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.

 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!

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!

The Wharton MBA for Executives is one of the most competitive EMBA programs in the world and applicants usually have about a one in three chance of being admitted.  Not only do our executive MBA applicants need to meet the same high standards that are required for Wharton’s full-time MBA program, they also must show more work and managerial leadership experience.

In Wharton’s MBA for Executives Offices, it’s application processing time! Right now, we’re diligently processing each application to make sure that we’ve received all of the required documents.  If you’re wondering whether we’ve gotten to your documents yet, you can logon to your application to confirm when everything is complete.  If we find anything is missing, we’ll contact you immediately.

The Philadelphia area is expecting a dangerous winter storm, which means there will be a skeleton crew in the office on both Tues., 2/1 and Wed., 2/2.  We’d like to reassure you that if you are having trouble contacting us regarding an application issue, you can hold off on submitting your app until your question or concern has been addressed.

We encourage you to email the office to make us aware of any issues and we will do our best to respond in a timely manner, mbaexec-myapp@wharton.upenn.edu.  If the issue is of a technical nature, please contact AY Tech Support using the link provided within the application.

For those who wonder what the difference between the Philadelphia and San Francisco campuses is, the answer is...the weather!

The Wharton MBA Exec Admissions Team would like to share a few reminders as you spend this weekend finalizing your application before the February 1st deadline:

  - You have until 11:59pm Tues., February 1, 2011 (midnight of your time zone) to submit your online application.  But don’t panic - the system will accept applications after midnight.  We encourage you to let us know if you run into issues that prevent you from meeting this deadline.

  - If you still need to take - or retake - the GMAT, we’ll accept GMAT scores until the first week of March.  A copy of your preliminary GMAT score 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 Wharton's Executive MBA program are Philadelphia: G56-97-36 and San Francisco: G56-97-14.

  - Have you scheduled your interview?

  - Transcripts, sponsorship letters, and other credentials are arriving in droves at the Philadelphia and San Francisco MBA Exec offices.  We ask for your patience as we sort through them and match them up with each application.

Please note:  It is only after your application is submitted that the processing can begin.  Please give us 2-3 weeks after you submit before calling the office to see if we’ve received your credentials.  This allows us to keep the momentum going without stopping to answer individual calls.  Check your online status where you can confirm when your application is complete.

Rest assured that we will not let your application sit incomplete!  We will reach out to you if something is missing. 

Once applications are complete, they go to the Admissions Committee where they will be evaluated by Committee members from both the West and East Coast programs.  You don’t need to update us during this time unless something significant happens that may affect our evaluation such as a promotion or a new GMAT score.

San Francisco program admissions decisions will be released no later than March 25 and Philadelphia decisions will be released by April 8.

Wed., 1/26/11, 12:00-1:00pm EST / 9:00-10:00am PST

Cathy Molony, Director of Admissions, and Lakeisha Bishop, Sr. Assoc. Director of Financial Aid, will be on the call to answer your questions about the application process and your financial aid options. 

Dial-up information to hear the discussion:  1-270-400-2000   Code: 433559#

If you'd like to post questions during the chat, REGISTER: Wed., 1/26/11, 12noon EST / 9am PST

If you won’t be in front of a computer during the discussion, you can email your questions ahead of time to: dsharp@wharton.upenn.edu

We look forward to answering your questions!

If you’re interested in applying to Wharton’s MBA for Executives Program for the May 2011 entering class, this is a great time to start an application.  Our online application system walks you through the required steps, including how to electronically submit your essays and recommendations and what documents need to be sent in hard copy.  It also allows you to save your work until you’re ready to submit the application and keep track of your progress.

The instructions within our online application explains all of this in far greater detail, but here’s the quick list of required components:

* Background Information
* Two Letters of Recommendation
* Three Essays
* Transcripts
* GMAT
* Letter of Endorsement (sponsorship)
* Interviews
* Application Fee

Whether you are applying to our San Francisco or Philadelphia program, the application deadline is February 1, 2011.  However, sometimes pulling together all of the required application materials can take longer than expected.  If you need flexibility regarding the deadline, please contact the office of the program to which you’re applying to see if there’s anything we can do to help.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Sat., 12/18/10, 12:30-1:30pm EST / 9:30-10:30am PST 

Diane Sharp, Director of Marketing & Assoc. Director, Admissions and John Lyon, Director of Admissions, Wharton | San Francisco, will discuss the Wharton MBA Exec program and the application process. 

Dial-up information to hear the discussion: 1-270-400-2000 Code: 18180#

If you'd like to post questions during the chat: REGISTER: Sat., 12/18/10, 12:30pm EST / 9:30am PST

If you're not able to be in front of a computer during the hour, you can email your questions ahead of time to dsharp@wharton.upenn.edu.

We look forward to answering your questions!

If you are considering applying to Wharton's MBA Program for Executives, call us soon to schedule an interview. You don’t need to wait until you’ve finished – or even started – your application. Make the interview part of your research on our program to see if we’re a good fit for you.

Although interviews are only required for Fellows EMBA candidates, we strongly recommend them for traditional applicants as well. In other words, everyone should schedule an interview!

During an interview:

- You get one-on-one time with a member of the Admissions Committee so that you can present yourself in “3D.”

- You’ll discuss how your career has evolved, with examples of leadership within or outside of your work, and why getting an MBA is important to you.

- You can ask questions about the program as well as address any specific issues you might have.

Since interviews are scheduled on days when Executive MBA classes are in session, you also can sit in on a class, meet current students, and even join them for a meal.

