{"id":42817,"date":"2026-10-13T09:25:50","date_gmt":"2026-10-13T13:25:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/?p=42817"},"modified":"2026-10-13T09:25:50","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T13:25:50","slug":"connect-with-business-schools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/connect-with-business-schools\/","title":{"rendered":"The mbaMission Podcast: Connecting with Business Schools, Students, and Alumni | Ep 124"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In Episode 124 of <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The mbaMission Podcast<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, mbaMission Senior Consultant Harold Simansky and Founder Jeremy Shinewald discuss how the most valuable school research an MBA applicant can do is having direct conversations with individuals who know the school well\u2014thereby uncovering information and insights that are simply not available on a program\u2019s website. Not only does connecting with students, alumni, and admissions officers demonstrate interest, it also provides specific and compelling details that a candidate can use to strengthen their essays and interview performance. Harold and Jeremy break down how to do this kind of outreach well, addressing whom to contact, how to make a connection, what kinds of questions to ask, and how to use what you learn to strengthen your application.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n\n<div class=\"video-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-container\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How to Connect with MBA Students and Alumni to Strengthen Your Application | Ep 124\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/79HJEi-rLX8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/episode\/3UBO8vlKXxNBOvvEp6LIqQ?si=e38cb0fadbb84531\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-41852\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/spotify-button-300x100.jpg\" alt=\"Inside Cornell Tech\u2019s One-Year MBA\" width=\"300\" height=\"100\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/spotify-button-300x100.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/spotify-button.jpg 563w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/the-mbamission-podcast\/id1748825410?i=1000796101171\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-41854\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/apple-podcasts-button-300x100.jpg\" alt=\"apple podcasts button\" width=\"300\" height=\"100\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/apple-podcasts-button-300x100.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/apple-podcasts-button.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_88 ez-toc-wrap-left counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/connect-with-business-schools\/#why_should_you_look_beyond_a_schools_website\" >Why Should You Look Beyond a School\u2019s Website?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/connect-with-business-schools\/#how_do_you_find_people_associated_with_the_program_to_contact\" >How Do You Find People Associated with the Program to Contact?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/connect-with-business-schools\/#what_should_you_ask_once_you_have_made_a_connection\" >What Should You Ask Once You Have Made a Connection?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/connect-with-business-schools\/#how_do_you_use_these_conversations_to_strengthen_essays_and_interviews\" >How Do You Use These Conversations to Strengthen Essays and Interviews?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"why_should_you_look_beyond_a_schools_website\"><\/span><b>Why Should You Look Beyond a School\u2019s Website?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One advantage of connecting directly with individuals at one\u2019s target school is \u201cdemonstrated interest.\u201d Admissions committees notice when an applicant has attended school events, visited campus, or personally communicated with members of the community. The second is differentiation; having genuine conversations with people who have firsthand knowledge of the MBA program provides unique details that can set a candidate\u2019s application apart.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a cautionary example, Jeremy focuses on \u201cTouchy-Feely,\u201d the nickname for the famously popular interpersonal dynamics course at the Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB).\u00a0 Applicants overwhelmingly refer to this class in their \u201cWhy Stanford?\u201d essay, basically signaling to the admissions committee that their research into the program has been relatively shallow and likely confined to the school\u2019s website. An applicant would stand out far more by discussing the GSB\u2019s governance coursework, for instance, or by describing a conversation they had with the president of the student club they are most interested in.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Harold adds that every school is more dynamic than its stereotype implies. He cites past podcast guest Dawna Levenson, leader of the admissions team at MIT Sloan, who pointed out that Sloan is actually strong in the area of finance, not just technology\u2014which many candidates do not realize. Recognizing what makes an MBA program distinct, and being able to explain in detail why that distinction matters to you, can make an impression on an admissions reader or interviewer that generic praise cannot.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"how_do_you_find_people_associated_with_the_program_to_contact\"><\/span><b>How Do You Find People Associated with the Program to Contact?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When attempting to identify people to contact at your target school, start by looking for events and resources the school offers for prospective applicants, including information sessions, on-campus programs, online panels, and student ambassador networks. Make sure that if you sign up for a school event, you attend it\u2014or send the admissions committee a note explaining why you cannot. Business schools track attendance, and an unexplained no-show will definitely send the wrong signal.