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MBA Admissions Essential #8: Recommendation Letters

If you’re like most prospective students, you’ve heard plenty of things about what kind of recommendation letter is ideal for b-school. Common urban myth maintains that the best endorsements come from individuals of a certain stature, including:

“C” people (e.g., CEOs, CFOs, CIOs);
business school alumni;
business school professors;
persons with “name recognition;”
politically well-connected individuals; and/or
business moguls. :-)

Sounds persuasive, doesn’t it? This is particularly convincing news when you are trying to distinguish yourself in a highly competitive applicant pool. The truth, however, is that recommender stature would matter IF recommendations assumed a sole or decisive role in the evaluation process and applicants were selected for who they know and not what they know.

In addition to recommendations, other equally important criteria upon which candidates are admitted into MBA programs are academic profile, demonstrated work experience, leadership, management, personal qualities (e.g., integrity, initiative, creativity – the list is as extensive as the attributes that describe human nature), and contribution to school, work, and/or community. The picture that emerges of an applicant based on these combined areas is what drives the evaluation process.

So ignore the word on the street. More important than pedigree or title is how well a recommender knows you. A supervisor who has worked closely with you for a period of time, for example, is in an excellent position to comment in detail about your current skills and future potential. A former professor who knows you from a classroom setting only may not be the best choice if he or she can speak only to your academic performance. We know about your educational background from your transcripts and test scores. What we really need is information about the less measurable elements of your profile.

Avoid the scenario in which far too many candidates find themselves: submitting a recommendation from a political figure, like the President of a country, or a highly placed executive in a well-known organization, neither of whom has worked with you, who begins his or her letter: “I don’t know Jim very well, but what I hear is that he exceptional” or “Ann is the daughter of my colleague and former army buddy. I have known her since she was an infant and can confirm that she is the model of professionalism and integrity.”

So before you act to quickly mobilize any political or business connections you have or seek out colleagues who possess a nice-sounding title, make sure these individuals know you well. A recommendation is only as good as the direct, first-hand knowledge a person has of the person being endorsed.

09 Nov 2006 09:50 AM in Application Preparation | Permalink

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Comments

Beautiful blog! Questionless!

Posted by: Niki | May 11, 2009 11:19:37 AM

Beautiful blog. I do not share the affirmation of the autor

Posted by: frank | Dec 29, 2008 4:53:29 PM

Information given here is good enough for a new person to start.

Posted by: Swapnil | Nov 22, 2006 3:22:35 PM

to. myself

Posted by: Kim Eun Hee | Nov 11, 2006 12:06:58 AM