Wharton Leadership in the Business World: A Complete Guide

If you dream of being a leader in the business world someday, you’ll need to be aware of and prepared for the complexities and rigor of the modern business landscape. Fortunately, the Wharton Leadership in the Business World by the University of Pennsylvania can help you with that.

In this article, we’ll tell you what to expect from the program, why you should participate in it, and how you can apply.

• What Is Wharton Leadership in the Business World?
• Wharton Leadership in the Business World Acceptance Rate
• Wharton Leadership in the Business World Application Deadline
• Wharton Leadership in the Business World Requirements
• How to Get into Wharton Leadership in the Business World
• Why Join Wharton Leadership in the Business World?
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Takeaways

What Is Wharton Leadership in the Business World?

The Leadership in the Business World (LBW) program is an immersive summer initiative by the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, which caters to high-achieving high school students who are about to enter their senior year and want to have an introduction to undergraduate business education at a top-tier institution.

A primary objective of the program is to cultivate important leadership, teamwork, and communication skills among participants. Wharton does this by giving you a taste of the academic rigor and innovative teaching methods you can expect from its undergraduate programs.

The program dates for the three sessions this 2025 are:

• June 8 to June 28, 2025
• June 29 to July 19, 2025
• July 20 to August 9, 2025

After the program, you’ll receive a Wharton Global Youth Certificate of Completion.

The academic experience

The Wharton Leadership in the Business World combines theoretical learning and practical application. In fact, you’ll experience business simulations and collaborative team-building activities. You’ll also have the chance to interact with successful leaders spanning diverse industries such as finance, entrepreneurship, entertainment, real estate, and retail.

As a student of the Wharton Leadership in the Business World program, you can expect to attend lectures and presentations by Wharton faculty and guest speakers and be part of classroom discussions about research-based theories of leadership and teamwork.

In addition, you’ll have the opportunity to apply classroom knowledge to real-world business practices through Wharton Interactive’s digital simulations and case competitions and do research on real business enterprises. The curriculum covers the following topics:

• Organizational Strategy
• Leadership Competencies
• Negotiation
• Customer Centricity
• Business Model Generation
• Management

Classes are held every Monday to Friday. While the daily schedule varies, a typical day could involve lecture by a guest speaker or in the classroom, recitation or small group activity, or simulations.

You’ll also attend the Wharton Global Youth Speaker Series, where you’ll listen to presentations and interact with Wharton faculty. These sessions will show you the breadth of Wharton’s teaching, giving you insights into other topics and research that might not normally be part of the LBW curriculum. Examples of the previous topics are:

• Crisis management
• The future of AI
• Neuro economics
• Negotiation and deception
• Financial literacy

The residential experience

Outside of classes, you’ll also be part of extracurricular activities on weekends and weekday evenings. You can explore UPenn’s surroundings (such as Philadelphia’s historic and cultural sites) or bond with your peers through on-campus activities like karaoke, trivia, and soccer.

As a Wharton Leadership in the Business World student, you’ll live in one of UPenn’s residence halls—which are quite near to the dining hall, academic buildings, and Penn Park. UPenn dorms are fully air-conditioned with features and facilities like study and social lounges, laundry, vending machines, and high-speed internet.

As for meal plans, you’ll get two meals from Sunday to Friday in one of the university’s dining halls. You can choose from a variety of dietary choices, from vegetarian to gluten-free and kosher options. For your other meals, you can try out other cafes and restaurants on and off campus.

Wharton Leadership in the Business World Acceptance Rate

Wharton Leadership in the Business World doesn’t publicly release an acceptance rate. However, Wharton mentions that they accept around 120 students for each session.

Wharton Leadership in the Business World Application Deadline

If you’re interested in applying and thinking about how much time you still have, here are the important dates for the Wharton Leadership in the Business World application:

If you really want to participate in LBW, we highly recommend submitting your application by the priority deadline. That’s because if Wharton fills up the slots for the sessions early on, they won’t accept new applications anymore.

