From the Director's Desk: Letters of Recommendation – why are they important and how are they used to assess candidates?

Letters of Recommendation are a mandatory component for almost every B-school application, regardless of whether you are applying for a full-time, part-time or executive MBA.  While the number of recommendations may vary by School, there are some general guidelines that will help you approach this part of the application process successfully. 

First of all, when identifying your recommenders, formally ask each recommender this important question: “Do you have the time to write a positive recommendation for my application to B-school?”  While you may think that this is a given, you would be surprised as to how many applicants have recommenders who write neutral or even negative letters.  As you can imagine, this is a huge red flag to the Admissions Committee.  It might also be helpful to spend a few minutes with each recommender and brief them on your decision to apply for the MBA, what you hope to accomplish with the degree, and why you are targeting certain schools.  This information will be a good review for the recommender as they sit down and consider what to include in your letter.

To give perspective - B-schools ask for recommendations to get an outside viewpoint on you and hopefully validate what you are saying about yourself in the application.  Unless otherwise stated, most B-schools want professional recommendations from a current or recent past supervisor.  You should choose a recommender who knows you well, rather than choosing someone with an impressive title but limited daily interaction with you (ie. CEO).  The Admissions Committee will expect that your recommender can provide detailed information about your on-the-job performance, not just a list of adjectives that describe you or a personal endorsement that you “are a great person”.  They want specific examples of how you have demonstrated certain skill sets and competencies.  Hearing from someone who has worked closely with you and ultimately evaluated your performance and your deliverables provides this important information.   The recommendation should also be balanced - highlighting strengths and weaknesses, accomplishments and learning over the time that they have known you.

Final tips as you work on your recommendations:

•          If you are an entrepreneur (work for yourself) or work for a family business – consider choosing a client or someone who has directly observed you working “on the job” and had a chance to evaluate your performance.  Do not choose a family member as it would not be considered a balanced recommendation.
•          Even if your recommender asks, do not write the evaluation for them.   We expect that the recommendation is confidential and is coming from someone other than you.  We get your opinion about your work performance from the interview, essays and resume!
•         If you do not want your immediate boss to know of your B-school plans, (ie. It may impact your qualifications for future promotion, bonus, etc.) then consider a recent past-supervisor or someone who has served in a project/team lead role over you.  You may want to address this in the optional essay and briefly explain to the Admissions Committee why you are not using your current supervisor for the recommendation.

Rebekah S. Lewin, MBA '02
Executive Director of Admissions & Administration
Univ. of Rochester, Simon Graduate School of Business

Advice on tackling the recommendation letters

Often given the least importance by MBA applicants, letters of recommendation add immense value to your applications and require a significant amount of time and attention. Be proactive and start thinking of all the potential recommenders. Choose on the basis of how well they know you and how keen they would be to help you through your application. It is always an add-on to choose someone with good written skills; someone who can craft a compelling letter of recommendation.

Your list could comprise of current or previous employers, supervisors from the not-for-profit organizations you worked for, or college professors. The latter however doesn’t put as much impact as the others since it is from a much prior timeline. The newer the experiences you bring in to your recommendation, the more the value they add to it. In all, aim for a good combination of recommenders in order to showcase your skills and capabilities to the fullest, thus bringing a broader perspective to your candidacy.

A key thing to remember here is that your recommenders hold significant positions at their respective firms and will have deadlines to meet. So give them enough time to work on the letters, 4-6 weeks preferably. It is always nice to talk to them about the strengths you want to leverage in your application. Make them understand why a certain school appeals to you and your passion for pursuing MBA. From my own experience, I have observed that it is always easier for a recommender to provide an effective letter if they know about the process and the expectations that encompass it.

Start by connecting with all your potential recommenders and evaluating who would be keen on providing a recommendation. Once you narrow down to the final pool of recommenders, divide your applications among them. Keep it to 2-3 recommendations per person. Respect their time and consideration by not bothering them with too many recommendation requests.

I would also say, please refrain from writing your own letters. It is however always nice to help your recommenders through the process. So provide them with all the necessary information and do not forget to remind them of the deadlines. A good recommendation is of no use if not sent on time!

All the best!

Urvashi Marda, Forté Fellow                                                                                                                                         Class of 2014, Kelley School of Business at Indiana University

Asking for Letters of Recommendations in the Fall

Those applying Round 1 or 2 are likely starting to think about asking for recommendations from your current employer. This timeline puts you in a potentially uncomfortable position at work – you are giving 10 months notice instead of 2 weeks, and it could put you at a disadvantage for promotions, training, and even just desirable projects. Here are some options:

1.       Don’t ask anyone from your current organization.  For many schools, you will have to write a brief explanation.  However, most business schools state that it will not count against you and they understand why this timeline is difficult for many applicants.

2.       Ask someone at your current company who doesn’t directly assign your work assignments, but knows your work well. If possible, this option may be a good middle ground. Have you considered trusted colleagues who work in other divisions? Are there people senior to you who are not in your direct chain of command but with whom you’ve worked on a project?

3.       Frame your application process and departure as likely but not definite. Many people are not committed to leaving but instead want to see how the decision process and other factors play out. It is reasonable to tell your supervisor that you are applying to business school and intend to enroll in the fall, but that you first need to explore your options, which include deferring school if you decide to stay in your current position.

 

4.       Just ask and hope for the best. If you already have a good supervisor, he or she will handle this request with sophistication and keep your best interests at heart. If you have a difficult supervisor, then it is unlikely that asking for a recommendation will substantially change your situation. 

I primarily followed #4 and was fortunate that my boss and colleagues handled my situation with generosity. I did not notice any repercussions and enjoyed the opportunity to share this process with my co-workers.

