The Wharton School

07/16/2025

📢 Applications to join the Wharton MBA and Executive MBA Classes of 2028 are now open!

app deadlines and information: https://whr.tn/3GORFO0
🗓️ Round 1 – Sept. 3, 2025
🗓️ Round 2 – Jan. 6, 2026
🗓️ Round 3 – April 1, 2026
🗓️ Deferred Admissions Round (Moelis Advance Access Program) – April 22, 2026

app deadlines and information: https://whr.tn/4lTfvXL
🗓️ Round 1 – Oct. 15, 2025
🗓️ Round 2 – Jan. 14, 2026

07/15/2025

🎉 Meet the social impact leaders receiving this year's awards from the John M. Bendheim Loan Forgiveness Fund: https://whr.tn/44POPR0

Now in its 20th year, the loan forgiveness fund has awarded over $2.6 million to more than 130 members of the community. Created by John Bendheim (W’40) and his son Tom (WG’90, G’90), and managed by the the ESG Initiative at the Wharton School, the fund supports alumni who are using their business acumen to solve the world’s most pressing issues.

This year’s recipients include leaders in impact investing, social entrepreneurship, nonprofits, education, and government.

07/11/2025

For recent Kelsey Spencer (WG’25), seizing opportunity – both inside and outside of the classroom – was central to her evolution as a leader.

From choreographing her Cluster’s dance routine during "Wharton’s Got Talent" at Pre-Term to serving as Co-President of the Innovation & Design Club and Co-Chair of Operations for Whitney M. Young Jr. Memorial Conference, Kelsey continued to take on bigger leadership roles throughout her two years on campus.

She reflects on what these experiences, as well as working as a Teaching Assistant and Admissions Fellow, participating in a Leadership Intensive with the Fire Department of New York City, and even choreographing for Wharton Follies, taught her about leadership: https://whr.tn/4nFgc8N

“Don’t wait to be chosen – lead where you are,” Kelsey says. “Wharton is full of stages. Sometimes you choreograph the routine. Sometimes you run the show. Either way, the spotlight’s big enough for all of us.”

06/28/2025

And that’s a wrap on this year’s in San Francisco!

The final day of the Forum featured invaluable insights as alumni, faculty, and business leaders gathered to discuss groundbreaking ideas in technology, finance, and entrepreneurship.

Highlights from the day included:
🔷 Dean Erika H. James in conversation with San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie
🔷 Vice Dean of Entrepreneurship Lori Rosenkopf in conversation with Amy Errett (WG’88), CEO and Founder of Madison Reed, one of the disruptors featured in Lori’s new book, “Unstoppable Entrepreneurs”
🔷 A keynote from Prof. Ethan Mollick on how business leaders can harness generative AI to unlock human potential, drive innovation, and empower their organizations
🔷 A discussion between University of Pennsylvania Board Chair Ramanan Raghavendran (ENG’89, W’89, LPS’15) and Trustee Andy Rachleff (W’80) on leadership and legacy
🔷 And many more sessions from Wharton faculty like Kartik Hosanagar, Marissa King, Serguei Netessine, and Bilge Yilmaz

Thank you to everyone who joined for an unforgettable event in one of the world’s most dynamic cities!

06/27/2025

Day 1 of the in San Francisco brought together alumni, faculty, and business leaders to spark ideas and build connections! Here’s a look at some of the highlights:

🌍 The Wharton Global Youth Program’s One-Day High School Experience brought young innovators to our San Francisco campus to learn from Vice Dean of Entrepreneurship Lori Rosenkopf and other Wharton faculty and alumni leaders.

📊 Wharton Executive Education’s interactive Family Wealth Management session featured insights from Profs. Raffi Amit and Bilge Yilmaz.

💡 The Thought Leadership Series featured high-impact sessions on strategic topics like AI accountability, meme finance, and emotional consumer behavior, led by Deputy Dean Nancy Rothbard, Senior Vice Dean for Innovation and Global Initiatives Serguei Netessine, Vice Dean of Executive Education Patti Williams, and Profs. Peter Fader, Marissa King, David Musto, and Kevin Werbach.

