7 Ways to Determine Business School Culture

An interview is obviously the school’s opportunity to get to know more about you, but it is also your chance to learn more about the school and the program. Be prepared to interview with a student in the program and a staff member. You should have questions ready for both scenarios.

Going to networking events or information sessions and speaking with several students before the interview is a great way to prepare. Do your research to show that you’re genuinely interested. Just as any company will ask you why you want to work for them, a school will do the same. Speaking to how your values and goals align with a school’s culture will go a long way.

The business school classroom is the easiest way to get access to some of the brightest minds in business. Just so we’re on the same page, I am referring to the faculty. Most schools will allow you to attend a live lecture as an applicant. Do it! Whether it is online or in person, this will show you what you are signing up for. You can observe the level of interaction between the professor and students, how often people ask questions and how many students are there before and after class socializing. You’ll never know that type of information without being there.

Remember, every professor is different, so you can’t assume every class will be the same. However, many school’s faculty meet to discuss how to improve the classroom experience, so it is likely that there is some form of standardization.

Don’t forget to meet with the professor and students after the class ends.  Get their emails and ask permission to get in touch with them later, too.

You may or may not have thought of calling up the admissions team, but there are many other staff members that you might work with while you’re earning your MBA who can give you more insights. The school’s admissions staff begins interacting with all students at the beginning and continues through graduation and beyond. They might be able to introduce you to students or alumni in your industry or city where you begin forming connections to help your career or friendship. Some may participate during orientation or introduction sessions, introduce you to the career development department of the school, or help you plan your study.

My point being: almost everyone will meet with the admission team, but talking to other staff, student advisors and career counselors will get you answers to more specific questions that may help you select one program over another.

Before I started on my MBA journey, I was fortunate enough to work for a couple of MBAs who invited me to their alumni events such as socials, marketing roundtables and lectures. Those helped me interact with other alumni of the schools I was considering. Ask around in your company or search on LinkedIn to see if there are any MBAs. Then find an upcoming alumni event and tell them you want to attend because you’re interested in the program. The event organizers shouldn’t have any issues as long as the alumni notify them in advance (some events can be exclusive or require registration).

Going to this type of event will give you an understanding of what your experience might be like after you graduate – which is a much longer portion of your life than while you’re actually getting the MBA.

I saved the best for last. Kidding of course, but here are some tips on how you can use social to your advantage. Start with the school’s blog. There should be a way to subscribe to all new posts. The blog is usually a great place to read students’ first-hand experiences with different aspects of the program.

Follow your target schools and join their groups on LinkedIn. This will keep you privy to the news and events there and sometimes even the jobs that the school is sharing with their alumni. If you can participate in a private cohort group, you can introduce yourself and start getting to know others before classes start. See who the students are in the program, what kind of titles they have, and where they work – networking is important.

Next, go to Twitter and follow the schools you’re interested in. See which hashtags they use and follow those too. Also check out this list of 25 hashtags for MBA students. Replying to a school’s tweets should get a schools attention quickly.

In addition to the types of things you’ll see on Twitter, following schools on Facebook will give you access to photos from events. If your target school is using the events tab on their Facebook page then you will also be able to see their upcoming events.