In light of all the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, many of our nation’s elite universities assured the Class of 2020 batch of high school seniors that they could choose to take a gap year if they so wished. However, our nation’s top MBA programs were not all as flexible with admission to their programs. As Patrick Thomas points out in a Wall Street Journal piece entitled “Top MBA Programs Split on Whether Accepted Students Can Skip the Fall,” “Business schools are weighing whether to allow admitted students to postpone enrollment by a year or two as colleges and universities across the U.S. grapple with whether and how to reopen campuses this fall.” Ultimately, liberal deferral options for admitted MBA students were a short-lived solution to a problem that has since been resolved, so current MBA applicants should note that schools will not be as forgiving when it comes to requests for gap years.

Some MBA Programs Are More Flexible with Deferrals Than Others

Columbia Business School and the Yale School of Management never changed their deferral policies. For example, “Columbia Business School does not offer deferrals,” CBS’ website reads. “Students must start the program at the entry point for which they were admitted.” Even in the face of another world-halting disruption, our Ivy Coach crystal ball does not predict that students admitted to these schools will ever be able to defer their admission.

Meanwhile, Harvard Business School asserted that any student who wished to defer their admission would have that option, a policy that has since been phased out. In fact, the only students allowed to defer their admission to HBS are those admitted via the 2+2 Program, which “is a deferred admission process for current students, either in college or full-time master’s degree programs…comprised of at least two years of professional work experience followed by two years in the regular HBS MBA Program.”

On the other end of the spectrum, the Stanford Graduate School of Business handles things a little bit differently. In fact, Stanford GSB allows applicants to “request up to three years of deferral when you apply. Based on our assessment of your application, we may offer a deferral for a different amount of time than you request.” As far as requesting a deferral after you’ve gained admission to GSB, they will typically only allow students to defer their admission for military service or medical reasons. So much for pandemic-era exceptions.

The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School notified international applicants that they can apply for a deferral during the 2020-21 admissions cycle. It stated that “deferrals will be granted based on the needs of the class.” However, now that we’ve returned to normalcy, their policy is much more strict, as stated on their website: “All deferral and extension requests are handled on a case-by-case basis, and it is our general practice not to grant deferrals and extensions, except in extenuating circumstances.” This strict policy should be considered when planning your application strategy.

How Ivy Coach Helps Future Titans of Industry Get Into Top Business Schools

Are you surprised that top MBA programs aren’t more flexible? Unsure of how to best take advantage of the years leading up to your MBA applications? Ivy Coach has you covered. We have the experience and track record to help you optimize your odds of admission to a highly selective MBA program via a singular hook. Thought this Ivy Coach specialty was only for college admissions? Think again! Your ’singular hook’ is the unique pursuit that successful MBA applicants have used to distinguish themselves, often centered around their professional passion.

If you’re interested in learning more about optimizing your odds of admission to a top MBA program with the help of Ivy Coach’s Deirdre Duckett, a former Harvard Business School admissions officer, fill out our complimentary consultation form, and we’ll be in touch with an outline of our MBA admissions services.