…and application deadlines for 2012 MBA programs are looming ever closer. Sure, October seems so far off right now, but remember when the 4th of July seemed light years away?

The Discount:

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So how do you know what schools are looking for? The answers are online.

Admissions officers are constantly sharing information online that can be incredibly helpful to applicants looking to make the right impression. B-schools use social media just like the rest of us: to spread the word about the things they’re most interested in. By doing a little online homework, you can get a much better sense what MBA programs value in their applicants.

This isn’t to say that you should sell yourself as something you’re not as part of a master ploy to gain acceptance; making things up won’t get you anywhere. But knowing what aspects of your resume to emphasize can certainly help your chances. Furthermore, all this research will also help you clarify which b-schools would be the best fit for your experience and goals—and ensure that you don’t waste time sending out applications to schools you wouldn’t actually want to attend.

Below are lists of blogs, Youtube channels, and Twitter feeds from some of the best b-schools in the world. You can use these resources to try to discern what qualities each school seems to value in its students, alumni, and applicants.

The more you know about the school and the more you know about yourself, the less you will fear the outcomes of your applications!

U.S. MBA Programs:

Harvard HBS: Youtube, Blog, Twitter.

UP Wharton: Youtube, Blog, Twitter.

Chicago Booth: Youtube, Blog, Twitter.

Northwestern Kellogg: Youtube, Blog, Twitter.

Stanford: Youtube, Blog, Twitter.

Columbia: Youtube, Student blog, Twitter.

U Mich Ross: Youtube, Blog.

Duke Fuqua: Youtube, Twitter.

MIT Sloan: Student blog, Twitter.

NYU Stern: Youtube, Twitter.

Dartmouth Tuck: Youtube, Blog, Twitter.

Virginia Darden: Youtube, Blog, Twitter.

UCLA Anderson: Youtube, Blog.

Berkley Haas: Youtube, Blog, Twitter.

Indiana Kelley: Youtube, Twitter.

University of Texas – Austin McCombs: Youtube, Blog, Twitter.

Cornell Johnson: Youtube, Student blog, Twitter.

Yale SOM: Student blog, Twitter.

Washington Olin: Youtube, Blog, Twitter.

UNC Kenan-Flagler: Youtube, Blog, Twitter.

Carnegie Mellon Tepper: Youtube, Student blog, Twitter.

International Programs:

INSEAD: Youtube, Student blog, Twitter.

London Business School: Youtube, Student blog, Twitter.

Oxford University Said: Youtube, Blog, Twitter.

IMD: Youtube, Student blog, Twitter.

Written by Andy Huang.

1. Business School Unveils “Facebook MBA”

As you’re tagging and uploading photos, poking friends, and growing some crops on Farmville on Facebook, have you ever considered viewing business school lectures at the same time? The London School of Business and Finance is now making its lectures and other course material available on Facebook for anyone to view. Read more about it in this People Management post.

2. Admissions Q&A: University of Michigan

Are you considering University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business? This Businessweek Q&A with an admissions director emphasizes the importance of sincerity in your application.

3. Wharton Shops for Retail MBAs

CNNMoney reports that Jay and Patty Baker have provided an additional $15 million to the Wharton School of Business to entice students to study retail in both business school and college.

4. A Sustainable Summer

Read about this Georgetown University McDonough School of Business student’s MBA and internship experience in sustainable energy in this post on Businessweek.

5. Online vs. Traditional Degrees: Which is better?

Gulf News compares both ways to obtain a degree and considers the importance of the online factor in education.

Remember to follow KnewtonGMAT on Twitter for more b-school news updates!

As a former admissions interviewer for the Yale School of Management and owner of a career services company, I have seen hundreds of resumes targeted for admission into business school. Sometimes, all it takes to stand out from the crowd is simply avoiding the common pitfalls of bad resume writing. Do not take this process lightly — the resume is the only document in the application that summarizes your entire candidacy. Additionally, most business schools base the admissions interview on the resume and not the entire application.

Here are the 5 most common resume mistakes — and how to avoid them:

1) Focus on Responsibilities

If you have the line “responsible for” in your resume, remove it. Resumes are not about goals, tasks, and responsibilities. Resumes are about achievements. The achievement bullets focus on things you have accomplished as opposed to things you were supposed to accomplish. A good achievement bullet is written in past tense and discusses the context of the situation, what your action was, and the impact it had on the organization (see next paragraph).

2) Lack of Impact

Presented findings to senior managers. Wrote extensive analysis on European Transportation Industry. Participated in monthly project manager meetings. These three examples lack impact, which is critical to writing a great resume. Each bullet should answer not only what you did, but why it matters. If you presented findings to senior managers, were the recommendations adopted? If you wrote an extensive analysis of the European Transportation Industry, how was the report used within the company or externally? If you participated in monthly project manager meetings, what was your role in the meeting? Great resumes focus on impact!

3) Quantity Over Quality

Most resumes are packed with so much information that it makes it hard for the reader to focus on what is important. Remember that people do not have a lot of time to review each resume and that looking at resume after resume becomes repetitive and boring. Your resume should focus on the quality of information included – not quantity. Three to five bullets per experience that are compelling, descriptive, and show impact are much more impressive than eight one-line bullets that are poorly written and/or do not show impact or clarify the context of the situation.

4) No Story

Your resume is not simply an autobiography of all of the information about you. A good business school resume tells a story of where you have been, what skills you currently possess, and where you want to go in the future. If you are interested in Corporate Social Responsibility but have nothing on your resume that relates to social causes and philanthropy, this will be a tough sell to the admission committee. Do not simply focus on professional work experience, but find other ways to bring out interest such as membership in professional organizations, participation in conferences and workshops, or volunteer work.

5) Aesthetically Unappealing

As a business school applicant, you should already know that presentation matters a lot. The presentation of the resume is no different. A correct use of fonts, styles, and format will make your resume easy to read, and serve as a great marketing tool. Alternatively, crazy fonts and an inconsistent use of style will instantly put you at a disadvantage. One common mistake is having too many section headings that do a poor job organizing the information on your resume. Stick to a simple format of 3 sections: Education, Professional Work Experience, and Additional Information and Skills.

Igor Khayet is the President and Founder of My Resume Shop (www.myresumeshop.com). He is a former Admissions Interviewer for the Yale School of Management and a current member of the Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches. Connect with him on Facebook (www.facebook.com/myresumeshop) and Twitter (twitter.com/myresumeshop) for more admissions advice.

1. Wharton Grads Head to Far East for Jobs

These days, more and more grads are stretching their career goals to foreign lands and different types of companies.  This CNBC article investigates why.

2. Students Seek a Responsible Angle to their Studies

This article from The Independent examines the increased interest in social enterprise among b-school students and graduates.  Could this trend just be a fad or a sign of changing mentality among MBAs?  Read more to find out.

3. Admissions Q&A: University of Texas

The director of admissions at University of Texas talks to Businessweek about how to make your b-school application stand out and the influence of Austin on students’ experiences.

4. MBA Interns Land Job Offers

The job outlook for b-school students is looking better than last year.  The key to success?  Networking, networking, networking.  Find out more in this Businessweek feature.

5. How Social Entrepreneurs Heal the World’s Wounds

In this Forbes post, Columbia Business School professors discuss how the school’s social entrepreneurship program is bridging cultural divides.

Remember to follow KnewtonGMAT on Twitter for more MBA updates!