicants are required to complete three essays, with the option of a fourth essay that may be used to address extenuating circumstances. (Please note: re-applicants essays are for Fall 2006 or Fall 2007 applicants only. Reapplicants from prior years are to complete the first-time applicant essays).

REQUIRED:

1. Describe your career progress to date and your future short-term and long-term career goals. How do you expect a Wharton MBA to help you achieve these goals, and why is now the best time for you to join our program? How has your candidacy improved since the last time you applied? (1,000 words)

2. Tell us about a situation in which you were an outsider. What did you learn from the experience? (500 words)

3. Please Complete One Of The Following Two Questions:

• Where in your background would we find evidence of your leadership capacity and/or potential? (500 words)

• Is there anything about your background or experience that you feel you have not had the opportunity to share with the Admissions Committee in your application? If yes, please explain. (500 words

4. 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, TOEFL waiver request, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, significant weaknesses in your application). (250 words)

If you are a reapplicant you need to focus on recent activities and ensure that this application addresses issues raised in the feedback session you should have had. Don't simply submit your essays from last year; they didn't work last year, and they are less likely to work this year. Show growth, more responsibility, more impact, and more maturity this time around.

If you are aiming towards round 1 deadlines, now is a great time for you to start on your Wharton application essays, as well as the essays for the other b-schools that have published 2008 MBA essay questions. Not only will you really be ready when those deadlines roll around, you can save 10% on Accepted's (non-rush) MBA essay editing and advising services as well as our Wharton Comprehensive Packages if you purchase on or before July 31.