Continue reading to discover everything UPenn has to offer students interested in pursuing a business undergraduate degree if you want to learn more about the Wharton School of Business.
The first business school in the world was the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, which opened its doors in 1881. Since then, the school has become known throughout the country for its prestige and excellent business education.
Wharton is a great option if you want to complete your undergraduate studies at one of the top universities in the nation. We’ll go over everything you need to know about applying to Wharton, including your chances of acceptance, the specifics of your undergraduate application, and what you can do to make yourself a stronger candidate.
UPenn Wharton Acceptance Rate
UPenn Wharton’s acceptance rate for undergraduate students is approximately 9%.
This is actually the same percentage as the admitted class of 2024 at the entire University of Pennsylvania, showing that UPenn Wharton’s acceptance rate is roughly the same as that of the whole school.
Depending on the year, the acceptance rate may fluctuate significantly. However, it rarely increases beyond 10% overall.
If UPenn Wharton is your top school choice, there is a way to significantly raise your acceptance rate. This method is applying via early decision.
When a student applies to a school early decision, it shows a strong commitment on their part. If accepted, an early decision applicant MUST enroll at the school.
Because of this extra layer of demonstrated interest and commitment, the University of Pennsylvania as a whole accepts nearly 1 in 5 early decision applicants. Wharton’s numbers are similar, where early decision applicants have a significantly better chance of acceptance into the program.
In the class of 2023, the acceptance rate was a little higher than usual. While 7,338 prospects applied, 897 ultimately enrolled in the school.
However, more than 897 were accepted because the concept of yield means that schools get more students than they believe will commit. Overall, the University of Pennsylvania yield is about 70%, meaning 70% of the accepted students commit to attending UPenn.
UPenn Wharton Tuition
An education at the Wharton School is expensive.
For the student pursuing an MBA degree, the tuition & fees each year is a staggering $83,230!
With all expenses taken into account, the estimated annual cost of an MBA at Wharton is $115,464
Although it may seem pricey, this is actually comparable to MBAs at the majority of top universities. Like UPenn, other Ivy League MBA programs are similarly priced at Harvard and Columbia.
An undergraduate degree at Wharton costs considerably less, with tuition and fees coming in at about $61,000 per year.
That said, there are opportunities for tuition savings. At the MBA level, Wharton does offer many fellowships for some of the accepted applicants.
The Joseph Wharton Fellowship is one of these fellowships, given to students who exhibit outstanding academic and professional accomplishments. Students from emerging economies are also eligible for the Emerging Economies Fellowship. This applies to international cities and nations for the latter award.
Without a doubt, an MBA at UPenn Wharton or any other school is expensive; for some students, scholarships and fellowships are a necessity.
We advise making numerous applications to MBA programs and getting the highest GMAT score possible. Casting a wide net and achieving high test scores will significantly increase your chances of receiving a high scholarship.
UPenn Wharton Requirements
There are some prerequisites that UPenn Wharton may have for applicants, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
On its website, Wharton gives some general advice, including demonstrating both leadership as well as interest in business.
It is true that, generally speaking, the requirements for attending business schools are more flexible than those for attending medical school. For instance, a student does not need to pass any prerequisite undergraduate courses to be admitted to UPenn Wharton.
However, there are certain criteria that a candidate for an MBA or undergraduate degree must fulfill.
As an Ivy League school, grades are critical when it comes to admission. The average GPA for an entering undergraduate student at UPenn Wharton is 3.9.
Additionally, an entering student’s average SAT score is between 1470 and 1550, and their average ACT score is between 34 and 36. A 36 on the ACT is a perfect score, for reference.
The average GPA for an MBA candidate is 3.5. Additionally, the GMAT score average is 733, which is considered very high and comparable to other top MBA programs.
Students applying will also need to take the GRE, also known as the Graduate Record Exam, in addition to the GMAT. At UPenn Wharton, the GRE’s typical score is 162.
Besides test scores, another essential requirement is essays.
The UPenn Wharton MBA applicant must write two essays to be considered by the university. Because both essays are brief, each and every word and sentence is very important.
What a Wharton MBA will do for your future professional career is the first prompt. How will you support the Wharton community is the second prompt.
Combined, these essays are less than 1,000 total words, or about 3-4 double-spaced pages.
UPenn Wharton Notable Alumni
In terms of graduated alumni, UPenn Wharton may be the most impressive business school in the world. Elon Musk and Warren Buffett, two of the most influential graduates, have already been mentioned.
However, this only begins the list.
