ALUSB Admissions Q&A: How will COVID-19 affect my MBA application?

Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing for the MBA programme at ALU School of Business

In these times of great uncertainty, you might be wondering how business school admissions processes might have been affected. We sat down with Jacob Dodoo, Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at ALU School of Business (ALUSB), to update you on any changes that the MBA programme has gone through as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

How was ALUSB able to adapt its MBA programme when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out?

“We’re proud of what faculty and staff have been able to accomplish amidst unprecedented uncertainty …”

The ALUSB MBA comprises a blended learning model, which means that we combine interactive, online education with in-class sessions in Kigali, Rwanda, which are week-long experiences that we call “intensives”. Given lockdown restrictions this year, ALUSB decided to continue running its online components uninterrupted and review the timing and delivery of in-person sessions. We’re proud of what faculty and staff have been able to accomplish amidst unprecedented uncertainty and the feedback from students has been really positive. 

As countries locked down across the continent and travel restrictions were put into place, we took the decision to postpone the matriculation date for the March 2020 MBA entrants to October 2020. As they prepare to start their programme in October, our incoming students will commence their learning with a brand new MBA prep programme, launching in July 2020.

 

In what way has COVID-19 affected the overall MBA programme?

The ALUSB MBA is a pan-African programme, drawing students from across the continent. As long as the global health risk remains high, we will seek to leverage our online capability and conduct as much learning as possible online. To make sure that the students can still benefit from the networking advantages of this pan-African MBA, we’ve incorporated more student activities to the intensive schedules as possible, to accommodate cohort bonding while providing additional networking opportunities with other MBAs from Africa and around the world! 

 

How is the ALUSB Admissions team assisting students through their MBA application in the midst of the pandemic?

The admissions process for applicants to our MBA programme remains the same. The entire application process is online and one good thing about working from home is that potential applicants have some additional time to work on their MBA applications.

“… offering hands-on service and guidance to all applicants is the number one priority for the ALUSB Admissions team.”

As always, offering hands-on service and guidance to all applicants is the number one priority for the ALUSB Admissions team. We can be reached via email, WhatsApp, and phone. We also offer various online webinars on Zoom, in order to assist applicants in submitting stellar applications, while ensuring that their questions are answered. The ALUSB MBA “Virtual Application Clinic” is a Zoom webinar where the Admissions team presents applicants with a detailed overview of the ALUSB Admissions process. Similarly, the “How to Fund your ALUSB MBA” webinar is designed to share details on the funding options we offer, as well as to help applicants think constructively about how to fund their MBA. Don’t miss our next ‘How to Fund your ALUSB MBA’ webinar, which is coming up on Wednesday, 17 June

 

If travel restrictions are still in place before the new MBA class matriculates, will the start of the programme be delayed? 

ALUSB is investigating the possibility of running an online matriculation and intensive in October if travel restrictions persist. If this is approved, then there will be no delay to the start of the October 2020 MBA programme. 

 

What could be the potential setbacks and constraints as a result of the current situation for students who want to apply for ALUSB MBA scholarships? 

There will be no constraints for anyone that wants to apply for any of the ALUSB MBA scholarships. In fact, we have introduced new scholarships to diversify the perspectives in our MBA classrooms. I urge applicants to check them out in the financing section of our website. 

 

Do you have any work from home tips for current students?

The whole ALUSB team is also working from home at the moment! A few tips that have helped me in transitioning to remote work are:

  • Having a designated workspace or home office in your home.
  • Having clearly defined working hours and taking regular, short breaks to stretch, breathe and clear my mind.
  • Listening to podcasts on a daily basis.
  • Communicate, communicate, over-communicate with your team!  Keep aligning on deliverables and be sure to also check in with them regularly to ask how they are doing. It is better to over-communicate than to under-communicate.

 

What message do you have for anyone that is interested in joining the ALUSB MBA programme?

“At ALU School of Business, we are building a community of change-makers who are leading at the frontiers of pan-African business.”

African Leadership University is transforming education on the continent. At ALU School of Business, we are building a community of change-makers who are leading at the frontiers of pan-African business. Come be a part of our community and be inspired by the amazing work that is being done across Africa to drive this continent forward while transforming yourself as a leader. If this is something that excites you, then this programme is definitely for you! 

You heard the man! Start your application today at:  https://bit.ly/ApplyNowO20!  

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