01 · Class profile
Who is in the Wharton MBA class
Class of 2027, the newest class profile on Wharton's class-profile page (dated 12th Aug 2025). Wharton received 7,613 applications and enrolled 888 students from 68 countries. Wharton has not posted a profile for the Class of 2028.
Wharton's current applications are for the Class of 2029, so you would join a class that has no published profile yet. Treat these figures as the most recent guide.
Wharton also shows LGBTQ+ students at 12%, first-generation students at 11% and military students at 6%. It does not publish an average age.
What the class did before the MBA (share of students, by industry)
Share of the Class of 2027, with the industry names expanded from Wharton's chart. We list 'Other' last, and the chart shows Retail at 0%.
Degree programmes (number of students)
Number of students in the Class of 2027, as Wharton's chart groups them.
Where students did their undergraduate degree (share of students)
Test scores
| Test | Average | Median | Range |
|---|
| GMAT Focus Edition | 676 | Not published | Not published |
| GMAT previous edition (Wharton calls it GMAT Legacy) | 735 | Not published | Not published |
| GRE | Quant 163, Verbal 162 | Not published | Not published |
Wharton does not say how many students took each edition or test, and it sets no minimum score. The two GMAT editions are on different scales, so do not compare the two averages.
The GRE labels are as printed beside the Class of 2027 figures. Wharton's page lists the Class of 2026 GRE figures in the opposite order, so the split between Quant and Verbal is not certain.
Undergraduate GPA
The average is 3.7, counted only for students from universities with a 4.0 grading system.
Work experience
Wharton gives an average of 5 years and says there is no minimum or maximum years of experience to apply.
Campus and programme
The campus is in Philadelphia, with one semester in San Francisco open to a select group of second-year students by application. Wharton describes the programme as 20 months, including a recommended summer internship of 3.5 months.
Wharton lists 22 majors, says about 40% of students complete two majors, and offers nearly 200 electives.
Where do you sit in this class? Enter your score, experience and profile and see your position and interview risk.
Check my chances02 · Placements
Where Wharton MBA graduates go
87.0%
reported acceptances
Class of 2025, from Wharton's 2025 MBA Career Report, the newest full-time report. Wharton has not yet published a Class of 2026 full-time report. All pay figures are in US dollars.
Wharton defines the $185,000 as the median base salary for one year only. It does not include discretionary bonuses, options or carried interest. Wharton gives a 25th percentile of $165,000 and a 75th percentile of $192,000, and does not publish a mean or a highest salary.
On Wharton's full-time statistics page, 48% of graduates reported a sign-on bonus: a 25th percentile of $30,000, a median of $30,000 and a 75th percentile of $50,000. It is separate from the base salary, so do not add the two.
Of 879 students, 608 were seeking employment. The offer rate (550 students) and acceptance rate (529) are shares of those 608.
The rest of the class: 223 were not seeking (150 company-sponsored or returning to a company, 46 self-employed or starting a business, 16 postponing the search or continuing education, 11 personal or other) and 48 did not respond.
Industry of the job (share of accepted full-time offers)
Legal & Professional Services
2.5% Media, Entertainment & Sports
0.8% Share of accepted full-time offers, Class of 2025, with the industry names as Wharton gives them. Within financial services, Wharton shows investment banking and brokerage at 14.2% and private equity at 13.4%.
Function of the job (share of accepted full-time offers)
General/project management
10.2% Investment management
6.0% Product/Brand Marketing
2.3% Operations/supply chain
1.9% Portfolio company operations
1.7% Analytics/Data Science
1.1% Entrepreneurial Management
0.9% Share of accepted full-time offers, Class of 2025, from the Career Report PDF. Some function names are shortened from the report's, and two small functions (0.6% together) are not shown.
Wharton's pages differ: its live function-choices table gives consulting/strategy at 25.5% of accepted offers, while its Career Report PDF gives 31.4%. This page uses the PDF. The industry shares are the same in both.
