Wharton MBA Admissions FAQs

You can take a campus tour, sit in on a live class, and attend a student panel. These activities are not available May through September when classes are not in session. For more information, explore the Visit Campus page.

Alumni often attend our admissions information sessions and receptions all over the world. To find an event close to you, please check the Admissions Events page.

The university is unable to sponsor individual visits to the campus. The Office of International Programs, which handles visa and immigration issues at the university, may only support students who have been admitted to and intend to enroll at the school. For more information & resources for international applicants, please refer to our International MBA Students page.

Hiring a paid admissions consultant isn’t necessary to gain admission to the Wharton MBA program. Our goal is to have a transparent evaluation process, as we believe in providing each applicant with an equal opportunity for success. While we certainly encourage you to have a trusted family member or peer review the written portion of your application for clarity and accuracy, we do not believe that professional services are needed.  If you have questions during the application process, we recommend seeking guidance through our website and visit opportunities.

Wharton offers three rounds of admissions. To determine which is the best round for you, please visit the Application Deadlines page. We encourage all applicants to apply in the year preceding their start at Wharton. Our general policy is not to grant deferrals. All requests will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

The minimum requirements to apply to the MBA program include:

• Completion of an undergraduate program in an accredited U.S. college or its equivalent in another country.
• Results of the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
• Submission of the Wharton application.
• Results of an English Language Test (TOEFL, PTE, or IELTS) unless you have earned an undergraduate or Master’s degree in an English-speaking country or from an institution in which English is the language of instruction. To waive an English language test, you must include a letter requesting the waiver in your application AND documentation that your education was in English.

For more information on the application process, visit our Application Guide.

Yes. We do not exclude candidates who have an MBA or any other graduate degree. You should, however, fully explain your reasons for pursuing a second MBA in your application.

Several universities around the world offer three year undergraduate programs. If you have received a Bachelor’s degree upon completion of such a program, you are eligible to apply to the Wharton MBA program.

We typically receive 6,000 to 7,000 applications in a given year. Approximately 75% to 80% of all applicants are qualified for admission. Of these, we generally admit about 1,000 candidates for a class of about 840 students. Check out more facts & figures from our most recently admitted class on the Class Profile page.

We interview by invitation only. After we review the completed application, we select candidates for interviews. No candidate is admitted without an interview. Read more about the details and how to prepare for our Team-Based Discussion interview format.

All applicants receive their decision letter over the Web via their online account. We do not release decisions over the telephone or via e-mail or fax. If admitted, you will receive additional information, along with a hard copy of your admissions letter, via regular mail. Start and manage your application status on the Wharton MBA Application Portal.

After your application is submitted to the Wharton MBA program you can expect the following timeline for updates from the admissions team. Applicants who are invited to interview will be notified via email on the interview invitation dates listed below. The interview invitation email will include a link to schedule an interview, and resources to prepare for an interview.

Integrated Joint Degree Program Application and Decision Timelines

Please note, the following integrated joint degree programs accept applications only in Round 1 and Round 2, and follow the above-listed application timelines for Rounds 1 and 2. To learn more about each program, click the links below:

• Francis J. & Wm. Polk Carey JD/MBA Program
• MBA/MA Lauder Joint-Degree in International Studies Program

How does Wharton notify applicants of their status?

Applicants who are not moving forward in the application process will be notified via email on the same dates listed above. For example, if you are not invited to interview, you will be notified on the same timeline as those applicants who are invited. After the interview process, you will be notified whether you’re admitted or not on the above-listed decision release dates for the round in which you applied. Applicants who do not move forward in the application process are encouraged to revisit their application and consider reapplying during Round 1 or 2. For advice and guidelines around reapplication, see the Reapplication section in our Application Requirements page.

All applicants must submit results of either the Graduate Management Admission Test (older version or Focus Edition, both now referred to as GMAT) or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). We accept scores from tests taken at a test center or at home/online. All at-home tests are monitored by a human proctor online. Scores may be self-reported; when self-reporting your score(s) in the application please list your highest score first. Should you receive an offer of admission, official scores will then be requested for verification.

You should register for a test at least one month before you plan to take it. You must complete the GMAT or GRE before we can process your application. We recommend that you take your test no later than 2 weeks prior to the application deadline. This will ensure that you are able to submit your application with all scores. Scores are valid for five years after the test date.

Test codes for the Wharton MBA Program are:
GMAT: G56-97-73
GRE: 6802

The average TOEFL score for those students in the Class of 2022 who were required to take it was 115 . We keep TOEFL scores submitted within the previous two years or as long as they are valid (two years from the test date). If you studied at an English speaking institution please request a TOEFL waiver in our application as your TOEFL score is waived. If we cannot locate your official report, we will verify it with ETS. For more information, go to Admissions Process.

