Tuition-Free Year Sees W. P. Carey School Inundated with Applications

An initiative to grant MBA scholarships to every single member of a program cohort has seen applications almost triple on the previous year’s numbers, taking the US business school in question somewhat off guard as it sought to respond to the demand.

Last year, 443 students applied to the full-time MBA program offered by Arizona State University’s (ASU) W. P. Carey School of Business. This year, the number of applications has surged by 163%, to a provisional total of 1,165, reports the Wall Street Journal. The rise follows the W. P. Carey School’s offer of 120 MBA scholarships for 120 spots in 2016’s entering class.

While many initial queries were simply checking as to whether this was a legitimate offer, the W. P. Carey School’s admissions office has gone on to field sustained interest from well beyond its usual recruiting regions. However, the surge has been something of a strain on the school’s resources, with its dean, Amy Hillman, conceding that demand may have been underestimated.

Even so, the school says it has filled half of the 120 MBA scholarships as of now. While the final deadline for applications has now passed, the school says it will “continue to accept applications on a case-by-case basis for competitive candidates,” but only for domestic applicants. It is holding a webinar later this month for those seeking more information about this possibility.