Organizing Business School Campus Visits & Other MBA Networking Tips

Making connections at your prospective schools is vitally important to the success of your applications. When the AdCom reads your application, they are in part trying to “see” you at their school. The best way for you to demonstrate your fit with the school is to talk about the positive interactions you’ve had with other MBA students, alumni and faculty. This not only shows your fit, but distinguishes you from applicants whose research is limited to what they could do online.

MBA Networking Tip #1: Make the most of out of the campus visit

Campus visits are the most effective way of networking and establishing yourself as candidate for admission. You get a feeling for the school and what a typical day in the life of a MBA student might be like. In a single day, you can usually visit classes, speak to admissions staff, and meet with current students and faculty.

However, not all campus visits are made equal. Sometimes it can be overwhelming to be on campus and your time there can pass in a blur. You may find yourself later struggling to remember important bits of conversations or kicking yourself over a lost opportunity to ask someone a certain question. It is important to:

Take notes. If you are sitting in on a class, be sure to pay attention not only to what is being taught, but how it is being taught (e.g. the professor’s methods and the ways students contribute). When you are talking with someone, be sure to jot down his/her name and class year, as well as anything of substance you talk about.
Check out student clubs and organizations. Make note of how they are run and consider how you would contribute.
Pay attention to how business schools interact with other parts of their universities and the local business communities. Many schools consider their connections to industry and to other academic departments as an important point, and you should consider how you would take advantage of these opportunities.

MBA Networking Tip #2: There are ways to network even if you can’t visit campus

Campus visits may be the most efficient and direct way to establish connections with a school, but are not practical for all applicants, especially international ones. Fortunately, there are many other networking opportunities available, and there is always a way to connect with the school:

Attend an MBA fair. These are a highly efficient way to meet multiple schools at once.
Nearly all schools offer off-campus informational events. Find one near you, or even an online event if there is nothing nearby.
If informational events aren’t available near you, look to see if there are local alumni meetups. Alumni are often willing to speak informally with prospective applicants.
Find alumni in your personal network: colleagues, clients, or business partners.
Make contact directly through email or LinkedIn. At some programs, current MBA students can volunteer as ambassadors and are listed publicly on the school’s website with contact details. But even students who are not listed as ambassadors or alumni are often willing to speak to a prospective applicant who makes a polite, well-informed approach. Find someone with whom you have something in common—a fellow alum of your undergraduate institution, someone from the same industry, or someone originally from the same region or country as you. Ask for a short phone conversation and prepare a few questions beforehand.

MBA Networking Tip #3: Don’t underestimate virtual campus visits

Due to the widespread disruption caused by the coronavirus, MBA programs and their admissions departments have found creative ways to facilitate remote campus visits and other networking activities. In addition to pre-recorded and live campus tours, most top MBA programs host a wide variety of online networking events, ranging from informal coffee chats to virtual admissions fairs and even mock business school classes. These events offer excellent opportunities to learn more about your target program and to make connections with current students. Spend some time researching the virtual events your target program has to offer, identify one or two that would be relevant to your profile, and take advantage of these events while you can.

The importance of making connections

Establishing relationships with current MBA students, faculty and alumni enriches your understanding of what that school can do for you—and what you can do for the school. It is important to make these connections and to relate what you learned in your application materials.