Asking your employer for sponsorship to an executive MBA program isn’t always easy to do.  Many companies don’t have a formal tuition reimbursement program in place, or the policy is limited. During a recent online chat, Wharton Prof. Peter Cappelli, director of Wharton’s Center for Human Resources, shared a few tips for applicants about how to discuss this important topic with employers.

Here’s an overview of what he said:

Who do you ask?

How do you begin the process? First, think about who you will talk to. A common problem is that the person you plan to talk to isn’t high enough up in organization to make the decision about sponsorship. If that is the case, then ask if you think they are on your side. If they’re not an advocate for you, then try to talk to the person who can make the decision. However, if they are an advocate for you, then it might be better for them to make the case on your behalf.

The deadlines for our EMBA programs are right around the corner:  Feb. 4 for the Philadelphia program and Feb. 6 for San Francisco.  If you feel that won’t be enough time to complete your application, it may not be too late.  Contact us to discuss your circumstances and see what is required for your application. Depending on your specific situation, we might be able to work with you to provide an accommodation or extension.

To check the status of your admissions materials, you can log on to your application to confirm when it’s complete.  Please be patient, as it usually takes a few weeks to manually sort through all of the transcripts, sponsorship letters and other credentials we receive and to update the status of each online.  Rest assured that we will contact you if anything is missing.

If you still need to take - or retake - the GMAT, we’ll accept GMAT scores until March 2.  A copy of your GMAT scores may be scanned and emailed or faxed to the East or West Coast office, but you also must have an official copy sent directly to Wharton.  The GMAT codes for the Wharton MBA Program for Executives are G56-97-36 for Philadelphia and G56-97-14 for San Francisco.

While interviews are required for Fellows applicants, they are strongly recommended for everyone.  If you haven’t already interviewed, please contact the office immediately -- the slots are quickly filling up.

Admissions decisions can be viewed by logging on to your application.  San Francisco program applicants will be notified by March 22.  Philadelphia program applicants will be notified by April 5.

If you have questions, please contact us as soon as possible. We are here to help you!

After teaching his popular elective course, Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, on Saturday morning, Prof. Peter Cappelli took the time to share his expertise with those navigating the process of securing sponsorship from their employer.

View “Negotiating Sponsorship” Recording 

Prof. Cappelli opened the webinar with tips on how to effectively build your case.  He was joined by four second-year executive MBA students who explained how they successfully gained the support of their companies to enroll in Wharton’s EMBA program. 

MBA Program for Executives Admissions Committee members, Catherine Molony and Bernadette Birt, also participated in the hour-long webinar.  Cathy and Bernie shared their insights into the variety of sponsorship scenarios that applicants have worked out to meet application requirements.

Check out our Admissions Chats page to view other video and audio recordings on topics such as Women and the MBA, Admissions Tips, Career Management and several industry-related sessions.

The University of Pennsylvania will close for winter break on Fri. Dec. 21, 2012 and will reopen on Wed. Jan. 2, 2013. If you have any immediate admissions questions, please contact our offices before that time.

As you work on your application, here are a few things to keep in mind:

- The application deadline for the West Coast program is Feb. 6, 2013. The application deadline for the East Coast program is Feb. 4, 2013.

- If you still need to take the GMAT, you have until March 2, 2013 to take the test and email our East or West Coast office your unofficial results. You also must have an official copy sent directly to Wharton. The GMAT codes for the Wharton MBA Program for Executives are G56-97-36 for Philadelphia and G56-97-14 for San Francisco. Scores are valid for five years.

- Don’t wait to schedule your interview! If you don’t get a chance to schedule your interview before our offices are closed, make sure to contact us on Jan. 2, 2013 to schedule one. By this time of year, appointments on class days fill up fast.

- We’ll be hosting more online and in-person receptions in January.  Check out our event schedule to see if you’re able to join us for any of them.

We wish everyone happy holidays and look forward to hearing from you in 2013!

