I’m very interested in one of the programs at Wharton. How much harder is acceptance at Wharton undergrad ED versus Upenn Arts & Sciences? Do transfers from the main college to Wharton happen often, and is it easier to transfer later than apply directly into the business school? My ACT math and science scores are quite low (31 in both), so I have a feeling it will be harder for me to get into Wharton ED.
The acceptance rate at Wharton was about 6.5% according to P&Q: https://poetsandquantsforundergrads.com/2018/12/12/best-undergraduate-business-schools-2018/5/
Internal transfers are difficult—you need to maintain a near 4.0 GPA and also put together an application describing why you want to switch schools.
Penn never publishes the different acceptance rates for their colleges, so I am not sure how P&Q found that info, but it could be true. In terms of trying to maximize your chances for admission, apply to the program where you will be able to show your passion most in your Why Penn/Wharton or Why Penn/CAS essay. I was just admitted to Wharton RD, but rejected from Princeton (legacy and deferred from REA), Brown, Harvard, Duke and Northwestern, all of which I applied to their liberal arts programs. I believe that the reason I got into Wharton at Penn and no other equivalently competitive institution is because it was the best fit program for who I was as an applicant. In my common app essay I wrote about my interest in real estate, and in my why penn/wharton essay, I wrote about how I could use the resources in Wharton learn how to create impactful businesses that could address societal problems, specifically urban gentrification through real estate. I honestly can say that I do not think that I would have been admitted to Penn if I had applied to CAS, simply because my passions were more fit for Wharton’s curriculum. So don’t apply to one because of what you heard has a lower acceptance rate/is less competitive, apply to the one that you will be able to illustrate how your passions connect to its curriculum.
Also, transferring from CAS to Wharton is not very common because most people aren’t accepted. You are also required to take additional courses, so I would not try to take that route.
@UofPennWhtn2023 Thank you so much for the feedback! I’m most interested in their management in sustainability program but feel like the environmental science in CAS might work. I feel like I don’t stand a chance getting accepted into Wharton because of my math ACT and I didn’t get a 4 or 5 on BC Calc (I did get an A in the class but idk if that actually matters). I heard that they want applicants who are very strong in math which my grades show but no so much with standardized tests. Also congrats on getting accepted!
@hw1102 Thanks! Honestly though, math isn’t the end-all be-all. I only got 1 solid A in math all through high school and that was geometry honors. Got a flat B in Alg 2 honors, a B+ in Pre calc honors, an A- in AB Calc, and then I took BC calc second semester senior year (we had block scheduling, didn’t have to send in a grade until after being accepted) and got a B+. I did have a strong math score on standardized tests though (790 SAT math section). Point is, you won’t be ruled out as long as your math performance is strong enough. My advice would be to try real hard and take the Math II SAT subject test. That could help supplement your score on the ACT. For reference, I took that and got a 760, but I had friends who got higher but weren’t accepted to Penn. There’s honestly so many factors that go into their decisions, so just apply for whichever program that excites you the most because admissions will recognize that. Penn is kinda egotistic ngl and just wants you to show them how much you love their program lol.
To work in sustainability on the business side, I would guess that CAS and Wharton would be able to take you to the same places. If you’re ec’s and essays point to more interest in sustainability than I guess real estate, finance, marketing, consulting, etc, it may be more beneficial to do CAS and then transfer to Wharton. I want to go for finance, which means CAS wouldn’t be able to provide me the same resources for my profession (esp. for the money it costs).
@UofPennWhtn2023 I’m planning on taking the math subject test and hoping to get into the higher 700s. Just curious- did you have previous business experience before applying to Wharton? I have none.
Hey! Another 2023 Whartonite here and had a somewhat similar experience to tchit (got denied liberal arts for most Ivies fat rip). If by previous business experiences, you mean finance, I did have one minor internship at a stock company I did once. Put it on the bottom of my common app. It literally meant nothing to me and probably Wharton too. However, what I and probably tchit too had was a strong specific essay about business and what we’d do in it. If you’ve had absolutely no interaction with the business side previously, perhaps it’d be hard to create that sort of essay and you might want to apply to a more generalized CAS instead (by no means a step down just an alternative).
^edit: “similar experience to UPennofWharton” although that username should’ve given that away to me