Wharton School of Business MBA Recommendation Questions 2023 - 2024

The Wharton Business School is known as ‘the finance school’ for its focus on finance and management. So it comes as no surprise that it looks for candidates who can make data-driven decisions and adapt to the changing business landscape. But the factor that distinguishes the school from its peers is its reach: Wharton’s large class size means that you’ll study alongside a cohort of over 800 students and enter its 100,000+ strong alumni network. 

So if you’re applying to Wharton, it’s important that you build your skills in collaboration and networking. You’ll need to demonstrate how you plan to find your niche in this sizeable cohort through your essays, team-based interview, and of course, your letters of recommendation. 

How Many Letters of Recommendation Does Wharton Require?

Wharton requires 2 letters of recommendation from individuals who can speak to your professional performance, preferably your current or former supervisors. In case you are self-employed, unable to ask your current manager for a recommendation, still studying, or employed in the family business, Wharton also accepts the next best alternative. For Wharton, the recommender’s title is not as important as their knowledge about your strengths and abilities. 

Unlike most schools, Wharton has two unique free-from questions. Let’s explore those below.

Wharton MBA Recommendation Questions

Recommender Information

Relationship With Applicant: (e.g. Direct Supervisor, Advisor, Indirect Report/Subordinate)

During which period of time have you had the most frequent contact with the applicant?

Are you a graduate of Wharton or any other University of Pennsylvania school? (Yes / No)

Are you a faculty member of Wharton or any other University of Pennsylvania School? (Yes / No)

Summary Appraisal

Please look at this list of personality characteristics and choose up to two traits that you feel best represent the candidate you are recommending to the Wharton MBA Program. (TIP – You do not have to choose two, only up to two.)

Options: Determined, Humble, Disciplined, Engaged, Intellectually Curious, Analytical, Flexible, Persistent, Conscientious, Results Oriented

Please look at this list of personality characteristics and choose up to two traits that you feel best represent the candidate you are recommending to the Wharton MBA Program. (TIP – You do not have to choose two, only up to two.)

Options: Collaborative, Persuasive, Innovative, Confident, Self-Aware, Professional, Resilient, Energetic, Emotionally Stable, Agreeable

Wharton MBA Recommendation Questions 

• Please provide example(s) that illustrate why you believe this candidate will find success in the Wharton MBA classroom. (Word count: 300)

• Please provide example(s) that illustrate why you believe this candidate will find success throughout their career. (Word count: 300)

• (Optional) Is there anything else we should know?
  

Jon

Samriddhi

Zack

Alex

Malvika

Sam

Rowan

Analysis

Summary Appraisal

Wharton’s summary appraisal is brief and direct. Instead of a standard rating scale, your recommender is asked to select up to 2 traits that best represent you in two categories. Ask your recommender to choose traits that are consistent with their answers to the long-form recommendation questions and the rest of your application. 

Recommendation Questions

The recommender will have to answer 2 mandatory questions. They may also answer the optional question if required. 

• Please provide example(s) that illustrate why you believe this candidate will find success in the Wharton MBA classroom. (Word count: 300)

Note that the questions are similar, except for their setting. For this answer, your recommender should comment on your academic strengths and how you will fit in with the Wharton cohort. 

Given the word limit, your recommender may provide up to 2-3 anecdotes that represent a different strength each. They may refer to stories that you’ve referred to in your written application, but ask them to approach these from a different angle. For example, if you told a story from a resilience perspective, perhaps they can approach it from a leadership angle. Bonus points if these strengths are aligned with Wharton’s values. Stanfod looks for the following in their MBA candidates:

• Responsible leadership

• Actionable knowledge

• Analytical skills

• Entrepreneurial spirit

• Pragmatic, data-driven decision making

Ask your recommender to refer to the SCAR method (Situation, Challenge, Action, Results) to structure these anecdotes. Quantify your stories by including figures, dollar amounts, and percentages to demonstrate impact. 

• Please provide example(s) that illustrate why you believe this candidate will find success throughout their career. (Word count: 300)

Again, read carefully. Here, your recommender is being asked to comment on your professional performance, business skills, and leadership potential. Focus on your career trajectory so far, including stories about times you were promoted, stepped up to a challenge, management experience, workplace attitude, response to constructive criticism, and opportunities where you showed growth and initiative as a leader. 

Like the answer above, your recommender should discuss 2-3 anecdotes in the SCAR format, demonstrating your professional strengths and achievements.

• (Optional) Is there anything else we should know?

In most cases, this answer is left blank. The optional question is only meant to clarify the above answers or discuss an extenuating circumstance. This isn’t extra space to add more stories!

Our complete Recommender Guide course on MBAConsultant.com has all the advice (and sample letters based on real applicants) you need to create a compelling letter of recommendation.

Go to the Recommender Guide

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