Face Off: Wharton School Vs Chicago Booth
The school selection process for MBA applicants can seem overwhelming. With so many great business schools, how do you decide which one is right for you? In SBCs new blog series Face Off, we tease out the strengths and differences between two similarly ranked b-schools. Plus, well highlight noteworthy elements of their admissions processes. First item of business today: the Wharton MBA application versus the Chicago Booth MBA application.
How do the admissions requirements and selectivity compare between the Wharton School and Chicago Booth?
From an application perspective, Booth gives candidates more freedom to be themselves. It also has a more holistic approach. Meanwhile, the Wharton MBA application reflects a more structured approach.
Overall, the Wharton School is more selective than Chicago Booth. Almost every applicant accepted into both chooses Wharton, according to our data here at Stacy Blackman Consulting.
Given Wharton's higher yield, Booth is known to take a very personal approach to its application process. It wants to make sure candidates are committed. Show up, engage, make yourself known. Showing up means a lot to Booth. They track the frequency in their system. This is true for all applicants, but especially over-subscribed candidates, shares a former Booth Admissions Officer on the SBC team.
Admission trends at Booth last season showed more flexibility with admit profiles. This reflects a more diverse class by industry, academic records and employer history. The program tends to attract more collaborative students. After all, collaboration is a cornerstone of Chicago Booths pay-it-forward culture.
Meanwhile, the Wharton MBA tends to attract more competitive types. Therefore, the MBA experience will reflect this intensity. Still, the team-based discussion component of the Wharton MBA application exists for a reason. That is, to weed out folks who can't play well with others.
The Wharton group interview offers a preview of the energy prospective students will step into on campus from day one.
How do the MBA curriculums compare, given that both are known to be quant-oriented?
We often hear from applicants in forum discussions that they apply to Booth mainly because of its flexible curriculum and student culture. A study on GMAT Club drew the following conclusions:
Curriculum, faculty, brand, and robust student culture are Booth's major strengths. Wharton, meanwhile, primarily relies on its brand, alumni network, and career opportunities. About 82% of students say Booth's curriculum and professors are its core strengths. Compare this to the 64% of students who say brand Booth and student culture are its major strengths.
There is a perception that they are finance schools. How do the career outcomes between the schools stack up?
Industry placement lead is comparable per the data points below:
- Booth placement into Consulting: 33% relative to Wharton's 28%
- Wharton placement into Financial services: 38% relative to Booths 30%
- Booth placement into Tech: 19% relative to Wharton's 16%
Post-MBA career location varies per the data points below:
- Wharton placement into the Northeast is 43% relative to Booths 23%
- Booth placement into the Midwest is 36% relative to Wharton's 6%
- Wharton placement into the West is 26% relative to Booths 22%
Both business schools rank highly. How else should MBA candidates weigh them up?
Both programs consistently rank in the top 7. They offer a comparable education. Principles in accounting, finance, and marketing are basically the same at both Wharton and Booth. The difference between the programs is perception. The Wharton brand holds more cache globally. As a result, Wharton attracts a stronger student class. It also has higher yield rates, applicant volume, and average starting salary.
Says Stacy Blackman, A few years ago, the elite candidates were only applying to HBS and GSB. Wharton has found its way to the trifecta. Booth isnt at this level by perception. But, fit is everything. Integral to fit is student culture and post-MBA career location preferences, which vary between the programs.
Both schools have high-caliber cohorts. Wharton tends to attract a more competitive applicant pool, so the MBA experience will reflect this intensity. The upside of this relative admit flexibility (compared to Wharton) by Booth is that the program tends to attract a more collaborative student class.
Wharton is a *hyper*-social environment. From day one, there is constant activity and a never-ending social calendar. Extroverts will love it. Introverts with strong social skills will find a balance that works for them. But introverts without social graces would find it stifling, shares a former Wharton Admissions Officer who now works at Stacy Blackman Consulting.
To conclude, the key differences between the programs may be:
- perception of brand
- experience (Booth) versus prestige (Wharton)
- geographic placement for post MBA position
If you define quality as a collaborative culture, Booth likely wins. If you define it as prestige of a students past work experience, Wharton likely wins, says Esther Magna, Principal at Stacy Blackman Consulting.