Networking, or building and maintaining academic and professional relationships to share information, ideas, and opportunities, is a critical business skill. But most college applicants don’t realize that networking can also give them a leg up in the admissions process. As college admissions become ever more competitive, being able to demonstrate this important soft skill in your applications can set you apart from your competition by clearly communicating your interest in an undergraduate business program, offering you insider information about the university’s culture and current research, and boosting what colleges call “positive character attributes,” personality traits that they look for when shaping an incoming class.
Think of networking as building a bridge of social connections from where you are now to your dream school. If you’re applying to undergraduate business schools, this is a skill you’ll be using throughout your career. So it’s never too early to start, and often it takes time to find the right contacts, get your foot in the door, and develop a relationship. In this blog post, I’ll help you decide what kind of contacts to look for, how to establish professional relationships, and how networking can strengthen your college apps. Along the way, I’ll share links to free resources from Accepted that will aid you with your applications. Let’s begin!
1. Start With Your Personal Network
As you’re developing your college list, think about what connections you already have to each school. You’re looking for current students, alumni, and faculty members in your field or area of interest. Is a recent graduate from your high school attending a school on your list? Do you know a family member or classmate’s parent who graduated from one of these universities? Alternatively, do you know a neighbor or mentor who has an MBA or is working in a field you’d like to pursue?
Starting with you and your family’s immediate social circle, begin reaching out to these people. Invite them to go out for coffee, schedule a video chat, or simply send them a thoughtful email. Ask them about their experiences, share your interests and the schools you’re applying to, and ask if they might have any advice for you. Near the end of your meeting, also ask them if they can connect you with one or two more people from their circle. In this way, you can slowly bridge the gap between yourself and the business programs you want to attend. You may find that there are only a few degrees of separation between you and your dream schools.
2. Use Social Media to Connect with Current Students and Faculty
Social media makes it easier than ever to connect with current students and university faculty. You can search on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok to find students vlogging about life at the colleges on your list. Poets&Quants for Undergrads also features articles and advice by current students. You can also find public lectures, discussions, interviews, and TED Talks from professors about their research topics. This is an easy way to begin locating professional contacts outside of your social circle. You might consider commenting on or resharing their posts, or sending them a direct message. Before you do, though, review your own social media accounts to make sure you come across as courteous, serious, personable, and authentic. That way, you’re much more likely to get a response.
3. Don’t Be Afraid to Send Cold Emails
Though it may sound daunting, it’s perfectly acceptable to send a brief, personalized email to instructors or professors at your top-choice schools or within your field of interest. You can often find their contact information and research specialties on business school websites or on LinkedIn. Take a look at the current course catalog to see which instructors are teaching the classes that most excite you. Send a short, professional email letting them know that you are a prospective student interested in the undergraduate business program. Let them know what about their profile or work stood out to you, and end with a request for a brief video call or send a few questions. If you’re planning to visit the college, ask if you could drop by their office hours or sit in on a class. Since academics are very busy, they may not always respond promptly, but some will, and they can provide you with invaluable advice and information about a prospective school or undergraduate business major.
4. Other Ways to Network
Participating in summer programs or taking an online course from a business school on your list is another great way to demonstrate interest, get a feel for campus life, and forge a bond with faculty and staff. Often, these courses are led by instructors or professors who teach during the academic year. Also consider picking up a professor’s book or reading an academic paper or case study they have published. This will provide additional topics of conversation and show that you have thoughtfully prepared for the interaction, increasing the likelihood that the professor will take the time to respond. Bonus points if you can connect their research to your intellectual passions, extracurricular activities, or accomplishments.
5. How to Incorporate Networking into Your College Applications
Though there’s not a specific section on your college applications to track your networking, the relationships you form and the information you collect from your contacts can strengthen your app in multiple ways. First, current students and faculty will give you a deeper sense of the campus culture, which is difficult to understand unless you spend significant time at a school. With this important information in mind, you can emphasize character traits that the university and business program value. If you are able to connect with a professor who shares your research interests, you could also mention this connection as a reason why you want to attend a particular school. This shows that you’re invested in your education and have taken the initiative to form a relationship with the program. If you have already had significant interactions with a department or professor through a summer school program or extracurricular activity, you could mention this in the Additional Information section or ask the professor to write you a letter of recommendation. University alumni who know you well are also great candidates for an additional letter of recommendation.
Networking, like your college essays and interviews, is an opportunity to show admission committees the person you are behind the grades and test scores. Increasingly, colleges look for these interpersonal skills and character traits to distinguish applicants who are going the extra mile to succeed in college and beyond.
Steven guides applicants through every stage of the admissions process— drawing on his background as a journalist, speechwriter, and MFA in creative writing to help candidates uncover and articulate their unique stories. With twenty years of experience coaching students for top graduate and professional programs, he offers personalized, detail‑driven strategies to craft essays and applications that resonate with admissions committees. Click here to request a consultation with Steven.
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