As the virus plagues the country with infirmity, doubt, and uncertainty, admissions experts gauge the possibility of a drop in the number of applications going from India to other international MBA programs in the first round of 2021.
MBA aspirants face grave unpredictability as the number of countries banning travel from India progressively increases. On Friday, the Biden administration announced that travel from India to the U.S would be restricted beginning from 4th May 2021. Nonetheless, Several families are dealing with personal losses in the disabling pandemic, further extending displacement.
However, support is being offered to Indian business school candidates to tackle this impotence.
The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), a global voice for leading business schools, and the proprietor of the GMAT Exam expressed their concerns for aspiring candidates. The council ensured the implementation of stringent precautionary measures in their test centers to help graduates pursue their management education goals.
GMAT scores are often a mandatory requirement for admission into business schools. As the GMAT Exam can now be given online, Indian MBA applicants can also give this test from their homes, overcoming the hindrance of travel and migration.
Manish Gupta, a renowned admissions consultant at MBA Crystal Ball, suggests that it would be better if candidates defer their studies until the year 2022. ”A year later, the world would be a much better place for MBA students,” says Manish.
Refusing to sit idle in such a situation, seven MBA admits to the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania decided to launch the ‘Students Fight Covid-19’ initiative. They offered to use their expertise and help organizations deal with a critical shortage of oxygen supply, ventilators, and appropriate medications by raising significant donations for those under distress.
This selfless movement drove several other MBA applicants to do the same and inspired the youth to fight against this disease as one strong unit.
They’re essentially requesting donations in exchange for valuable tips for essays and resumes, career counseling, GMAT/GRE preparation tactics, and advice. These donations are directed towards established non-profit organizations supplying required aid and resources to the ones most severely affected.
There is hope that 2022 would present a completely different picture as compared to now, owing to the increasing rate of vaccination and the development of advanced treatment options. Nevertheless, a simultaneous rise in other contagious variants of the virus has also been noted and cannot be disregarded.
A few business schools have attempted to procure a plan that would enable them to operate even in a Covid-19 environment. These plans were implemented in the form of ‘hybrid classes’ However, a rise in the number of cases on campus caused them to fall back to the traditional way of dealing with the virus, i.e., shifting online.
As attempts at reopening fail to succeed, remote classes have amassed significant popularity. The graduate community continues to adapt to these trying times, making use of available resources for their own growth and utilizing their expertise for the prosperity of the country.
