Harvard SCEA vs Wharton ED

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

Which one is generally more selective? Which one is more holistic?

2

@ibanker38 Harvard is generally more selective. At Penn the dual degree programs (Huntsman, M&T, LSM) have almost similar selectivity to Harvard/Stanford. Also Penn favors its ED applicants more than Harvard does its SCEA applicants relative to RD. Overall probably Harvard is more holistic both in terms of admission and the education you get. That said as a Wharton undergrad, 40% of your classes are taken outside of Wharton at other schools at Penn so you end up getting a well rounded education. In terms of applicants of course the Wharton pool is more self-selected and homogeneous than the Harvard pool, since Wharton is the business school of a college and not a college. That said Wharton kids are more diverse than you d expect.

In general there are pros for each place:

Harvard pros : you get a stronger, more prestigious and widely recognized name and you get more grade inflation which helps for ibanking recruiting and later for MBA admissions. Also the atmosphere is prob less intense.

Wharton pros: you actually get to study finance ( and many other business concentrations) instead of economics, all classes at Penn are taught by professors, not TAs and the social life at Penn is way better than the one at Harvard.

3

Thanks!!! That was very in-depth. Exactly what I was looking for

4

FWIW: Here’s a great article about why students should choose a Liberal Arts degree over a business degree at a school like Wharton: https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2013/10/17/liberal-arts-are-best-preparation-even-business-career-essay

5

Interesting… im leaning to apply to Harvard SCEA, but i have two more questions:

  1. Do liberal arts colleges also want well rounded applicants? I have a lot of finance-oriented ECs, and I don’t know if liberal arts colleges will look down upon them and think im “close-minded” or something
  2. I also participated in Wharton online courses and competitions. Will Harvard and other colleges mark me down on that? I’ve heard they can be very touchy about protecting their yield rate
6

^^ 1. These days, selective liberal arts colleges are seeking “well-lopsided” students: http://blog.thrively.com/think-its-important-to-be-well-rounded-think-again/
2. No. Many students are accepted to Harvard who have taken summer/on-line courses at other universities.

7

Thanks so much gibby