Wharton Leadership in the Business World Requirements

Before applying, you should first see if you’re eligible and be aware of the required documents you should compile for your application.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Wharton Leadership in the Business World program, you must:

• Be currently enrolled in Grade 11
• Have demonstrated leadership experience
• Have an unweighted GPA of at least 3.5

Required documents

To apply for the Wharton Leadership in the Business World program, you’ll need to submit these documents:

• High school transcripts. Upload an unofficial copy of your transcripts directly to the Global Youth Application portal. Your transcript must have at least two marking periods of grades. If your current transcript doesn’t meet that requirement yet, you should upload your previous transcript too.
• Recommendation. This won’t be a letter. Instead, a mentor will be asked to complete questions about you. You’ll need only one recommendation from a high school guidance counselor, teacher, or advisor. We suggest asking the person who can speak to your leadership abilities and interest in business.
• Short essays. You’ll need to submit either three essays or two essays and one video supplement.
• Application fee. Pay a non-refundable fee of $100. You may also request a waiver if you are a student from a School District of Philadelphia public or charter high school or have been nominated by an official Wharton Global Youth Program partner organization to apply for a summer program.
• Standardized test scores (optional). If you want to submit your scores, just upload an unofficial copy of the score report to the Global Youth Application portal.
• English language proficiency requirements. If you’re a non-native English speaker who also attended a school where English isn’t the primary language of instruction, you’ll need to get at least  100 (iBT)in TOEFL or 7 in IELTS. If you have neither of them, a minimum of 130 in Duolingo is also accepted.

Program costs

The Wharton Leadership in the Business World program cost is $11,399. This covers:

• Full academic and term fees
• Use of UPenn’s academic facilities
• On-campus housing
• Two meals a day, except on Saturdays
• Extracurricular activities and trips
• Student supervision

If cost is a concern, be sure to check out the scholarships and financial aid available.

How to Get into Wharton Leadership in the Business World

The Wharton Leadership in the Business World program has a pretty straightforward application process. Here’s what to expect:

Step 1: Make your Wharton Global Youth Program Application Portal account.

Create an account on the Wharton Global Youth Application Portal, which is the platform for submitting your application and all supporting materials. You’ll also find instructions on several processes, such as asking for a recommendation.

Step 2: Ask for a recommendation.

As we previously said, this won’t be a recommendation letter. Instead, you’ll need to input your recommender’s contact information in the Portal, then they’ll be notified that they should answer questions about your academic performance, character, and potential.

Try to do this step as soon as you decide to participate in LBW to give your recommenders enough time to think of their answers.

Step 3: Prepare your other application materials.

Prepare your transcripts and standardized test scores (if you wish to submit them). Take some time to sit down and think about LBW’s prompts:

• Personal headline: In 140 characters or less, craft a professional headline, similar to LinkedIn, that showcases your skills, passions, and goals.
• Which of Wharton’s academic departments resonates most with you and your business interests? 200-300 words
• Video submission or written supplement: Leadership is often described as a journey. Record a 90-second video OR share a written statement of 400 words (or less) that highlights your leadership journey and a key aspect of your identity, background, or story that defines you as a leader. You may choose to discuss your core values, aspirations, challenges or setbacks you’ve overcome, influential role models, how you demonstrate leadership, your personal growth as a leader, and/or the impact you aim to make in the future.

You should genuinely reflect your passion for business and leadership, aligning your thoughts with the themes and objectives of the LBW program. Support your statements with specific examples and relevant anecdotes that highlight your experiences and insights.

If you choose to make a video rather than a written supplement for the third prompt, rehearse your delivery so you sound natural. Make sure you look presentable in the video as well.

Step 4: Complete the online application.

Fill out each section of the online application. Upload all the required documents, and pay the non-refundable application fee through the portal. If you’re eligible for a waiver, try to request it as early as you can.

Step 5: Submit everything by the deadline.

