Charlotte Pulica | Wharton really isn’t evil

For the first few months of fall, Locust Walk gets overtaken by booths: cultural clubs, volunteering organizations, theater groups, and, of course, finance and consulting teams. It would take nearly your entire four years at Penn to hear everyone’s opinion on all 800 clubs on campus. But it only takes five minutes to hear about an overwhelming feeling seemingly taking over the student population: disdain for the Wharton School and preprofessionalism.

The critiques range from Wharton being too exclusive and competitive to the curriculum being unrepresentative of Penn’s diverse educational opportunities. As a student in the College of Arts and Sciences, I noticed this divide immediately upon arriving at Penn. The disapproval surprised me because one of the aspects of Penn that I was most excited about is having access to the No. 1 business school in the country. Even though I’m in a different school, most Wharton opportunities are still open to all Penn students. No matter the major, business education is crucial for the current hyper-competitive job market we are preparing to enter.

While it’s undoubtedly important to follow your passions, it’s equally important to understand your personal finances and the reality of the economy around you. Understanding the business behind your passion is what makes it more attainable. However, with the stigma around Wharton, students are hesitant to take advantage of all that it has to offer. Besides just the classes, there are so many essential sessions and organizations that most of the student population never seeks out.

In all fairness, it’s no secret that Wharton is extremely competitive and exclusive. And while it’s easy to build up resentment — especially after getting a few “Thank you for your interest; however, we had an overwhelming number of applicants … ” emails — it can be hard to remember that Penn is a school known for its focus on preparing students for the job market. This preprofessionalism is exactly what we signed up for. Wharton’s competitiveness is just a glimpse into how intense the real labor market is. The culture at Penn is a rude awakening, but it’s nothing we shouldn’t expect in the future.

The truth is, Penn is a preprofessional school that is widely known for Wharton. While it gets a lot of hate, its success rate is undeniable proof of its effectiveness. As of 2024, the median income for a Penn graduate just one year out of college was $100,000, with 94.2% of students finding employment, higher education, or volunteering within six months of graduation. Wharton is the best business school in the nation for a reason, and that comes at the cost of being competitive and focused. This is the same way a chemistry degree comes at the cost of being stressed or a political science degree comes at the cost of having to be confrontational. These are the prices we pay for good results.

While that may be difficult and frustrating, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad. You can follow your passions and get a great education at almost any college, but what sets Penn apart is its extraordinary access to career-advancing resources. You didn’t spend your entire life earning awards, keeping a perfect GPA, and taking infinite AP classes just because Penn has a pretty campus. You applied because you want a successful future. But in order to do that, you have to step outside of your comfort zone. Part of that is recognizing that competition and stress aren’t always the enemy.

Maybe the problem is that we’ve separated humanities and business, making them mutually exclusive. When in reality, they’re both dependent on each other. In fact, Wharton needs the College just as much as the College needs Wharton. Business without passion is useless to society, and that passion doesn’t just come from Wharton students. All in all, Wharton is competitive. It’s exclusive, overwhelming, and corporate. It’s also successful, motivating, and educational for all Penn students. If we keep labeling the nation’s best business school as a tool to “sell out” or as a “funnel for consulting and finance,” then we’re only stopping our own opportunities. Wharton really isn’t evil — it’s actually one of the best things about Penn.

CHARLOTTE PULICA is a College first year from Enoch, Utah studying criminology and economics. Her email is cpulica1@sas.upenn.edu.