How Covid-19 Is Affecting Wharton MBA Applications

The coronavirus pandemic has taken postgraduate education by storm, from classes and exams moving online to student petitions asking for tuition fee relief.

The Wharton School is one of the schools that had to quickly adapt when the outbreak began to take shape in the US. Since April 29 2020, as the state of Pennsylvania prepares to reopen slowly, and with caution, the school has been operating in an “unprecedented environment”. 

In a video message published on the school’s website, President Amy Gutman said: “I am so proud [of the Penn community]. It takes grit and courage to run toward challenges rather than away, to set aside how we’ve always done things in order to do the most good for others.

“Penn people are resilient, teaching and learning online, while physically apart, finding new ways of being more connected, and conducting life-saving research under the strictest protocols and the greatest time pressure.”

First-year MBA student Caitlin Lohrenz added: “For the faculty it [moving to online] means drastically changing lesson plans. For students it means postponing many events that took months of coordination and preparation. However, during a time of complete uncertainty, fear, and disappointment, everyone adapted quickly and willingly.”

But faculty and students aren’t the only ones who have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. In fact, for many b-school candidates trying to complete the application process to start their MBA in the upcoming year, there seems to be a big question mark for what lies ahead. 

Here’s an up-to-date overview of Wharton’s response to Covid-19 and everything you need to know about admissions.

Wharton has made the executive decision of cancelling its Spring Welcome Weekend, where admitted students get to meet and connect with school faculty and staff. The school’s team is currently working on a virtual alternative.

The deadline for Advance Access, a deferred admission program that allows candidates fresh out of undergrad and grad school to get into the Wharton MBA before undertaking the necessary work experience, has been moved to May 27 2020.

It’s unclear whether interviews will still be conducted in-person. Wharton is awaiting more instructions from the state-wide Covid-19 response and has said it might replace in-person interviews with virtual ones and team-based discussions. The school said it is “confident” that faculty and staff will be able to offer Wharton’s “trademark energy and commitment” to all candidates.