Location of the job (share of accepted full-time offers)
Cities (share of accepted full-time offers)
Share of accepted full-time offers, Class of 2025, from Wharton's live location page. Wharton's Career Report map shows slightly different regional totals, so this page shows cities and no regions.
Change of industry and function
Wharton says 53.1% changed both industry and function, 16.6% changed function only, 10.3% changed industry only, 9.7% kept both but took a new title, and 10.3% made no change.
Summer internships, Class of 2026
The same report covers internships: 858 students, of whom 778 were seeking. All 778 reported offers and 776 accepted. The median monthly salary was $10,416.
Employers
Employers that hired two or more members of the Class of 2025, as printed in the Career Report, in alphabetical order.
Accenture, Adobe Inc., Alpine Investors, Alvarez & Marsal, Amazon, American Express, Analysis Group, Inc., Apax Partners, Apollo Global Management, Bain & Company, Bank of America, Barclays, Bernstein, BlackRock, Blackstone, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Brookfield Asset Management, Capital One, Capital Rx, Centerview Partners, Cisco Systems, Inc., Citi, DaVita, Deloitte, Digital Alpha Advisors, eBay, Inc., Evercore, EY-Parthenon, Goldman Sachs & Company, Google, Guggenheim Securities, LLC, H.I.G. Capital, J.P. Morgan, Jefferies, Kearney, KKR & Co., Lazard, LLC, McKinsey & Company, Microsoft, Moelis & Company, Morgan Stanley, PJT Partners, Sheridan Capital Partners, Shore Capital Partners, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Strategy&, T. Rowe Price, TikTok, Uber, Vanguard, Walmart (incl. ecommerce), Wellington Management and William Blair & Company.
03 · Fees and scholarships
What it costs, and how to pay less
$93,008
with university fees
$135,441
yearly total cost
These are Wharton's 2026-27 budget figures, per year, in US dollars. Wharton shows the same figures for Year 1 and Year 2. Wharton has not published a budget for the next academic year yet.
Wharton says housing and meals are not included in tuition. It says the budget has average estimates of expenses directly related to education, and advises budgeting extra for club fees, networking events and student trips.
The application fee is $275 and non-refundable, paid by credit card. Wharton waives it for US military applicants on active duty or veterans.
Wharton's 2026-27 budget, per year
| Cost | Per year |
|---|
| Tuition | $87,970 |
| University fees | $5,038 |
| Total tuition and fees | $93,008 |
| Housing | $21,258 |
| Food | $9,287 |
| Books and supplies | $1,123 |
| Transportation | $1,044 |
| Personal | $4,703 |
| Health insurance | $5,018 |
| Total living expenses | $42,433 |
| Total MBA cost | $135,441 |
Wharton lists the Lauder MBA/MA separately at $179,317 in Year 1 and $151,641 in Year 2. The figures above are for the standard MBA.
Scholarships and funding
| Scholarship | What you get and who it is for |
|---|
| Wharton Fellowship | Wharton considers every admitted student at the time of admission, with no separate application. It looks at unique personal qualities and background, academic achievement, exceptional professional development and community involvement. Wharton says fellowships go to approximately one-third of the incoming class, and does not publish amounts. |
| How fellowships work | They are two-year awards split equally over four semesters and can be used only against tuition and fees unless Wharton states otherwise. Wharton calls them non-negotiable. Renewal in Year 2 needs good academic standing, and outside funding that goes over tuition and mandatory fees can reduce or remove a fellowship. |
| Awards for enrolled students | Wharton names the Ford Fellowship (first year), the Academic Excellence Fellowship (terms 2 and 3), the Inselbag Fellowship (first year, top 5% eligible) and the Director's List Fellowship (each semester, top 10% eligible). It does not give amounts. |
| Need-based funds | The Wharton Student Experience Fund helps with Global Modular Course, Global Immersion Program, Semester in San Francisco or Leadership Venture costs. The Behrman Scholarship Program is need-based, for Wharton Leadership Ventures. Wharton gives no amounts. |
| Yellow Ribbon Program | For veterans: up to $24,000 per eligible student, matched by the US Department of Veterans Affairs. |
| Paid fellow roles | More than 300 paid fellow opportunities for MBA students, with stipends typically $1,000 to $5,000. |
| Outside sponsorship | If a company or agency sponsors you, Penn bills it directly. Wharton encourages students to look for external scholarships. |
The pages we read list no separate scholarship by nationality.
