A Handshake is Still Stronger Than a 'Tweet'

“We've seen a dramatic shift in the way people communicate with one another. Interaction is increasingly channeled through social media – Linked In, Facebook, Twitter, and others”, says Mae Jennifer Shores (UCLA, Anderson). “Yet when it comes to the critical decision as to who to admit to our MBA programs, we still largely rely on face-to-face interaction wherever possible. There is no substitute for the live, real-time exchange of ideas and energy that occur when people meet in person”.

The MBA Tour provides a venue for interested students to meet with top business school representatives one on one - outside of the web. The final decision makers, the Admissions Directors, travel with the tour and take part in events around the world where they meet with interested students considering an MBA.

As Randall Sawyer from Cornell notes, “We enjoy meeting potential future students in person and those who make a great first impression will definitely stay in our minds. The internet may be a great tool for information, but you still can't shake someone's hand through a computer screen.”

Universities and The MBA Tour both recognize the power of social networking to reach out to potential students. “We get the word out in the arenas where our target audience interacts - and that's online, but the strength of our organization is in the personal, the actual rather than the virtual,” confirms Peter von Loesecke, CEO, The MBA Tour. “We value online tools as a place to first reach out to students and learn about their needs. For instance our Facebook group has grown to over 7,000 fans in one year alone. Pre-MBAs and alumni are able to interact, network and get their questions answered. Admission reps are part of our group as well. It's a valuable resource through which they can communicate with students from around the world. But it can't – and doesn't – eliminate the benefit of human interaction between school and student.”

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