What strategies have people used?  How did it work out for you?  Did you face any consequences in the short or long term? What other ideas do you have?

 

Judy Herbstman, Forté Fellow

MBA 2014, Stern School of Business at NYU

 

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Tackling Recommendation Letters

The thought of recommendation letters brings fear to many MBA hopefuls.  You mean, there is a part of the application you can’t completely control!?  Well, yes.  But drifting to the opposite end of the spectrum and being completely hands-off could be a fatal error.  Here are three tips to help make your recommendation letters a harmonious asset to your application.  

1)  Share Your Goals

Share with your recommender your short and long term goals, as well as reasons that business school is the next best step for you.  To get more specific, detail how your work with them fits into or reflects your goals. This helps your recommender to see your “full story” and to better express their experiences with you in light of that story.  Additionally, give them specifics about the school they are writing to and how that school’s qualities fit with your goals.  The more you clue them into this information (which you should have already researched anyway) the more their recommendations will flow with your essays and application as a whole.

2) Set Them Up For Success

Try to meet each recommender for lunch, coffee or at least a short meeting.  I supplied each with a small packet of information and later sent them digital copies of everything in that folder. Packets might include:

- Written outline of why you are targeting the school for which they are recommending you.  (See point #1)

- Bullet points of your "Top 10 Work Highlights" for inspiration of examples to flesh out the recommendation.

- General examples of recommendation letters (There are great examples in Richard Montauk’s book How To Get Into The Top MBA Programs).

- Reminders of deadlines and any website details needed.

 3) Give Thanks

You’ll find plenty of differing opinions about recommender thank you notes.  In my book, it’s always better to be thoughtful and appreciative.  After all, your recommenders took time out of their busy schedules to focus on your MBA goals.  Whether it is a handwritten note of gratitude or a small gift, I say yes to thank yous.  Wait until after your recommendation letters are completed, though.  I dropped a bottle of wine and a thank you note off at each of my recommenders’ desks about a week after they turned in my recommendation.  And be sure to keep in touch with them on your application status and decisions. 

Best of luck!

Tricia Felice, Forté Fellow
MBA 2014, The University of Chicago Booth School of Business

Requesting Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation should be the easy part of your application, right? Unlike studying for the GMAT or writing essays, these letters aren’t actually your responsibility to complete. However, they are an important part of your application to business school, and willrequire a significant amount of time and effort from someone else (whoever is writing on your behalf). I found that getting organized and connecting with my recommendation writers early on helped me support them through this process.

Once I knew I would be applying to business school in the fall of 2009, I pulled together my list of target schools and their recommendation letter requests. Most schools request two letters from people who know you in a professional setting, and I felt very lucky that my two previous bosses each agreed to write a letter for my application. Writing rec letters can be time consuming and each school varies slightly with deadlines, process, and questions, so I pulled together an overview spreadsheet to capture all the important information for my bosses. Within the sheet I grouped similar questions together, so that my bosses could see the universe of questions they would be asked to address but also so they could (if they wanted) write one paragraph on a particular topic (strengths, weaknesses, etc) that would still address the specifics of each school. Lastly, along with this spreadsheet I also sent them some of my draft essays and resume so that, in addition to conversations about my interests and motivation for attending business school, they could see how I was positioning my candidacy and experience.

As deadlines came and went, I made sure to stay in touch with my rec letter writers through occasional email reminders about upcoming deadlines and messages of thanks for their help throughout this lengthy process! And of course, if you are inclined, a gift of some kind at the conclusion of the process can also be a way to show your appreciation for their support – though of course don’t forget, these people can be great resources once you survive the application process too, in deciding which school to attend or where to focus a career search once you’re in school. I couldn’t be happier with where I ended up – attending the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley – and I couldn’t have done it without the support from some great rec letter writers!

Dana Ledyard, Forte Fellow
Class of 2012
UC Berkeley Haas School of Business

Finding Great Recommendation Letters

Good recommendation letters are often the toughest to find. But they are well worth the effort since the importance of good letters should never be underestimated. Admissions officers use recommendation letters to gauge a number of things, including your ability to work with others, your leadership skills and your values. For these reasons, it’s important to 1) identify potential writers who can compose strong letters on your behalf, 2) create a line-up of writers who can add dimension to your application and 3) successfully approach prospective writers with the ask.

IDENTIFYING GOOD WRITERS

First, identify individuals who can provide compelling examples of your stellar performance and how you would be a good fit for a particular business school. Make sure that you have selected individuals who can successfully communicate their thoughts on paper. Their titles or job functions are not important. What is important is that you’ve worked closely with them in a professional or extra-curricular setting.

PROVIDING DISTINCTIVE PERSPECTIVES

Second, these individuals should be able to provide different perspectives. In other words, make sure that the writers are each communicating something unique about your candidacy. For my applications, my writers consisted of 1) a manager whom I worked with closely and could talk about my initiative and practical skills, 2) a co-worker and peer who could attest to my ability to work well in teams, and 3) the president (of a non-profit organization I volunteered with) who could provide examples of my leadership capabilities.

THE CONVERSATION: ASKING YOUR WRITERS

Third, set a meeting with each individual. Be straightforward by asking if they would be willing to write “good” or “great” recommendation letters on your behalf. Be prepared to provide details about the application process and the time necessary for the writing of these recommendations. To help your writer along and help you manage the process, provide your writer with reminders of your recent, relevant accomplishments, your motivations for business school and a timeline of key dates. I wanted my writers to feel engaged to the process, so I also provided them with brief summaries of the content within my application essays.

Great recommendation letters may make the difference! Please take the time to find writers who can provide meaningful stories for your application.

Good luck!

Jennifer Jeng
MBA Class of 2009
MIT Sloan School of Management