🎉 Forum Chair Jacqueline Reses (W’92) opened the evening keynote and reception, which featured an energizing keynote discussion between Dean Erika H. James and Vinod Khosla, Founder of Khosla Ventures.

06/26/2025

We kicked off the in San Francisco surrounded by members of our Wharton Graduate of the Last Decade (GOLD) community!

We loved seeing familiar faces and catching up with alumni from around the world. If you’re joining us for the Global Forum this week, let us know what you’re looking forward to the most in the comments below.

06/22/2025

Did you know that June 22 is the anniversary of the Wharton School’s founding by Joseph Wharton in 1881? 💙❤️

A self-educated 19th-century industrialist, he believed the role of business was to advance society as a whole, creating new wealth and economic opportunity for all people. He approached the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania in 1880 to establish an institution specifically designed to prepare leaders for business and public service.

The bold suggestion was remarkably prescient. With the admission in 1881 of the first class of students — just 13 undergraduates — Wharton and the University of Pennsylvania created a successful formula that forever changed the landscape of business and education.

06/18/2025

Meet Narmin Aydamirova (WG’25) and Fardi Rahimli (WG’25), a couple from Azerbaijan who not only graduated from the program this year, but did so while raising their three-year-old son, Aras.

In Wharton Magazine, Narmin and Fardi reflect on their journey to Wharton, adjusting to life in a new country as young parents, and how support from family and friends made it all possible: https://whr.tn/3Zxd6th

“We brought [Aras], our cats, and five suitcases across the ocean,” Narmin says in thinking back to starting their MBA experience together.

06/16/2025

The Wharton School community is deeply saddened by the passing of Leonard A. Lauder (W’54), Co-Founder of The Lauder Institute and Chairman Emeritus of The Estée Lauder Companies.

Leonard and his brother, Ronald S. Lauder (W’65), founded The Lauder Institute in 1983 in honor of their father, Joseph H. Lauder. Their vision pioneered a program that has since shaped generations of globally minded leaders through the integration of international studies and business education, producing over 2,100 alumni who are industry leaders driving innovation around the world.

It is with profound sadness that The Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania announces the passing of our esteemed co-founder and member of the Board of Governors, Leonard A. Lauder (W’54).

06/15/2025

Happy to all of the dads in the Wharton community, especially our
recent dads! 💙❤️

06/13/2025

From the classroom to the highlands 🏔️

Recent Jaein Kim (W’25) reflects on her Wharton Leadership Ventures Expedition in Cotopaxi National Park, Ecuador: https://whr.tn/3HDB7IV

From learning to navigate with a map and compass to traversing between stratovolcanoes, the week-long expedition was designed to push students out of their comfort zones, exceed personal limitations, and experience leadership firsthand. For Jaein, the experience drove home the value of co-curricular activities.

“Participating in this WLV Expedition allowed me to see managerial practices and theories we discuss in the classroom in practice and led me to ponder a new question,” she writes. “How do we, as present and future leaders, build culture?”

06/08/2025

📚 This year's Alumni Authors Salon brought together two authors with very distinct book-writing processes.

During the panel, Russ Laraway and Patrick Chovanec (both WG’05) offered advice to aspiring alumni authors on everything from staying true to your goals to finding a publisher to tackling the seemingly insurmountable goal of finishing your book.

Chovanec, who said the process of writing was like “climbing a mountain, and I couldn’t even see the peak," found it was easiest to do it all at once. So when it came time to write “Cleared for the Option,” which details his journey to obtaining his pilot’s license during the pandemic, he focused on it full-time over the course of three months.

Laraway, author of “When They Win, You Win,” a book aimed at ridding the world of bad managers, took a different approach, spreading his writing out over time. Tapping into the discipline he acquired in the Marine Corps, he integrated it into his daily schedule as a dad of three kids and a C-level executive at a pre-IPO company, budgeting 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. four days a week for writing.

Read Wharton Magazine's recap of the event for more: https://whr.tn/4jwXVat

06/06/2025

It's (almost) summer, but the school year is just getting started for the Class of 2027!

We recently welcomed the Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Global cohorts of our 51st Executive MBA class to campus for orientation. From classroom sessions to cohort bonding, the experience kick-started an exciting two years ahead.

