10 Things You Should Do on LinkedIn When You’re Applying to an MBA

The MBA application process is far more networked than most people expect, and LinkedIn is where a lot of that networking happens. Over the course of working with us, we’ll typically connect you with five to ten new people—current students, alumni, admissions contacts—and we point them to your LinkedIn profile as context every single time. On your own, you’ll connect with dozens more. Your profile is the first thing all of those people see, so it’s worth getting right before you start reaching out. Here are ten things to do before you do.

Here are ten things worth doing before you hit submit.

1. Customize your profile URL

By default, LinkedIn assigns you a public profile URL cluttered with random numbers and letters. Customize it to something clean—ideally your name—so it’s easier to share, looks more professional on your résumé, and makes you easier to find. It takes two minutes. LinkedIn explains how to do it here.

2. Make your headline say something

The default headline—your current job title and company—is a wasted opportunity. Use the space to signal direction, not just position. Something like “Operations Lead at [Company] | Aspiring to scale climate technology” tells a reader where you’ve been and where you’re headed. Adcoms are evaluating trajectory, and your headline is the first place they read it.

3. Get the photo right

You don’t need a professional headshot, but you do need to look like someone who takes themselves seriously. A clear, well-lit photo where you’re dressed the way you’d dress for a recruiting event is plenty. Skip the cropped wedding photo, the sunglasses, and the blurry conference badge shot. LinkedIn has solid guidance on getting it right. Bonus points if you edit the background image too.

4. Write a real “About” section

A lot of applicants leave this blank or paste in a dry summary of their resume. Use it instead to tell a brief, coherent story: what you’ve done, what you care about, and what you’re working toward. Two or three short paragraphs in your own voice will do more than a wall of buzzwords. This is also low-stakes practice for the personal narrative your essays will demand.

5. Make sure your dates and titles match your résumé

Discrepancies between your LinkedIn and your application materials raise questions you don’t want raised. At a minimum, your dates and job titles should line up exactly with your résumé. Many people won’t have bullet-point detail under each role, and that’s fine. But if you do include descriptions, keep them to one or two sentences—and make sure those details are consistent with what your résumé says. Consistency reads as credibility.

6. Show leadership and community involvement

Business schools care about what you do beyond your job description. If you mentor, volunteer, sit on a nonprofit board, or lead an employee resource group, make sure it appears on your profile. These activities speak to the character and community dimensions that often surface the “why” behind your goals.

7. Connect with your target schools and their communities

Follow the programs you’re applying to, join their applicant and alumni groups, and connect thoughtfully with current students and admissions staff. This keeps you informed about events and deadlines, and demonstrates genuine interest—a signal some schools track.

8. Gather a few meaningful recommendations and endorsements

LinkedIn recommendations aren’t application recommendations, but a couple of substantive ones from managers or colleagues add texture to your professional story. Skill endorsements matter less, but a profile with zero of them can look thin. Ask the people who know your work best, and return the favor.

9. Clean up what you don’t want seen

Audit your activity, your old posts, and anything you’ve been tagged in. Adjust your privacy settings so that casual browsing of your profile doesn’t turn up something you’d rather explain in person—or not at all. The goal isn’t to scrub your personality; it’s to make sure the first impression is one you chose.

10. Stay active—thoughtfully

A profile that’s been dormant for two years looks like an afterthought. Share an article relevant to your industry, comment substantively on something in your field, or post a short reflection on a project. There are so many ways to show your engagement: link an article, include continuing education experiences, add volunteer work related to your interest.

Your immediate to-dos?

Got five minutes? Ensure you have a customized URL.

Got 30 minutes? Update your leadership and community involvement sections.

Got 60 minutes? Draft an about section. Bonus points if you take/refer to www.mypeerview.com and edit from the baseline proposal.

None of this replaces the hard work of essays, test prep, and recommendations. But your LinkedIn profile is part of the admissions experience, particularly because if you’re doing it right, you’ll be connecting with lots of new people. Spend an hour on it. It’s one of the highest-return hours you’ll put into your application.