<p>I've been seeing for the past couple of years Wharton's undergrad business program has been in usually the top 3 since rankings started. Why is this? What makes Wharton so sought after in terms of graduates and getting in. I know it's ivy league, but specifically is it the curriculum, caliber of teachers, internships/job opportunities. I'm applying this fall for entrance as a 2008 freshman and just wanted to get a little background info. Thanks all!</p>
<p>never trust the rankings</p>
<p>im not quite sure where you get in the top 3. wharton undergrad is, has been, will be number one in business week, u.s. news, etc.</p>
<p>reputation derives from huge connection to I-banks in wall street, vc firms, hedge funds. teaching is impeccable, especially in finance, the most popular major. only true ivy league undergraduate business program.</p>
<p>Let's not over-exaggerate Wharton's prestige.</p>
<p>A school's reputation derives primarily from its grad schools, not undergrad. This is why Harvard is so well-known throughout the world. On the other hand, even though Princeton is a excellent school, most people outside the U.S. have no idea what it is. For business, it's more important that you get into Harvard Business School than Wharton because HBS is, has been, and will always be number one in business week, u.s. news, etc. </p>
<p>Needless to say, a Harvard MBA is more impressive than anything you can get from Wharton because, well, it's Harvard.</p>
<p>That being said, yes, Wharton does have the best undergrad business program.</p>
<p>Wharton has a long legacy as a top business program - at the grad and undergrad level. That legacy is derived from (1) the quality of its student body which includes their accomplishments prior to enrolling and Wharton's selectivity, (2) the quality of the faculty, (3) the expansive range of courses of study and Wharton's excellence in each of them - finance, marketing, real estate, strategy, international business, etc. and (4) the number of recruiters seeking products of the Wharton program.</p>
<p>At the undergrad level, Wharton has no peer in the Ivies. MIT and Berkeley has strong programs, but you don't get the focus and breadth of education that Penn will provide. As a Wharton undergrad, you'll take 40% of your classes in Penn's College, providing a strong liberal arts grounding at a top school. And Wharton (and Penn) are smaller than Berkeley, so the experience is relatively more intimate. Finally, Penn allows students to take classes at all its schools (One University policy), so you can explore all your intelletual interests and tailor your education as much as you want. While it's nowhere near as flexible as Brown, given the range of things Penn is excellent in, the scope of potential learning opportunities can be extraordinary.</p>
<p>Re an earlier post of Harvard being #1, this just isn't true. At the graduate level Harvard and Stanford have jockeyed for the top spot for years. Harvard Business School has a better brand and far more money ($2.5 billion endowment) than Stanford ($1 billion endowment), or Wharton ($~$800 mm) - but Stanford's much more intellectual and has higher quality research (if not students) than HBS. Wharton offers the broadest range of study and educational options among the three. Also, per capita Stanford and maybe MIT have nearly as much endowment as Harvard. </p>
<p>Overall, while HBS and SBS are an inch above Wharton, the Big 3 are materially stronger, more global and have a stronger student body than the other members of the Top 10. Any of the Top 3 school's will open just about any door you could ever want to step through. Good luck.</p>
<p>Sup, that's a load of bull. For MBAs, they're even. But, that's not the question here, and prestige is really overrated anyway. Trying to compare reputation or quality off of "prestige" and mind presence is like comparing ***** size with your pants on.</p>
<p>For undergraduate? It's the only real choice out there - at other schools, the business majors are the dumb ones (because they either are at the state schools, or everyone is sado-masochist at MIT). They've carved out a niche that's totally unique - an academically rigorous and challenging program with great resources, well rounded but focused curriculum, and a competitive environment. At most business schools, the kids can't do math. At Wharton, they're no math majors, but you've still got much more math in classes than most MBAs could handle. Is Wharton the greatest thing in the world? No, but they do have education that is both scientific and broad while being intellectual and practical that prepares students for a life as a smart person in business fields. Most other schools are either too practical (vocational, even, without teaching the science and theory) or too theoretical (most economics degrees).</p>
<p>A school's reputation is not just from the quality of their education. BMW's have better engines than Mercedes, but a CEO would still take the Benz. </p>
<p>Harvard Business School may or may not be the best, but it is still the most well-known and respected. In other words, as red&blue said, it "has a better brand." When you get to that level, it's really just about the brand anyways.</p>
<p>A CEO taking the benz? Yeah right. sup, sounds like you have some issues understanding brand preferences. perhaps a marketing class at Wharton might help you out...</p>
<p>Yes a CEO would take a Benz...when you go to a party with Rolls Royces, Bentleys, and Mercedes, your 760 is going to be laughed at. BMW's simply do not have the reputation as an extremely high-end luxury </p>
<p>A 7 series can't stand up to an s class</p>
<p>In case you're not sure which cars I'm talking about:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.bmw48.com/bmw/bmw-7-series.jpg%5B/url%5D">http://www.bmw48.com/bmw/bmw-7-series.jpg</a></p>
<p>Can't argue with that.</p>
<p>Returning to the subject of the original post: Wharton has the largest, most published, and most cited business school faculty in the world. In other words, more significant academic business research is produced by Wharton than any other school on earth. And of course, it's the oldest collegiate business school in the world.</p>
<p>As has already been said, Wharton Undergrad has always and uniformly been ranked #1, significantly ahead of its nearest competition. While Wharton's MBA program is usually ranked in the top 3 (and in the Financial Times' international ranking of global MBA programs, incidentally, it has always been ranked #1 in the world), Wharton undergrad is simply--and unanimously--without peer.</p>
<p>Sup, mattwonder is most likely the premier contributor on the penn boards. Judging by your previous posts and comments on this post, you are an extremely misled high schooler, with little perception of job recruitment/prestige and how they factor into your position. Simply take a look at the starting salaries for your top 5 MBA programs. You will clearly see no program is preferred over one another. Stanford has a slight edge on Harvard in fact.</p>
<p>I dunno why Sup keeps talking about Harvard - the question related to undergrad B-schools and Harvard doesn't even HAVE an undergrad B-school. Whether H is #1 MBA program has nothing to do with the original question. </p>
<p>Part of the answer why Wharton is #1 is that it has no real competition - no other Ivy undergrad B--school. Penn has never been ashamed of "vocational" education - 1st med school, still has nursing school, used to have school to teach physical therapy (SAMP). The other Ivies started mostly as divinity schools or schools for "gentlemen" and doing businees was too "dirty" for them.</p>