Wharton Releases MBA Application Deadlines and Essays for 2012-13

Wharton has released its MBA application deadlines and essays for the Class of 2015 i.e. the class entering in 2013. The school mentioned that while the essays and deadlines are being released already, the application would be available in early August.

Observations

A key thing to note here is that Wharton has maintained the professional objectives question which aims to ascertain your career goals and has increased the word limit by 100 words from last year. Moreover, there are still 2 additional questions to be answered out of a choice of 3 questions. While the first 2 choices are different from last year, the final question focuses on Wharton’s crowd-sourced “Knowledge for Action” theme which was developed after months of work and collaboration by the faculty, alumni and staff alike. The mandatory number of words for first-time applicants to answer via the essay questions is marginally lower at 1,400 words versus 1,500 words last year.

Wharton MBA Application Deadlines

Round	Application Deadline	Decision Release Date
Round 1	Oct 1, 2012	Dec 20, 2012
Round 2	Jan 3, 2013	Mar 26, 2013
Round 3	Mar, 2013	May, 2013

Wharton 2012-13 MBA Essays (Class of 2015)

Required Question

1. How will the Wharton MBA help you achieve your professional objectives? (400 words)

Choice (Pick 2 out of 3)

1. Select a Wharton MBA course, co-curricular opportunity or extra-curricular engagement that you are interested in. Tell us why you chose this activity and how it connects to your interests. (500 words)
2. Imagine your work obligations for the afternoon were cancelled and you found yourself “work free” for three hours, what would you do? (500 words)
3. “Knowledge for Action draws upon the great qualities that have always been evident at Wharton: rigorous research, dynamic thinking, and thoughtful leadership.” – Thomas S. Robertson, Dean, The Wharton SchoolTell us about a time when you put knowledge into action. (500 words)

Re-applicants (Additional Question)

All reapplicants to Wharton are required to complete the Optional Essay.  Please use this space to explain how you have reflected on the previous decision on your application and to discuss any updates to your candidacy (e.g., changes in your professional life, additional coursework, extracurricular/volunteer engagements). You may also use this section to address any extenuating circumstances. (250 words)

Optional Question (for all applicants)

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, or questionable academic performance, significant weaknesses in your application). (250 words)