Wharton MBA Essays 2026-27: Prompts and Word Limits
The 2026-27 Wharton MBA essay prompts verbatim, with word limits, plus the reapplicant, additional information, Lauder and Moelis essays.
Essay overview
Wharton's 2026-27 application has two required essays: Essay 1, two short-form questions of 50 and 150 words, and Essay 2, one long-form essay of 350 words. Reapplicants also answer a 250-word reapplicant essay. An optional additional information essay allows up to 500 words.
2026-27 essay prompts
| Essay | Prompt (verbatim) | Word limit |
|---|---|---|
| Essay 1, short answer 1 | What is your immediate post-MBA professional goal? | 50 words |
| Essay 1, short answer 2 | Describe your medium- and long-term professional goals after your Wharton MBA. | 150 words |
| Essay 2 | Taking into consideration your background – personal, professional, and/or academic – how do you plan to add meaningful value to the Wharton community? | 350 words |
| Reapplicant essay (required for all reapplicants) | Please use this space to share with the Admissions Committee how you have reflected and grown since your previous application and discuss any relevant updates to your candidacy (e.g., changes in your professional life, additional coursework, and extracurricular/volunteer engagements). | 250 words |
| Additional information (optional) | Please use this space to share any additional information about yourself that cannot be found elsewhere in your application and that you would like to share with the Admissions Committee. This space can also be used to address any extenuating circumstances (e.g., unexplained gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, areas of weakness, etc.) that you would like the Admissions Committee to consider. | 500 words |
Guidance from the Wharton admissions committee
- Short answer 1: name the job you want right after Wharton (title, function, industry); the committee says this answer is about clarity, not explaining why.
- Short answer 2: the committee wants context on your medium- and long-term aims and accepts either a clear vision or a general sense of the impact you want to make.
- Essay 2: the committee asks you to focus on the value you will add to the community and how you will show up, rather than a list of activities.
- Additional information: optional; paragraph or bullet format is fine, and acknowledging a weaker part of your application will not disadvantage you.
Lauder MBA/MA essays (2026-27)
| Essay | Prompt (verbatim) | Word limit |
|---|---|---|
| Lauder Essay 1 | Discuss why you are applying to the Lauder Institute, detailing specific reasons, experiences, and background for choosing your Program of Concentration, as well as your interest in further study in that Program. Applicants to Programs of Concentration involving language study (Africa-French; East and Southeast Asia; Europe; Latin America; South Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa) should also discuss what they hope to gain from advanced language and cultural education, as well as describe how they have learned the language they will study (e.g. undergraduate courses, undergraduate major, etc.). Finally, please describe how you see yourself benefiting from, and contributing to, the Lauder community. | 500 words |
| Lauder Essay 2 | Imagine you're in a classroom and a fellow student makes a statement you find offensive or problematic. How would you respond? You may use a real experience you've had or outline how you'd approach the situation. What principles would guide you, and what would you hope the outcome would be? | 200 words |
Moelis Advance Access essays
| Essay | Prompt (verbatim) | Word limit |
|---|---|---|
| Short answer 1 | What is your short-term professional goal during your deferment period? | 50 words |
| Short answer 2 | Describe your medium- and long-term professional goals after your Wharton MBA. | 150 words |
| Essay | Taking into consideration your background, personal, professional, and/or academic, how do you plan to add meaningful value to the Wharton community? | 350 words |
Sources
- 1. The Wharton School, 2026-2027 Application Guide
- 2. The Wharton School, Moelis Advance Access Program