Stanford GSB | Mr. Lucky Loggie
GMAT 750, GPA 3.29
Harvard | Mr. PM Looking For Something New
GRE 330, GPA 3.71
Harvard | Mr. International Business
GMAT 750, GPA 3.3
Berkeley Haas | Mr. Brainiac
GRE 330, GPA 3.71
Tuck | Ms. Ballerina
GRE 640 on practice test, GPA 3.8
Kellogg | Mr. Baseball Analytics
GMAT 720, GPA 3.62
Duke Fuqua | Ms. Sustainable Food Manufacturing
GMAT 710, GPA 2.94
Harvard | Ms. Community Engagement
GRE 320, GPA 3.4
MIT Sloan | Mr. CPG Senior Manager/ Climbing Enthusiast
GMAT 720, GPA 3.6 (Top 5%)
INSEAD | Mr. Dr Global
GMAT 700, GPA 3.7
Ross | Mr. Soccer Dad
GMAT Waiving, GPA 3.93
Columbia | Ms. Ambitious (Audit To Agribusiness)
GMAT 750, GPA 8.08
Stanford GSB | Mr. Software Developer
GMAT 740, GPA 3.8
MIT Sloan | Mr. Tim Cook Of Seafood
GMAT 700, GPA 3.8
NYU Stern | Ms. Professional Storyteller
GRE 326, GPA 3.4
Stay informed.
Sign Up!
PQ Logo
Featured Schools
Search for:
Toggle navigation PQ Logo
Today's Featured Schools
Featured Schools
  • Search for:
  • Sign In
  • Register
  • News
    • MBA News
    • Archives By Category
  • Rankings
    • Rankings Home
    • Poets&Quants Top 100 MBA Ranking
    • Poets&Quants International Top 50 MBA Ranking
    • Poets&Quants Best Online MBA Ranking
    • Best MBA Programs For Entrepreneurship
    • Fantasy MBA Ranking Game
  • Schools
    • MBA Programs
    • Cornell Johnson MBA Handbook
    • Executive MBA Programs
    • Online MBA Programs
    • Specialized Masters Programs
    • Kelley Direct Day In The Life
    • Spotlight On IE Tower
    • Insider’s Guides to the Top Business Schools
    • School Videos & Deep Dives
  • Admissions
    • MBA Admissions News & Advice
    • MBA Admissions Consultant Directory
    • MBA Game Plan With Fortuna Admissions
    • Handicapping Your MBA Odds
    • Calculate My MBA Odds
    • Podcasts By P&Q
  • Financing
    • Financing Your MBA
  • GMAT / GRE
    • Test Prep Advice & News
    • Target Test Prep
  • Students
  • Jobs
  • EMBA
  • Online MBA
  • Masters
  • Events
  • Videos
  • Home
  • News
  • Rankings
    • Top 100 MBA Ranking
    • Top 50 International MBA Ranking
    • Top Programs For Entrepreneurship
    • Top Online MBA Ranking
    • All MBA Rankings
    • Fantasy MBA Ranking Game
  • Schools & Programs
    • MBA Programs
    • Cornell Johnson MBA Handbook
    • Executive MBA Programs
    • Online MBA Programs
    • Specialized Masters Programs
    • Kelley Direct Journal
    • IE Tower Spotlight
    • Insider’s Guides To Top Schools
  • Admissions
    • Admissions News & Advice
    • Admissions Consultant Directory
    • MBA Adventure With Fortuna Admissions
    • Handicapping Your MBA Odds
    • Calculate My MBA Odds
  • Financing
    • Financing Your MBA
  • GMAT / GRE
    • Test Prep News & Advice
    • Target Test Prep
  • Students
  • MBA Jobs
  • Executive MBA
  • Online MBA
  • Specialized Masters
  • Events
  • Videos & Podcasts
  1. Home
  2. Sponsored Blogs: Insights & Advice From MBA Admissions Consultants
  3. How To Optimize LinkedIn When Applying For The MBA

How To Optimize LinkedIn When Applying For The MBA

by: Sharon Joyce, Fortuna Admissions on November 18, 2022 | 15,923 Views
November 18, 2022
    • Copy Link
    • Share on Facebook
    • Share on Twitter
    • Email
    • Share on LinkedIn
    • Share on WhatsApp
    • Share on Reddit

LinkedIn mba strategy

It’s no secret that your social media posts are fair game to the MBA admissions committee. Nearly two-thirds of MBA admissions officers visit an applicant’s social media profiles to aid their decision-making, according to survey data from Kaplan Test Prep in 2021. Kaplan reports that 36% of admissions officers visit applicants’ social media profiles like Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram to learn more, and of those, 58% say that what they found had a negative impact, up significantly from 32 percent in 2019 (42% found something that had a positive impact).

The good news is that you can – and should – use this information to your advantage. Because LinkedIn is the most professional among the various social media channels you may be using, it’s of special interest to admissions. A robust presence on LinkedIn is a must-have.

As former Associate Director of Admissions at Berkeley Haas, my colleagues and I were looking for consistency across an applicant’s personal and professional identities. Do you seem like the person you represented in your application materials? How does your LinkedIn profile reflect your personal brand? If you’re invited to join our MBA community, will you represent our school well? And when coaching MBA hopefuls for the top business schools, my Fortuna Admissions colleagues and I integrate a thorough social media audit in the early stages of the application strategy. 

So how can you use LinkedIn to enhance your business school application strategy? Read on for top tips from my colleagues at Fortuna Admissions.  

