February 12, 2020

2020 Admissions and Coronavirus

As the situation with the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) continues to unfold, some of you have expressed concern about admissions applications, especially in light of temporary US embassy closures and the Presidential Proclamation suspending entry into the U.S. from affected areas.

The Graduate School strongly recommends that you continue to give all applicants full consideration, just as you would have in prior admissions cycles. As President Cauce states in her blog, “We must remain the same welcoming, diverse and global community that we have always been.”  Here are some specific ways you can support the UW’s international community: extend deadlines for applicants who are unable to complete their applications on time (refer to GEMS’ January 31 blog post), and continue to make offers of admissions to your most qualified applicants.

We do not yet know if incoming Summer 2020 or Autumn 2020 students may be impacted. However, if a student who is offered admission is not able to attend due to the impact of novel coronavirus, we encourage you to work with the student to provide them a deferral to another quarter. If a deferral is not possible, please contact GEMS.

Sincerely,

Joy Williamson-Lott 

Graduate School Dean