Diversity recruiting targets underrepresented groups
Kerith Dilley and Verushka Cruz, WG'07
Issue date: 10/2/06 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Did you wonder why there were so many new faces floating around Huntsman Hall September 14-17?
During the second weekend of fall semester, Wharton hosted two prospective student events that brought nearly 400 prospective Wharton students to campus to experience student life at Wharton.
The first conference, Explore Wharton: Diversity in Action, was a partnership between the African-American MBA Association, Out for Business, the Wharton Hispanic American MBA Association, Wharton Women in Business and the MBA Admissions Office.
Explore Wharton is a critical component of Wharton's admissions outreach efforts to increase pipeline of applicants from historically underrepresented communities, especially African-American, Latino, and Native American, as well as women and students who are LGBT.
Wharton wishes to continue its leadership with record numbers of students of color and women matriculating to our school; WG'08 features 13% underrepresented communities of color and 36% women.
"While we are really pleased with our record-breaking numbers in the new class, we know there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure that all students of color, women and LGBT students recognize the value of the MBA and begin to explore the benefits of pursuing a graduate management degree at an institution such as Wharton," said Gabriela Snyder, Director of Diversity Recruitment, who oversaw the two programs.
Over 75 first and second years generously volunteered their time to do everything from staffing registration tables and stuffing name tags to sharing their perspectives on recruiting, career development and how to find the best mix of class, career and club activities.
Explore Wharton participants also had the opportunity to engage with professors and faculty members, including Professor Useem who taught a special class for them on Friday.
The Explore Wharton planning committee was led by Kerith Dilley (WWIB), who worked tirelessly to ensure that the two days went flawlessly. Special recognition also goes to committee members: Lisa Calloway (AAMBAA and WWIB), Verushka Cruz (AAMBAA, WHAMBAA and WWIB), Camille Garriga (WHAMBAA and WWIB), Saloni Sanghvi (WWIB) Scott Tyson (Out4Biz), J. Womack (AAMBAA) and Christine Yu (WWIB) for their contribution to planning and executing the various activities that made up Explore Wharton.
Explore Wharton, (formerly known as Prospective Day) though a decade-long tradition, saw a spike in registrants this year through its new website, clubs.wharton.upenn.edu/proday, designed and launched by Joe Chu (WG '07) and Terence Cuaso (WG '07).
Some highlights from the program:
On Thursday, September 4, 70 prospectives arrived in Huntsman to sit in on classes, take a tour of campus and learn first-hand from Wharton's MBA Admissions Director, Thomas Caleel, WG'03, about Wharton's transparent and holistic admissions process.
Later that day, over 75 prospectives header over to Lauder-Fischer Hall to speak with Lauder students, program administrators and faculty before joining WG'07 & '08 at Wharton's time-honored tradition, Pub. The Wharton African Student Association (WASA) then hosted a fundraiser at Marathon, so that current and prospective students could continue mixing.
On Friday, WGA President, Hassan El-Houry WG 07, welcomed the over 160 prospectives who participated in Friday's activities with personal experiences about diversity. AAMBAA President Nadeen Matthews warmly introduced Vice Dean Anjani Jain at a luncheon at the Inn at Penn.
Dean Jain was joined by 6 faculty representing the OPIM, Accounting, Management and Real Estate Departments. Jain shared Penn's rich tradition of being at the cutting edge of expanding access to higher education to communities who were discriminated against from gaining admission to Ivy League schools.
During the "student life panels," over 20 Wharton students shared their experiences with GIP, GCP, WIVP, Lauder, the sponsoring clubs - AAMBAA, Out4Biz, WHAMBAA and WWIB - and overall student life at Wharton.
Just before Explore Wharton wrapped up in MBA Cafe on Friday evening, with delectable hors d'oevres from DiBruno's, nearly 125 Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) participants arrived at Huntsman to join the roughly 75 MLTers who were already on campus for Explore Wharton activities.
