Fact check: What college admission requirements did Donald Trump meet for Wharton School?

1. Summary of the results

The analyses provided do not explicitly state the college admission requirements that Donald Trump met for Wharton School ^[1]. However, they suggest that Trump's admission to Wharton was facilitated by a family friend, James Nolan, who was an admissions officer at the University of Pennsylvania ^[2]. According to Nolan, Trump's brother Fred Trump Jr. requested that he interview Trump, and Nolan gave him a decent rating to support his candidacy ^[2]. Additionally, the sources indicate that Trump transferred from Fordham University and graduated from Wharton in 1968 ^[3]. It is also mentioned that Wharton wasn't as difficult to get into in the mid-1960s as it is today, with Penn accepting 40% of all applicants at the time ^[4]. The lack of transparency surrounding Trump's academic records is also a recurring theme, with his attorney, Michael Cohen, threatening colleges with lawsuits if his records were released ^[4].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

A key piece of missing context is the actual admission requirements for Wharton School at the time of Trump's application ^[1]. The sources do not provide information on the specific criteria used to evaluate Trump's candidacy, such as his GPA, test scores, or other factors ^[5]. Additionally, there are alternative viewpoints on Trump's academic abilities, with a former Wharton professor, William Kelley, reportedly calling Trump 'the dumbest goddamn student I ever had' ^[3]. On the other hand, Trump has referred to his Wharton degree as 'super genius stuff' ^[2]. The acceptance rate at Wharton during the 1960s is also an important context, with some sources suggesting that it was higher than it is today ^[4]. Furthermore, the role of James Nolan in Trump's admission process is not fully understood, with some sources suggesting that he may have played a significant role in facilitating Trump's admission ^[2].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement may be misleading in that it implies that Trump met certain admission requirements for Wharton School, when in fact, the sources suggest that his admission was facilitated by a family friend and that the actual requirements are unknown ^[1]. Trump and his supporters may benefit from this framing, as it suggests that Trump's admission to Wharton was based on his academic merit, rather than his family connections ^[2]. On the other hand, Trump's critics may argue that his admission to Wharton was not based on his academic abilities, but rather on his family's influence and connections ^[3]. The media outlets that have reported on this story may also have a bias, with some sources suggesting that they have a liberal or conservative slant ^[4]. Ultimately, the lack of transparency surrounding Trump's academic records makes it difficult to determine the accuracy of the original statement ^[4].