INSEAD Extending MBA App Deadlines Due To Virus

INSEAD reports the highest average GMAT scores of any European business school. File photo

INSEAD today said it would immediately extend some application deadlines and begin evaluating applications without a standardized test score to deal with the coronavirus outbreak.

In an email to current and prospective applicants, Director of Admissions Virginie Fougea also noted that the school is offering to conduct admission interviews online instead of face-to-face for candidates who have either asked to stay home or have been “feeling uncomfortable to be potentially exposed in a live meeting.” 

Her message comes at a time when all face-to-face classes at the school’s primary campus in Fontainebleu will be shifted online starting March 16th after the French President decided that all universities in France should close until further notice. Thus far, three students at IE Business School in Madrid and one student at IESE Business School, also in Madrid, have confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Michigan Ross also is giving round 3 applicants a new deadline of May 29th, two months later than the original March 30th deadline.

INSEAD HAS CANCELED SOME LARGE EVENTS AT ITS SINGAPORE CAMPUS

Virginie Fougeau, director of admissions and financial aid at INSEAD

Fougea did not indicate how much more time the school would give applicants to complete an application. The school’s round four deadline for the class entering in September of 2020 was supposed to close nine days ago on March 4, while its round one cutoff for the class entering in January of 2021 had been set for two days ago on March 11. The next deadline for that class is May 6th.

The school’s Singapore, Abu Dhabi and San Francisco Hub facilities remain open but visitors must complete a survey before coming to visit. Starting Monday, March Singapore will deny entry or transit to visitors who have been in Italy, France, Spain or Germany in the last 14 days. Singapore already has a similar ban in place for travelers from Iran, South Korea and China.

At the school’s Singapore campus, added Fougea, a crisis management team organized leave of absence, split teams for staff, courses offered via Zoom, limited travel between the campuses and to other countries, temperature checks upon entrance on campus, cancellation of some large events with more than 50 people.

WILL BEGIN EVALUATING APPLICATIONS WITH A GMAT OR GRE

On the admissions side, she wrote, “we have immediately extended some application deadlines as well as offered the possibility to conduct the interviews online instead of face-to-face for those of you who were either asked to stay home or were feeling uncomfortable to be potentially exposed in a live meeting. We will start evaluating applications without GMAT, GRE or EA test scores while waiting for the test centres to reopen. We are examining other options should ETS and Pearson Vue be unable to resume their activities. We will keep you updated regardless of the status of your application with us if we see any other major changes.” 

Fougea expressed her “moral support to those of you who find yourselves in quarantine, unable to go to the office, or experience difficulties professionally or personally because of the current coronavirus context.”

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