<p>I have a few questions about Wharton. How hard is Wharton, relatively speaking? If I haven't gone to a boarding school or private school and get in as an athlete with an SAT in the 1900s, am I capable of doing well? I also have only had precalculus (got an A) and am worried that I might not have a thorough enough math background even though it is my best subject and I have always gotten A's in it (690 SAT math). I work extremely hard at school, but would my raw intelligence limit me at Wharton? What are the classes, tests, professors, etc. like?</p>
<p>Please be honest and let me know if you think I have what it takes to do well at Wharton. Actual Wharton students and alums opinions' would be especially appreciated. Where are you now? Goldman?</p>
<p>If you get into Wharton, they can see you being successful at Wharton.</p>
<p>It is really that simple.</p>
<p>I would agree with that for non-athletes that have off the charts test scores but do you think that the same applies to athletes?</p>
<p>First of all, it depends on your definition of “well.” I would say SAT score relative to peers is the best measurable way to predict your success in Wharton. Honestly as an athlete with 1900s SAT I would predict that it’ll be difficult for you and that raw intelligence might be limiting. I think with hard work though you’d be able to achieve the goals you set for yourself but given that most people here get in for academics (and that classes are curved) it might be difficult to beat the competition. In any case though, by virtue of going to Wharton you’re guaranteed some level of success so you shouldn’t let it effect you. Also don’t worry about not having taken Calc, you can catch up quickly. Best of luck in your decisions.</p>
<p>If you finish with a C average at Wharton, you’ll be in a stronger position entering business then an A student from a non branded school. </p>
<p>I don’t know how your athletics will affect your study time and grades but go with the right expectations. You have to shoot for passing grades, not all As. You may have to take a lighter load or graduate in 5 years not 4 years. It doesn’t really matter. You will have built a network that’s amazing, earned a prestigious degree, be admired for your athletics and given opportunities your peers at most other 4 year colleges will never see.</p>
<p>I say go for it. Your talent earned you a golden ticket (A Willy Wonka reference).</p>
<p>First you’d have to get in. While I wouldn’t say impossible, history shows it’s not very likely those scores get into Wharton.</p>
<p>I’m an athlete; I can get in…</p>
<p>Wharton sophomore here. Wharton is rather difficult compared to its peers because of the curve and the competitive environment, but if you’re a quantitative person of above-average intelligence and have a great work ethic, you’ll be alright. You’ll probably need to work harder than a lot of the kids to get the same level grades, but it’s not unreasonable to be getting Bs if you work really hard, have a realistic approach to class selection & timing, and are reasonably fit to be at this school. </p>
<p>Especially for the first couple years, you’ll be in a lot of large quantitative classes competing on a curve (30% A-range, 40% B-range, 30% C-range). You really do need to be good at understanding quantitative concepts (not just rote memorization) and taking exams worth 45% of your grade in one sitting. 7/9 of the Wharton core classes are this format, as an indication. If you’re not good at doing a lot of math under a lot of pressure…you probably won’t do very well.</p>
<p>I’d also note that Madaboutx’s comment on a C average (which is pretty much the bottom here) at Wharton needs to be clarified a bit. While that’s mostly true, the jobs most Wharton kids want are the ones where an Ivy league degree is practically a prerequisite. So while you’ll probably still end up employed…it won’t be nearly as awesome or well-paid as what your peers are doing. The jobs for which you’re competing against no-name school kids, Wharton will carry you, but you’ll see that most of the top jobs will have GPA cutoffs–investment banking for example requires around a B+ average, with some variation based on the caliber of bank.</p>
<p>So…don’t write yourself off completely, but do be realistic about your intelligence and work ethic. Wharton is a golden ticket, if you earn it.</p>
<p>Hey recruit 2013,
You say you’re an athlete, so you’re able to get in. I’m really interested in how that works at UPenn (and if it’s exclusive to just UPenn or a universal thing).</p>
<p>Do you get to choose any major/department/school to be in and immediately enter into it upon arrival? Do only “big time” athletes with help from their coaches get to choose their school, or does every student athlete get to skip the application process after being admitted into UPenn?</p>
<p>I’m wondering because I heard a rumor about an athlete who was committed to Harvard but switched to UPenn at the last minute because the UPenn coach finally said he would get him into Wharton…and I’m very interested in the same thing (although I’m not the class of 2013)</p>
<p>Thank you so much, and good luck!</p>
