<p>im interested in the huntsman IR/business program</p>
<ol>
<li>what is the admissions rate? i'm really looking for a percentage.</li>
<li>are there any similar programs at any other ivies? (specifically HYP) i saw ethics, politics, and economics at yale but its not a double major like huntsman</li>
<li>if i apply early for huntsman but dont get into that program and get into just the college, am i still bound to go? how does that work in general?</li>
</ol>
<p>thanks!</p>
<ol>
<li>No idea. I don’t think it’s publicly available.</li>
<li>Not really, you can do a double major in Economics and IR, but Wharton (undergraduate business) is quite different from a traditional Econ program. Also, Huntsman is a joint degree, not a double major or a dual degree, so its graduates are looked at separately (favorably of course).</li>
<li>Not if you don’t want to be. On the application you can state whether you want to be bound if you dont get into Huntsman early. If you don’t get into Huntsman early and dont want to be bound in that case, your app will go to the school you chose (the College for instance) for regular decision consideration. If you choose to be bound, your app will obviously be considered early.</li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li><p>It’s not published anywhere, but statistics on the boards here seem to hover slightly below 10% (500-600 applicants; 50-60 admits; 40-50 matric’s). Keep in mind, that’s a highly self-selective applicant pool.</p></li>
<li><p>Responding first to EPE at Yale, Penn actually has a similar major in CAS, Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE). It has various “thematic concentrations” and might be something to look into if you are interested in EPE. Second what Excursions said about the joint degree; it’s different from a double major. I’d venture to say that Huntsman is unique, within the Ivies and in the world as a whole, in both the content of what it teaches and the environment it fosters. I recommend reading through the website for more information, but basically, the undergraduate business emphasis, the required study-abroad, the freshman living community, the target languages, the specific IS major, the area studies component: all that is unique to Huntsman, or Wharton/Penn overall. That said, the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton would offer an IR program with some similar aspects (keep in mind, though, that WW accepts only 90 per grade within the Princeton body, and admission to Princeton in no way guarantees acceptance to WW). Additionally, Georgetown’s SFS offers some majors, like International Economics, or International Political Economy, that overlap somewhat with the content of what Huntsman focuses on. Probably less of a business emphasis there, though. The most similar program I’ve found to Huntsman is NYU Stern’s BPE Program (Business and Political Economy), which seems to mirror Huntsman in format to some extent.</p></li>
<li><p>You can probably get better answers through searching through the forum, but here’s how applying to Huntsman works (assuming you apply ED):
----a. Apply to Huntsman (write add’l essay, check off CommonApp box, etc)
----b. Specify backup school (Wharton or CAS) on CommonApp
----c. Check box for whether or not you want to be considered ED to backup school if denied admission to Huntsman
--------->If you check this box, you will be considered ED
--------->If you do not check this box, you will be considered RD
(Either way, being denied from Huntsman will not affect your chances at the backup school of your choice)</p></li>
</ol>
<p>for #3: so if i dont want to be considered ED for my second choice, i will automatically be considered for penn cas RD? i wouldnt have to do anything for my apps etc?</p>
<p>thanks so much for the helpful info, chancing fanatic.
are you part of huntsman now?</p>
<p>That’s correct. All you have to do to be considered for CAS RD is to check off CAS as your backup, and not check off the ED option.</p>
<p>No problem. And no, I’m not part of Huntsman (although I do know a lot about it!), but my sister is and I can relay any questions you may have to her. She loves it. I strongly considered it, but chose Stanford instead.</p>
<p>what year is your sister? what are the typical options with that dual degree after graduation?</p>
<p>She’ll be a soph. In terms of career options, this page should give you a good start: <a href=“http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/undergrad/reports/WHA_2009cp.pdf[/url]”>http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/undergrad/reports/WHA_2009cp.pdf</a>. Scroll down to “Employment Pursuits by Undergraduate Concentration/Major”, then “Wharton and CAS” and any that are listed as “[Specific Concentration]/International Studies and Business” are Huntsman graduates. The Huntsman website also has a page about this, but there are Huntsman grads in public, private, and nonprofit sectors. I’d estimate that about half go the traditional financial analyst or consulting route, and the rest are probably split between government work (in the foreign service, doing public policy, etc), nonprofits/NGOs, and further education (I think my sister told me one kid even went to medical school after). A good amount do go international from the start. In terms of more anecdotal information, my sister has told me about people in her class with plans to work in IB, the foreign service, consulting, start their own companies, and probably a few more I’m forgetting. I think that’s one of Huntsman’s greatest assets; it doesn’t lock you into a straight finance career, but provides great preparation if that is the route you choose.</p>
<p>Just reread my previous post, and thought I would add a bit of a warning. While Huntsman is excellent preparation for business-related careers, if you are not absolutely positive that’s the direction you want to take, I’d be hesitant to apply ED. Everyone I’ve met from the program is very committed to a career along that bent, but I know it was my chief hesitation when deciding whether or not I, myself, would apply. For me, although IS & business were probably my two primary interests at the time, I wasn’t absolutely positive that it was what I wanted to do with my life. For that reason (and many more, but that’s another story) Stanford turned out to be an excellent choice. I’m majoring in HumBio (Human Biology, kind of like BBB at Penn) with a minor in Public Policy, and I plan to attend medical school after graduation. Huntsman would have made that very, very challenging.</p>
<p>thanks so much for this info. you’re right, i’m completely not sure that IS/business is what i want to do. truthfully IS interests me more, but after a long talk with my family, i’ve decided to emphasize focusing on something more pre professional.
a few questions - what is BBB at penn? IB?
that website you found was very helpful, how do i find it for other colleges?</p>
<p>so do you think i could get the same types of opportunities for business if i decided to go down that path at places like princeton or yale?</p>
<p>Acronyms first:
BBB=Biological Basis of Behavior, a major in CAS.
