<p>“They were way too boring and didn’t challenge how I think.”</p>
<p>Venkat - that is precisely what my D is also concerned about and so she may also take a sprinkling of wharton courses.</p>
<p>All the best!</p>
<p>Well, Stat 430 did challenge the way I think, but I don’t think most Wharton students get that much out of 101 and 102. I also thought OPIM 101 was great, but way too basic in terms of material. I feel like I would have gotten more out of an engineering course. I’ll see how finance 100 goes, but who knows considering I don’t have the most challenging professor.</p>
<p>Definitely think twice before a Wharton transfer.</p>
<p>I started out in CAS and had a great GPA after freshman year. I had taken OPIM my second semester and quite liked it (although, like Venkat said, it was a bit basic), but the technological aspects to it were appealing. I decided to transfer into Wharton (at the time, the cutoff was 3.7, although it’s more like 3.8 and rising now). Probably not the best decision.</p>
<p>You need to keep in mind that you are also going to have to sludge through MGMT, MKTG, STAT, LGST, INSR/BPUB, ACCT, etc. There are a lot of classes to take from the core alone, and your daughter is not going to have an enjoyable experience if business isn’t truly her thing.</p>
<p>Also, like Venkat, I probably should have been an engineer. Even today I help out many of my engineering friends with random problems they’re having in class – my GPA would easily be 3.8+ because almost every single one of my hobbies is very engineering-related. In CAS, my GPA would be 3.9+. Wharton was not my cup of tea. While I could appreciate the difficulties involved and see the types of problems existent within finance/business/etc, my coursework was just so boring. Staring at spreadsheets and interest rates and that sort of thing just isn’t for me. The only concentrations in Wharton I had fun with were OPIM and STAT (and minimal FNCE), but I would have had more fun elsewhere.</p>
<p>Graduating from Penn with a good GPA in a field you enjoy studying is your best bet for having the most enjoyable experience possible and the best post-undergrad outcomes. I wish I had known this more intimately freshman year. </p>
<p>In either case, if you plan to transfer, planning ahead is crucial. You also need to make sure you know what you’re getting into, and understand the cutoffs involved for even making it in the first place (if you take Econ/OPIM/Math 104 etc in hopes of transferring, but the GPA isn’t high enough because you got poor grades in those courses, then you basically just screwed yourself over). You’re going to basically need A’s in all your courses, with minimal A-'s. If you plan on getting a B+ or B in a course, you’re going to need a lot of A’s to balance it out.</p>
<p>legendofmax, </p>
<p>thanks for the detailed insight on the Wharton transfer. You raised all the critical elements that need to be considered. I will pass this on to her to read.</p>
<p>Thanks so much, I am sure a great career awaits you!</p>
<p>My son also thought he wanted to do an internal transfer and quickly figured out that Wharton was not for him. He happily stayed in CAS and takes the classes he wants (and the ones he had to take for requirements). There are a lot of miserable kids in Wharton. It is right for some, but a lot of students have no idea what it really means to “major in business”.</p>
<p>I feel like after first semester freshman year most students at Penn (and other colleges with top business schools save MIT) reach a point where they aren’t really sure what they want to do, and see business as an easy way to go. It’s more structured than liberal arts, and has really good recruiting opportunities for jobs after graduation. If you’re lost and need some direction, you can’t really go wrong switching into the best business school in the country. For some it’s great and they really thrive. For others they’re not cut out of business and do poorly to either transfer back into SAS or just graduate with a mediocre GPA. Some try to maintain their academic interests by going for the dual and cram a ton of courses into 4 years or take extra time to go abroad and take all of the liberal arts stuff they want. </p>
<p>It really comes down to how you view undergrad. If you see it as a stepping stone for a job or grad/professional school then Wharton is great for a non premed. If you see it as a place to study what you want to study and push your boundaries, Wharton is great for some, but not everyone. It’s almost at the point at Penn where Wharton is a one size fit all for very strong students who aren’t completely devoted to a path of study and I feel like that has a negative effect on the feel at Penn academically.</p>
