STUDENT COMMENTS
Networking at Wharton is unmatched by any other school...period.
Beyond just the typical stuff you get out of books, Wharton's great at developing the soft skills necessary in the business world. Things you just pick up along the way, things that really give us a competitive advantage, and fully prepare us for post-graduation. The academic learning pales in comparison with the other training we receive just by attending a school like Wharton.
The Wharton experience ensures that students start thinking about thier post-grad employment prospects at a very early stage. Starting freshman year, students are bombarded with flyers and e-mails about on-campus recruiting for internships and full-time opportunities. In fact, many students seek summer internships right after freshman year in the hopes that they will obtain the required experience to compete with their classmates for the most coveted investment banking, consulting, private equity, venture capital, or hedge fund jobs after graduation.
Wharton needs to even the playing field for all majors. There is such a stress placed on Banking and Finance that searching for jobs in other concentrations pales in comparison.
Wharton has done exactly what it promised to do: prepare me for a career in business. I don't believe any institution would or could have done a better job. Even so, the preprofessional focus comes at the cost of a well-rounded liberal arts education.
I have a lot of friends at other business schools and there is nothing that they do that can compare to the quality of Wharton. When interviewing for jobs, many companies told me that no one is more prepared to conquer the business world than a Wharton student. Based on the education I have received here, I have to agree that I feel well-prepared to take on anything next year.
Wharton is probably the top undergraduate business school largely because there are very few other undergraduate business programs at the top schools. The only other business program at a comparable school would be MIT Sloan.
Excellent career services team, and they're getting better each year.
Wharton has the best people, the best professors and an amazing network around it. We are not as competitive as people think. We work together well and we learn a lot from each other.
Get well-rounded experience with non-business electives. Opportunities to obtain multiple degrees are immense, caliber of students is high.
The competitive atmosphere may be somewhat exaggerated, but with many of the core courses curved around a B-, some students do go over the top trying to distinguish themselves.
The Wharton education and experience is unlike any other undergraduate business program available. We have unparalleled resources and everyone here is extremely helpful no matter what avenue you plan on taking with your life.
Now in my senior year, Wharton still continues to surprise me. The outstanding faculty and the remarkable student body make this school like no other. I am extremely happy with the job I've secured and couldn't be happier with my undergraduate experience. I have only Wharton to thank for providing such amazing opportunities.
I have been provided with ample opportunity to involve myself with campus clubs (Real Estate Club President), faculty (research assistant and teaching assistant positions), sports (Varsity fencing), guest lecturers (countless high-profile CEOs and business leaders have come to speak both in classes and panel discussions), bountiful networking and recruiting events and career fairs, Greek life (member of non-business fraternity). Courses and professors were outstanding almost all the time, and program ensured not only breadth of business knowledge, but also provided for ample opportunity to explore liberal arts subjects.
I think there's three things that really make Wharton a great place. First there's the academic flexibility to design your own learning. For example, I started off in the liberal arts program and graduated with two degrees, from Wharton and the College of Arts and Sciences, in four years. This really helps you get a balanced education and a balanced skill set. Secondly, the career preparation is amazing. I knew by my sophomore year what jobs were out there, how to get them, and which ones interested me most. We have a truly superb Career Services staff who honestly care about the students and give excellent advice. Thirdly, there's the alumni network. I had an interview scheduled with a large investment bank at 5 p.m. on a certain day; I called a friend of mine who worked there and she put me in touch with several of her friends in the group I was applying for. I talked with them around 4 p.m. and when the time came for my interview, I rocked it. The alums are everywhere and they are very willing to offer advice and help.
Sometimes I feel that the strict grading policy—the infamous Wharton curve—doesn't really test your knowledge of the material. It certainly brings out your competitive side, though. People who like to compete, take initiative and win will love this school.
The only possible criticism is that people can be too career-focused. But the school prepares students extremely well to compete in the job market.
Wharton provides many opportunities for students to mingle and get to know one another on a more personal basis, whether through the intensive focus around group work, through the new cohort system, or through social events, such as the Leadership Venture Series.
Penn/Wharton has an incredible on-campus recruiting program as well as career services. Students get to know career services staff on first name basis. They respond very quickly to e-mails with questions and are almost always available in person for mock interviews, résumé advice, and other tips.
The only downfall has been the strict grading policies. When I interview with firms that don't normally recruit at Wharton, the lower GPA is a disadvantage. However, firms that are familiar with the Wharton classes have reasonable expectations, and understand the value of what students have learned.
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