If I want to be an Economics Major: Wharton or CAS?

Colleges & Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
1

<p>If my intended major is Economics, should I apply to Wharton or CAS? Both give the same degree, a B.S. in Economics, but Wharton is obviously more prestigious. However, I assume it would be much easier to get into CAS, and something tells me that most of the teachers of the Econ courses would be very similar, if not the same? Right now, I'm leaning towards Wharton ED, just so I know that I'm going to the best possible choice for my current status, but if its the exact same as CAS, what's the point?</p>

<p>I'm contacting the admissions office on Monday, and I'm trying to visit Penn in mid October.</p>

2

<p>While you’re here, what do my chances look like at ED Wharton or CAS?</p>

<p>User Name
jptoor
Gender
M
Location
SoCal
College Class Year
2013
High School
Public
High School Type
sends some grads to top schools
Will apply for financial aid
Yes</p>

<p>Academics:
GPA - Unweighted
3.84
GPA - Weighted
4.31
Class Rank
top 2%/ 14
Class Size
775</p>

<p>Scores:
SAT I Math
690
SAT I Critical Reading
800
SAT I Writing
670
ACT
35
SAT II Math Level 2 (IIC)
770
SAT II Biology - M
750</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
Significant Extracurriculars
Editor-in-Chief of School Paper, write for local paper, write in our paper, design all artwork for paper.</p>

<p>Started small internet business selling services for a videogame (WoW). Eventually outsourced to China, and then stopped due to a cease and desist from Blizzard (Should I leave that part out lol?) and it taking too much time.</p>

<p>Interned at a Clinical Research Lab</p>

<p>Computer Repair Technician on contract. Repair computers for local business at competitive prices compared to GeekSquad, and private repair places.</p>

<p>Leadership positions
Captain of Varsity Volleyball
Boy Scout (Life Scout)
Editor-in-Chief of Paper
Art Director of the Paper (I’m not artistic, so this is the most challenging thing I’ve ever done)
Spanish Club 2 year officer, 4 year member
Founder and President of JSA Chapter
Philosophy Club- Secretary and VP</p>

<p>Athletic Status - list sport and your level
3 years Varsity Volleyball
3 years of JV Cross-Country</p>

<p>Volunteer/Service Work
Boy Scouts- Many hours (300+ over 6 years)
Optimist Club
Spanish Club</p>

<p>Honors and Awards
NMS Quarter Finalist
CSF All Possible Semesters</p>

<p>Most Improved Junior Year
Finalist at several speech and debate competitions</p>

<p>College Summer programs
Stanford Journalism Workshop (Newspaper by the Bay)
Community College Course (Psychology)
Went to England, visited LSE and City College of London, and University
of Bristol. Met several professors, including the inventor of MRI.
Boy Scout National Jamboree (40k people living on a military base in
Bowling Green Virginia)</p>

3

<p>While all Wharton undergraduates graduate with the degree of B.S. in Economics (regardless of concentration), you actually cannot major in Economics in Wharton. The name of the degree is the historic Wharton undergraduate degree, but it does not in fact reflect having majored in Economics. To actually major in Economics, you’d have to be enrolled in Penn’s College of Arts and Sciences, in which case your degree would be a Bachelor of Arts, with a major in Economics.</p>

<p>The Wharton curriculum is more applied and professionally oriented (e.g., Finance, Management, Marketing, Accounting, etc.) than a major in Economics in the College, which is focussed more on academic economic theory. Of course, Wharton allows and encourages its undergrads to take up to 43% of their degree requirements in the arts and sciences, so you could take Economics courses as a Wharton undergrad. But to be an actual Economics major, you’d have to be in the College. There is the option of pursuing dual degrees in both Wharton and the College which, theoretically, would allow you to be both a College Economics major and a Wharton student.</p>

4

<p>You just blew my mind.</p>

<p>So it is technically a degree in Economics, but no one treats it as so, because it comes for Wharton, so it’s more a “Wharton” degree in Economics, which implies more business/finance oriented education…</p>

<p>All right. I think I got it.</p>

<p>What would you recommend for someone in my position? I’m going to go visit the school to talk to some professors in Wharton, sit in on some classes, and make sure it is what I think it is. I heard that you can take classes in Wharton, just not the Wharton specific ones, such as MGMT 100. So would I be better off applying to SAS/CAS or Wharton?</p>

5

<p>The only Wharton courses you cannot take as a non Wharton student are Management 100 and those special M+T, Huntsman, and LSM courses. You can still take all the finance you want.</p>

6

<p>Any recommendations on which school would be better for a consulting job? Is the economics program as prestigious overall as Wharton?</p>

7

<p>Even more so than finance, consultants hire college grads who have looked beyond finance. It is based on breadth of knowledge, readily apparent intelligence, and communications/people skills. If anything, consulting firms WANT more people with different majors and different perspectives so they can attack problems from as many different angles as possible.</p>

<p>Moreover, the differences in selectivity and prestige are far smaller than your liberal use of the words “obviously” and “much” would intimate.</p>

<p>I think Wharton is a great resource to have access to as a Penn undergrad, but I would never want to be enrolled in the Wharton undergraduate program. I went to CAS, picked a rigorous major, dabbled in Wharton classes (including higher-level MGMT courses, as the MGMT-100 prerequisite is waived for us), and got a great job offer at the end. And I had a blast doing it all :)</p>

<p>Oh, and there are some nice legal studies courses you could take about that Blizzard problem…heck Penn lets you go one step further and take classes in Penn Law as an undergrad ;)</p>

8

<p>Lol. Perhaps I’ll take them up on that offer.</p>

<p>Thanks, I’m stumped again. I was fairly certain I was going to go with Wharton, but I have always been one that thinks the education is more important than the end result.</p>

<p>I was talking to a friend of mine who is currently in Wharton, and she said that many of the benefits of Wharton are not Wharton exclusive, such as the seminars, symposiums, and clubs. I’m not 100% set on business as my future, and it’s almost equally likely that I go into medicine. I’m now leaning more towards CAS, just because of the options it leaves me.</p>

9

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<p>Don’t forget the actual classes. You too can know the joy of accusing others of cheating on SABRE!</p>

10

<p>Bump for chances at CAS?</p>

11

<p>ACT score is awesome, as is rank. Your GPA is in range. A handful of leadership positions. You have a good chance of acceptance. Just work on those essays.</p>