As of the 2023-2024 application cycle, we will accept the IELTS, TOEFL and PTE exam score. We also pay careful attention to a student’s GMAT (verbal percentile and AWA score), written and spoken English, recommender observations, and exposure to language, in addition to the GRE. Applicants who earned a baccalaureate or advanced degree at an institution in which the medium of instruction was English, or who have had considerable exposure to the language, may waive the test. A waiver request may be submitted as part of your application.

Learn about other important information and resources for international applicants on our International MBA students page.

Fee waivers are available for:

• U.S. military active duty or veteran applicants: Follow the instructions in the application when asked about your military service.
• Applicants whom the application fee would create an extreme financial hardship: Once you have started your application, please e-mail feewaiver@wharton.upenn.edu with information detailing their financial need. We will then follow up for supporting documentation. Requests must be submitted no later than 15 days prior to application submission, and no requests will be granted after the application deadline for the round in which you applied.

The average student has worked for five or six years between graduating from college and entering the MBA program. The program does accept early career candidates with limited or no experience who exhibit strong managerial and professional potential. The Admissions Committee looks for individuals who exhibit professional maturity. In other words, we evaluate work experience not in terms of years, but the depth and breadth of an individual’s position, his or her contributions to the work environment, and level of responsibility and progression.

Wharton looks for diversity in the professional backgrounds of its admitted students just as it does in all other parts of our applicants’ profiles. No one industry is favored over another, and experience in a Fortune 500 company does not have higher value than experience in a small business or public institution.

While we recognize the value of graduate academic work, we do not count academic work as professional work experience.

Absolutely. The service provides many rich and varied opportunities for professional growth and development. Military candidates are evaluated based on the same criteria as other candidates, including the nature and scope of the work, the skill sets required, work progression, and general leadership and management skills developed.

Certainly. As with all work experiences, we are interested in the skills acquired on the job and level of progression (measured by scope of responsibilities, job title, salary).

We welcome applicants directly from undergraduate programs who are motivated and exhibit strong leadership and managerial potential. When preparing for the Wharton MBA program, consider that the stronger your quantitative background, the better prepared you will be to take finance, statistics, accounting, economics, and other quantitative courses offered in our curriculum. For example, calculus and/or statistics are good foundation courses. We do accept students without this type of background, but we like to see evidence of a capacity to handle these types of topics (e.g., strong quantitative GMAT scores, strong academic performance in quantitative subjects). We are also interested in your history of involvement in extra-curricular activities, community service, and hobbies.

We advise undergraduates to apply in the Fall prior to the academic year in which they want to enroll in the program. Admission to the program is contingent upon successful completion of the undergraduate degree. For current undergraduates, the Moelis Advance Access Program provides a guaranteed deferred admission pathway for undergraduate seniors accepted into the program.

Each year, we welcome several early career candidates (individuals with 0 to 3 years of professional work experience) into our program. We are more interested in the skills you have acquired to date, including leadership and management opportunities, than the number of years you have been in the work force. We consider both the skills you have demonstrated to date and your future potential.

Check out our most recent Class Profile for additional context on the background and work experience of this year’s accepted class.

No. Many students at Wharton have not had business courses prior to entering the program. Generally, 40% of our class consists of people with liberal arts backgrounds. Pre-term offers incoming students an opportunity to “brush up” on their quantitative skills before classes begin. Candidates are also encouraged to complete introductory courses in calculus and statistics prior to entrance, since much of the course work requires quantitative skills. Please go to Non-traditional Backgrounds for more information.

You may already have an account on the Wharton Web Application System if you have completed your profile through the “Let’s Get Acquainted” Form, or if you started or completed your MBA application through the Wharton Web Application System.

If you encounter problems logging on, please email mbaoperations@wharton.upenn.edu.

The problem you encountered typically happens when two accounts are inadvertently created. To determine if you have more than one account on our system, please follow the instructions below:

Return to the login page. Click on the “Search” button in the user login box at the top right-hand corner of the page. A PIN lookup box will appear. Complete the required fields for first name, last name, birth date, and e-mail address. Then click “Search.”

An e-mail(s) will be sent to you with your login and password information for each of your accounts. Please check both to see which one is active and make a note of it. If you continue to encounter problems, please contact mbaoperations@wharton.upenn.edu.

You should allow three weeks for us to process your online account and update your online status to reflect receipt of your online application and any supporting materials.

You will receive an e-mail each time your status changes, including when we release a decision. Once you receive an e-mail, you need to check your status online (the e-mail only indicates there is a change, but it does not indicate what the change is).