IB=Investment Banking, a common field for Wharton (and Huntsman) graduates.</p>
<p>Googling things like “Princeton undergraduate exit surveys” or “Yale graduate career options surveys” will typically turn up a result. Otherwise, look on the respective universities’ career services websites, or through the boards here.</p>
<p>I’m a firm believer that where you go to college matters far less than who you are, what your interests, skills, and passions are, and how committed you are to succeeding at any given pursuit. That said, Wharton will undoubtedly provide you with more applied knowledge in specific business-related fields as a undergraduate. Whether this provides a career advantage in the long run is debatable, but it will most likely help with the learning curve in certain jobs. It’s also true that certain firms (some Hedge Funds, PE) recruit only at Harvard and Wharton. That’s a minority though, and an undergraduate econ education at Princeton or Yale will provide you with myriad opportunities upon graduation, assuming you have a passion for what you learn and academic success. When it comes down to it, you should go to the school you will enjoy the most. Exit options are important, but between the three, and however many others you’re considering, they shouldn’t vary substantially at all.</p>
<p>does anyone enroll in huntsman and then change their mind and switch to penn CAS?
probably not.</p>
<p>i’m really in a conundrum about this. this program seems so appealing but im just not sure about business. investment banking does not interest me. i am not sure what i want to do yet but i just know that i want to be making a difference and helping the world at large (maybe something like economic development). at the same time, i want a financially secure job and comfortable life. IB and consulting and all (while i do not know very much about these jobs) seem only to revolve around money money and money, and helping rich companies get richer. ughh. no interest to me. </p>
<p>HELP?!</p>
<p>Sorry for the delay…school. I’d have to ask my sister if she knows anyone specific who has dropped out of Huntsman, but I’d imagine that, while it’s certainly permitted, very few, if any, kids have done so. That was sort of the conundrum I faced when I was deciding, and in the end, it was probably what turned me away from the program. However, it’d be a lie to say that Huntsman grads only go on to jobs in the finance sector, or that those are the only careers it prepares you for. As I said before, kids in my sister’s year have all sorts of different plans, and most likely a couple have interests and ideas about their future that align with yours.</p>
<p>wellll im visiting on thursday so we’ll see how it goes! maybe i’ll meet your sister 
is it true that you HAVE to apply early to huntsman?</p>
<p>That’s a really good idea. I’ll text her that you’re coming. Except I don’t know who you are, so I’ll tell her if she sees a HS senior visiting the program (named Nadia…?) to be nice. Are you staying over? She might be willing to host, if you’re considering it (though I’d have to ask). She applied RD, for the record.</p>
<p>yuup, named nadia. im not staying over but visiting 2 classes and will be around. whats your sisters name?</p>
<p>wow, just read this and i am amazed
could not be more me. literally everything about this girl. right down to the target language.
[The</a> Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business](<a href=“http://huntsman.upenn.edu/profile/7]The”>http://huntsman.upenn.edu/profile/7)</p>
<p>Sorry this is too late to help you; college is fun but sadly, you do have to work.
I would’ve been highly entertained if you had posted a link to my sister’s profile, but she’s not on there. I texted her today and she said she wasn’t at the lounge at all either.
So what did you think of your visit? Planning on coming out to Stanford sometime? (Shameless self-promotion. We have strong IR…)</p>
<p>aww too bad i never got to meet her. but i spent a lot of time at the lounge and met a lot of great people. i really liked it! i visited 2 freshman classes. i really wanted to see what a business class (mgmt100) is like, but today they werent having an average class - they were doing ethics! very interesting.
now i have to decide if i want to apply ED and possibly commit to getting a biz degree.</p>
<p>also quick question…for the essay on international affairs and business intersecting, can economy be discussed? the effect of international affairs on global economies and developing nations, etc?</p>
<p>unfortunately im not visiting stanford…planning to stay on the east coast :)</p>
<p>Major procrastination night…anyway.
My sister says: “tell her she should come here cuz it’s the best place ever. also did she meet inge?” Very insightful, I know.</p>
<p>As long as you’re good at math the business classes should be fine (at least that’s what she said after she finished freshman year, so I can’t speak to the upper-level ones). The business degree isn’t going to hurt you in the professional world; it will just come down to the fact that half of your classes are business-related, so if that’s something you know you enjoy then committing now shouldn’t be a problem, whereas if you’re less sure you might want to visit again, do more research, or wait it out until RD. (This was very similar to the choice I faced, as I think I’ve mentioned before).</p>
<p>They had the same essay when I was a senior. Economics can and definitely should be discussed. The one warning I can offer, and this applies to all your essays in general, is don’t get yourself in over your head. Write about what you know, don’t try to use terms (or vocab words…some funny stories relating to that and working in the Stanford admissions office) that you’ve never used before, and don’t choose a topic that’s too broad.</p>
<p>Lame. Just kidding. You still have many, many (almost as) great (as Stanford) options.</p>
<p>how personal do you think the huntsman essay should be? and how long?</p>
<p>i’m applying ed btw :)</p>