We're hosting a Virtual Reception to provide you with insights into applying to the Wharton MBA Program for Executives.  The Admissions Committee will be joined by a current first-year executive MBA student who will share his successful journey through the admissions process.

Mon., December 17, 2012
5:30-6:30pm ET / 2:30-3:30pm PT

Virtual Reception Panelists:

    Dan Pohlig - 1st year MBA Exec Student
    Catherine Molony - Director of Admissions, Wharton MBA Program for Executives
    Bernadette Birt - Executive Director, Wharton | San Francisco
    Katherine Lilygren - Director of Admissions, Wharton | San Francisco
    Diane Sharp - Director of Marketing, Wharton MBA Program for Executives

We'll provide an overview of the admissions process, including tips on how to approach it, followed by a discussion that will be shaped by your questions.  We hope you can join us online!

How to participate:   Download Wharton MBA Exec_Virtual Reception Instructions

We often get the question “Do you need to be a math major to succeed in Wharton’s EMBA program?”  The answer is no.  As Wharton | San Francisco EMBA alumnus Mike Gipe, WG’05, puts it:  “Wharton’s EMBA program is very rigorous, but students from all types of backgrounds can be successful here.”

Mike - who runs the consulting business xaplap in Saratoga, CA and teaches a weekly tutorial session for core courses in the EMBA program - ran a one-day Quantitative Review Workshop on the San Francisco campus for prospective students.  “Anybody who has applied to our program likely has had most of the math courses they need so it’s more a matter of brushing up on those skills.  How often would a nonprofit manager need to use calculus on a daily basis?  It’s something a lot of people are rusty in and this workshop was designed to help them catch up,” says Mike.

The round one deadline for applying to Wharton | San Francisco is Mon., December 3, 2012.  Here are a few things to keep in mind if you're applying in the early round:

1. Call our office to arrange your admission interview.  Your application does not have to be complete before you schedule your interview, but the calendar fills up fast, so email us or call our offices at 415-267-6313 to check availability.
2. We encourage all applicants to visit class.  We will do our best to accommodate your interview and class visit for the same day.

If you haven’t already started an online application account, you can do so nowa:  Start/Continue App.  The two biggest changes in this version are a new Essay Question (#2), which we hope will help us to get to know you better, and a few of the questions in the Recommendation Form have been updated.  The Wharton application process is designed to be holistic.  We’re interested in learning about you as a professional, as well as what makes you a unique individual.

An important part of your application is the interview.  Did you know you can schedule one before submitting your application?  In fact, we encourage it-- all we need is your resume.  Please contact the Philadelphia or San Francisco office when you have your calendar in front of you and schedule an appointment on an upcoming class day, so you can experience the program and get information that will help you as you complete your application.

Reminder:  Check our Events Page to see when we’re hosting an admissions event in your area.  And don't forget to keep checking back, as we’re adding new events regularly.  We’ll also be hosting several virtual receptions starting in September.  The schedule for those will be posted shortly.

We look forward to meeting you soon!

The Wharton MBA Program for Executives Admissions Team

Wharton | San Francisco has grown quite a lot since its first class of 65 students arrived in 2001. Eleven years later, the program is now located in the historic Hills Brother Plaza and is welcoming a record number of 102 students.

The West Coast incoming class is comprised of approximately a quarter women with almost 18% of the class commuting from outside California. Those students are based in locations such as Georgia, Minnesota, Colorado, Florida, North Carolina, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Texas and even Mexico and Hong Kong.

When Mark Espinola had his admissions interview for Wharton’s San Francisco MBA Program for Executives, a memorable moment was when he tried to negotiate his way out of taking the GMAT. But after taking the test and graduating in 2007, Espinola, who is now the CEO of Ballard & Tighe Publishers in Orange County, Calif., came to appreciate the importance of the GMAT. We asked him to share his thoughts on the test and here is what he said:

“When I first realized that the GMAT was a required part of the admissions process at Wharton, I thought this rule must not apply to me. I had been a senior manager at PriceWaterhouse as well as worked in a CFO position so I had plenty of finance and accounting under my belt. I thought my experience would be sufficient to be exempt from the GMAT, but found during the interview that this was not the case. There is no exception for the GMAT – all applicants have to take it.