MLT is an innovative nonprofit that works to increase the number of underrepresented minorities in institutions that develop talent, such as first-tier business schools and high-profile companies. Its website: www.ml4t.org
Wharton is one of 25 participating MBA programs to partner with MLT. Each graduating class of MLT students (i.e. those who will be applying to business school in the fall 2007) attends events on three business school campuses. Wharton was honored to host MLT's final conference in 2006.
During the course of the three days, MLT's participants met with admissions officers from its partnering programs to hear about each school's unique offerings, practiced their interviewing skills, learned about financing their MBA, heard about how to manage communications with admissions and other relevant tips for succes in the admissions process.
First and second year Whartonites again showed their hospitality to prospective students by accommodating almost half of the group in their apartments for two nights and joining MLTers interested in specific careers post-Business School in small-group dinners on Saturday night. Participants got a taste for Philly's social life with a party at TPDS following dinner.
Wharton's 27 MLT Alumni, especially Verushka Cruz (WG' 07), worked closely with the MBA Admissions office to ensure that we had enough student hosts and that the three-day conference went smoothly.
MLT activities wrapped up on Sunday, with a Wharton Luncheon at the Inn at Penn, featuring a Wharton MLT Alumni panel and Vice Dean Anjani Jain. Wharton was also able to showcase its entrepreneurial spirit and programs through an Alumni initiated 'Entrepreneurship Panel,' featuring successful minority alumni entrepreneurs Omowale Crenshaw, David Hinson, Sam Patterson and Angelique Irvin.
This final session was one of the highlights of the weekend, as our Wharton alumni passionately and openly discussed pursuing their long-term goals and the challenges, risks and rewards of being entrepreneurs.
All in all, it was a fantastic four days filled with energy, excitement and wonder about Wharton!
Thank you to all of the students, faculty and administration who worked hard to ensure that most prospective students who attended the Explore Wharton and/or MLT programs will apply in the coming years.
During the second weekend of fall semester, Wharton hosted two prospective student events that brought nearly 400 prospective Wharton students to campus to experience student life at Wharton.
The first conference, Explore Wharton: Diversity in Action, was a partnership between the African-American MBA Association, Out for Business, the Wharton Hispanic American MBA Association, Wharton Women in Business and the MBA Admissions Office.
Explore Wharton is a critical component of Wharton's admissions outreach efforts to increase pipeline of applicants from historically underrepresented communities, especially African-American, Latino, and Native American, as well as women and students who are LGBT.
Wharton wishes to continue its leadership with record numbers of students of color and women matriculating to our school; WG'08 features 13% underrepresented communities of color and 36% women.
"While we are really pleased with our record-breaking numbers in the new class, we know there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure that all students of color, women and LGBT students recognize the value of the MBA and begin to explore the benefits of pursuing a graduate management degree at an institution such as Wharton," said Gabriela Snyder, Director of Diversity Recruitment, who oversaw the two programs.
Over 75 first and second years generously volunteered their time to do everything from staffing registration tables and stuffing name tags to sharing their perspectives on recruiting, career development and how to find the best mix of class, career and club activities.
Explore Wharton participants also had the opportunity to engage with professors and faculty members, including Professor Useem who taught a special class for them on Friday.
The Explore Wharton planning committee was led by Kerith Dilley (WWIB), who worked tirelessly to ensure that the two days went flawlessly. Special recognition also goes to committee members: Lisa Calloway (AAMBAA and WWIB), Verushka Cruz (AAMBAA, WHAMBAA and WWIB), Camille Garriga (WHAMBAA and WWIB), Saloni Sanghvi (WWIB) Scott Tyson (Out4Biz), J. Womack (AAMBAA) and Christine Yu (WWIB) for their contribution to planning and executing the various activities that made up Explore Wharton.
Explore Wharton, (formerly known as Prospective Day) though a decade-long tradition, saw a spike in registrants this year through its new website, clubs.wharton.upenn.edu/proday, designed and launched by Joe Chu (WG '07) and Terence Cuaso (WG '07).
