<p>I've been admitted to the Engineering program. Would I be better served in terms of future marketability and starting pay to stay in that and minor in business (have Wharton somewhere on my resume), or to try admittance to Wharton after I begin studies and major in business?</p>
<p>I've been told that it's wise to have a technical degree (i.e. Eng.) and fill in with business, but Wharton is so highly regarded that I am wondering about the best path.</p>
<p>Do not worry about ‘having Wharton somewhere on my resume’. That’s not the right way to think about it, and you don’t need Wharton on your resume if you’re a Penn student. The best path depends on what you want to do. If you really want to do business, then try to transfer to Wharton or do a dual degree, but this will not be easy. In any case, I would always advise you to go with what you like, not with what you thinks gives you better future marketability.</p>
<p>I don’t think you can get a minor at Wharton. For now, I would just try to get as high a GPA as possible your freshman year to leave your options open. If you can’t get at least a 3.8, you probably won’t be able to transfer anyways.</p>
<p>apples and oranges. Do the one you like.</p>
<p>I’m in a similar situation. The best option I think is to start off with engineering supplemented with Wharton courses at the UG level. Then, after around 3-4 yrs working in industry (engineering or business), go for an MBA. SEAS students seem to have pretty diverse options post-grad anyway. They go into consulting, finance, tech, pharmaceuticals, grad school, etc. And, with a degree from Penn, mobility across disciplines (say business and engineering) is assured. There are many reasons why some find it more advisable to pursue an engineering degree undergrad. One of them is job security: in case you flounder in business (or the economy tanks…), you won’t have a problem finding decent-paying work given your speciality. The other is analytical ability: An engineer with a business background/MBA is a desirable asset for many quant-heavy positions. What really matters is your MBA; the idea that an education in business exclusively at the undergrad level will suffice in the job market is really only true for Wharton grads.</p>
<p>as nj said, engineering + MBA is a good choice if you’re not dead set on business. Wharton UG is very much geared for finance (although its excellent in other respects as well). If you’re not actually that interested in engineering and want to get into business with more of a technical background then my advice would be not to worry, wharton finance is VERY marketable. Just remember, with the technical background and less focus on business, you will be slightly limited in the areas you can pursue in the business world (you’re more likely to get a job in business/finance related to that industry but less likely in other areas).</p>
<p>dual degree + MBA</p>
<p>Apparently like 25% of Engineering students dual degree. I would assume with Wharton being such a dominating presence, a lot of those dual degrees are with Wharton. I’d try for a double, at the very least.</p>