Philadelphia deadline:   Wed., 2/1/12 at 11:59pm EST
San Francisco deadline:  Mon., 2/6/12 at 11:59 PST

Please call the office of the program to which you’re applying if you need to arrange an extension of the deadline.  Phila: 215-898-5887 / SF: 415-777-1000

Ins and Outs of Interviews for Wharton EMBA Candidates

If you are applying – or thinking of applying – to Wharton’s MBA for Executives program, call us soon to schedule an interview.  Don’t wait until you’ve finished your application to schedule an appointment because slots on class days are filling up fast.

Having recently overseen the move of Wharton’s West Coast facility into the Hills Brother Building on San Francisco’s Embarcadero, we asked COO of Wharton | San Francisco Bernadette Birt to tell us about the move and the new campus.

Q. Students experienced the new facility for the first time in early January. How have they reacted?

There have been a lot of ‘Wows!’ which are exactly what we want to hear.  They are thrilled with the quality of the classroom experience, the number of group study rooms, and having places to connect with each other during the day. For example, we have an incredible dining space with stunning views of the San Francisco Bay where our students love to gather with their laptops and iPads to collaborate and relax as the sun sets.

Get insights on the future of jobs from a top Wharton professor, learn more about our EMBA program from Philadelphia and San Francisco alumni, and see what our new campus looks like in San Francisco, then make sure to join us for a virtual reception on Mon., January 23 from 9:00pm-10:00pm EST / 6:00pm-7:00pm PST.

Hosted by Vice Dean Anjani Jain, the event will feature a presentation by renowned labor expert Prof. Peter Cappelli on how the global economy is impacting careers and what this means for the future of employee development. Prof. Cappelli, who teaches negotiations, also will share tips that may help you secure support for your MBA studies and career development.

Afterward, a panel of alumni from our Philadelphia and San Francisco EMBA programs will discuss how the Wharton MBA and network have shaped their careers.  You’ll have an opportunity to ask questions of both Prof. Cappelli and the panelists via your computer or mobile device.

In addition, West Coast COO Bernadette Birt will take participants on a virtual tour of our beautiful new San Francisco campus.  A 21st century learning environment, you’ll see how our technologically advanced facility was designed to provide the most cutting-edge and connected classrooms possible.

To register for this live webcast on Jan. 23, click here.

Phone chat tonight for women considering the MBA degree.  Wed., 1/4/12 6pm EST / 3pm PST

To hear the discussion:   1-270-400-2000* Access code 433559#

To pose questions before or during the chat:  email them to dsharp@wharton.upenn.edu or send them via Twitter using #WhartonEMBAchat

As a woman making your way forward in your career, you face a unique set of issues that require consideration.  Get clarification from an expert whose research has focused on these issues and reassurance from two Wharton alumnae who will share how the MBA degree has impacted them professionally and personally.

Panelists:
Prof. Monica McGrath - Wharton Adjunct Professor of Management
Cori Johnson, WG'09 - Sr. Global Platform Manager at Covidien
Rachel Cervantes, WG'11 - Director, Business Development at Merck
Cathy Molony - Director of Admissions, Wharton MBA Program for Executives
Kathy Lilygren - Director of Admissions, Wharton | San Francisco

 University of Pennsylvania will be closing on Fri., Dec. 23rd at 12:00pm EST.  If you have any immediate admissions questions, please contact our offices before that time.  Our Philadelphia office will reopen on Tues., Jan. 3rd at 9:00am EST. Wharton | San Francisco will close at 12:00pm PST on Dec. 23rd and reopen on Jan. 3rd at 9:00am PST.

As you work on your application over winter break, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Wharton | San Francisco MBA Exec candidates who submit their application by December 1, 2011, will receive a decision by January 16, 2012. If you have any questions or need assistance, please don't hesitate to contact us. You can reach the admissions office at 415-777-1000 or via email at lilygren@wharton.upenn.edu. We look forward to reading your application. Good luck!

