Two related articles caught my eye …
First, the WSJ said that “something at Wharton doesn’t add up”.
Applications to the University of Pennsylvania’s business school have declined 12% in the past four years.
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Of course, Wharton claims that they’re going after quality, not quantity.
Wharton says the decline, combined with a stronger applicant pool and a higher percentage of accepted applicants who enroll, proves that the school is doing a better job targeting candidates.
But business-school experts and b-school applicants say Wharton has lost its luster as students’ interests shift from finance to technology and entrepreneurship.
One non-applicant observed: “Wharton is typecast as the finance school … going to business school isn’t about going into the financial sector any more.”
Some admissions advisers and Wharton professors agree, saying that the school didn’t react aggressively enough when the spigot of finance jobs was turned off.
Even though applications may be down, Wharton’s brand still has drawing power … here’s proof.
The Homa Files 