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I wish the admissions committee had asked me... “I wish the admissions committee had asked me...” OK. A number of schools have variations on this question, and over the past few days, quite a few people have asked me what they are supposed to do with a topic like this. My answer: “That depends.” (No, I'm rarely capable of just giving a simple answer! Sorry!) But I'd like to take a few minutes here to discuss exactly what that depends ON. Does the application offer an “optional” essay space *as well as* asking this question, or is this the only place where you will get to write about a topic of your choice? Have you used the other essay topics effectively to illustrate your personal background and community involvement as well as your academic professional history? Is there anything you really wanted to write about but couldn’t fit in, for whatever reason? Do you have any big “red flags” to deal with on your application? Please bear in mind that “big” is the operative word here. You don’t have to explain away a single C+ grade from your freshman year. You don’t have to justify the fact that you hadn’t started your own non-profit organization by the age of 19. You don’t have to apologize for the fact that you didn’t spend your undergrad years at an Ivy League college. But there are things that you might have to address somehow , such as a major GPA crash in your junior or senior year, a GMAT score leaning towards (or falling below) the lowest score that the program generally accepts, a major gap in work experience, and so on. Is this the place to do it? That’s where my first question comes in. If a school offers you a space to explain any academic or career “glitches,” use that space to do so, not this one. Remember, this question almost always comes right at the end of the essay portion of the application -- it will probably be the last thing the adcom reads, so if at all possible, use it to give them something positive to remember you by. (If that's not possible--if this really is the ONLY place where you can deal with the negative aspects of your application--deal with it. There are ways to do so effectively, but I'll save that for another time.) If you make the most of this space, you can really personalize your application. You may drift out of the adcom’s minds pretty quickly if you simply come across as “the project manager with the 740 GMAT,” but with this essay, you have the chance to make yourself stick with them as “the project manager who used skydiving as a team-building exercise,” “the investment banker who teaches salsa dancing to senior citizens,” or “the marketing manager who taught herself five languages in her spare time.” This positive and distinctive use of this essay will be much more effective than telling them about your SECOND most important leadership experience (since you've probably already had a chance to write about the most important one). And it would be a Very Good Idea to stay away from bland "catch all" topics like "I wish the admissions committee had asked me how I achieve excellence in everything I do." Those types of essays usually end up being a) far too much to handle in the space provided, and b) way too generic, and don't tend to offer the adcom anything much that they can't learn from other areas of your application. Assuming that you've dealt with the really important professional/leadership experiences before you hit this point in your application (and most applications give you ample opportunity to do so), you can definitely take a light-hearted (though not frivolous, of course!) approach here. You don’t have to write about anything huge, heavy or mind-blowingly important -- rather, choose a topic that adds to the adcom’s perception of your well-roundedness, your “human interest” factor, and your potential to contribute something to the groups you work with over and above your work experience and academic abilities. You’ve already impressed them with those, naturally! Finally, don’t forget to ask yourself -- and answer yourself honestly: what DO you wish they had asked you? By Sonia Michaels. Sonia is available to help you with your optional and required MBA application essays. Posted by Sonia Michaels on Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:39:00 +0000 | Permalink | Post a comment

Wharton 2009 MBA Admissions Deadlines, Questions, & Tips Wharton has posted its 2009 deadlines and essay questions on the adcom blog. My comments are in red. Wharton Fall 2009 Admission: Application Deadlines Round 1: Thursday, 9 October, 2008 Round 2: Thursday, 8 January, 2009 Round 3: Thursday, 5 March, 2009 Wharton Fall 2009 Admission: Application Essay Questions First-Time Applicant Questions 1. Describe your career progress to date and your future short-term and long-term career goals. How do you expect an MBA from Wharton 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 this classic b-school goals question (or a variation on this theme). 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 setback or a failure that you have experienced. What role did you play, and what did you learn about yourself? (500 words) 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. Where in your background would we find evidence of your leadership capacity and/or potential? (500 words) Optional last year, this question is now required. The best way to show "capacity and/or potential" is to discuss 1-3 times when you led. Title is not important; deed is. Examples illustrating your leadership style will be far more compelling than a list. Leave lists in boxes, not in essays. 4. Please respond to one (1) of the following questions: a. Describe an experience you have had innovating or initiating, your lessons learned, the results and impact of your efforts. (500 words) This question begs for an anecdotal response, and your story has to demonstrate initiative. Creativity will spice it up too. Then add the dressing: lessons learned and impact. Lessons learned are usually qualitative. Impact is usually quantitative. b. 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. Let both the breadth of your experience and your individuality shine through. OPTIONAL: 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, maximum) Wharton's optional question is a narrowly defined one. It is not the place to talk about extra-curricular achievements. It's for weaknesses and extenuating circumstances, and it probably is not the note you on which you would prefer to close your essays. If you can, turn lemons into lemonade by describing how you ultimately overcame those nasty circumstances. Alternatively, if it fits, tuck a negative into another essay.. However, if the other essays are strong and this is the best place to explain a blot on your record, then do so. It's better to explain it here than leave admissions readers wondering why you did what you did. Reapplicant Questions (for candidates who have applied for admission for Fall 2008 or 2007 only) 1. Describe your career progress to date and your future short-term and long-term career goals. How do you expect an MBA from Wharton 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. Describe an experience you have had innovating or initiating, your lessons learned, the results and impact of your efforts. (500 words) 3. Please respond to one (1) of the following questions: a. Where in your background would we find evidence of your leadership capacity and/or potential? (500 words) b. 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) OPTIONAL: 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, maximum) If you are a reapplicant you need to focus on recent activities and ensure that this application addresses weaknesses. 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 2009 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, 2008. Posted by Linda Abraham on Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:21:15 +0000 | Permalink | Post a comment

Average 2007 GMAT: 712
Average 2007 Acceptance Rate: 18%
Average 2007 GPA: 3.4
Class Size: 800
2009 application deadlines: October 9, 2008, January 8, 2009, March 5, 2009.
University of Pennsylvania MBA Admissions

University of Pennsylvania Wharton Application Tips

Date Rating Course 03/2008 4.33 International Business 03/2008 1.00 Entrepreneurship 03/2008 2.50 Marketing 03/2008 4.50 Entrepreneurship 02/2008 Entrepreneurship

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