<p>@dedicatedcreruit do some more research on how Penn Admissions works [Information</a> for Athletes - Penn Admissions](<a href=“http://www.admissions.upenn.edu/apply/freshman-admission/information-for-athletes]Information”>http://www.admissions.upenn.edu/apply/freshman-admission/information-for-athletes). Penn does not give out general Penn offers and then follow up with a school-specific application. You apply to a school of the University of Pennsylvania and are admitted to that–you have to wait until the end of freshman year to try and transfer to a different school if you change your mind. Recruited athletes are given special consideration based on their coach’s input to the admissions office, but it definitely isn’t a free-for-all. The Ivy League has minimum academic requirements for athletic admissions (Google the Academic Index)–the reason why the Ivy League isn’t the cream of the crop of college athletics.</p>
<p>Ok recruit, You’ll get in. Good Luck.</p>
<p>Thank you Wharton15! Let’s be realistic and say I graduate with a 3.0 or 2.8. Does Goldman recruit someone like this? The coach also said that with being an athlete they help you set up internships, although I would assume you have to do well in school either way. How would business from another Ivy like Dartmouth set me up differently from Wharton? Do you have an opinion of McIntire at UVa?</p>
<p>@dedicatedrecruit - admissions support for athletes is universal, whether you have a 900 SAT and are trying to get into Alabama to play football or if you have a score like me and are trying to get into Wharton. It all comes down to how badly the coach wants you on his team and how many admissions spots he has. I would assume public schools like Alabama have an unlimited number of admissions spots (there the issue is scholarships) but Ivies only have a certain amount each year that they can’t exceed. You still have to fall within the range for admissions and I will admit that an SAT in the 1900s isn’t the best score, but it depends on the school, their admissions department, and the coach’s interest in you. It is to my understanding that Princeton is the hardest of the Ivies to get into and that most athletes have SATs of 2100+, whereas there are rumors that people have gotten into Cornell with 1700s. Deadlines also don’t have as much control on athletes as coaches can just go directly to admissions for you.</p>
<p>No, Goldman is probably not going to recruit you with less than a 3.5, and certainly not a 2.8, unless you have an incredibly solid connection. While being an athlete does help (particularly in a prototypically Ivy sport), half of Wharton applies to work at a place like that. If you really networked, there’s a slight chance, but your time would probably be better spent meeting the academic minimum and trying somewhere else–Barclays, for example, has a minimum of 3.15. You need to think in a competitive mindset against the rest of Wharton and be realistic about your chances.</p>
<p>Dartmouth doesn’t have a business program, but the name recognition is better than UVa. But you’re not on the map nearly as much at Dartmouth and you’d have to work a lot harder to have the same visibility to recruiters. For example: every year Morgan Stanley comes to Dartmouth and hosts one day full of programming and networking sessions. At Wharton, Morgan Stanley has 20 events a year and multiple day trips to their offices. Your GPA will somewhat dictate what opportunities are available to you, but they’ll be better here than anywhere else, all things equal. Basically, the less prestigious of a school you go to, the higher you need to be in your class to have the same opportunities. Something like Goldman is available to the top 25% of Wharton, and probably the top 5% of UVa. It’s not going to be easier getting to the same place just by going to an easier school.</p>
<p>Also, for some more perspective, valedictorians from the last two years at Dartmouth are currently analysts in the Morgan Stanley M&A group. While most of the Wharton guys in MS M&A graduated with 3.7s-3.9s, it would be odd to see a Wharton val in banking–they’d usually go straight to private equity or hedge funds. Kind of a good anecdotal example of the opportunities available.</p>
<p>I have a great work ethic being an athlete, but I’m afraid that I’ll end up at the bottom of curved classes. If I stuck around high school another year (I’m graduating early) I’d take AP Calc and would probably get a 5. I’m strong in math, but I am afraid that everyone else will be stronger. One more thing, how do you like Penn and do you have any free time? Are there parties and on what scale compared to those at other Ivies and at UVa? Are there many hot girls?</p>
<p>How did you do in high school (GPA, curriculum, SAT, etc.) and how are you doing at Wharton now?</p>
<p>I’ve seen AP courses available online - not through the high school - that students can sign up to do. It’s not easy to do that kind of thing, it’s several hundred dollars per course and you would have to disciplined enough to do on your own, but stuff is out there. Don’t just be behind, catch yourself up if this is really what you want to do.</p>
<p>im an incoming wharton freshman and I’m pretty curious as to the grade inflation at Wharton, are there a lot of 4.0s, or not so much?</p>
<p>I just realized how stupid I sounded. A curve would eliminate grade inflation as it is set to specific percentages. I guess what I was trying to ask was how much of the class would get above a 3.5+ GPA, some people may so really well in some classes and not so well in others. I was a 4.0 kid in high school but that was because I worked ultra hard on everything.</p>
<p>Wharton 15 I can’t PM without 15 posts. Typed out a long-winded response to figure that out, haha.</p>
<p>How is Philadelphia?</p>