Do’s and Don’ts of Recommendation Letters for MBA Applicants

Recommendation letters are an essential part of evaluating an MBA applicant. They’re the voice of someone else endorsing the candidate. So what are the best strategies for delivering an effective recommendation letter?

• Do choose someone who can speak about you in a professional context. The schools will want specifics about your performance at work and how you compare against your peers in your job, function, and even industry.

• Don't choose a friend, family, relative, or close acquaintance who doesn’t know you in a professional setting. They won’t be able to provide concrete examples that speak to your professional interactions. How have you made impact? How do you work with others? Schools will want concrete examples of how you innovated your work environment.

• Do include your direct supervisor, the person who handles your performance evaluations at your job. Some schools even require this, as supervisors have first-hand experiences of how you’ve addressed your day-to-day challenges.

• Don't ignore the requirements from the admissions committee. A peer recommendation means someone at your level, not someone above you who sees you as an equal. A supervisor means someone who conducts your performance evaluations, not a mentor or a senior executive more than one level above you. Many people fall in the trap of “masking” a recommender to fill someone else’s spot. Admissions will consider this an indication of poor judgment and a lack of sincerity.

• Do encourage your recommenders to be candid about your growth and potential. Being frank and open about the times when you made a mistake is actually a good thing. Schools are interested in how you respond to feedback and whether you are able to adjust based on past mistakes. Recommenders provide a fresh perspective on how you’ve evolved as a leader and whether you have more room for growth.

• Don't try to influence the letter of recommendation by hiding your failures. If the recommender cannot describe a time when he or she saw you pick up yourself from failure then that person hasn’t worked closely enough with you. Professional growth is expected. Every senior consultant was once a business analyst who made mistakes on spreadsheets. Schools are interested the journey of how you have evolved.

• Do exercise control over the progress of your application. Recommenders must submit their letters by the same deadline as your application. People are busy. We recommend that you project-manage your recommenders. Follow up with them. Create a brief for them, spelling out your interactions and highlighting your contributions. Remind them about the moments when you innovated and made an impact. Remind them of how you met and how long you’ve been working together. Bring up examples of when they helped you or observed you grow. Follow up to ensure that they have what they need and are able to meet your deadline.

• Don't just assume that because the recommender appreciates you, he or she will complete everything on time and in the right way. This is your application. It’s your responsibility to make sure that all materials are submitted on time and in the right format.

• Finally, do not underestimate the power of recommendation letters. People tend to focus their energy on the essays because it is the largest piece of content in the application where they have absolute control. This is a highly competitive landscape, and endorsements weigh high when evaluating a candidate.