Making Connections That Get You Into B-School
Making connections with others is part of our DNA. Yet, it’s also something many MBA applicants overlook or don’t realize is an essential aspect of the B-school application process. Today, we’re exploring how you can connect with faculty, students, and alums at your target schools. Doing so allows you to learn which MBA programs are the right fit for you, but there are other benefits, too. From the promise of new friendships to making professional contacts and discovering networking opportunities, the advantages are plentiful.
Chandler Arnold, SBC consultant and co-host of the B-Schooled podcast, offered many tips for making connections as an MBA applicant in episode #153. We’re sharing the highlights here and invite you to listen to the pod for that deep dive experience.
Curious about your chances of getting into a top B-school? Contact us to talk strategy with a free 15-minute advising session with an SBC Principal Consultant.
Tip #1: Take Advantage of Online Opportunities
With the shift to virtual platforms, the need to physically visit campuses to connect with students, faculty, and staff has diminished. This has opened up a wealth of information and networking opportunities previously only available through in-person interactions. The admissions office and various departments, student clubs, and organizations now host many virtual events, making it easier for prospective students to learn more about their programs.
Explore the school’s website to see what conferences or virtual events are on the calendar. Frequently, these events are open to anyone. But don’t dismiss those explicitly geared toward students and alums. If you see an upcoming event that piques your interest, don’t hesitate to ask the organizers if you can participate. Often, they are happy to accommodate prospective students as well.
This is a terrific way to connect with someone on campus who shares your passions. Even if they can’t include you in the event, the organizer might still be up for a chat to discuss their experiences or that specific effort.
Tip #2: Reach Out to Co-Presidents of Student Clubs and Extracurriculars That Interest You
Whether you’re passionate about marketing, finance, or healthcare, identify with a cultural affinity group, or are a massive fan of winter sports or dance, there’s a club for you at business school. Research who the co-presidents are (this information often appears on the school website) and reach out to them. Sometimes, you’ll see the student’s name and email, but if you only have the name, try to connect through LinkedIn.
Politely ask if they would be willing to spend 15 minutes talking to you about their experience at the school. Remember to treat these interactions with the same professionalism and thoughtfulness as you would with an admissions committee member. Be respectful of their time and input. You never know what connections there might be behind the scenes.
The 10 Best Questions to Ask an MBA Student or Alum
Tip #3: Try Making Connections with Alums
Reaching out to alums can feel intimidating, but don’t let it be. “As an alum myself, I can tell you that most of us love reliving our MBA experiences and really enjoy connecting with and talking to prospective students,” host Chandler says on the podcast. Ideally, you should try to connect with alums with whom you have something in common. But don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
It’s also not a dead-end if you don’t know any B-school alums—that’s typical for applicants from non-traditional backgrounds. If this is your situation, contact the admissions office and ask if they could connect you with an alum in your field or affinity group. Explain that you love their program but don’t know anyone who’s ever attended business school, and you’d like to hear firsthand about the experience.
Another option is to investigate the school’s website and/or alumni publications. Look for profiles of current or former students who align with your interests. Then, consider reaching out via LinkedIn.
Many of my clients have been able to say something like, “I’m coming from the entertainment world. I want to go to Fuqua and do X, Y, and Z after graduation. Oh, wow. Here’s an alum from Fuqua who’s doing X, Y, Z who came from a similar background.” Suddenly, they’ve identified someone ten years ahead in their career progression who came from a similar spot.—Chandler Arnold
Be honest about your questions and embrace the fact that you’re in a learning phase. You’re hoping to speak with those farther along in their journeys. This humility and eagerness to learn can be a powerful tool in your networking efforts.
Finally, if your undergraduate institution has an active alum network, that might be another great resource to connect to alums from your target school. You’d be surprised by how willing people are to introduce you to others who might have attended a school or program you’re interested in.
Tip #4: Take Advantage of National Affinity Groups
Prospective MBA applicants looking for deeper insights into the MBA experience can also benefit from connecting with national affinity groups. Organizations such as the National Black MBA Association, ROMBA, Prospanica, and Forte Foundation, among others, provide valuable resources, including networking opportunities, mentorship programs, and exclusive access to school events.
By joining these groups, applicants can meet current students and alums with similar backgrounds or professional interests, offering a more personal perspective on what to expect from different MBA programs.
- The 2024 ROMBA Conference will be held in Los Angeles, CA, from September 26-28, 2024.
- The Prospanica Conference and Career Expo takes place in Orlando, FL, October 29-31, 2024.
Many of these organizations also host annual conferences and career fairs where applicants can meet admissions representatives, ask questions, and gain firsthand exposure to various schools. These conversations allow you to learn more about the school and determine if it’s a perfect fit for you.
Meaningful Connections in Your MBA Journey
By making connections with faculty, students, alums, and affinity groups, MBA applicants gain deeper insights into the programs and expand their professional and social networks.
If you’re on campus, take advantage of the casual opportunities to connect. A campus coffee shop, bookstore, or a stroll through the quad are all potential places to strike up conversations. The joy you derive from these unexpected encounters can fuel your excitement about networking.
Whether virtually or in person, each interaction is an opportunity to learn, grow, and discover where you truly belong. So, embrace these opportunities to connect—it could make all the difference in your MBA admissions journey.