TIPS FOR MAXIMIZING YOUR ONLINE PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

Think of amplifying your LinkedIn profile as part of your business school application process. And as you do, consider your key audiences, who are now MBA admissions and alumni, as well as students and faculty of your target programs. 

  1. Choose a worthy photo.
    This is inevitably the first item to catch a viewer’s eye on your profile, so consider the impression you wish to make. As a Fortuna Admissions expert coach, I’ve had clients who did not have an appropriate picture. To keep in mind:
  • Don’t use a photo from one of your other social media accounts; your LinkedIn profile should be a standalone asset.
  • Dress in clothing that is appropriate for an interview (wear a nice shirt or blouse), look straight at the camera, and SMILE.
  • Crop the photo around your face.
  • A well-chosen background graphic can provide a way to differentiate and add some creativity to your LinkedIn profile – show something noteworthy about yourself – but don’t be overly quirky.
  1. Differentiate with your headline.
    The brief line of text under your name can be a few words or a short statement. Think of it as a succinct slogan of who you are/what you want to be. As Fortuna’s Jody Keating quips in her article on how to craft a standout MBA resume, “Chances are that there’s another applicant to your target program with the same job title.” The headline is another great way to distinguish yourself!

  2. Craft a concise and compelling summary.
    Unlike the Headline, use the About section to share more – a few sentences, in summary, are advised, versus writing a full-blown essay. Keep the tone upbeat and positive. Don’t start crafting the About section until you have considered these questions:
  • What do you want your intended audience to know about you that isn’t necessarily in your application materials?
  • What is already in the application materials that you want to expand upon and tell your intended audience about more so?
  • What do you want your intended audience to think or feel about you?
  1. Take advantage of the Featured section.
    Featured provides you with the opportunity to upload videos or highlight posts (click “add section” to create). You could use a video to showcase a recent activity or achievement. The Featured section also allows you to link videos that are of interest to you. If you choose to link videos, do so wisely as the content you share reflects your judgment and maturity.

  2. Seek appropriate recommendations and highlight featured skills.
    Because LinkedIn reflects on your professional visibility, having recommendations lends additional weight to your profile. Given that you’re soliciting recommendation letters in support of your application, it’s appropriate to ask your recommenders to provide a brief testimonial quote to add to your LinkedIn profile. 

Note: It’s important to have more “up” recommendations than “down”– i.e. people who have supervised you in the work setting or in one of your community service endeavors. For LinkedIn, it’s okay to also have a few testimonies from team members or clients; it’s nice to evidence what peers think about you, too. Banking some LinkedIn recommendations is also a tactical move in the long run as your audience shifts to potential post-MBA employers.

Additionally, LinkedIn allows you to list 50 featured skills, but it’s not necessary to include more than a few you wish to highlight, which may allow you to consolidate endorsements where it matters most. Anyone with over 99 endorsements receives the designation, “highly skilled.” You can ask those who are writing Letters of Recommendation for you to drop in an Endorsement and/or ask others in your network to do the same; endorsements offer extra credibility to your strengths and skills. 

View my full article on Fortuna Admissions for all 10 Tips for MBA Applicants on How to Optimize LinkedIn.


Sharon Joyce is an Expert Coach at MBA admissions coaching firm Fortuna Admissions and former Berkeley Haas Associate Director of Admissions. For a candid assessment of your chances of admission success at a top MBA program, sign up for a free consultation.

Comments or questions about this article? Email us.

Trending

How ChatGPT-4 Ranks The World’s Best MBA Programs

MBA rankings

New Ranking Measures ROI At The Top 30 U.S. MBA Programs

top Asian MBA programs

The Hottest MBA Programs In Asia

Some MBAs With Consulting Job Offers Report Being Asked To Delay Their Start Dates

Tagged: Fortuna Admissions, mba admissions consultant, MBA application, MBA strategy, online professional profile, Sharon Joyce

Post navigation

Previous Article: Stern Part-Time MBA First Look: Meeting Demand For A New Online MBA Option
Next Article: The Consortium Grows Again: Kellogg Becomes 23rd Member B-School
  • Stay Informed. Sign Up! Login
    Logout
    Follow Us
  • Personal MBA Coach Quick Tips Video: Developing Compelling MBA Goals
  • Partner Blogs
    Melissa Jones, Fortuna Admissions

    How To Prepare For The INSEAD Admissions Interview

    by Melissa Jones, Fortuna Admissions (2 days ago)
    Karen Marks, president and founder of North Star Admissions Consulting

    Are You Deciding Between MBA Programs?

    by Karen Marks, North Star Admissions (2 weeks ago)
    Caroline Diarte Edwards

    Top MBA Programs Waiving The GMAT Or GRE – But Should You Request One?

    by Caroline Diarte Edwards, Fortuna Admissions (2 weeks ago)

    You’re More Than Scores: MBA Admissions Directors Share How They Look Beyond Data Points For Applicants’ Stories

    by Matt Symonds, Fortuna Admissions (3 weeks ago)
  • Specialized Masters Program Directory MBA Admissions Consultant Directory Online MBA Hub Home Assess My MBA Odds Fantasy MBA Ranking

Our Partner Sites: Poets&Quants for Execs | Poets&Quants for Undergrads | Tipping the Scales | We See Genius

About Poets&Quants | P&Q News Archives | Privacy Policy | Advertising & Partnerships | Editorial | Contact Us | Sign In / Register

Copyright© 2023 Poets&Quants, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Website Design By: Yellowfarmstudios.com