Wharton also boasts the world's largest faculty with 261 standing and associate members across 11 academic departments and 19 research centers.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect about the school is the graduates it produces. The school's alumni enjoy a well-deserved reputation for being smart, working hard, and putting politics aside and looking out for the best interests of their organizations.

Below is the three-page transcript of our interview with Alex Brown, Senior Associate Director of Admissions.

Describe how the MBA program at Wharton is evolving?

The program goes through an evolutionary process each year as a consequence of our faculty's understanding of how the realm of business is shifting. As a result, new electives come into the offering while others may be dropped. There are about 200 electives, which is quite a large selection for the students to choose from. The core curriculum also undergoes a review in terms of what is appropriate and how the courses are best presented. Outside of the academics, there are always new clubs and activities which are student generated. There are a lot of feedback loops in place to assess and evaluate what we are doing which gives us guidance and direction to go forward in a meaningful way.

How does this year’s class compare to classes from previous years?

The application volume dropped significantly this year, similar to the experience of other schools. However, with regards to those we have admitted, the quality of our students has held strong and at least as strong as the last couple of years. Just measuring GPAs, GMATs, and work experience, they would suggest that this incoming class is as strong as we have seen in recent years.

What general advice would you like applicants considering Wharton’s MBA to know?

In general, applicants need to understand how intense the application process is. You can’t put a reasonable application together in a week or two. This definitely takes a lot of time, a lot of analysis, introspection, and a lot of self discovery. In terms of selecting schools, you’ve got to do the research so you can apply to the right schools. Over the years the candidates are sending applications to less schools as a result of doing more research before applying.

When do you encourage applicants to apply?

We have three rounds. I think a myth exists that you have to apply early. The reality is to try not to apply late. Avoid the third round, if you can. Apply in round one and two. It’s really a question of when your application is ready. The only advantage of applying in round one is that the candidate will get a decision before winter break and the round two deadlines come around.

Are there specific characteristics that you target in an application to help you identify a “best fit” candidate?

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It really depends. If it is the weakest part of their application, it is going to be quite important. That is kind of saying the same thing for whatever is weakest for a particular candidate, whether it is the GMAT, work experience, or any other aspect of their application. When you apply to Wharton, it is expected to have good things in every aspect of one’s application. In and of itself, the GMAT score is evaluated within one's academic history. So a person’s GMAT is considered in relation to where they did their undergrad, how successful they were, and did they take any quantitative classes. The average GMAT has come up perhaps five points per year in the last five years. The reason for that is that candidates are focusing more on the GMAT, in terms that it is now more important. Candidates are also more prepared when they take the test. I think it is because there are more resources out there so the candidates can maximize their scores. We are typically comfortable with the verbal and quantitative scores being around or above the 80 percentile.

What advice do you have for applicants who struggled with this exam?

They must prepare well and possibly take the test more than once. Obviously because we evaluate it within the context of their academic work, it shows us whether or not they can do the course work and handle Wharton’s rigorous program. So we look at the academic record and any additional classes that someone has taken. We don’t have an explicit minimum, but if an overall score is quite low, it is going to be difficult.

What was the GMAT score range for admitted applicants this year?

Typically, the 80 percentile range is 650 to 750.

What should applicants most heavily emphasize in their work experience?

People have a misperception that in order to get into a business school like Wharton, they have to come from the banking or consulting industry. This is not necessarily the case. There are a variety of industries both for profit and non-profit or whatever that could be appropriate. What we are looking at is a person’s evolution within their chosen career, what choices were made if they switched careers, and what they learned from their experiences. We are also looking at how their experience is formulated into their plan and their goals going forward.

What specific applicant traits are you using the interview to gauge?

The interview for us is a blind interview. That means the candidate is interviewed without the application. A lot of the questions are similar. The applicant wants to think of the interviewer as another person reviewing their candidacy, but instead of reading about the candidate, they just chat and talk. From this interview, we clearly get a sense of verbal communication skills, a little more sense of emotional intelligence, we are able to probe a little more into getting underneath decisions that someone has made and things like that. The best way to prepare for the interview is simply to feel good about your essays and choice of business school.

Who can an applicant expect to interview with at Wharton?

We use alumni and admissions professionals, as well as second- year graduate students.

How are re-applicants viewed by Wharton and what do they need to do to be successful the second time around?

We have very limited scholarships and grant money, but we do have loan programs. Essentially, we admit people without looking at financial aid, so it is not a factor at all. Once you are admitted, one can set a process in place to see if there is eligibility for a scholarship. Typically, it might be a $10,000.00 award for each year. If a student is not eligible for a scholarship, they could apply for Wharton loans.

Do you have any special instructions or advice for applicants who wish to visit the business school’s campus?

The campus visit program begins for us on September 26 and there are a variety of activities that an applicant can participate. They can attend classes with students, however it is best to avoid Fridays, because there are no classes that day. We also have information sessions on campus every day. Thursday is a good day because we have a strong tradition at Wharton called "pub night". This occurs every Thursday night and people visiting campus like to do that. You can visit our web site to learn more about other activities available.

Can you briefly describe the housing situation for your students?

We do have some on-campus housing. There is a very strong Wharton community in Center City, where the majority of our students live. Some students live in West Philadelphia where University of Pennsylvania is located, and some of the married students live in the suburbs. The University has done a lot of work in West Philadelphia to make it more of a good place to live. The campus is ivy-league and is absolutely beautiful. We provide all sorts of resources for students when they have been admitted to help them look for housing.

What are the students like at Wharton?

斑竹辛苦了，谢谢总能提供这么多有用的申请信息！