November 20, 2019
Dear Graduate Associate Deans,
As you may be aware, recent protests in Iran have resulted in the government taking actions including shutting down internet access nationwide. TOEFL and IELTS tests have been canceled as well due to the protests. These events have made it difficult for many Iranian students to apply to graduate programs, including ours.
Iran is the country of origin for our 6th largest population of international students — representing a significant fraction of the diversity of our graduate student body. I am writing to encourage you to make efforts to accommodate applications from students who may be impacted by these events. This may include extending application deadlines, offering provisional admission contingent on subsequent tests of English proficiency, etc.
I understand that such accommodations can be challenging to manage, especially when there is no certain end date to this disruption, but I encourage you to consider how to allow flexibility given your application processes and timeline. If I can be helpful in providing information or coordinating our response, feel free to reach out. I will provide you with updated information as I receive it.
Best,
Nathan