MBA Recommendation Letter - Recommendation Letter Tips

MBA recommendation letter tips to keep in mind.

1) Project List

Send details of the projects (that you have worked with the recommender), including your role, client information, team size, duration of the project etc to your recommender. This information would give the recommenders the right context to start with.

2) Managing your recommender

Writing your recommendation letter is not the most important thing for a recommender. Therefore, you have to manage your recommenders by guiding them through the writing process and by reminding them of the deadlines that your are facing. Be aware of your recommender's travel plans as they might be traveling for work or for vacation.

3) Critical Success factors

Each business school has a number of critical success factors (CSF) on which your admission will depend on. Research on the CSF and send them to your recommenders (scorecard.topmba.com and Business School alumni are the best sources for figuring out the CSF). This will guide the recommenders in aligning their letter with the CSF.

3) Divide and Rule

Split the recommendation letter questions to one per week/per 3 days schedule. Set the deadline and send requests like “Can you please complete the strengths and weakness question by next Thursday”. Call and remind your recommenders on Saturdays / Sundays ( or when they are free) and remind them about the question for the week. It might look annoying at first but you have to take the initiative in completing the application.

4) Good News

The good news is that the recommendation letter questions are repeated across business schools, so guide your recommenders in writing the letter for your dream school first. Ask them to answer the non-repeating questions at a later stage.

5) Before Submitting

Once the recommendation letter is complete, visit your recommenders and do a thorough proofreading. Avoid details that make the recommendation letter boring. There should be some common ground between your essays and the recommendation letter. Avoid contradictions, like in your essays if you have written your strengths as “good communication skill” then your recommenders should not write your weakness as “communication skill “.

6) Skill Assessment chart

The recommendation form has a section to fill in your competency in skills like:

Communication :  Poor Average Good Very Good Excellent
Leadership         :  Poor Average Good Very Good Excellent

Etc

Ask your recommenders to portray your strengths in the Excellent - Very Good range and your weaknesses in the Good - Average range.

7) Don'ts

1) Do not write your own recommendation letter. The admission committee is smart enough to figure that out.

2) Do not wait for the results of your MBA admission to show your appreciation for the recommenders. Thank your recommenders and send them gifts ( Buy them dinner/lunch/game pass etc)

3) Do not wait until the last day of the deadlines to submit the recommendation letter. Server issues are common on deadlines.