MBA Recommendations

Round 1 deadlines are heating up, so I apologize for the week long absence!

I’m going to talk a bit about recommendations today. There is a lot to say about recommendations, and I do write about the subject more extensively in an internal manual that I distribute to my workshop students. For the purposes of this post, though, I will highlight some FAQs which should give you enough information to get started.

Who should write my recommendations?

You will likely need 2 or 3 letters for business school. In selecting your recommenders, think of the balance and mix of perspectives that they will be showing. Will both or all 3 be commenting on the exact same projects from the same points of view? This usually happens if you ask your boss and then your boss’s boss to write for you. In this case, it might be a good idea to consider someone else for your 2nd or 3rd letter – for example, a client, a higher level person who worked with you on different projects, a former boss (but not from too long ago). If you have overseas experience or have worked with someone outside of your nationality, you could consider asking that person as well.

In the end, you should choose those who can speak very highly of you and who know you and your work intimately. Do not choose the job title of the recommender or MBA alum status over your personal relationship. In other words, don’t choose someone who doesn’t know you well simply because s/he is high ranking. Business schools are used to seeing letters from “famous” people and will get turned off if they believe you are trying to impress them with your recommenders’ job titles.

How should I approach my recommenders about writing for me?

You want to first show respect for your recommender’s time by giving him plenty of time to write your recommendations. If possible, ask 2 or more months in advance. Approach him first about your plans and politely ask if he would be willing to write for you. Once he agrees, give him whatever instructions  and details are necessary for him to understand the process (you will need to enter his contact information into your on-line application, at which point your recommender will receive an email from the b-school that explains how to access the recommendation form on-line…so you should explain this to him). Sit down with him and go over your plans and goals. It is possible, if your recommender is not American, European or Canadian, that you will need to coach him on how to write a proper recommendation. To be safe, though, don’t assume that even a westerner will know how to write an excellent letter. If he doesn’t have a history of successfully recommending candidates to b-school, go ahead and politely offer some pointers. In my experience even MBA alumni and partners have appreciated receiving guidance.

Finally, you may want to bring a resume or some notes of your strengths and achievements for your recommender, just to help him get started. (He may accept, alter or reject your ideas but any information would help.)

Are there any key points my recommender needs to know when writing my recommendations?

Yes. Very briefly, your recommendation needs to help you stand out among the 99% of recommendations that are very good. So you need to be more than good. Your recommender needs to show details, anecdotes, impact, and he needs to talk about how you compare against others in your rank, in your company, in the field, etc. Without this comparative language, it is difficult for admissions committees to judge just which consultant, i-banker, etc. is truly outstanding.

When talking about a weakness, your recommender needs to be careful. Safe examples are “real” but fixable, something that will not make the admissions committee worry about having you as a member of their community. (Bad temper? Nervous in group situations? That can singlehandedly destroy your chances of admission.)

Should I get letters written by alumni of the schools that I’m applying to?

You shouldn’t go out of your way to do this. In other words, this should not be your priority. Focus on who knows you best. If that person happens to have an MBA or even one from your target school, then great. Will having an MBA alum write for you give you an advantage? No. It’s a bonus if you happen to be a strong candidate and your recommender happens to love you and is a graduate of your target school. She can say things like, “Having gone through the program myself, I know that Maya would be a great fit.” That kind of statement can carry good credibility. But an alum cannot help boost an applicant who isn’t that strong to begin with. Remember, the majority of recommendations are written by people with no connection to the school.

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