Social Media Helps Improve the MBA Applications Process
Like most directors of MBA admissions, Jodi L. Schafer at the Henry B. Tippie School of Management, University of Iowa often despairs as she wades through hundreds of application essays. The main problem is candidates today have more resources to write essays. Google.com abounds with advice on how to write homerun MBA application essays and expensive consulting services offer help as well. Because of all of these resources, the personal tone of the essays has been reduced resulting in more generic essays year after year. "The essays are one of just a few ways for us to get to know the candidate better and each year they seem to provide us with less information, not more," Schafer says.
Earlier this year, Schafer brainstormed with a coworker and decided to include Twitter as part of the application process. MBA applicants were asked to describe their career goals in the first essay question. They were then told to answer the following question [within 140 characters or less on Twitter:] “What makes you an exceptional Tippie Full-time MBA candidate and future MBA hire? Creativity encouraged! “
The new format for the admissions process was publicized through a university press release and on the business program’s website. As an extra incentive, the victorious tweeter would win a full tuition award as part of their prize, the value of $37,420. These are the ways Schafer and her team thought Twitter would help attract better applications:
- The Twitter format offers an excellent way to ask candidates for a power statement on what they want to do, not dissimilar to how you would market yourself to an employer if you only had a few seconds to make an impression
- Because of the character limit, Twitter requires people to be creative and succinct
- As part of the tweet, applicants could include links to blogs, videos, Facebook and other content on the web, allowing the admissions team to get to know the candidate on a more personal leve
How an enterprising Texan won
The winner, John Yates from Texas, won the contest. He did not add a link to his tweet, but he was creative and very innovative. He used haiku to write about himself which made for an interesting blend between new technology and one of the oldest forms of poetry, Schafer says. Here is his winning haiku:
"Globally minded (5)
Innovative and driven (7)
Tippie can sharpen (5)
Schafer says in spite of the contest being successful, there will be some enhancements moving forward. For instance, many who read the press releases about the campaign were confused — they didn't realize they needed to meet all of the admission requirements required of the MBA in addition to writing a compelling Twitter post.
Next time, Schafer and her team will include international applicants. They were not eligible this summer due to visa restrictions which gave insufficient time to obtain the visa before the August start date. Additionally, the tweet initiative will be rolled out for an entire admissions cycle so everybody has more time to apply.
However, overall the admissions campaign and strategy were wonderful. Schafer says her team definitely will use Twitter and other social media again. "Our campaign definitely created buzz for our program and people who mightn’t have reached out to us otherwise did so.”