Students reporting grades from institutions that do not evaluate academic performance on a 4.0 GPA scale should NOT convert their scores to a GPA. Report your scores or grades as your university lists them in your official transcripts, including an explanation of the grading scheme if needed. Keep in mind that we have students from more than 70 countries in our program and have broad expertise in grading methods around the world.

The academic calendar for first-year students in the Lauder Program begins in May. Students that have been accepted to the Wharton MBA Program in Round 1 or Round 2 can apply separately to the Lauder Program and still will be expected to start the program in May. Students cannot apply to the Lauder Program after they have started their first or second years at Wharton. For more information about applying to the Lauder Program, please visit the Lauder website or contact lauderinfo@wharton.upenn.edu.

The Lauder Institute also offers a joint JD/MA program in partnership with Penn Law. For more information about the Lauder JD/MA, please visit this website.

Health Care Management (HCM) is one of the 18 majors offered through the Wharton MBA Program. The Health Care Management major differs from other majors in that students must select this major at the time of application to Wharton. HCM integrates academic and professional development, helping students to obtain summer and permanent positions in all parts of the health care sector, including consulting firms, health care venture capital and private equity, digital health, health care analytics firms, biotechnology, pharmaceutical firms, hospitals, insurers, and government agencies. If prospective students wish to explore the Health Care Management major, the HCM department is happy to arrange either a telephone conversation or a meeting with June Kinney, the Associate Director of HCM. Please find more information on the application process here.

Your application will be evaluated specifically for the Health Care Management major. If the Admissions Committee feels you are not best suited for HCM but could be a good fit for the MBA program more broadly, you will be considered for Wharton.

Applicants should apply to Wharton during the application cycle directly preceding their desired Wharton start date. If you are admitted to both programs and do not want to begin at Wharton, you will need to request a deferral and will be subject to our deferral policy. Deferrals typically are only granted for extenuating circumstances.

The School of Design requires all dual degree students to start at Penn Design. The Harvard Kennedy School encourages students interested in the MPA/ID dual degree to start at HKS.

Unless otherwise noted on the Interdisciplinary Programs website, you must submit separate applications and materials to both programs. Some schools will have strict application requirements around testing, recommendations, and essays. Please follow the admissions requirements for each individual school.

Applicants to the MBA/MA Lauder Joint Degree in International Studies, the Francis J. & Wm. Polk Carey JD/MBA Program, and the MBA in Health Care Management will receive one joint decision.

We cannot accept any credits from other programs. You can pursue another program in your own time, but you would still be required to complete all Wharton credit units as prescribed by the full-time MBA program. As a full-time MBA student, you are expected to be at Wharton and pay tuition for four full semesters.

If you are interested in other programs not listed on the website, please contact the program office of that respective program.

All Wharton MBA students can take four to six credit units at other Penn graduate schools.

For most dual degree programs, you can apply to the other program during your first year at Wharton. However, this may extend your time at Penn.

Due to the volume of such requests, we are unable to connect prospective students with current students in every dual degree program. Please review the profiles of our Admissions Fellows and request to be connected with a current MBA student who most closely aligns with your interests.

Please speak with the PhD department of your interest if you intend to continue your studies beyond the master’s level.

Yes, as part of a greater Penn initiative, Wharton has recently launched nine non-credit, massive open online courses (MOOCs) available at no cost through Coursera. More information about these offerings is available on the Wharton.Online site, Penn’s Open Learning Initiative site, our Coursera FAQS page, and the University’s Coursera homepage. Registration for these courses is available directly through Coursera.org.

Wharton fully implemented the new curriculum in 2012 and has received much positive student feedback regarding the new course structure and resources. The new curriculum offers increased flexibility based on your background and experience with strengthened emphasis in microeconomics, statistics, ethics and legal responsibility, leadership and communications. New MBA graduates will have access to tuition-free executive education every seven years throughout their careers. See curriculum.

Wharton does not accept transfer credits, but does encourage students to waive required core courses, either by furnishing the required academic or professional credentials or passing Wharton’s waiver examinations. Waiving courses gives you the opportunity to take more electives.

Yes, you can reapply to the MBA program, but not during the same academic year.

Employment and salary information about our most recent graduating and internship classes can be found on the MBA Career Report.

Wharton offers the Wharton MBA for Executives program, a two-year program that offers the same MBA degree in an executive format, delivered in Philadelphia and San Francisco. Other (non-MBA) programs that may interest you are executive programs offered by Wharton Executive Education.

Consider the joint MBA/MA – Lauder program if you are interested in acquiring an expertise in a specific region and speak one of these nine languages relatively well: Arabic, French, German, Hindi, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, Russian or Spanish. In addition, Wharton offers many opportunities to participate in career treks or global consulting in which you can immerse yourself in the culture and language. See Global Learning.