Could your profile earn a fellowship? Check where you stand before you apply.
Check my chances04 · Rounds and deadlines
Which round, and by when
Wharton has three rounds for the Class of 2029. Round 1 has closed and its decisions are due on 17th Dec 2026. Round 2 is the open round.
Round 18th Sep 2026
- Interviews:
- Invitations on 28th Oct 2026
- Decision:
- 17th Dec 2026
Round 25th Jan 2027
- Interviews:
- Invitations on 19th Feb 2027
- Decision:
- 31st Mar 2027
Round 331st Mar 2027
- Interviews:
- Invitations on 16th Apr 2027
- Decision:
- 11th May 2027
All deadlines are at 5:00 pm ET. Wharton publishes the date interview invitations go out for each round, but no interview windows. Its deposit deadlines are 5th Feb 2027 for Round 1, 29th Apr 2027 for Round 2 and 2nd Jun 2027 for Round 3.
Late Round 1 and Round 2 applications roll into the next round. Wharton does not accept late Round 3 applications. Lauder MBA/MA and Carey JD/MBA applicants apply in Rounds 1 and 2 only.
Wharton advises first-time applicants to apply in Round 1 or 2, because it calls Round 3 a more competitive round. It gives international students who need a visa the same advice.
You cannot reapply in the same academic year. Wharton also has a deferred admissions round (Moelis Advance Access) for final-year undergraduates and full-time master's students. It closes on 21st Apr 2027. It is for students still in their final undergraduate or master's year, so it is not a route for most working applicants.
Not sure which round to aim for? We look at your file and tell you.
Check my chances05 · Clubs and activities
Life outside class
Wharton's Clubs and Conferences page lists its MBA clubs from A to Z, with no grouping and no total. We count 122 entries, which include the Wharton Graduate Association and nine conferences and forums.
The Wharton Graduate Association is the student government of the graduate programme. Wharton says it governs all MBA student clubs and conferences.
What some clubs do
| Club | What they do |
|---|
| Consulting Club | Year-round education and relationship-building events to support consulting careers. |
| Finance Club | Partners with Wharton MBA Career Management and corporate recruiters to prepare students for investment banking, non-banking corporate finance and private wealth management. |
| Private Equity and Venture Capital Club | Interview prep, career treks, training, speaker events, conferences and competitions. |
| Technology Club | Educates members on technology trends, and builds networking and recruiting opportunities with technology companies. |
| AI & Analytics Club | Workshops and industry speaker events. |
| Social Impact Club | A chapter of Net Impact. It supports students recruiting for social-impact careers or internships. |
| India Club | Social, outreach, academic and career initiatives. It helps promote and organise the Wharton India Economic Forum, India GIP and treks. |
| Global Health Volunteers | Students lead consulting projects for resource-poor organisations to improve health care in the developing world. |
| Ski and Snowboard Club | Plans and runs domestic and international trips, open to all ability levels. |
| Roadrunners and Triathletes Club | Running, biking and swimming together, with all ability levels welcome. |
| Pub | Wharton calls it one of the biggest clubs on campus: a Thursday-afternoon gathering with beer, wine and pub food. |
| Follies | An annual musical comedy written and performed by students that pokes fun at MBA life at Wharton. |
Student-run conferences
| Event | What it is |
|---|
| Health Care Business Conference | Wharton calls it Penn's largest student-led conference, with more than 300 professionals, scholars and students each year. |
| Latin American Conference (WHALAC) | Wharton describes it as the world's largest Latin America conference organised by MBA students. |
Wharton also lists the Africa Business Forum, Future of Cities Conference, India Economic Forum, Private Equity and Venture Capital Conference, Restructuring and Distressed Investing Conference, Retail Conference and Whitney M. Young Jr. Memorial Conference.
