| > It's Wharton, though, so the signaling alone may be worth the price. You’re (mostly) not paying for the content of the courses. Reasons to go/pay (in no particular order): 1. It’s a finishing school, with all the good and bad that implies. Some of the details below fall into that category. 2. Developing your peer network. Includes classmates, professors, and alumni. 3. Access to incredible research opportunities and research resources (yes, even for MBAs). 4. Access to jobs that (mostly) only go to grads of Wharton and similar. Think consulting and IB. 5. Access to job networks of niche and often super interesting jobs via peers and professors. 6. Signaling, although this does work both ways. While it opens doors for some jobs, it makes you overqualified for others. 7. Being in an environment of driven and (mostly) competent people. The scope of “what is possible” will probably be redefined for most/many Wharton students. (This might be worded somewhat poorly… not exactly sure how to say it). 8. Related to 7, being graded on a curve against motivated and competent peers can… build character. I’m not sure what it’s like these days. 9. In the past, there were some niche concentration courses that were super interesting. I’m not sure what they are now, and I’m not sure they make it to MOOCs. 10. Wharton Follies. To close, if someone goes to Wharton primarily for access to the classes, then I would say that they have pretty much failed Wharton, regardless of what their grades end up being. Most of the knowledge from the classes can be gained more easily and cheaply in other ways. |