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you connect with a student ambassador, always ask who else they would recommend you speak with; one conversation leads to the next. You can also find contact information for student club leaders online and then cold email them directly. Most are receptive to such messages, though if the first person you write to does not respond, simply try the next. Be assured that these conversations carry weight. Some MBA programs, including Columbia Business School, ask in the application about the people you spoke with at the school.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And of course, do not neglect to plumb your own network for possible connections. Search LinkedIn for alumni of your target schools who work in your company or industry, and reach out to any former colleagues who are now students in the program. Also, Harold notes that if you work at a large firm, you might be able to find a summer associate from the school you want to attend and can easily message them.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"what_should_you_ask_once_you_have_made_a_connection\"><\/span><b>What Should You Ask Once You Have Made a Connection?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conversations you have with school contacts early on can be broad. You might ask what students like about the program, what they would change, what kind of person tends to thrive at the school, and who does not. As your conversations develop, you can begin asking questions that more closely tie to your interests, such as which newer faculty members are rising stars, which courses your contact would recommend, and how best to navigate the curriculum.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These direct interactions also reveal more about a program\u2019s culture than a web page or brochure could convey. For example, Harold describes learning from Dartmouth Tuck students how central the school\u2019s student hockey team is to campus life and that students not only learn together but also genuinely have fun together. Jeremy adds that this kind of insight can be particularly helpful for international applicants. \u201cWhat does it mean to come from Brazil and move to Hanover, New Hampshire?\u201d he remarks. \u201cYou know, what\u2019s winter like? And the Tuck Winter Carnival?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"how_do_you_use_these_conversations_to_strengthen_essays_and_interviews\"><\/span><b>How Do You Use These Conversations to Strengthen Essays and Interviews?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Specificity lends credibility and weight to your claims. Writing, \u201cI will join the private equity club because I\u2019m interested in private equity\u201d says very little about you and is not very convincing. On the other hand, naming a club officer you contacted and describing the conversation you had with them about the group\u2019s weekly roundtables says a great deal\u2014and demonstrates both genuine interest and a proactive spirit. You could even go further by sharing your subsequent interest in organizing a panel on emerging markets in your home country. This profound level of detail shows the admissions committee that you have thoroughly researched the school and identified why it is the right one for you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This applies to your interviews as well, and questions about what you will contribute to the school and its community are common in interviews. Applicants who can speak concretely about where they see themselves fitting into the program, and can ground their claims using information gleaned from direct conversations with community members, make a much stronger impression on their admissions interviewer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The encouraging news is that you do not need to have dozens of these informational conversations. Two or three thoughtful 15-minute calls\u2014assuming they provide you with insight not found on the school\u2019s website\u2014should be sufficient to give you key usable material, and with each interaction, the process gets easier.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New episodes of <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The mbaMission Podcast<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are released every Tuesday on all major streaming platforms, with full video episodes available on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@mbaMission\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">mbaMission\u2019s YouTube channel<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you want help using your school research to boost your essays and interviews, sign up for a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/consult\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">free 30-minute consultation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with Harold or another member of mbaMission\u2019s admissions team.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Harold Simansky and Jeremy Shinewald explain how to connect with business schools beyond the website\u2014who to contact, what to ask, and how to turn conversations into stronger applications.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":42819,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[643],"tags":[699,453,598,626,624,700],"class_list":["post-42817","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mbamission-podcast","tag-business-school-outreach","tag-mba-admissions","tag-mba-essays","tag-mba-interviews","tag-mbamission-podcast","tag-school-visits"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.6 - 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