All entries on Wharton's list
Adam Smith Society; Aerospace and Defense Club; Africa Business Forum; Africa Investment Partners; Africa Student Association; African American MBA Association; Agribusiness, Food & Beverage Club; AI & Analytics Club; Art Club; Asian American Association of MBAs; Australia & New Zealand Club; Badminton Club; Basketball Club; Beauty Club; Beer Club; Biotech Group; Blockchain Club; Boxing Club; Brazil Club; Canada Club; Caribbean Business Initiative Club; Catholic Club; Christian Fellowship; Cinema Club; Cocktail Club; Coffee Club; Consulting Club; Crew Team; Dance Studio; Digital Health Club; Disability Empowerment Action League; Education Club; Energy & Climate Club; Entrepreneurship Club; Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition; Esports & Gaming Club; Europe Club; Family Business Club; Femtech Club; Finance Club; FinTech Club; First Generation Club; Follies; Food Club; Football Club; Future of Cities Conference; General Management Club; German Club; Global Health Volunteers; Golf Club; Greater China Club; GUIDE; Health Care Club; Health Care Business Conference; Hindu Club; Hispanic-American MBA Association; Hockey League; Impact Investing Partners; India Club; India Economic Forum; Investment Management Club; Israel Club; Japan Club; Jewish Associate of MBAs; Kids Club; Korea Club; Latin American Student Association; Latin American Conference; Latter-Day Saint Student Association; Marketing Club; Media and Entertainment Club; Middle East and North Africa Club; Motor Racing Club; Music Club; Muslims in Business; Out for Business; Outdoors Club; Padel Club; Partners Club; Pets at Wharton Society; Private Equity and Venture Capital Club; Private Equity and Venture Capital Conference; Pub; Quantitative Finance Club; Real Estate Club; Rebuilding Together Philadelphia; Restructuring and Distressed Investing Club; Restructuring and Distressed Investing Conference; Retail Club; Retail Conference; Roadrunners and Triathletes Club; Rugby Football Club; Russia and Former Soviet Union Club; Sailing Club; Sales Club; Scotch and Whiskey Club; Ski and Snowboard Club; Social Impact Club; South Asian American Association of MBAs (SAAAMBA); Southeast Asia Club; Sports Business Club; Squash Club; Storytellers; Strategy & Board Games Club; Sustainable Business Club; Taiwan Club; Techno & House Music Club; Technology Club; Tennis Club; Travel and Hospitality Club; Veterans Club; Volleyball Club; Weightlifting Club; Wharton Graduate Association; Whitney M. Young Jr. Memorial Conference; Wine Club; Women in Business; Women in Investing; Women in Real Estate; Women’s Rugby Club; Yoga and Wellness Club; Youth Mentors Club.
Described as Wharton describes them on its Clubs and Conferences page. Clubs change what they run each year.
06 · Process
From application to decision
Submit the application
Apply online by 5:00 pm ET on the round deadline. Late Round 1 and Round 2 applications roll into the next round; late Round 3 applications are not accepted.
Two independent readsAfter the deadline
Wharton says two people read every application independently, and they do not see each other's feedback.
Interview invitation
Wharton emails invitations on the published invitation date for the round. The email has a scheduling link and preparation resources. Applicants who are not moving forward are told on the same date.
Interviews are by invitation only, and Wharton says no candidate is admitted without an interview.
Team-Based Discussion and one-on-oneScheduled after the invitation
A 20-minute virtual team discussion with 5 to 6 fellow applicants, then a 10-minute one-on-one with a member of the admissions team.
Wharton says the discussion is virtual. It does not say how the one-on-one is held.
Decision
Wharton releases the decision on the round's decision date.
DepositBy the round's deposit date
Admitted students pay a deposit by the deposit deadline for their round: 5th Feb 2027, 29th Apr 2027 or 2nd Jun 2027.
