University of Pennsylvania

There are three things that you get from a business school 1) the brand, 2) the network, and 3) the education in that order. After complete my Wharton MBA in 2017, I must say Wharton gave me all three. Wharton has a true brand especially in Silicon Valley and in financial services. I first realized this when I was applying for internships at an internship fair open to students from multiple schools. It is kinda hard to explain but I felt recruiters responded differently to me. Ultimately I got 6... Read More interviews and ended up with my first choice. As I started to really dig into the Wharton network, I realized that these weren't just people in an alumni book. These people truly cared about the students and school. I can recall at least 3 different occasions where I called on alumni for insights about there industry and I was blown away by the speed and deep of the response. And by the time I graduated, I truly felt that I learned a lot, Not was the experience very challenging but also I had been around the world with our Global Business Week\Global Modular courses and applied my skillset in so many situations. It was truly amazing! Hence I give it 5 stars!!

 This is a number 1 business school, per US News, and its reputation is outstanding. Heavy recruiting by all types of firms ensures you have a job after you get out. Often, if a student is without a job at graduation day, he's either working on his own start-up, or is shooting for the stars and holding off for a bigger/better job opportunity than the job offers he's received. As a result of grade non-disclosure policy, it is no longer a cut-throat environment among the students, instead everyone... Read More wants to help each other and collaborates during school projects. Faculty is outstanding and are often interviewed by MSNBC and other programs for their outlook of the economy. Big-deal guest speakers are often brought in by the school or student organizations to give their insight of the industry. Particularly exciting, large companies, such as Nike, approach professors asking for help in their marketing, strategy, etc. This gives students opportunity to work on a real-life case study and see the impact of their work. Student body is very diverse, with many international students and many coming from various industries, and not just a business background. Transportation is convenient, with Center City located a 20-30 minute walk from campus. There's also a bus nearby that takes you to campus. Train station is a 15 minute walk away and there's a train that can take you to the airport as well or bus that takes you straight to NYC. No need for a car. Students are also very social and there's always something going on and something to do with fellow students, whether student clubs, trips, parties, or events thrown by other student-run organizations. Surrounding area is Philly - not much to do around campus, unless you are an undergrad student. Philly is a small city that has lots of restaurants and bars, as well as shopping and parks. Cons: As any MBA program, it is expensive, however in the grad scheme of things, it's 2 years of your life that will accelerate the rest of your career. Financial aid is helpful in getting loans for you, but you still have to pay them back. Safety on campus is excellent, but just outside of campus, I would take cabs everywhere. Center City where 95% of MBA students live is also pretty safe, but I would still refrain from walking at night by myself. School does a good job by sending police alerts to your cell phone so you stay away from the crime area, if anything happened. Living is still expensive, with rent being almost NYC prices. This however only applies if you live in Center City, where demand exceeds supply. So rents in this area are significantly higher than anywhere else in Philly. But if you're an MBA student, you will most likely be will to pay for location.