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Wharton Essay 2

Reflect on a time when you turned down an opportunity. What was the thought process behind your decision? Would you make the same decision today? (600 words)

Wharton Essay 2 Tips

In this essay you have the opportunity to not only evaluate your action at a particular time in the past, but possibly also to explain how your outlook and personality might have changed since then.

"What was the thought process behind your decision?" is the first key element in this essay. Why and how did you decide as you did? What is your decision making process? How do you weigh different aspects of a situation/opportunity? What is your risk appetite? What competing opportunities or options did you choose instead? - after all if it is a clear "opportunity" why wouldn't you have taken it? The answers of these questions can be used to display the breadth, depth and maturity of your thought process; if the situation is professional it could additionally be used to demonstrate your business acumen.

The second part of the question "Would you make the same decision today?" is somewhat tricky. An emphatic "no" might mean that you made the wrong decision (and probably got it ALL wrong) while an emphatic "yes" could signal that you have not learnt much since then. A happy medium might to be answer with a conditional yes, and mention how what you have since learnt might have made the decision making better and the choice clearer. These are very general guidelines; you will have to make your choice based on your beliefs and the particulars of the given situation.

The chosen example could be either a personal or professional opportunity, through a professional opportunity seems more fitting and might give greater freedom for explaining the decision making process.

Go for it!

Wharton Essay 3

Describe a failure that you have experienced. What role did you play, and what did you learn about yourself? How did this experience help to create your definition of failure? (600 words)

Wharton Essay 3 Tips

This is an exact replication of last year's prompt, with the last question added on, and similar to the 2008-2009 question "Describe a failure or setback that you have experienced. How did you respond, and what did you learn about yourself?".

That this question repeats itself in one form or another year after year in the Penn application shows how Wharton wants to see how you handle failure and the attendant learning opportunities therein.

As in most failure essays the key to getting it right is to begin your thought process from the second part of the question "What did you learn about yourself". Choose an example with inspirational learning - a significant and credible incident that has left it's mark on you. Wharton, with it's admirable focus on the individual, wants to know your personal reaction to the event and the lessons you learnt from it. If the essay convincingly portrays a person who can face difficulties, overcome challenges, learn from mistakes, handle pressure, understand complex situations and continuously learn, you might have written the perfect essay. Never forget that the failure essay is in reality meant to be a success story where you learnt, improved and readied yourself to be a better professional, better leader and (perhaps!) a better person.

It is imperative that the essay underlines your ability to adapt, change and better yourself. After all that is what is expected from you during the Wharton MBA program and in your post-MBA career.

While the qualities that you reflected while fire-fighting the incident or it's aftereffects remain the core reason for the essay, please take care to choose a failure that is "real". A fluffy failure not only makes for a weak essay but will also probably puts you on the hot seat during the Wharton interview.

Go for it!

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Wharton Essay 4

Discuss a time when you navigated a challenging experience in either a personal or professional relationship. (600 words)

Wharton Essay 4 Tips

For selecting the particular situation for the essay, look back to identify professional or personal circumstances when you found your interaction with an individual (though you could expand it to a team/group if you do it well) particularly challenging. While this essay could focus on your people skills, leadership abilities, your communication skills or any other relevant quality which you want to highlight, the what, why & how of the challenge and its resolution will determine the strength of the essay.