07 · What you need
What goes into the application
1. Eligibility
Wharton's admissions FAQ says you need to have completed an undergraduate programme at an accredited US college or its equivalent in another country. Wharton sets no minimum or maximum number of years of work experience. Its work-experience page says it evaluates experience not in years but in depth, breadth, contribution, responsibility and progression.
2. Test score
You need a GMAT (the previous version or the Focus Edition, which Wharton calls GMAT) or a GRE score. Wharton sets no minimum score and has no preference between them. You can test at a test centre or at home online, with a human proctor. You may self-report scores, highest first, and Wharton asks for official scores after an offer. The Analytical Writing Assessment is not required.
Wharton's admissions FAQ says a score is valid for 5 years and recommends testing no later than 2 weeks before the deadline. For Round 2 the test date must fall between 5th Jan 2022 and 5th Jan 2027, and for Round 3 between 31st Mar 2022 and 31st Mar 2027. The codes are GMAT G56-97-73 and GRE 6802.
The pages we read describe no test waiver and do not mention the Executive Assessment.
3. English test
If you did not attend an institution where English was the language of instruction, Wharton requires the TOEFL iBT, PTE, IELTS or Duolingo English Test. It may be waived if you earned a degree from an English-medium institution; Wharton's admissions FAQ says to ask for this with a letter plus documentation that your education was in English. Wharton publishes no minimum English score. The TOEFL code is D810-99, and PTE and Duolingo scores go directly to the Wharton MBA Program.
Wharton prints the English test window as 5th Jan 2025 to 5th Jan 2027 for Round 2 and 31st Mar 2025 to 31st Mar 2027 for Round 3.
4. Essays
These are Wharton's prompts and word limits for the current cycle, as printed on its application guide.
Essay 1, short answer 1: Immediate post-MBA goal (required, 50 words)
What is your immediate post-MBA professional goal?
Essay 1, short answer 2: Medium- and long-term goals (required, 150 words)
Describe your medium- and long-term professional goals after your Wharton MBA.
Essay 2: Value to the Wharton community (required, 350 words)
Taking into consideration your background – personal, professional, and/or academic – how do you plan to add meaningful value to the Wharton community?
Reapplicant essay (required for all reapplicants, 250 words)
Please use this space to share with the Admissions Committee how you have reflected and grown since your previous application and discuss any relevant updates to your candidacy (e.g., changes in your professional life, additional coursework, and extracurricular/volunteer engagements).
Optional essay: Additional information (500 words)
Please use this space to share any additional information about yourself that cannot be found elsewhere in your application and that you would like to share with the Admissions Committee. This space can also be used to address any extenuating circumstances (e.g., unexplained gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, areas of weakness, etc.) that you would like the Admissions Committee to consider.
Wharton's tips: be specific and direct about your first job after Wharton (title, function and industry) in short answer 1. Short answer 2 is about context and aspirations, not precision. Essay 2 is about the unique value you will add.
5. One recommendation
One letter from someone well acquainted with your work performance, preferably a current or former supervisor. Carey JD/MBA applicants need two. It goes through the GMAC Common Letter of Recommendation, with its recommender assessment: you complete the Letter of Recommendation form in the application, which emails your recommender an invitation.
You can submit the application before the recommendation is complete, but Wharton asks recommenders to submit by the application deadline. Wharton's pages do not reproduce the recommender's questions, which sit inside the GMAC form.
6. Video or assessment
Wharton's application guide mentions no video essay and no written case. The only assessment besides your written file is the Team-Based Discussion interview.
7. Other documents
A current one-page resume as a PDF of no more than 10 MB. Wharton asks you to quantify your impact and to give a one or two sentence description if your employer is not a household name. Upload transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate programmes: unofficial transcripts or self-reported grades through Wharton's template are accepted, and official ones are needed only on admission. Do not convert non-4.0 grades to a GPA. Records not in English need an authorised English translation. The $275 fee is non-refundable.