<p>Don’t get me wrong, plenty of people transfer into Wharton and enjoy it. I transferred mainly for the reasons Venkat brought up. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, and my GPA was good enough for transferring into a very structured elite business school. At the time I figured, “Why not?” Wharton’s got a great reputation and it’s known for good recruiting opportunities. I didn’t really answer “Why not?” for myself at the time because I figured it was a win/win situation.</p>
<p>Even though I did not enjoy many of my classes, I can’t say for sure yet whether or not it was worth it. I have learned many valuable skills, and I am sure they’ll come in handy wherever I go. I just wish I had been a bit more honest with myself. My time here would have been a lot more fun, my grades would have been better, and my job opportunities would likely be greater.</p>
<p>I just wanted to add, most of my friends who transferred into Wharton really love it and are thriving. They’re just that type of person. I, however, don’t have it in me to get a preprofessional major for undergrad which is why I’m doing econ and math instead of Wharton and engineering.</p>
<p>legendofmax & venkat89:</p>
<p>thanks for clarifying, I can see how Wharton would “fit” some and others could be miserable in a very structured and focussed place as Wharton. While many still argue that a liberal arts background is the best preparation for the business world (not sure if this is the reason Dartmouth is #1 in terms of salaries mid-career), but Wharton does give you the “zing” of a glamorous first job and a life long branding. </p>
<p>Their material states that their grads could go on to law, bus. med. non-profit etc. but what % actually choose a career other than business? D is scheduling keeping in mind both a pre-med as well as Wharton transfer and it seems very hard to complete the requirements for both in 4 years. I am sure it can be done but it will be very rigorous. </p>
<p>Could you suggest a class for a freshman that would be good to audit or pass/fail in Wharton to get a feel for the curriculum? </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>You can do anything with any college degree (save something like becoming an engineer with an English major). You can go to Wharton and become a doctor (have friends planning to do this) and you can be a nursing major and end up becoming an MD at Goldman Sachs (though very unlikely). </p>
<p>I’d say most of my friends who transferred into Wharton either started out engineering or premed, so it’s very common and doable to balance science courses and a 3.8. I’d say it’s easier to get a 3.8 in science and math courses because there isn’t any subjective grading and all you need to do is be in the top 25-30% of a class at Penn.</p>
<p>Premed and Wharton prereqs are easy. You take bio both semesters, econ both semesters, and math one semester. That leaves you 3 free classes out of 8. Your daughter probably shouldn’t jump into any Wharton classes first semester if she’s premed because she’ll want to focus more time on bio than one of the few Wharton classes first semester freshmen take. Good ones to look out for second semester freshman are Management 101, Marketing 101, Stat 101, Legal Studies 101, and OPIM 101 if she wants to get a feel for the core (at least these are Wharton courses I know freshmen to take). If she’s 100% behind the Wharton transfer, her best bet would be to take Stat 101. It’s a requirement for sophomore year transfer (which she’ll look for if she doesn’t have a 3.8 after freshman year). Stat 101 off season shouldn’t be too hard, and will give her an easier schedule first semester sophomore year when she takes accounting 101 and econ 101.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t audit a course. You can sit in on any large lecture you want, but you have no motivation to go or learn the material if you’re not taking it for a grade. P/F might be a good idea, but don’t do it for a Wharton core course because I’m not sure how that would work out if she transfers.</p>
<p>if she’s interested in medicine as well as business, i recommend the wharton healthcare management courses (listed under hcmg)</p>
<p>i had a 3.795, rounded to 3.8 and transferred to dual degree with wharton and seas.</p>
<p>Anyone know the cutoff for the Rising junior transfer gpa?
will 3.78 be enough?
I heard that 3.74 was the cutoff for rising soph.</p>
<p>3.8 is the rising soph GPA. Usually the rising junior cutoff is lower, and if you have around a 3.65 you should be fine, but who knows.</p>