Interviews should be scheduled before the deadline of Feb. 1 and must be completed by March 1. To schedule a time, contact either the Philadelphia or San Francisco EMBA office.  Our January schedules are starting to fill up so please call soon to see which dates are still available.

Read about "Interview Dos and Don’ts" from the Admissions Committee.

Alumni, students and staff invite you to learn how you can earn the Wharton MBA without interrupting your career.  Get an overview of the program and the admissions process from members of the Admissions Committee.  Hear how it can be done and why it's worth it from those who've done it. 

Sat., December 11, 2010, 2:30-4:30pm at Wharton | San Francisco
Mon., December 13, 2010, 6:00-8:00pm in Sunnyvale, CA
Fri., January 7, 2011, 8:00-9:30am in Los Angeles, CA
Sat., January 8, 2011, 10:00am-12:00pm in San Jose, CA
Tues., January 11, 2011, 6:00-8:00pm in Lafayette, CA

We’re off to a great start with our admissions receptions and we have many more planned for the months ahead. So if you are interested in learning more about Wharton’s MBA Program for Executives, we may be in a city near you.  Receptions are a great time to meet EMBA alumni and students, ask questions of program staff and discover what sets Wharton apart from other schools.

In October, we’re hosting a West Coast reception in Beverly Hills at the Montage.  In November, we’ll be in Palo Alto, Los Angeles, Irvine, San Diego and San Francisco in California, as well as in Denver, CO, Salt Lake City, UT, and Scottsdale, AZ.

Our October East Coast receptions will be held in Charlotte, NC at the Westin and Washington, DC at the Willard.  In November, we’re hosting events in Boston and New York.

EMBA staff will also be touring the middle of the country hosting receptions for a mix of people – some considering attending the program in San Francisco and some who will be applying to the Philadelphia campus.  These events are in Chicago, Houston and Dallas in November.

For more information or to register for an event, here’s our calendar.

As the new executive MBA students get settled in San Francisco and Philadelphia, the Admissions Committee is already preparing to recruit the next class of MBAs.   Here are a couple of updates for those who are thinking about reapplying, as well as for anyone who might be applying for the first time:

The Admissions Committee has released its decisions for both the San Francisco and Philadelphia Executive MBA programs for those applicants who submitted completed applications by the deadline.  If you were expecting a decision and haven't received one, please contact the Philly or SF office so you can confirm the reason for the delay.  If you've already been in touch to work out the timing of the completion of your application, there's no need to call again.

For those applicants who've been wait listed, your continued patience is appreciated.  There's no way to predict the timing or number of applicants who may be admitted from the wait list.  We just ask that you notify us if you're interested in remaining on the wait list and that you provide us with up-to-date contact information.

For those who were not offered admission to the May 2010 entering class, we will offer feedback sessions over the summer.  If you have not already received information on how to arrange one, instructions will be sent at a later date.

Even though Anastasia Pozdniakova wasn’t admitted the first time she applied to Wharton’s East Coast Executive MBA Program due to her of lack of work experience, she knew it would one day be the right program for her.

“The feedback was that they were looking for something more in EMBA Fellows candidates and it was a tough applicant pool. I had to improve my GMAT score too,” she recalls.

She waited a year and reapplied. By then, she had been promoted from an associate at her firm, Fieldstone, to vice president. She also retook the GMAT and provided a list of the deals she worked on to show the type of experience and perspective she would bring to the classroom. “We advise companies who seek capital for opportunities in the power and infrastructure industries. I work with developers who have ideas to develop technologies or renewable power plants but don’t have the necessary capital, so they retain my firm to find the money so they can implement their ideas,” she says. “Some of the projects are very unique and will hopefully be the future of power generation in the U.S.”

It turned out that a year made a big difference and she was accepted in 2007 as a Fellow. The program was a “perfect fit,” says Pozdniakova. “I’ve learned a lot from my role models in my company, but I wanted another source of inspiration and knowledge. At Wharton, I met interesting students and faculty who inspired me to look at the world differently and apply new tools to my work without having to risk leaving my job for two years.”

Looking back, Pozdniakova says that it was definitely worth the time and effort it took to apply to Wharton’s EMBA Program twice. “It’s great that the Fellows program exists to allow those of us with fewer years of experience to have this incredible opportunity,” she says. “My life would have been very different without this program.”

Related Blogs about Fellows:

Wharton EMBA Fellows Mean Business

If you are interested in applying this year to Wharton’s Executive MBA Program, it may not be too late. While the Feb. 1 deadline for both the Philadelphia and Wharton | San Francisco programs has passed, we may be able to offer an extension. Please contact our offices to discuss your specific situation and see what accommodations can be made for you.

If you’ve already submitted your application, then stay tuned because you’ll be hearing from us soon. We’re currently busy processing each application to ensure that we’ve received all of the required documents. The sorting and filing of credentials is a manual process so it may take a few weeks to complete. We ask for your patience to allow us to get through the piles of transcripts, sponsorship letters and hard copy recommendations before you contact us about the status of your application. You can also logon to your application to confirm when it’s complete.

If you are still planning to take - or retake - the GMAT, note that we will accept GMAT scores until March 1. 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, as the slots are quickly filling up. West Coast applicants have until March 10 to complete interviews and East Coast applicants have until March 17.

Once the applications are complete, they go to the Admissions Committee where they will be evaluated by Committee members from both the West and East Coast programs. There is no need to update us during this time unless something significant happens that may affect our evaluation such as a promotion or a new GMAT score.

San Francisco program admissions decisions will be made by March 26, 2010 and Philadelphia decisions no later than April 9, 2010.