<p>I'm a Wharton internal transfer but I'm not nearly so backstabby/competitive... I noticed this a lot in my MGMT100 course which was comprised entirely of transfers. Everyone was so damn competitive and snobby, and it was extremely unpleasant. </p>
<p>Transferring can be tricky. You basically have to play catch-up, and it isn't easy. By the time you begin your Wharton track, everyone else has already blown through MGMT and OPIM and other courses like STAT. If you want Wharton, do it from the start if that's what you know you want. I personally don't even know what I want, and I'm not sure I like Wharton. There are many things about it I don't like.</p>
<p>Realistically, I should be an engineer, because I'm better at CSE than most CSE majors, but I always used to fear the kind of lifestyle associated with computer science.</p>
<p>Planning the internal transfer and actually getting it are two different things, trust me - a 3.8 is hard to get in college, even if you work hard. </p>
<p>The upside to the college I think is, as someone said, you have many more options and you can get that well-rounded liberal arts education people talk about in college. At the same time you can take however few or many Wharton classes as you want (except management and I dont know about BPUB), which employers will see and take note of. It's great to have Wharton on your resume, but if they see Penn and all the business classes relevant to the job, as well as what you majored in the college, then hey what do they have to lose? </p>
<p>Of course in terms of undergrad business you can't get much better than Wharton, so take your pick.</p>
<p>The internal transfer cutoff also continues to rise with each year. It was a 3.7 when I made the cut and now it's up to 3.8. It will probably be higher next year, and getting a 3.8+ is not easy.</p>
<p>LofMax has good advice. Also, a number of students have told me that many of the kids who are hell bent on Wharton really don't have any concept of what a business school education really means. They get a real awakening, and don't find it to their liking. There are plenty of opportunities in CAS for seminar courses with Wharton faculty/economists etc. You also have the flexibility to bail out of the economics track when you discover it isn't what you wanted after all. As hard as it is to transfer into Wharton (and then play catch-up, as Max said), there are Wharton kids who didn't do so well freshman year in Wharton, want to get out, and can't because their GPA isn't good enough for the transfer to CAS. They are stuck. Go figure. One student I know was completely determined to transfer into Wharton (was going to double major) and not only changed her mind, but decided against the econ major (will have a minor) and is majoring in English.</p>
<p>The main problem I think is that an introductory course might be fun/appealing, but then by the time you start delving deeper, you may not like the subject as much as you initially thought, but it may be too late to back out.</p>
<p>I'd advise really looking at the curriculum and the different courses available, and perhaps even Email the heads of the department a bit to get a better feel for what to expect. You most likely won't like everything you study in Wharton -- I know for a fact that I loathe Accounting. Nothing in the world would make me even entertain the thought of liking it. I'd rather walk to class over hot coals on a daily basis than take another Accounting course. Every Accounting exam felt like repeated crowbar-bashing to the head. It was not fun.</p>
<p>This advice might be unusual, but I'd also recommend just saying "Screw requirements" for a semester. Unless you plan on having a tight schedule for all four years, most people can afford to do this. Take courses you are genuinely interested in. I have only come to realize this as of late and I wish I'd done it sooner. Too many people get caught up in this generalized schedule where they feel as if they absolutely must take course X by time Y, and this isn't always the case. I knew for a fact I hated Accounting, but I took the course anyway and hated it -- I should have explored other courses and saved Accounting for later.</p>
<p>Doing this early will allow you to explore your interests and better plan out future course structures. By doing so you might find, for instance, that you absolutely love OPIM or Management or Stat, etc. Then you'll know how to make your future semesters more enjoyable and when to take courses you will inevitably NOT be interested in. It feels really good to create a semester of classes where you have genuine interest in every single one.</p>
<p>^I can't agree more with LofMax. Pacing yourself and finding classes you enjoy without overloading on required curriculum can really help you enjoy your education. Many people load up on the core classes, and then burn out on Wharton and say they'll never take an elective business class. On the other hand, you can check out OPIM, management or marketing classes and find courses that match why you were interested in business in the first place. All too often I find people asking what the "4 easiest finance classes" are - they want to finish their degree asap and haven't found something they love.</p>