Yes but you dont really need to study business to break into top business jobs. Most of the Wharton people were not considering other business schools, they were considering other ivies, and most people who turn down Wharton do so for HYPSM not other business schools like Ross, Stern, McDonough etc.
@Much2learn i definitely agree and this is very true. I wasn’t saying that only Wharton kids do well at business recruiting, SEAS and CAS kids do very well too, I have seen this first-hand. I am just saying that historically Penn built its Wall street dominance through Wharton just like Harvard did so through HBS and later on when finance/consulting become very hot jobs (they weren’t always hot) for undergrad people from all sort of majors had the opportunity to apply. WS recruiters value diversity, they dont want to recruit a class with identical backgrounds.
@Much2learn - as @Penn95 said - for decades Wharton did all the heavy lifting for UPenn on Wall Street, no doubt about it. The college did not have nearly as good standing here, and Wall St. employers absolutely discriminated in favor of Wharton.
As seen in An ethnography of Wall Street, as recently as 10 years ago, “[CAS] seniors said it was difficult to find investment banking opportunities without a Wharton pedigree.” (Karen Ho 63).
The phenomenon of more general success for other UPenn schools is quite new. Further, the U. has done a great job of leveraging Wharton (thru the One University Policy) to increase the marketability of its other schools’ grads. SEAS students can easily take Wharton classes, and that makes them more marketable in the Tech field - they have something that other grads don’t.
A lot of other top Us have engineering schools (and better engineering schools, like NU and Cornell), but it’s Wharton that sets the Penn grads apart - it’s not unusual - it’s Wharton.
@cue7 “A lot of other top Us have engineering schools (and better engineering schools, like NU and Cornell), but it’s Wharton that sets the Penn grads apart - it’s not unusual - it’s Wharton.”
Wharton is great, but the idea that it’s students are inherently preferred by employers is not a current one. The Penn undergraduates getting the best job offers right out of school now are SEAS students. Times change.
I agree @Much2learn - times change, but some brands have been pretty constant. Wharton has undoubtedly been the best/most timeless brand for the U. If I was an undergrad there now, I’d definitely try to engage with Wharton as much as possible - it’s the most future-proof brand on campus. The historical record indisputably supports that fact.
@Cue7 NU doesnt really have a better engineering school than Penn.
Anyway, historically your point about Wharton is true, but what is more important and relevant than history is the trend over the past 10-20 years which has completely changed the dynamic you describe. Also Wharton wouldn’t be what it is if it wasn’t part of a top university with many other top offerings. Part of the reason top students are attracted to Wharton is that they can also get a well-rounded education outside of business. Ans they do (~40% of the Wharton classes are taken in CAS or SEAS).
nah you make it sound like not engaging with Wharton means you’re taking a risk or something. A lot of people do not engage with Wharton and end up just fine. Wharton is amazing, a huge resource and a big draw for students, but there are many other top things Penn undergrad can offer. It is not Wharton or bust.
Here is the full quote from the book. You omitted some crucial parts:
This statement was made in 2000, not 10 years ago as you say. Karen Ho did not write the book overnight. It took years of research and a lot of the things she mentioned were a bit out of date even when the book was published and certainly today. @Much2learn is right about how things are now vs 20-25+ years ago.
Ok @Penn95 - yes, NU and Penn’s engineering schools have roughly the same standings. Goodness, I have to be careful lest I say anything that the Penn authorities are quick to dispute re standing!
Re your main point - You’re arguing at the margins - when Penn struggled in the 60s, 70s, etc., Wharton was still pre-eminent, no? And didn’t it do this while much of the larger university struggled? Doesn’t that dispute your thesis that Wharton thrived in the midst of a top U generally?
Finally, why would history not be a key lens to use here? The Penn you describe has fully taken form in the past 10 (maybe 15) years. Penn, in fact, is a testament to how quickly times and circumstances can change. It’s standing has varied widely over t
Given this, wouldn’t history be a more important indicator to raise - and provide further justification for focusing on the institutions most immune to this change? One of those institutions, btw, would be Wharton. Certainly, it’s not Wharton or bust, but do you dispute that Wharton is the most future-proof brand available at Penn?
Not paying ample attention to the historical record - and focusing on trends that are really just recent (like the rush of talent to the tech industry) is not advisable, IMO.
You are very careful to point out specifics about Penn’s strengths (and your attention to detail is good - I admittedly do not focus on this as much while on a message board), but the larger points remain.
I chose Georgetown SFS over Wharton and a few other Ivies, as well as some top non-ivies, a military academy, and a full ride to a top state school. Now, my goals aren’t purely in business, and for what I want to do, Georgetown was it. I have zero regrets thus far, and coming here has been life-changing. I’m convinced that for what I want to do, no school could have prepared me better.
Now, Gtown law>Penn law for those wishing to go into politics, gov, or international law. Penn law>Georgetown law for everything else, and I’d imagine it really rocks at corporate law just cause Penn in general has the best business connections. I have, however, read that for biglaw in general, Gtown law really punches above it’s weight: http://thecareerist.typepad.com/thecareerist/2016/04/law-schools-and-partners.html
Make of that what you will, Harvard and Gtown law were #1 and #2 respectively for number of grads who made partner in biglaw this past year. This is of course because they’re the two biggest of the top law schools, but still something to think about.
Now if my goal had been to just work on Wall Street, it would’ve been Wharton all the way. Georgetown is my favorite school in the world, but Wharton rocks and will forever have a special place in my heart. I think for someone like you who is interested in business in general, give both schools a look and go where you like best. If they’re about the same, pack up for Philly.