06/05/2025

The Class of 2025 formed a tight-knit bond by showing up for one another, student speaker Kate Modic (WG'25) shared at – from providing new parents with words of encouragement to giving advice on business ventures to celebrating holidays together.

“When I think about what makes me really proud to be a part of this class, it’s not what we have accomplished,” Kate said. “It’s how we’ve supported and believed in each other.”

06/04/2025

Our relationships are our most valuable assets.

In his address to the Class of 2025, student speaker Lorenzo Garnell Daniel, Jr. (WG’25) shared how the lifelong friendships formed during the program provided a deeper sense of meaning and purpose to the class' experience.

“What made these past two years extraordinary were the moments we chose to show up for each other," he said to his fellow graduates.

06/03/2025

Wharton Out For Business "is more than a club – it’s our community," write O4B student leaders in a Wharton Magazine essay on the organization for LGBTQIA+ students and allies: https://whr.tn/4mDmAwR

The club supports students throughout their MBA journeys by conducting pre-orientation outreach to incoming students, creating career recruiting pods that pair first-years with second-year mentors, hosting cross-school mixers with other University of Pennsylvania grad programs, and participating in Reaching Out MBA, the leading LGBTQIA+ MBA recruiting conference.

“We are proud to be part of Wharton and to continue shaping the future of business — by sharing our authentic selves and creating a place where everyone belongs,” the recently graduated WG'25 leaders write. 🏳️‍🌈

05/30/2025

In sharing this anecdote about her first day at CNBC during her keynote, Karen Finerman (W'87) highlighted the importance of thinking ahead – even if things don't always go according to plan.

"Sometimes though, preparation is not enough," the CEO & Co-Founder of Metropolitan Capital Advisors told the Class of 2025.

"Things will go wrong. If you're using leverage, they may go very, very wrong. But something going wrong might be the best learning experience you will ever have.”

05/29/2025

Through late nights in Huntsman Hall, celebrations like Hey Day, and countless conversations with classmates, undergrad student Annie Wang (W'25) shared how supportive relationships propelled the Class of 2025 – and should remain a priority into the future.

"No matter how fast life moves," she said at the ceremony, "never be too busy for the people who make it worth living."

05/28/2025

Talking to different types of people – both who you agree with and disagree with – is a superpower, says Nicolai Tangen (W'92), "because most people don't do it."

In addressing our MBA Class of 2025, the Norges Bank Investment Management
CEO explained why this skill of building personal connection fuels success in both business and in life.

05/27/2025

“You need to have a vision for what you’re fighting for.”

During his keynote speech to the Class of 2025, David Fajgenbaum (M’13, WG’15) of Penn Medicine and Every Cure shared what his health journey taught him about overcoming life’s greatest challenges.

05/25/2025

Can you believe it’s already been a week since , Class of 2025?

Relieve the excitement of graduation Sunday on campus!

05/24/2025

A week ago, we celebrated the graduation of our MBA Program for Executives' first-ever Global cohort. Today, we welcome a new Global cohort, as well as the rest of the Class of 2027, to our Philadelphia campus for orientation.

As this new chapter begins, read reflections from recent Global cohort graduates in this Wharton Magazine feature: https://whr.tn/43zcx3r

Three WG'25 students shared thoughts on their academic journeys, the opportunities the program’s hybrid design unlocked for them, and how the international networks they built during the program are shaping their futures.

“It’s been transformative,” said Alfonso L. Corcuera, who is based in Mexico City. “Without Wharton’s vision, I wouldn’t have had the chance to join such an incredible global community.”

05/21/2025

brought grads from around the world back to Huntsman Hall to reconnect with old friends, make new ones, and reminisce about their time on campus. 💙❤️

From faculty speaker sessions to networking opportunities to a special fireside chat with Warby Parker founders Neil Blumenthal, Dave Gilboa, and Jeff Raider (all WG’10), it was a weekend filled with familiar faces and unstoppable energy.

05/20/2025

Introducing the newest Wharton PhDs! 🎓

Congratulations to this year’s Doctoral Program graduates, who celebrated their hooding ceremony Friday on our Philadelphia campus.

05/19/2025