Dear all, with new school year fast approaching and ongoing visa issues persisting, many have been worried about their ability to engage in curricular practical training. However, there may be a solution that could enable this to remain an option.

Background: To be able to take an internship through curricular practical training, students need to be on the F-1 status for at least 1 full school year.

Current challenge: With many consulates closed and change of status filing taking up to a year's time, it is unlikely that international students will be able to take part in curricular practical training. However, internships are an integral part of the MBA experience and the recruiting process.

Solution and Example: Some peer M7 schools have made internships mandatory for their MBA degree, thus enabling students to engage in curricular practical training even before the full 1-year F-1 status is achieved. This could be a potential solution for Wharton and allow us to the option to attend school this year virtually or in-person, while still being able to intern next summer. I would love to get your support on this and present this as a collective effort with the school.

Wharton has 30% international students with 96 countries represented. Please help us keep that commitment to a global experience.