Life on Campus

Stretch Yo Self

When I decided to go to Wharton, I remember wanting stretch experiences. But I never expected that to mean performing stand-up comedy to a sold-out room of over 250 peers… Business school gave me the opportunity to push myself both inside and outside the classroom. Because of Wharton’s non-grade disclosure, I…Read More

Welcome to Life as a Wharton MBA

“Congratulations and Welcome to Wharton!” This was the refrain heard over and over as the senior administration greeted the Class of 2016 at the opening Welcome Ceremony of Pre-Term 2014 held in the Annenberg Performing Arts on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania. Following addresses from the Vice Dean,…Read More

Winter in Philadelphia

The cold has officially arrived.  It hasn’t actually snowed yet, but it still feels like the dead of winter.  I’m from Philadelphia, so I should be used to this weather by now.  But every year I find myself unprepared for the drastic weather change.  I’ve noticed a lot of students…Read More

Morning Routine

This may sound ridiculous, but one of my biggest concerns when coming to Wharton was… “so… how do I get to campus?” For the 98.174% (unconfirmed) of the MBA population living in Center City, you are looking at a 1-2 mile trek to Huntsman Hall. You may be thinking –…Read More

Work hard, play hard

Wharton is such a “work hard, play hard” culture…or maybe I should say a “play hard, work hard” culture… This past Thursday was Halloween and of course Wharton threw a huge costume party at one of the Philly night clubs.  I went as a purple crayon with a group of…Read More

The Spirit that is Wharton

You will read a lot about the events, ventures, treks, and courses that make Wharton a truly amazing place to be. I will devote this post to what I feel is Wharton’s biggest asset – the students. All through pre-term, I continued to be amazed at the different perspectives, the…Read More

What’s Wrong With Wharton? …Nothing at all!

The Wall Street Journal recently released an article titled, “What’s Wrong With Wharton?”  It basically says that Wharton has lost its luster because applications have been down over the last couple of years.  Students see Wharton as a finance school, but since there aren’t as many finance jobs out there,…Read More

All Things Social Impact

I’ll be honest, I am pretty green when it comes to social impact – I have a traditional finance background and other than a couple of volunteering stints, I have not had much experience on the ground. That’s why I came to Wharton. So if you are interested in social…Read More

Lessons from Pre-Term/Quarter 1

Wow. It seems like just yesterday that my husband and I packed up our small one bedroom apartment in Chicago, drove a Uhaul across the treacherous Pennsylvania turnpike (seriously, who puts a stop sign at an on-ramp?!?), and unpacked into our even-smaller one bedroom apartment in Center City. The past…Read More

Seven weeks in and we haven’t stopped

A year ago, I was scrambling to read and reread my applications before pressing “submit.” Truth be told, there was not one application (with a set round deadline) that I didn’t submit before the actual day that it was due. Two months later, I was interviewing. Three months later, I…Read More

From Waitlist to Wharton

I applied to Wharton during second round and got the dreaded “waitlist” email in March.  Ugh, more waiting. I just wanted to know what my future held.  Round 3 came and went and I was still on the waitlist.  By the time summer arrived, I had basically given up hope. …Read More

Procrastinators Anonymous

Why do something today when you can put it off for tomorrow? Let’s be honest, working hard may pay off eventually, but laziness pays off now! An expert procrastinator myself, I can recognize procrastination when I see it. And I have seen a lot of it during pre-term. In fact,…Read More

1st Year

1st year done. I can’t believe it. It moves faster than you expect, I find myself frantically planning out my last couple weeks, grabbing coffees every day with as many of my classmates as I can. This summer I’ll be at Facebook in NYC, working as a “Creative Social Media…Read More

Turducken, Turducken, and more Turducken, please

This semester Wharton introduced me to world-renowned professors, engaging classmates, and oodles of leadership opportunities. However, I’m most smitten with my latest Wharton discovery: Turducken! Turducken is Kim Wong’s genius invention. It’s a turkey stuffed with duck stuffed with chicken. Talk about synergy. The three pieces of meat add up…Read More

Love For Pub

Pub is a beloved Wharton tradition. Each Thursday, the entire student body convenes around 4:30 pm to devour pizza and guzzle motivational beverages. It’s my favorite part of the week. I see people I might not see otherwise, stuff my face with free food, and celebrate the onset of a…Read More

And it begins…

AHHHHH, I’m at Wharton!!!! I want to scream out loud with joy. I’m thrilled, excited, and a bit nervous to be here. We’ve just reached the one-week mark in Pre-Term and I’ve already shifted into high gear. My adrenaline is pumping, my mind is racing, and my sleep is lacking.…Read More