Perennially ranked among the top business schools in the world, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania—as its original name, the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce, indicates—is best known for its reputation in finance, which is still the school’s largest department. However, if you are interested in a career in consulting but believe that Wharton is the program of choice for future investment bankers only… well, think again!
Check out these four facts about consulting at Wharton:
- Every year since 2005, more Wharton graduates have accepted positions in consulting than in investment banking.
- Wharton’s Consulting Club is one of its largest student organizations.
- One of Wharton’s most popular electives is “Strategy and Competitive Advantage.” Professor Nicolaj Siggelkow, a protégé of strategy guru Michael Porter, is notorious for pushing his students to clarify their answers. But if they use trite buzzwords such as “adding value” and “frameworks,” they may find themselves in the hot seat for 30 minutes of additional questioning!
- The Wharton Global Consulting Practicum pairs student teams with participants from partner schools across the world to work with an international company or organization. Past projects include creating a marketing plan for a Colombian food provider, developing a business model for a private Kenyan foundation, and helping a Taiwanese company evaluate its options for expanding its market.
For more information on Wharton or 15 other leading MBA programs, check out the mbaMission Insider’s Guides.