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.
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:
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:
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.
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.
You can too!