***
Stacy Blackman Consulting offers multiple services to meet your MBA application needs. From our All-In Partnership to interview prep, essay editing, resume review, and much more, we’ve got you covered. Contact us today for a free 15-minute advising session to talk strategy with a Principal SBC consultant.
Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our SBC team.
Ashley
Ashley is a former MBA Admissions Board Member for Harvard Business School (HBS), where she interviewed and evaluated thousands of business school applicants for over a six year tenure. Ashley holds an MBA from HBS. During her HBS years, Ashley was the Sports Editor for the Harbus and a member of the B-School Blades Ice Hockey Team. After HBS, she worked in Marketing at the Gillette Company on Male and Female shaving ...
×Kerry
Kerry is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS). During her 5+ year tenure at HBS, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a wide range of backgrounds across the globe. She also led marketing and outreach efforts focused on increasing diversity and inclusion, ran the Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP), and launched the 2+2 Program during her time in Admissions. Kerry holds a B.A. from Bates College and ...
×Pauline
A former associate director of admissions at Harvard Business School, Pauline served on the HBS MBA Admissions Board full-time for four years. She evaluated and interviewed HBS applicants, both on-campus and globally. Pauline's career has included sales and marketing management roles with Coca-Cola, Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and IBM. For over 10 years, Pauline has expertly guided MBA applicants, and her clients h ...
×Geri
Geri is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS). In her 7 year tenure in HBS Admissions, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a diverse set of academic, geographic, and employment backgrounds. Geri also traveled globally representing the school at outreach events in order to raise awareness for women and international students. In additio ...
×Laura
Laura comes from the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS) and is an HBS MBA alumnus. In her HBS Admissions role, she evaluated and interviewed hundreds of business school candidates, including internationals, women, military and other applicant pools, for five years. Prior to her time as a student at HBS, Laura began her career in advertising and marketing in Chicago at Leo Burnett where she worked on th ...
×Andrea
Andrea served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years. In this role, she provided strategic direction for student yield-management activities and also served as a full member of the admissions committee. In 2007, Andrea launched the new 2+2 Program at Harvard Business School – a program targeted at college junior applicants to Harvard Business School. Andrea has also served as a Career Coach for Harvard Business School for both cu ...
×Jennifer
Jennifer served as Admissions Officer at the Stanford (GSB) for five years. She holds an MBA from Stanford (GSB) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Jennifer has over 15 years experience in guiding applicants through the increasingly competitive admissions process into top MBA programs. Having read thousands and thousands of essays and applications while at Stanford (GSB) Admiss ...
×Erin K.
Erin served in key roles in MBA Admissions--as Director at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Assistant Director at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB). Erin served on the admissions committee at each school and has read thousands of applications in her career. At Haas, she served for seven years in roles that encompassed evaluation, outreach, and diversity and inclusion. During her tenure in Admissions at GSB, she was responsible for candidate evaluation, applicant outreach, ...
×Susie
Susie comes from the Admissions Office of the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she reviewed and evaluated hundreds of prospective students’ applications. She holds an MBA from Stanford’s GSB and a BA from Stanford in Economics. Prior to advising MBA applicants, Susie held a variety of roles over a 15-year period in capital markets, finance, and real estate, including as partner in one of the nation’s most innovative finance and real estate investment organizations. In that r ...
×Dione
Dione holds an MBA degree from Stanford Business School (GSB) and a BA degree from Stanford University, where she double majored in Economics and Communication with concentrations in journalism and sociology. Dione has served as an Admissions reader and member of the Minority Admissions Advisory Committee at Stanford. Dione is an accomplished and respected advocate and thought leader on education and diversity. She is ...
×Anthony
Anthony served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise. During his time as a Wharton Admissions Officer, he read and reviewed thousands of applications and helped bring in a class of 800+ students a year. Anthony has traveled both domestically and internationally to recruit a ...
×Meghan
Meghan served as the Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute, a joint degree program combining the Wharton MBA with an MA in International Studies. In her role on the Wharton MBA admissions committee, Meghan advised domestic and international applicants; conducted interviews and information sessions domestically and overseas in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe; and evaluated applicants for admission to the program. Meghan also managed ...
×Amy
Amy comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was Associate Director. Amy devoted 12 years at the Wharton School, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team. During her tenure at Wharton, Amy served as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students. She conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions ...
×Ally
Ally brings six years of admissions experience to the SBC team, most recently as an Assistant Director of Admission for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS). During her time at Columbia, Ally was responsible for reviewing applications, planning recruitment events, and interviewing candidates for both the full-time MBA program and the Executive MBA program. She traveled both internationally and dome ...
×Erin B.
Erin has over seven years of experience working across major institutions, including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, and NYU's Stern School of Business. At Columbia Business School, Erin was an Assistant Director of Admissions where she evaluated applications for both the full time and executive MBA programs, sat on the admissions and merit scholarship committees and advised applicants on which program might be the best fit for them based on their work experience and pro ...
×Emma
Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director. Emma conducted dozens of interviews each cycle for the MBA and EMBA programs, as well as coordinating the alumni ambassador interview program. She read and evaluated hundreds of applications each cycle, delivered information sessions to audiences across the globe, and advised countless waitlisted applicants. ×
