Seems that everything is speeding up these days.
Wharton is already on an international tour starting yesterday in Australia, then next week hitting different countries in Asia, then simultaneous dates in India and Europe through the first part of June. Here’s the link to their schedule — click the International tab at the top to see the cities and dates.
ETA: Harvard is on the road, too — Paris, Tokyo, Shanghai, Peru — check out where they’re going in the world here.
Traditionally these tours didn’t start till August. This year the admissions season is moving more quickly. If you’re in an overseas location and Wharton (or Harvard) is on your list, it would be awesome if you got yourself to one of these events. And, even if you’re NOT targeting Wharton (or Harvard) — if you’re going to be applying to ANY bschools this year and you’re nearby one of these Wharton (or Harvard) cities, you would likely benefit from attending.
Hearing the admissions people talk about the school can be a big advantage in understanding what that school is about; it can also give you insights into bschool/the app process in general, and that’s why we recommend attending if you’re in one of these areas, since these types of American bschool venues are less common in most parts of the world.
Attending the Wharton event as a potential Wharton applicant also gives you a valuable nugget to drop into your Wharton essays (ditto for Harvard event/Harvard applicant/Harvard essays obviously): “At the information session in Sydney in May, I was really excited when I learned about…” This gives you credibility that you’ve done your homework and put forth some effort. No, it’s not mandatory that you visit campus* or go to one of these bschool info sessions in your part of the world. But, it most definitely doesn’t hurt your chances if you talk about your outreach efforts in your essays, and who knows, you may even learn something valuable about the school itself.
Actually, we’ve had clients come back from a school visit realizing that the school wasn’t for them. So it can simplify things too. Might help you eliminate one school from the list. Much better to find out before you apply that you don’t like the place.
*Unless you’re applying to Tuck. Then, it is strongly (STRONGLY) encouraged that you get yourself to Hanover before submitting your app.
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