08 · What Wharton wants
How Wharton reads your file
Wharton says it asks itself three questions about your application. What will you be able to achieve and contribute in the Wharton classroom, within the Wharton community, and throughout your post-MBA career? It uses what you share to forecast your success in a highly collaborative, analytically focused environment where communication and teamwork are key.
| Wharton looks at | In plain words |
|---|
| Your resume | Growth, progression of responsibilities and accomplishments, plus proof of analytical skills, communication skills, teamwork, collaboration, leadership and impact. |
| Your work experience | Depth and breadth of your position, your contributions to the work environment, and your level of responsibility and progression, not the number of years. |
| Teamwork and relationships | Whether you work well in a team and can build strong relationships, and whether you take opportunities to lead even without a formal management role. |
| How you work in a group | In the Team-Based Discussion Wharton identifies, among other things, communication style, level of engagement, leadership skills and decision-making process. |
| Your written application | The two goal short answers say where you are heading. Essay 2 says what you will add to the community. |
Wharton publishes no percentage or weighting for any part of the application.
See how your file reads against these areas before you spend weeks on the application.
Check my chances09 · Interview questions
What candidates say Wharton interviewers ask
These are the five types of question candidates say they are asked, based on candidates' own accounts of their Wharton interviews from 2021 to 2025. The interview has two parts, a team discussion and a short one-on-one. Nobody gets a fixed list. The tag says how likely that type of question is: high means it comes up in close to half of candidate accounts or more, medium in roughly a quarter to just under half, and low in fewer than a quarter.
| Topic | Chance | How it is usually asked |
|---|
| The team discussion: pitch, agree a plan, present | HIGH | “Give a one-minute pitch for an idea on the set prompt, then agree one plan with five other applicants in about 25 minutes.” Candidates say the prompt changes each year, for example a new class, an international trip or a leadership retreat. |
| Why an MBA, why Wharton | Changed over time | “Why Wharton and why an MBA, answered as one question with ten minutes to use as you like.” Candidates say this was nearly the whole one-on-one in 2021 and 2022, came up in about half the accounts in 2023, and is rare in 2024 and 2025. |
| Reflecting on how the group discussion went | More common lately | “What was your biggest challenge in the group discussion and how did you handle it?” |
| Leadership and behavioural stories | Recent years only | “Tell me about a time you built something without formal authority or resources.” |
| Your questions for the interviewer | Less often lately | “What would you like to ask me about my time at the school?” Candidates say time for this varies from a few minutes to none. |
Where the Chance column gives words instead of a tag, the pattern differs a lot by year, so one tag would mislead. The one-on-one changed over these years: it moved from motives to reflection on the group and short behavioural questions.
Wharton's own page is the authority for the current format. No account yet covers the 2026-27 cycle. Candidates also report career goals questions, but only occasionally.
