Business school admissions teams may review applicants’ social media pages to identify candidates’ suitability for a program. This means that as an applicant, you can strategically use social media to your advantage.
Whether you’re looking to enhance your personal brand or craft the best MBA application essay, leveraging social media can make a significant difference.
Here are five ways you can use social media for your business school application.
1. Craft a standout MBA essay
Writing a personalized MBA essay is essential for demonstrating to admissions teams that you’re an ideal candidate for their program.
With thorough social media research of schools’ official social media channels, you can gain valuable insights into the school’s ethos, culture, and the qualities that the admissions team look for in applicants. This includes learning about alumni career paths, the work of student associations, and other key topics relevant to the school community.
This knowledge can help you articulate how you plan to leverage the school’s unique opportunities to advance your career goals. By demonstrating your genuine interest in their specific program and showing how your values align with the school’s, you can make a compelling case for why you deserve a spot in the business school classroom.
2. Discover virtual and in-person events on social media
With the rise of online events since the pandemic, social media platforms have become a primary avenue for schools and organizations to promote and livestream both online and in-person events.
By following business schools on social media, you can stay updated on upcoming events and Q&A sessions specifically geared towards business school applicants.
Attending in-person events gives you a unique opportunity to interact with admissions teams, ask questions, and network with potential future classmates. However, if you’re unable to attend, recorded sessions uploaded to YouTube can be equally beneficial. These sessions often shed light on the attributes that individual schools are looking for in candidates and provide detailed information about the recruitment process.
3. Use forums for current students and graduates
Forums such as the MBA Applicant Hub can be invaluable resources for insider tips and advice from current students and graduates. This online community for business school candidates provides a friendly space for networking, asking questions, and learning from each other throughout your MBA application journey.
While social media can provide a wealth of information, it’s always essential to verify any details with reliable sources, such as official business school websites. Forums, however, offer honest firsthand accounts and advice on every stage of the application process.
Whether you’re curious about the best time to apply or the importance of extracurricular activities, you're likely to find someone who has faced similar challenges and can offer useful advice.
4. Create a strong LinkedIn profile to reflect your personal brand
LinkedIn is a crucial platform for business school applicants, as admissions teams may review your profile to gain a broader understanding of your professional trajectory.
Direct and concise answers are essential in your business school application, which may require you to cut out details on some of your professional experiences. This is where a well-crafted LinkedIn profile can fill in gaps that might not be covered in your application, so you’ll want to ensure that all facts and dates are consistent across your LinkedIn profile and resume.
For instance, while business school applications typically allow a limit of two letters of recommendation, LinkedIn allows you to gather multiple recommenders.
Another way to demonstrate your knowledge and enthusiasm for your industry is by actively engaging with content related to your business interests on LinkedIn. To an admissions team, this demonstrates your capacity to contribute to enriching classroom discussions.
5. Clean up your digital presence
Maintaining a consistent personal brand means ensuring that your online presence aligns with the professional image you want to project.
While an admissions team may not necessarily conduct a deep dive into your social media pages, a simple Google search can reveal a lot. If a search of your name highlights a controversial Facebook post from years ago rather than your recent achievements and professional engagements, it’s a good time to evaluate your digital footprint.
This might involve adjusting your privacy settings to limit who can see your content or going through old social media content which you may have forgotten about.
If you choose to keep your accounts public, sharing content about your internships, volunteer experiences, and other significant aspects of your application can reinforce your personal brand and enhance the overall strength of your application.
By leveraging social media strategically, you can enhance your application and stand out as a strong and savvy business school candidate who knows how to use social media to get ahead.