Aim to submit everything by the priority deadline (January 29, 2025). Applying by this date can increase your chances of admission and will ensure that you receive your admission decision earlier.

If you can’t meet the priority deadline, then submit your application by the final deadline (April 2, 2025). However, be aware that fewer spaces may be available at this stage.

Check that you’ve completed everything a few days before your chosen deadline. If you see your recommender has not submitted their answers yet, give them a gentle nudge that you need them to pass their recommendation soon.

Why Join Wharton Leadership in the Business World?

Participating in the Wharton Leadership in the Business World program comes with many benefits to aspiring entrepreneurs.

1. Experience Wharton undergraduate business education

LBW lets you experience the rigor and quality of a Wharton undergraduate business education with its dynamic curriculum taught by Wharton’s faculty and lectures by leading business professionals. You’ll be introduced to core business principles like:

• Leadership theories
• Teamwork dynamics
• Finance
• Marketing principles
• Entrepreneurial strategies
• Management practices

You’ll understand leadership within the context of 21st-century organizations and get relevant insights for the modern business landscape.

2. Networking opportunities

Throughout the LBW program, you’ll interact directly with Wharton faculty members, accomplished guest speakers, and business executives. Of course, you’ll also form networks among talented and highly motivated peers from around the world, helping you build a global perspective.

All these relationships you form during the program can lead to lifelong friendships, mentorships, and even future career opportunities within the business world.

3. Exposure to real-world business

A huge benefit of participating in the Wharton Leadership in the Business World program is that it directly exposes you to the practical realities of different industries in the business world—including finance, entrepreneurship, entertainment, real estate, and retail.

After all, LBW uses real-time business simulations and in-depth case studies that challenge you to apply your knowledge to realistic scenarios. On top of that, you’ll get to visit company sites and interact with local business leaders and entrepreneurs, gaining firsthand insights into the operations and challenges of various industries.

These experiences can let you explore different career paths within the business industry and discover your areas of interest.

4. Personal development

LBW encourages you to think critically, challenge your existing assumptions, and approach problems with a solution-oriented mindset. The curriculum also improves other must-have soft skills for business leaders. These include:

• Negotiation skills
• Strategic thinking capabilities
• Presentation and public speaking skills
• Emotional intelligence
• Interpersonal communication
• Collaborative teamwork

This way, LBW builds confidence and gives a preview of the demanding yet rewarding environment of both college-level academics and real-world business.

5. Potential advantage for college admissions

If you’re planning to pursue a business-related program in college, the Wharton Leadership in the Business World program can show admissions officers that you have a genuine and demonstrated interest in business. You might also get plus points for participating in a program by a prestigious institution.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the leadership program at Wharton?

Wharton has many leadership programs. For example, there’s the Leadership in the Business World for high school students, Leadership Ventures for undergraduates, and Leadership and Management programs for managers.

2. Does participating in Wharton Leadership in the Business World guarantee admission into UPenn?

No, participating in LBW doesn’t guarantee admission into UPenn. The university doesn’t track demonstrated interest either.

3. What is the Wharton ideology?

The Wharton ideology is to use research, innovation, and collaboration to improve business, education, and society. It also aims to apply data-informed perspectives, scale solutions, and advocate for equitable outcomes.

4. Is Wharton Leadership in the Business World worth it?

Yes, Wharton Leadership in the Business World is worth it if you aspire to enter the business world. That’s because LBW exposes you to real-world business scenarios through lectures by guest speakers, simulations, and company site visits.

Takeaways

The Leadership in the Business World program by the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School is an excellent summer initiative that business aspirants should consider participating in.

• LBW lets you experience undergraduate business education at a prestigious university. Aside from that, you’ll also be exposed to real-life business scenarios through company site visits and simulations.
• Several reasons to join LBW include experiencing Wharton undergraduate business education, getting networking opportunities, being exposed to real-world business, experiencing personal development, and possibly gaining an advantage for college admissions.
• Interested in pursuing business in college? Consult a private admissions expert for other opportunities you can pursue to boost your application.