<p>I read somewhere that Wharton UG students receive such a thorough business education that the majority do not even seek MBAs. </p>
<p>Is this a good thing? On one hand, it seems difficult for an undergraduate school to truly be able to capture everything that a graduate business school does, in part because undergraduate schools generally have different goals and are not 100% pre-professional. On the other hand, if it really is that thorough with business, wouldn't that mean a lot of sacrifice on the liberal-arts (the non pre-prof.) end of the college education? </p>
<p>I know Wharton is generally considered a pretty remarkable place (I just visited it recently and was pretty blown away) and that there is a pretty substantial workload to squeeze all the stuff in. But how much does it really offer in terms of business, and how much does it retain when it comes to a liberal-arts education? And does not getting an MBA have some significant disadvantages, even if a Wharton student might not need one? Are there things an MBA can provide even after graduating from Wharton UG?</p>
<p>My question, I'd say, boils down to: Is Wharton so that you can enter the workforce earlier? Or is Wharton so that you have a serious notch up over other prospective businessmen taking the HYP to MBA path, regardless of at what age you start the process? I know I'm throwing a lot of questions out there so if you only want to answer one, answer this one! Thank you folks.</p>
<p>Actually you’ll find that Wharton’s undergrad and MBA curriculum are VERY similar. Of the 10 MBA “core” class topics, 7 of them are also part of the undergrad core. Also, undergrads/MBAs take a lot of upper level courses together since they are often crosslisted. The only significant difference is that, because undergrad is 4 years, the curriculum also adds a lot of general education (ie liberal arts) requirements.</p>
<p>Lots of students also do a second major in the college or additional minors for a more “well-rounded” education.</p>
<p>don’t take my word for it: take UBS recruiter’s word for it. I asked what do you do with a wharton undergraduate degree in terms of graduate degree and she said it’s not necessary. If you don’t want to switch industry (finance -> accounting or finance -> marketing, etc) you don’t need MBA.</p>
<p>Wharton UG + 7 years experience = Wharton G + 5 years of experience. Only difference is the time lost in undergrad (for the grad student) and the relative inflexibility of your wharton UG degree (although if you’re dead set on business, not a problem)</p>
<p>So necrophiliac, from what you said, I take it that Wharton UG’s primary advantage is that it gets you into the workforce earlier than liberal arts UG + MBA?</p>
<p>wharton’s site said something along the lines of 60% of the students don’t find the need to get an MBA. . .some of the remaining 40% are most likely forced to as a techinicality, like their firm won’t allow them to be at a certain level without the degree (in these instances though some of the firms will pay to send you back to grad school while still paying your normal salary). All in all though, the majority find that they can join the workforce earlier and can move ahead quicker, because most students serve in intern like positions for 2 years while they wait to go to grad school but whartonites don’t have to take it slow like this or waste time back in school, so about a 4 year gap just on entering the labor force.</p>
<p>yup Wharton UG gets you into the game sooner. It doesn’t mean you can’t be as well rounded as a Harvard kid- it just means that you can do that outside school on your own.</p>
<p>I do not think my HS freshmen son has a chance to be admitted. However, I am interested in what jobs/careers (%) Wharton Graduate chose (5 years after graduation) since MBA is deemed not necessary.</p>
<p>1) Government
2) in New York
3) Outside of New York
4) Law School</p>
<p>The missing part of the stats is that some % of Wharton undergrads do not stay in the business world, so would not get an MBA anyway. What % of Wharton undergrads who continue in business get an MBA? A fairly large percentage, I would estimate above 50%.</p>
<p>I think it’s interesting that 1/3 of Wharton ugs go back to get an MBA - that actually seems like a high percentage for a UG degree that used to be seen as more of a “terminal” degree.</p>
<p>In either case, when considering Wharton, I don’t think the issue of future schooling should be a primary factor - Wharton is a very, very specific type of education, and students just have to be sure that they want a strongly business-centric undergrad education for 4 years.</p>
<p>Necro - sure, I just think, for anyone considering Wharton UG, later schooling shouldn’t be a big factor in the decision. As I said above, Wharton ug is a very, very specific sort of education, and the applicant should consider whether that’s the best direction for him/her to take.</p>
<p>Also, I wonder how many of the 2/3 that don’t get an MBA get a law degree? (My guess: a lot. At least a third of the 2/3.) If you have a Wharton BS and a JD, you sure as heck don’t need an MBA too.</p>
<p>JHS - I think some of the stats above have the numbers on Wharton UGs pursuing JDs - it’s not quite as high as you predict. I think something like 10% of W ugs go on to get a JD, and another 2-3% get a MBA/JD (talk about degree overkill). </p>
<p>Overall, I think something like 55-60% of each Wharton UG class goes on to get a grad degree, and I’d think, as grad school has become more important generally, the numbers are increasing slowly with the more recent classes. Fact is, the majority of W ugs go back to grad school at some point. </p>
<p>On another note, does anyone know the % of UPenn undergrads generally that go on to grad school? I’m guessing something like 75% probably get grad degrees? W UG probably has 60% go back, and Penn CAS probably has 75% get grad degrees, so the difference isn’t that stark.</p>
<p>Back in the dark ages when I was a Wharton undergrad (not long after Joe Wharton endowed the school ), I believe that a much higher percentage of Wharton undergrads went directly to grad/professional school. As I recall, about 1/3 of Wharton undergrads went directly to law school (including yours truly and many of my classmates), while many others went directly for MBAs (at Wharton, Harvard, Chicago, NYU, etc.). Again, I personally knew many who did that.</p>
<p>My impression is that the growth of investment banking, consulting, etc. as career options for Wharton undergrads in the go-go '80s, '90s, and '00s changed that, combined with the growing practice of MBA programs to require students to have worked a few years before attending. The result was that the number of Wharton undergrads going directly into the workforce actually increased significantly after the '70s, as more and more high-paying jobs became available to them.</p>
<p>Of course, with the downturn in the economy in general and the financial sector in particular, the trend may reverse itself toward what it was back in the '70s.</p>
), I believe that a much higher percentage of Wharton undergrads went directly to grad/professional school. As I recall, about 1/3 of Wharton undergrads went directly to law school (including yours truly and many of my classmates), while many others went directly for MBAs (at Wharton, Harvard, Chicago, NYU, etc.). Again, I personally knew many who did that.</p>