The MBA Exchange is featuring a series of articles showcasing graduate management programs that our 2,000 clients have found most rewarding.  Our content is compiled from a number of credible sources and articles and expanded with our own observations based on nearly two decades of advising applicants.

The Wharton MBA is not only the oldest, but it also is the biggest graduate business program in the U.S. Wharton can also boast the largest business school faculty in the world with over 250 instructors spanning 11 academic departments. These distinguished professionals teach more courses than are offered in most other MBA programs. In addition to an intensive core curriculum, students can select from nearly 200 electives.

A common misconception is that this is a school for only finance gurus. In fact, Wharton has bragging rights when it comes to total number of academic areas and interdisciplinary research centers. Students here can pursue any of 20 specializations, including an individualized major, and nearly a dozen interdisciplinary degrees. So, being a “contrarian” may be the ideal positioning for the non-financial applicant seeking a top Ivy League MBA.

Supporting classroom work are Wharton's 24 research centers and initiatives focused on areas including entrepreneurship, social impact management, business ethics, health care economics, real estate, retailing, sports business, and leadership and change management.

Leadership is a cornerstone of this MBA program. Hands-on learning methods –pioneered by Wharton – give students daily practice in leadership, with learning teams, leadership ventures, and learning simulations. Collaboration is also central to the Wharton experience. Clients of The MBA Exchange have expressed to us that they leave Wharton with not only the universal business knowledge but also the specialized skills required to tackle the most challenging issues facing business and society. From annual conferences to entrepreneurship opportunities to volunteer work, the Wharton community prides itself on extensive student collaboration, not always the case at top-tier b-schools.

Wharton’s size offers another advantage: the largest alumni network of any business school – 85,000 grads in 140 countries. The array of student clubs available to Wharton students is a direct outcome of this scale and diversity. From working in the community to working out on an athletic team, from professional development to finding a new hobby, there really is something extracurricular for every student at Wharton.

Historic 19th century architecture shares pride of place with thoroughly modern Huntsman Hall and the “Wharton Quad.” In 2002, Wharton opened Jon M. Huntsman Hall, a 320,000-square-foot building serving Wharton’s cohort learning system and integrating innovative learning technologies. Huntsman Hall has 48 flexible, technologically equipped classrooms, four computer labs, 57 group-study rooms, and four floors of faculty offices. Other notable features include conference space, a 300-seat auditorium, and a café and lounge for MBA students.

Wharton and Penn occupy a dynamic urban campus in University City, near Philadelphia. Being in “Philly” surrounds Wharton students with a genuine big-city buzz. An absolute must is sampling the first of what surely will be many authentic Cheese-Steak Sandwiches, the signature treat of the “City of Brotherly Love.” Through its alliance with top European b-school INSEAD, Wharton’s reach extends to Asia and Europe.

For more information, visit the official Wharton MBA Admissions blog or the Wharton Student Diaries.

If this is an MBA program that appeals to you, please visit our website for a free evaluation of your candidacy.  If you’ve decided to pursue admission, then contact The MBA Exchange for a dialogue with one of our admissions consultants – including former admissions officers and MBA grads — who can help you develop a strategy and tactics to maximize your chances for admission at this and other top-tier b-schools.