In case you haven’t seen it yet, Christy Luquire is blogging about being a first-year EMBA student in Wharton’s East Coast program for the Poets & Quants for Executives Website. So far, the resident of New Orleans has written about everything from trading in jambalaya for cheesesteaks to using iPads in class to ordering takeout seven nights in a row.

Blogging after every class weekend, the vice president of Federated Sample, a market research technology company, shares anecdotes about her life as a student working full-time who commutes to school from Louisiana. A recurring theme in many of her posts is what it’s like to juggle school, work, home and other activities. She wants readers to know that although students have to make some sacrifices, it is possible and worthwhile. 

How much work experience is required to apply to Wharton’s MBA Exec Program? What are the requirements for sponsorship? Is the application procedure different for candidates under the age of 30? To learn the answers to these and many other questions, please join us on Sat. Oct. 1, 2011 from 9:00am-10:00am PDT/12:00-1:00pm EDT for a phone chat with members of our Admissions Committee from both our San Francisco and Philadelphia locations.

To listen to the phone chat, dial 1-270-400-2000/Access Code 433559#. To be online during the chat to post questions, register for this event here. If you’re unable to be online during the call, but would like to send us questions in advance, please email us at: mbaexec-myapp@wharton.upenn.edu.

Do you want to learn more about Wharton’s executive MBA program? If so, then we encourage you to attend one of our MBA for Executives information receptions where you can ask questions as well as talk to students and alumni about the program. Please check our listing of events because we’ll likely be coming to a city near you. Upcoming receptions include:

Mon. Sept. 12, 2011, 6:00-8:00pm in Santa Clara, CA

Wed. Sept. 28, 2011, 6:00-8:00pm in Portland, OR

Mon. Oct. 3, 2011, 6:00-8:00pm in Las Vegas, NV

Tues. Oct. 4, 2011, 11:30am-1:00pm in Salt Lake City, UT

Tues. Oct. 4, 2011, 6:00-8:00pm in Scottsdale, AZ

Admissions chats also are a great source of information. To watch recent Webcasts and listen to audio recordings on a wide range of topics, please click here.

We hope to hear from you soon!

If you’re considering applying to Wharton’s executive MBA program this year, this is a good time to create an account to access our online application. Once you begin, you’ll be able to save your work and keep track of your progress until you’re ready to submit your information.

We also invite you to attend one of our many upcoming MBA for Executives information receptions where you can learn more about the admissions process from our staff as well as talk to alumni and students about their experiences in the program. We’ll be hosting receptions around the world, but a few events coming up include:

Mon. Sept. 21, 2011, 6:00–8:00pm at Wharton | San Francisco

Tues. Sept. 27, 2011, 6:00–8:00pm in Bellevue, WA

Tues. Oct. 4, 2011, 5:30–7:30pm at the Wharton School, Philadelphia, PA

Tues., Oct. 11, 2011, 6:00–8:00pm in Los Angeles, CA

Tues. Oct. 11, 2011, 5:30-7:30pm in New York, NY

Wed. Oct. 19, 2011, 6:00–8:00pm in Denver, CO

Tues. Oct. 25, 2011, 5:30–7:30pm in Washington, DC

Tues. Nov. 1, 2011, 5:30pm – 7:30pm in Boston, MA

For the full listing of information receptions or to register for a specific event, please click here. You also can visit our Admissions Receptions and Chats site to watch recent Webcasts and listen to audio recordings about a diversity of topics such as women and the MBA, career management, full-time vs. executive formats, and many more.

And it's not too late to attend tonight's event at Wharton | San Francisco, Wed., August 17, 2011, 6:00-8:00pm, tomorrow night's event in Seattle, Thurs., August 18, 2011, 6:00-8:00pm or next week's event in Palo Alto, Thurs., August 25, 2011, 6:00-8:00pm.

We’re looking forward to meeting you at an upcoming event!