Since many of our readers are just beginning the business school application process, we wanted to offer some basic tips with regards to a critical variable in the MBA admissions equation: recommender selection.
Choosing Your Recommenders
When choosing your recommenders, remember that this can be seen as a test of judgment: if you choose a recommender whose letter is ineffective or who appears dubious about your abilities, the adcom may question how well you can judge your interactions with others, as well as their skills and weaknesses.
You should look for several qualities in a recommender. In order for your letters to be as effective as possible, all of your recommenders should have greater seniority than you, unless the school specifically asks for a peer recommendation: the adcom gives greater weight to things said by your superiors than to letters written by a peer because of the assumption that a peer is essentially a friend, and therefore predisposed to write a very positive recommendation.
As we discuss in greater depth with our clients, the most persuasive recommendation letters are those which contain specific examples and anecdotes. Because of this, you should select recommenders who are very familiar with your work and with whom you interact(ed) on a regular basis – usually current or former direct supervisors, rather than picking someone at your company whom you think will impress the adcom, such as your CEO. Choosing someone based on their reputation or title could also imply that you put an undue emphasis on such qualities, rather than thinking about who would be the best person for the job. In addition to picking people who know you well, you should pick recommenders with whom you have had a positive relationship: if they like and respect you, their letters will be much more positive and persuasive.
When deciding amongst your current and former supervisors or mentors, there are many factors to consider. First, the people you choose should be able to provide the adcom with a fairly comprehensive and recent view of your experiences. Often, it works well to ask your current supervisor and a supervisor from the job you held directly before your current one. If you have been at your current job for more than a few years, you might want to consider asking someone from an extracurricular activity in which you have taken an active role. If you find that it works best to choose two recommenders from the same employer, you should make sure that they can talk about different aspects of your experiences there so as to provide letters that are complementary, rather than indistinguishable. In such a case, you should talk to each recommender about the anecdotes and traits each of them would like to cover. If you do decide to choose a recommender with whom you worked some time ago, that should be a person with whom you have maintained regular contact, so that your relationship is still strong.
Ideally, you would also want to choose recommenders who could write well and who were receptive to input. The former is obviously important as an articulate letter will be more effective than an inarticulate one. The latter is important so that you can provide your recommenders with the information necessary to ensure that their letters build upon and reinforce the general message of your candidacy, and that they provide the detailed anecdotes referred to above.
These tips offer a good start for those of you who are thinking about recommendations. Of course, issues surrounding the lack of a letter from your current employer, what to do if you are self-employed (or work for your family’s business), as well as the age-old debate over the importance of using MBA graduates to write your letters are also important. We’ll aim to discuss these matters in future blog postings…