Some highlights from the program:
On Thursday, September 4, 70 prospectives arrived in Huntsman to sit in on classes, take a tour of campus and learn first-hand from Wharton's MBA Admissions Director, Thomas Caleel, WG'03, about Wharton's transparent and holistic admissions process.
Later that day, over 75 prospectives header over to Lauder-Fischer Hall to speak with Lauder students, program administrators and faculty before joining WG'07 & '08 at Wharton's time-honored tradition, Pub. The Wharton African Student Association (WASA) then hosted a fundraiser at Marathon, so that current and prospective students could continue mixing.
On Friday, WGA President, Hassan El-Houry WG 07, welcomed the over 160 prospectives who participated in Friday's activities with personal experiences about diversity. AAMBAA President Nadeen Matthews warmly introduced Vice Dean Anjani Jain at a luncheon at the Inn at Penn.
Dean Jain was joined by 6 faculty representing the OPIM, Accounting, Management and Real Estate Departments. Jain shared Penn's rich tradition of being at the cutting edge of expanding access to higher education to communities who were discriminated against from gaining admission to Ivy League schools.
During the "student life panels," over 20 Wharton students shared their experiences with GIP, GCP, WIVP, Lauder, the sponsoring clubs - AAMBAA, Out4Biz, WHAMBAA and WWIB - and overall student life at Wharton.
Just before Explore Wharton wrapped up in MBA Cafe on Friday evening, with delectable hors d'oevres from DiBruno's, nearly 125 Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) participants arrived at Huntsman to join the roughly 75 MLTers who were already on campus for Explore Wharton activities.
MLT is an innovative nonprofit that works to increase the number of underrepresented minorities in institutions that develop talent, such as first-tier business schools and high-profile companies. Its website: www.ml4t.org
Wharton is one of 25 participating MBA programs to partner with MLT. Each graduating class of MLT students (i.e. those who will be applying to business school in the fall 2007) attends events on three business school campuses. Wharton was honored to host MLT's final conference in 2006.
During the course of the three days, MLT's participants met with admissions officers from its partnering programs to hear about each school's unique offerings, practiced their interviewing skills, learned about financing their MBA, heard about how to manage communications with admissions and other relevant tips for succes in the admissions process.
First and second year Whartonites again showed their hospitality to prospective students by accommodating almost half of the group in their apartments for two nights and joining MLTers interested in specific careers post-Business School in small-group dinners on Saturday night. Participants got a taste for Philly's social life with a party at TPDS following dinner.
Wharton's 27 MLT Alumni, especially Verushka Cruz (WG' 07), worked closely with the MBA Admissions office to ensure that we had enough student hosts and that the three-day conference went smoothly.
MLT activities wrapped up on Sunday, with a Wharton Luncheon at the Inn at Penn, featuring a Wharton MLT Alumni panel and Vice Dean Anjani Jain. Wharton was also able to showcase its entrepreneurial spirit and programs through an Alumni initiated 'Entrepreneurship Panel,' featuring successful minority alumni entrepreneurs Omowale Crenshaw, David Hinson, Sam Patterson and Angelique Irvin.
This final session was one of the highlights of the weekend, as our Wharton alumni passionately and openly discussed pursuing their long-term goals and the challenges, risks and rewards of being entrepreneurs.
All in all, it was a fantastic four days filled with energy, excitement and wonder about Wharton!
Thank you to all of the students, faculty and administration who worked hard to ensure that most prospective students who attended the Explore Wharton and/or MLT programs will apply in the coming years.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Deserrie Forte
posted 10/03/06 @ 11:12 PM EST
This was a well-written article, but the actual events were worth more than a thousand words. As an Explore Wharton and MLT participant it was a honor! The events were well organized and the committee did a terrific job!
On behalf of the MLT MBA Preparation Class of 2006, I must say THANK YOU to the committee and admissions for opening Wharton's doors. (Continued…)
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