Fuqua Adds 4th Round Amid Covid-19 Crisis
The third round deadline at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business passed on March 11, 2020. However, the COVID-19 crisis has seriously impacted Round 3 applicants around the world. With test centers shuttered, many prospective students could not take an exam or complete their application on time. In response, Duke Fuqua is adding a 4th round deadline, Shari Hubert, Fuqua's associate dean of admissions, has announced. The new application deadline is May 19, 2020.
Considerations for Fuqua's Round 4 applicants
Keep these points in mind if you plan to apply in this round.
Interviews: All interviews will now occur via Skype with a second-year Daytime MBA student, staff member, or alumnus. "We believe the interview process is critical allowing us to learn more about a student and provide them the chance to interact with a member of the community," Hubert explained.
Standardized Testing: Fuqua accepts both GMAT and GRE scores. Beginning with Round 4, they will now accept the Executive Assessment (EA) without prior approval. Fuqua does not require the official score report at the time of application. Candidates need only to self-report their scores and provide official scores when admitted.
Administrators of the GMAT and GRE tests have made it possible for prospective students to take these tests from a home environment. Please check the GMAC or ETS websites for more information.
Connect with Fuqua: Applicants can schedule a 15-minute chat with a member of the admissions team to ask any questions they have about the admissions process. As a thank you for taking the time to attend a virtual event or speak with us, Fuqua will waive the student’s application fee if they plan on applying in Round 4.
International Students: International students may apply in the new Round 4. Fuqua believes that with the later start date, students should have sufficient time to collect required visa paperwork. However, students should be prepared to move quickly after admission. Keep in mind the possibility of lingering delays in embassies and visas office around the world.
Coronavirus will affect start dates at Fuqua
In addition to Fuqua adding a 4th round, today, we also received the first clear signal of how the coronavirus might affect start dates at business schools this fall. Calling it a "difficult decision," Hubert explained that start dates for the Daytime MBA program have shifted in order to allow as many students as possible to join them in Durham. Orientation will now start on August 31, and classes will begin on September 3, 2020.
Travel restrictions and/or visa processing delays may affect students' ability to make it to campus for the new start date. The AdCom team has prepared for this possibility, Hubert assured. Fuqua plans to offer an option in which people can begin the program online alongside their classmates on the campus. They can then join the cohort in Durham as soon as possible.
Coronavirus will not halt instruction
Hubert acknowledged that the school has closely monitored the trajectory of the pandemic with Duke medical officials. She also believes this delayed start offers the best chance for the whole community to start together physically on campus.
"However, we will hold to these start dates regardless of how the pandemic evolves. We are prepared to start classes with a combination of some students online and others on-campus," Hubert explained. "We are also prepared to start all students online in the unlikely event that public health restrictions prevent us from being on-campus."
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