Your Social Media: Making The Right Impression on MBA Admissions

Social media is playing a bigger role in MBA admissions. A 2021 Kaplan survey found that nearly 36% of admissions officers polled report visiting applicants’ social media profiles to learn more about them.

But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. While applicants still need to keep a clean image online, experts say social media can—in many ways—offer a platform to showcase what makes them unique. Lisa Bevill, a Fortuna Admissions coach and the former MBA Admissions Director at IE Business School, recently discussed the key ways that applicants can use social media to their advantage.

GOOGLE YOURSELF

First thing’s first: you’ll want to ensure that there isn’t anything negative tied to your name on the internet. Bevill recommends doing a Google search of yourself to start.

“If there are any mentions about you on the first few pages that could hurt your application, edit or remove inappropriate content,” Bevill writes. “Then view your social media profiles from a public perspective (logged out) to see how much, and what, pops up.”

In addition to things like drug references, sexual comments, and profanity, Bevill says applicants should also keep an eye out for any social media rants that they’ve posted in the past.

“Now more than ever, social media blurs the lines between professional and personal, so it’s best to exercise caution,” Bevill writes. “While shorthand has become acceptable across electronic media, profiles rife with grammar and spelling mistakes won’t inspire confidence about your writing skills.”

USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO HIGHLIGHT YOUR INTERESTS AND FURTHER YOUR NETWORK

While applicants still need to exercise caution in their social media use, Bevill says, it doesn’t mean they should steer clear of posting anything.

“Social media can be an excellent took for showing admissions committees your authentic self in a less formal manner, which may actually be able to provide a clear picture of who you are and what matters to you in your extra-curriculars,” Bevill writes.

In fact, one of the smartest ways to use social media, as an applicant, is to showcase your interests.

“If your Facebook shows photos of you at a recent beach volleyball tournament, and your Instagram exhibits pictures of your wood-working creations, while your LinkedIn highlights your volunteer experience, we encourage you to share all of that,” Beville writes.

On top of showing your personal interests on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, it’s also wise to show engagement on professional platforms such as LinkedIn. Beville recommends that applicants follow their target schools and find ways to strategically engage with the community.

“This allows you to stay connected and apprised of the latest program news, and deepen your understanding of each institution,” Beville writes. “A well-considered comment may catch the attention of an admissions committee member. Unlike Facebook, LinkedIn is also an appropriate channel to contact alumni networks or groups.”

Sources: Fortuna Admissions, Inside Higher Ed

Next Page: Why Carnegie Mellon rules in analytics.

Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University

Interested in Data Analytics? Apply to This B-School

If you’re intent on an analytics-focused online MBA program, you might want to consider Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business. Tepper’s online MBA (OMBA) program, which ranked number two in P&Q’s “Top Online MBA’s” ranking, offers students a strong foundation in advanced analytics with an emphasis on leadership development as well.

Fortune recently spoke to experts about some of the aspects that make Tepper’s OMBA program truly unique, including its flexible program format selection, focus in data analytics, and tight-knit community.

“The common thread is that the students who are interested in Tepper are really interested in the value proposition of the combination of leadership and analytics,” Kelly R. Wilson, Tepper’s executive director of masters admissions, tells Fortune.

FLEXIBLE CHOICE IN PROGRAM FORMAT

One of the key benefits of Tepper is the ability for students to freely choose from the business school’s three MBA program formats: full-time in-person, part-time online, or part-time flex. Applicants don’t need to submit separate applications for each format and are evaluated by the same criteria for all three.

“The pedagogy is the same regardless of program delivery format. We have the same standards for admission” among all MBA programs, Wilson tells Fortune. “The program itself allows for students to transfer between programs, which is not something that you’ll find to be a typical aspect of an MBA program.”

AN EMPHASIS IN DATA

Students who are particularly interested in the intersection of data analytics and business will find Tepper’s curriculum to be a perfect match.

“Because I’m in a technology field, it was important to me to have an MBA that was very data science focused,” Lou Godmer, a principal software engineering manager at Microsoft, who started the Tepper MBA program this year, tells Fortune. “The Carnegie Mellon program definitely fits that bill.”

The B-school’s curriculum is filled with a variety of data analytics-focused courses.

“Our curriculum includes training in advanced analytics with courses like optimization and statistical decision making, as well as several electives that meet our analytical depth requirement to ensure students are prepared to transform data into useful information that drives decisions,” Cindy McCauley, Executive Director of Online Masters Programs at Tepper School of Business, tells P&Q.

A TIGHT-KNIT COMMUNITY

Collaboration is core to Tepper’s community. The program specifically seeks out students who can contribute to the diverse population of unique backgrounds and even asks applicants to demonstrate how their own background has shaped their identity in the required admissions essay prompt:

The Tepper community is dynamic and unique. Each community member’s individual journey has shaped them into classmates who are collaborative, supportive, and inclusive. Describe how you have overcome adversity during your journey. What did you learn about yourself and how has that shaped who you are?

Tepper’s admissions officers say the essay prompt plays a key role in showing them whether or not an applicant is truly the right fit for Tepper or not.

“Just to uncover how they’ve handled those types of situations gives us a sense of how they will contribute to the community, but also how they’ll perform through their experience at Tepper and beyond,” Wilson tells Fortune.

Sources: Fortune, Tepper School of Business, P&Q

Next Page: Making your application stand out.

Want Your Application to Stand Out? Here’s What You Need to Know

MBA applications jumped nearly 18% this year at the top 25 business schools when compared to 2019. With more people applying to business school, it’s more critical than ever for applicants to have an effective MBA application strategy.

Stacy Blackman, founder of Stacy Blackman Consulting, recently discussed some of the most popular patterns of today’s MBA application landscape and how applicants can put their best foot forward with a winning MBA application strategy.

SOFT SKILLS ARE KING

Soft skills are non-technical skills that are essential to effective collaboration, critical thinking, and time management. In recent years, these skills have taken the spotlight—especially in the business world.

At business schools, such as NYU’s Stern and Yale School of Management, MBA applications now include EQ (emotional intelligence) endorsements and behavioral assessments—all aimed at gauging an applicant’s soft skill strengths.

A winning MBA application strategy places a strong focus on highlighting soft skills.

“The days when the ‘hard’ skills of analytical and strategic thinking dominated are over,” Blackman writes. “Now, it’s oral and written communication, presentation, adaptability, and the ability to negotiate that companies want the schools to teach.”

THE RISE OF VIDEO

Increasingly, business schools are turning to video interviews to gauge how applicants think on their feet and to get a better sense of who they are off-paper.

“Digital elements such as videos allow the admissions committee to see an applicant’s presentation and interpersonal skills,” Blackman writes. “This helps them determine if you are confident and if you have any communication faults. Programs want candidates to be authentic. They also want to evaluate an applicant’s creativity and ability to think on their feet.”

HIGH COMPETITION IN TECH

Finance is no longer the only big player at B-schools. In recent years, tech has become more and more synonymous with the MBA. If you’re an applicant with a tech background, you’ll want to highlight what makes you unique.

“Applicants from companies including Google, Amazon, Uber, and LinkedIn are applying in high numbers,” Blackman writes. “Candidates from startup tech companies are also a more prominent presence in the applicant pool. This means that tech applicants may find the process more competitive this season.”

Sources: Stacy Blackman Consulting, P&Q

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