Other notable graduates include well-known figures in business, technology, and commerce. Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Alphabet Inc. , Google’s parent company, is a UPenn Wharton alumnus.
Speaking of Google, the current CFO of Alphabet Inc. , Ruth Porat, is also a UPenn alum.
Media proprietor Mortimer Zuckerman, who is worth nearly 3 billion dollars according to Forbes Magazine, is a graduate of Wharton. He went on to own several important publications, including The Atlantic as well as the New York Daily News.
The former CEO of Apple and the former president of Pepsi both attended UPenn Wharton. One of the most significant and influential businessmen of the 20th century, John Sculley is now in his 80s.
Fund manager Peter Lynch additionally attended UPenn Wharton. He later oversaw the Magellan Fund at Fidelity Investments, which generated an average return of 29. 2% annual return between 1977 and 1990. Even the most dependable index funds, like the S&P 500, are significantly smaller than this.
Other alumni include current and former CEOs of significant businesses like Comcast, Oracle, and General Electric.
UPenn Wharton Ranking
None other than US News, the most widely read publication worldwide for college rankings, currently has the definitive ranking of MBAs.
US News currently slates UPenn Wharton as the #2 best MBA in the entire country. Taking the number one spot is actually Stanford University, a university enormously benefitted by its location in Silicon Valley alongside the world’s most profitable companies.
Another major ranking publication, the QS Top Universities, places Wharton #2 in the entire world. You may ask, who takes the #1 spot on the QS Top Universities list? It is, indeed, Stanford yet again.
But UPenn Wharton outperforms many of the most prestigious universities in the world, including MIT, Harvard, and the London Business School.
A list of the top MBA programs has also been published by a business-first magazine, in contrast to publications focused on higher education like US News and QS.
The publication, Fortune Magazine, ranks Wharton as the #3 MBA in the country, just behind Harvard and Stanford.
Should You Attend UPenn Wharton?
The opportunity to attend Wharton is undoubtedly once-in-a-lifetime.
Acceptance into this esteemed university requires extraordinary skill, academic prowess, and grades.
At the undergraduate level, having a stellar GPA is far from sufficient. Additionally, exceptional performance on standardized tests is required for admission.
And even though many applicants have the grades and test results, they are still rejected!
The application’s other components, such as the essays, the difficulty of the courses chosen, and the evidence of leadership, are also very important.
Not to mention that early decision acceptance is much more likely to occur at the undergraduate level than regular decision acceptance.
Requirements aside, the track record for alumni speaks for itself. These are some of the highest-paid individuals in the world, capable of leading businesses of all sizes.
Wharton should be at the top of your list if you want to study business in one of the country’s most cosmopolitan cities, the City of Brotherly Love.
At the undergraduate level, students receive an economics degree, and at the graduate level, they receive an MBA.
You can’t go wrong with UPenn Wharton, whether you want to learn about the science of economics or earn one of the highest paying MBAs in the world.
UPenn/Wharton Students Tell Us How They Got Into UPenn/Wharton | SAT, GPA, Common App Essay & MORE
FAQ
What GPA is needed for Wharton?
The UPenn Wharton average GPA is 3. 6 out of 4. 0 for the most recent class of admitted students. While significant, GPA is not the only measure of academic ability. Now that there is nothing you can do to change your undergraduate GPA, focus on improving the other aspects of your application to make up for your subpar GPA.
Is it harder to get into Wharton than Penn?
Wharton (9% acceptance rate) is the most competitive school, while the UPenn School of Nursing (25% acceptance rate) is the least competitive of the four
Is it harder to get into Wharton or Harvard?
It’s not easy getting accepted into the Wharton MBA program. The most recent acceptance rate for MBA applicants was 19. 2%. While this is higher than, say, Harvard Business School%27s acceptance rate of 12% or MIT Sloan%27s of 14 6%, it shows that no one simply walks into this coveted program
Is Wharton difficult to get into?
With an acceptance rate ranging between 10-13%, getting into Wharton is not extremely tough but it isn%27t easy either While the average GMAT score for those who are admitted is 700, Wharton does accept applicants with GMAT scores as low as 600 or even as low as 500.
Is the Wharton School an Ivy League?
The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School (/hwrtn/ WHOR-tn; also spelled Wharton Business School, the Wharton School, Penn Wharton, and Wharton) is a private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia.
What is Wharton acceptance rate by year?
The acceptance rate for the class of 2023 was slightly higher than usual. While 7,338 prospects applied, 897 ultimately enrolled in the school. However, since the idea of yield dictates that schools receive more students than they anticipate committing, more than 897 were accepted.