Most MBA applicants view their social media posts as “fair game” in admissions

MBA applicants who regularly post their opinions and photos on Instagram, TikTok, and

New Manhattan Prep/Kaplan survey of more than 300 aspiring business school students finds a majority believe their social media posts are “fair game” for admissions officers to use to help them decide who gets in. Some 59% agree, although 41% consider it “an invasion of privacy that should not take place”.

“The vast majority of today’s business school applicants are millennials and Gen Zers who grew up on social media, using it regularly to tell stories, share and express themselves. So it’s no surprise that most are comfortable with admissions officers evaluating them in the field. content they post,” says Stacey Koprince, Manhattan Prep’s director of content and curriculum. “It should be noted, however, that some respondents told us they feared that their political opinions shared on social media could be used against them. »

The impact that ratings of public social media posts might have on admissions is also questionable. Two-thirds, or 66%, of respondents say that if an admissions officer had full access to all of their social media posts right now, it would have no impact on their chances of accessing them. In fact, one in five people, or 22%. , thought it would improve their chances. Only 12% thought it would hurt their chances.

Many business school admissions officers say they don’t often check social media posts, even though they see nothing wrong with this practice of evaluating applicants. “In separate conversations we had with many business school admissions officers, we found that they largely agreed that it was “right” to view applicant profiles on social media, even though most told us they rarely do it,” adds Koprince. “While social media remains a wild card in the process, we encourage prospective students to focus on what we know will have the most impact on their chances of getting in, namely their GMAT, GRE or Executive scores Assessment, their work experience, their undergraduate GPA, their letters of recommendation, admissions essays and interviews. That said, we also caution everyone to be careful about what they post online. Online weight can sometimes have unintended consequences.”

The Manhattan Prep/Kaplan survey was conducted online between March and April 2024 and included responses from 306 aspiring business school students across the United States. All responses have been rounded to the nearest whole number.