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New Students

a.       What is WHALASA?

 

The Wharton Latin American Student Association – WHALASA – is the biggest cultural club in the school and aims to embed the richness of the Latin American culture in our day to day activities, from key professional and academic activities to our well renowned parties. We are more than 250 members with interests in Latin America, from more than 50 countries world wide.

·        Professional: We connect all our members to recruiting opportunities in Latin America and, for Latin-Americans, to work opportunities in the US

·        Academic: We increase the awareness in diverse fields of business about our region through many academic events, such as the Speaker Series and the Bi-Annual Symposium.

·        Social and Cultural: We promote the interaction of our members and the entire student body while enriching the understanding of the region, through many club and school-wide social and cultural events.  Such events include our delicious Argentinean Asado, the contagious beats of Brazilian Batteria and the ever memorable Mexican Pub.

 

      We help our members adapt to the many Wharton challenges, but mainly to enjoy two years of these fantastic experiences!

 

b.      Applying to Wharton:

 

Welcome to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, celebrating our 125th anniversary as the world's first collegiate business school. At Wharton, you'll gain intellectual perspectives and practical tools for lifelong achievement, with unparalleled access to world-leading faculty, a powerful global alumni network, and all the resources of an Ivy League university.

Link: http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/

 

Application deadlines: http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/academics/application/

 

c.       WHALASA resources

 

WHALASA wants to support you on the application process and there are several resources we provide:

 

·         Application Mentor Program

 

If you are a Latin American prospective student applying to Wharton, either living in Latin America or in the US, WHALASA offers you an application mentor to provide answers and advice during the application process, including review of essays and resume. These mentors are current students that can provide insight into the life at Wharton. If you want to be assigned a mentor or have any questions, please e-mail us.

 

Link to WHALASA Admissions email http://(TBD).com

 

·         Visiting Wharton

 

If you want to live the Wharton experience in advance, arrange a visit to our great campus, our state of the art building, our fascinating classes and everything else that Philly has to offer.

                                                               i.      Official site: http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/campus/visiting/

                                                             ii.      WHALASA contact: Cristina Mariaca; email: cmariaca@wharton.upenn,edu

 

·         Special events for prospective students

 

During both the Winter Welcome Weekend and the Wharton Welcome Weekend, students who have been accepted to the program come to Philadelphia to live the Wharton experience at its best. WHALASA offers you contact to all the current Latin American students who will share their real life experiences about the city, the school and the general MBA experience. Housing is usually provided when needed.

 

Traditionally, WHALASA, together with the other regional clubs, organizes the closing party which turns out to be one of the highlights of the year.

 

            Link to pictures from previous welcome weekend http://(TBD).com

 

·         Sharing experiences and tips: Life in Philadelphia

 

Our more than 250 members and their significant others are excited about sharing their impressions about their experience here, from where to live to where to shop and eat. Some of the current class tips are:

 

                                                               i.      Where to live? Many people find the building area of Center City the right place to live and to have their social activities. The preferred apartment buildings are: 1500 Locust St., 1815 JFK Blvd The Sterling, 1835 JFK Blvd The Lofts, 2400 Chestnut St, 2400 Walnut St, etc.

 

                                                            ii.      Where to shop for food? Our preferred places are Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and the Supremo where you can find many Latin foods to enjoy during the winter. Other great options are Super Fresh, Reading Market. And also the wholesalers Costco and Bj’s in case you want to buy wisely.

                                                            iii.      Where to go? Whether you are a person who enjoys beautiful parks or who likes to watch musicals, Philly offers you a taste of everything.

·         Night Clubs: From the very exciting Old City, crowded with many different clubs to the great atmosphere around Rittenhouse square, Philadelphia offers you music from everywhere and great pubs to share a drink with your friends.

·         Restaurants: For those of us who love to eat and to try different food, Philadelphia is a great city to be in. From delicious Latin food (Alma de Cuba) and Mixto (Argentinean stake), to exotic sushi (Morimoto), you will always find a place to indulge yourselves. Finally, please do not miss a wonderful all-you-can-eat lunch at the very new Fogo de Chao in Center City.

http://www.zagat.com/zagatsearch/zagat_philadelphia.html

·         Entertainment:

o        Cinemas: http://philly.mrmovietimes.com/

o        Cultural: http://www.phillyfunguide.com/

·         Leisure:

o        http://www.gophila.com/C/Things_to_Do/211.html

o        http://www.10best.com/Philadelphia/

o        http://www.philadelphiausa.travel/

 

·         Our great PhillyMamas

WHALASA member’s significant others have been actively organizing many events for all spouses, girlfriends, boyfriends and partners (with or without children). They meet regularly to share experiences and tips about living in Philly as well as to host nice social events for bonding. They also offer you support about work possibilities, housing, shopping, nursery, etc.  If you need any information please contact Paula Brugna Berge at pau_pey@yahoo.com.ar