10 · Interview experience
What the interview is actually like
What Wharton says
| Topic | What to expect |
|---|
| Invitation | By invitation only. Wharton says no candidate is admitted without an interview. |
| Team-Based Discussion | A 20-minute virtual discussion with 5 to 6 fellow applicants in random groups. You get a prompt and a purpose and work towards a tangible outcome. |
| One-on-one | A 10-minute one-on-one with a member of the admissions team, to reflect on the Team-Based Discussion. |
| What it looks at | Among other things, communication style, level of engagement, leadership skills and decision-making process. |
| Who runs the one-on-one | Wharton's page names a member of the admissions team. It does not say how the one-on-one is held. |
| Joint programmes | Lauder MBA/MA, Carey JD/MBA and Health Care Management applicants have two interviews: their programme's own and the MBA Team-Based Discussion. |
| Not published | How the one-on-one is held, interview windows (Wharton publishes only invitation dates), the number of interviewers in the discussion and locations. |
What candidates report
| Topic | What to expect |
|---|
| Mode | Accounts from 2021 to 2025 describe video calls, with the group in a shared room and one-on-ones in breakout rooms. |
| Who runs it | In most accounts two second-year students watch the group and each takes three applicants for the one-on-one. Admissions staff appear more in later accounts. |
| Length | About an hour and a half in all, counting joining early and waiting while others have their one-on-ones. In accounts from 2021 to 2025 the group exercise ran about 35 minutes (Wharton's page now says 20 minutes), with a one-minute pitch from each person and a five-minute presentation. The one-on-one is about 10 minutes and strictly timed. |
| Running order | Introductions with name, company and planned major, the rules and prompt, pitches, the timed discussion, the group presentation, then the one-on-ones. Facilitators say little and give no feedback on the group. |
| The one-on-one | In 2021 and 2022 it was mostly why MBA and why Wharton. From 2023 it turned more to the group exercise, and in 2024 and 2025 to short behavioural questions. |
| The group | Mostly friendly and cooperative, though some accounts describe pushy competition for speaking time. Candidates say moving the group forward matters more than winning your own idea. |
| Your file | A few accounts say the facilitator had not seen the application, and some describe it as a blind interview. |
Based on candidates' own accounts from 2021 to 2025. None yet covers the 2026-27 cycle, and the one-on-one has changed since 2022, so older accounts describe different questions. Check Wharton's page for the current format.
11 · FAQs
Questions students ask about Wharton MBA
Is there a minimum GMAT or GRE score?
No. Wharton sets no minimum score and has no preference between the GMAT and the GRE. For the Class of 2027 it gives an average of 676 on the GMAT Focus Edition, 735 on the previous GMAT edition, and Quant 163 and Verbal 162 on the GRE. It publishes no median or range.
How much work experience do I need?
Wharton sets no minimum or maximum. For the Class of 2027 it gives an average of 5 years. It says it evaluates work experience by depth, breadth, contribution, responsibility and progression, not by years.
What are the essay prompts and word limits?
Short answer 1 asks for your immediate post-MBA goal (50 words) and short answer 2 for your medium- and long-term goals (150 words). Essay 2 asks how you will add value to the Wharton community (350 words). Reapplicants write a 250-word essay, and an additional information essay of 500 words is optional. The exact wording is in section 07.
How many recommendations do I need?
One, preferably from a current or former supervisor, through the GMAC Common Letter of Recommendation. Carey JD/MBA applicants need two. Wharton asks recommenders to submit by the application deadline.
How does the Wharton interview work?
It is by invitation only, and Wharton says no candidate is admitted without one. You have a 20-minute virtual Team-Based Discussion with 5 to 6 fellow applicants, then a 10-minute one-on-one with a member of the admissions team to reflect on the discussion.
Is the Wharton interview online?
Wharton says the Team-Based Discussion is virtual. It does not say how the one-on-one is held. Candidates' accounts from 2021 to 2025 describe video calls for both parts.
Which round should I apply in?
Wharton has three rounds for the Class of 2029. Round 1 closed on 8th Sep 2026 and its decisions are due on 17th Dec 2026. Round 2 closes on 5th Jan 2027 and Round 3 on 31st Mar 2027. Wharton advises first-time applicants to apply in Round 1 or 2, because it calls Round 3 a more competitive round. The timeline on this page shows which are still open.
How much does the Wharton MBA cost?
In Wharton's 2026-27 budget, tuition is $87,970 a year, tuition and university fees are $93,008, and the total MBA cost, with living expenses, is $135,441. Wharton has not published a budget for the next academic year yet. The application fee is $275.
Can I get a scholarship?
Wharton considers every admitted student for a Wharton Fellowship at the time of admission, with no separate application. It says fellowships go to approximately one-third of the incoming class, and does not publish amounts. The pages we read list no separate scholarship by nationality.
What are the pay and jobs like after Wharton?
For the Class of 2025, Wharton reports a median annual base salary of $185,000, in US dollars. Of the 608 students seeking employment, 90.5% reported offers and 87.0% reported acceptances. The largest industries were financial services (38.2%), consulting (28.2%) and technology (15.3%) of accepted offers.