Why was I dinged from Wharton? (Cannot figure it out!)

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I am having a lot of trouble figuring out why I didn't even receive an invite to interview from Wharton in R1 (was dinged in early November). This has gotten me very worried for the prospects of my admission at other schools.

Working 3.5 years as a financial analyst at a law firm, where I've also taken on substantial management and recruiting responsibilities.
Aspiring i-banker
750 GMAT (47/47). I have a 3.62 and a history degree. I took few quant courses in college and got Bs and B+s when I did.
I have good extracurriculars - was an editor on my college newspaper. I feel confident in saying that my writing skills are much better than the average applicant's; I'm sure this shone through on my essays.
Graduate of one of the top three Ivies (Harvard/Yale/Princeton)

I thought that I would at least be worth an interview, but apparently I was not. Have you encountered other promising people who have been denied even an interview? Was it my weakness in the quant area? I did not think that this would be fatal, but perhaps it is. Or perhaps do I need to go back carefully and review my application and think about some other piece (which I'm missing now) that gave the adcom some pause?
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by Stacey Oyler » Fri Dec 03, 2010 11:31 am
Hi,

Thanks for your post. Getting dinged without an interview from a top school can be disheartening. Given the information you shared, you do seem to have the right profile to Wharton and it makes perfect sense that you felt compelled to apply. However, it's a bit difficult for me to give you a true reason for the ding without seeing your application. You do appear to be smart, successful and well rounded, but perhaps something was lacking or not clearly illustrated in your essays.

We offer a "ding analysis" which provides detailed insight into your application (by a former admissions officer), as well as a strategy for positioning yourself going forward with your round 2 applications. To learn more about this service and receive a free assessment, simply send your resume to [email protected].

Best,

Stacey
Sign up for my MBA admissions course, featuring me and other Clear Admit experts, by visiting: https://www.udemy.com/business-school

Stacey Oyler
Clear Admit, LLC
[email protected]
215.568.2590

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by humblebee » Fri Dec 03, 2010 10:25 pm
Tough break mate. I had a couple of friends who I thought were sure fire admits for HBS and Wharton - similar to your profile e.g. Ivy League, Big 3 Consulting, Founded/Directors of Not-For-Profit. 26 years old (yes people with all those 3 things)

But they didnt even get an interview. Was it their essays? Maybe. Was it their LORs. Maybe. There are so elements at play. You can control 80% - but the 20% you can't control which stresses me to midnight are my recommenders. It only takes one poorly worded line to sink the whole application. So i've hedged and now have 7 recommenders.

Get your essays checked out by a consultant or someone who has gone to bschool. And if you cant find any glaring holes, it's time to find new recommenders or coach them better...
wannabe business school consultant