MBA Admissions 2.0: Technology Makes Inroads
11/07/2011
Despite the brevity, the admissions committee could learn a lot from the applicants’ tweets, says Fine. “It helps them boil down their main selling points,” she adds. And MBA candidates could add links to separate Web pages, videos, and blogs that would inform the school even more about the person’s personality, interests, and creativity, adds Colleen Downie, senior assistant dean of Tippie.
The use of social media is not the only way schools are seeking to acquaint themselves better with applicants. Video is another way to understand students beyond their written words. Mycollegei, a company that facilitates videotaping and screening for admissions committees, has several business schools as clients, including the USC Marshall School of Business and Penn State’s Smeal College of Business.
Schools send applicants an e-mail requesting them to answer additional questions using this video service, and the applicants then tape their responses. The service archives the videos for viewing only by the admissions committee. Although some schools use these videos for any applicant who wants to add another dimension to his or her application, the majority reserve the service for those who cannot participate in a face-to-face admissions interview, says Bill Barnett, president and chief executive of mycollegei in Los Angeles. “The videos can show who candidates are above and beyond a piece of paper,” he adds.
REVIVING “PERSONALITY”
High-tech additions, says Barnett, are a part of the natural evolution of today’s applications. “Technology is becoming more popular in admissions, not just because it is more practical and convenient, but also because students were raised with it,” he says.
Still, not everyone has had success including technology in business school applications. For instance, 2008-09 applicants to the UCLA Anderson School of Managementhad the choice of answering essays in either a written or an audio form. After prospective students around the world indicated that they experienced difficulties with the audio technology, the school decided to revert to traditional written essays in 2011, writes Robert Weiler, assistant dean of career initiatives at Anderson, in an e-mail.
Although business schools might face stumbling blocks when first incorporating technology into the application, they seem to be embracing the possibilities. In fact, Tippie’s Fine says it’s inevitable. “There’s a trend toward bringing personality back into the application,” she says. “You have to go beyond the résumé, because that’s what employers are doing.”
By Francesca Di Meglio
