{"id":33462,"date":"2026-05-07T10:36:30","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T14:36:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/?p=33462"},"modified":"2026-05-07T10:37:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T14:37:21","slug":"using-social-media-for-your-mba-application","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/using-social-media-for-your-mba-application\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use Social Media When Applying to Business School"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Whether you love social media or hate it, you cannot afford to ignore it when you are applying to business school!<\/span> You should assume that admissions committees will assess how your character and interests are reflected in your social media and general online presence\u2014just as firms do during the recruiting process. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

In a\u00a0<\/span>2023 survey by Kaplan<\/span><\/a>, 67% of the admissions officers polled said that they believe an applicant\u2019s social media is \u201cfair game\u201d when their candidacy is being evaluated (up from 65% in 2020 and 57% in 2018), and we expect that this practice will only continue to grow in prevalence. You therefore need to ensure that anything on your social media that is within your control supports the personal brand you want to portray and are working to cultivate in your application. At a minimum, Google yourself to view the results, use the \u201cpublic viewing\u201d feature available on several social media platforms, delete anything that could call into question your credibility as an MBA candidate and potentially successful student, and adjust your privacy settings accordingly!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Kim<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

We recommend paying special attention to your LinkedIn profile, given that the site is designed specifically for professional networking and career development. Ensure that your profile fully aligns with the key details in your application, including your past employers, job titles, and dates of employment. Some schools even request that you provide your LinkedIn profile URL in the application. Building a robust LinkedIn profile, especially if you do not already have one, could also prove beneficial during the job recruiting process, both for internships and for full-time, post-MBA employment. In addition, it can demonstrate your genuine passion for your career goals, based on the posts you engage with and the companies and groups you follow.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you <\/span>enjoy<\/span><\/i> social media, leverage it to your advantage! Essentially all the top-ranked MBA programs are active on social media, which can be a fantastic way to research the various schools and assess mutual fit, while also providing essay fodder for why you want to attend a specific school. Two-way communication is another key benefit of social media, and many MBA programs not only appreciate but also encourage active engagement. By participating in conversations about a school\u2019s blog posts, video content, or press releases via thoughtful, relevant, and intelligent commentary, you can demonstrate your genuine interest in the program. This is also a great way to stay up-to-date on key admissions events and information and to show the school that you are someone who will be actively involved with the community as part of the MBA program.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Tip<\/strong><\/th>Purpose and Benefits<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Audit and clean up profiles<\/td>Remove red flags; ensure professionalism; assume your social media accounts will be reviewed by the admissions committees<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Use privacy settings wisely<\/td>Control what admissions officers can see, especially for platforms outside of LinkedIn<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Build an authentic brand<\/td>Show genuine interest in current and future career path(s), extracurricular activities, and passion projects<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Optimize LinkedIn<\/td>Highlight professional experience, achievements, and awards; engage with your network and show support and genuine enthusiasm for others\u2019 success<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Engage with schools<\/td>Demonstrate interest; gather insights and new developments from your target schools; use to further evaluate fit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Leverage for networking<\/td>Access events, connect with alumni, students, and admissions representatives<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ideally, you want your business school application to indicate to the admissions committee that you are a multidimensional, dynamic person who participates in and contributes positively to society. Social media can be a powerful platform through which to showcase your passions and interests, allowing you to post photos from a humanitarian trip abroad, a link to a podcast you were featured on, or a video of your recent musical performance. This publicly available content should effectively reinforce the claims you make in the \u201cinterests\u201d section of your MBA application, thereby providing validity and authenticity. In addition, engagement on LinkedIn can showcase your \u201cEQ\u201d (emotional intelligence). For example, perhaps you congratulated a connection for a promotion or applauded someone who published an article that resonated with you, thereby showing your support of them.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, regardless of your personal stance on social media, do not neglect this important avenue through which the admissions committees can learn more about you. Although your social media presence and activity are not formal elements of the application process, social media research can (and likely will) be used to help schools form a more holistic impression of you, so make sure to manage it in such a way that it mitigates any negative perceptions of you\u2014or even better, use it to strengthen your MBA candidacy!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more detailed guidance on this topic, follow\u00a0<\/span>our<\/span><\/i>\u00a0social media channels for other helpful tips and advice on your MBA application:\u00a0<\/span>Facebook<\/b><\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>Instagram<\/b><\/a>, and \u00a0<\/span>YouTube<\/b><\/a>. If you would like a personalized, one-on-one conversation regarding your specific profile and MBA goals, sign up for\u00a0<\/span>free 30-minute consultation<\/b><\/a>\u00a0with one of mbaMission\u2019s admissions experts.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Whether you love social media or hate it, you cannot afford to ignore it when you are applying to business school! You should assume that admissions committees will assess how your character and interests are reflected in your social media and general online presence\u2014just as firms do during the recruiting process.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":37342,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[118],"tags":[455,456,269,391],"class_list":["post-33462","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-application-tips","tag-facebook","tag-instagram","tag-linkedin","tag-social-media"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow Your Online Presence Can Impact Your MBA Application<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how admissions committees evaluate applicants\u2019 social media presence and discover strategies to strengthen your MBA candidacy through LinkedIn and other online platforms.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/using-social-media-for-your-mba-application\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Use Social Media When Applying to Business School\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Whether you love social media or hate it, you cannot afford to ignore it with respect to your MBA application!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/using-social-media-for-your-mba-application\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"mbaMission - 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