Wharton has redesigned its Career Goals essays—and many applicants are misreading what’s actually being asked.
This session will help students confidently navigate the new prompts by breaking down what each question is testing, how admissions evaluates responses, and where candidates often go wrong. We’ll deconstruct the language of the new essays, translate it into plain English, and introduce a repeatable framework for identifying the right career story to tell. Students will leave with a clear set of diagnostic questions to pressure-test their goals, guidance on how to balance specificity with credibility, and tactical advice on essay mechanics—how to allocate word count, structure responses, and avoid wasted sentences.
The focus is practical and actionable: how to move from a vague idea of “career goals” to a compelling, well-structured narrative that fits Wharton’s new format and signals maturity, self-awareness, and direction. Ideal for first-time applicants and reapplicants alike.