Selecting the right people to write your MBA letters of recommendation is a crucial step in your application journey. These letters provide valuable insights into your professional abilities, personal qualities, and potential for success in an MBA program. After all, they are the only chance for the admissions committee to see you through the eyes of those who know you best in a professional setting.
Every component of your MBA application is important, but recommendations can be particularly influential. A strong, positive letter can strengthen your candidacy and improve your chances of admission, while a generic or unenthusiastic letter may raise doubts about your suitability for the program.
To ensure your recommendations showcase your strengths and make a compelling case for your admission, it’s essential to choose your recommenders wisely. In this post, we’ll go into detail on how to choose the best recommenders for your unique profile and goals to ensure that your application stands out from thousands of competitors.
Why MBA LORs are Important
Every piece of an MBA application is fundamental and can influence your admission decision. Most MBA programs require at least two letters of recommendation, and admissions directors across campuses say they are a way to learn about you from someone else’s perspective.
Letters of recommendation serve as a valuable complement to the other elements of your MBA application. They have the power to underscore and validate the strengths you’ve expressed in your essays. Moreover, these letters offer an opportunity for recommenders to share additional insights and examples that aren’t present elsewhere in your application, thereby enhancing your overall profile.
Given the substantial impact recommendation letters have on admissions decisions, it’s crucial to secure strong endorsements. An enthusiastic recommendation can significantly boost your chances of acceptance, while a halfhearted one may hurt your chance of admission. Although you’re not the one writing the recommendation, there are several proactive steps you can take to ensure that the MBA admissions committee receives a compelling letter that strengthens your candidacy.
By carefully selecting your recommenders, providing them with relevant information, and giving them ample time to craft a thoughtful letter, you increase the likelihood of receiving a glowing recommendation. Remember, the goal is to have your recommenders advocate for your qualities, skills, and potential in a way that complements and elevates your entire application package.
How To Choose Your Recommenders
While you can’t control exactly what your recommenders will write, you can certainly guide them in the right direction. By being strategic and proactive throughout the recommendation process, you can significantly improve your chances of making a positive and lasting impression on the admissions committee. Let’s look at some of the stronger and weaker options for recommenders:
STRONG: Current supervisor
This is the first person you should consider for a recommendation. In fact, some MBA programs request that you list your current supervisor as a recommender.
Why is that? First, your supervisor has deep insight into your strengths, weaknesses, and potential because they interact with you regularly and assess your job performance. Second, their perspective carries significant weight since most managers have extensive experience evaluating and promoting talent, giving them a strong basis for comparing you to your peers.
Additionally, your manager’s opinion is highly respected by the admissions committee. Most managers have a proven track record of identifying and developing top performers, so they are able to effectively compare you to your peers – and show the admissions committee just how impressive you are.
Even schools that request a current supervisor understand there are situations in which your current supervisor might not be a good choice – for example, if you work for a family member or if your supervisor does not support your decision to leave the company and attend an MBA. If you don’t list your current supervisor, then you should attempt to explain in your application why you did not list them so that you avoid suspicions that you’re trying to hide something negative about your work performance.
STRONG: Former supervisor
Choosing the right person to write your MBA letter of recommendation is a critical decision, and a former supervisor can also be a good option. Here’s why:
If you’re unable to ask your current supervisor, whether you’re self-employed, have worked with your current manager for a short amount of time, can’t tell your company you’re applying, or are between jobs, a past manager provides that essential leadership perspective that admissions committees value. They can speak to your professional strengths, work ethic, and potential in a way few others can.
On the other hand, even if you do have a current supervisor writing one of your recommendations, consider asking a former boss to write your second letter. This gives the admissions team a more complete picture of your career journey and shows consistency in how you’re viewed by those who have managed you.
At the end of the day, your recommendations should come from people who can speak confidently and authentically about your abilities and character. A former supervisor is often uniquely positioned to do just that, making them a strong choice for one of these critical letters of support.
STRONG: Indirect managers
Professionals at one or more levels above you who you work closely with, even without a direct reporting relationship, are great options for your second (or third) recommender. It’s a smart strategy to select two recommenders from the workplace who can speak to your professional skills.
However, you could also choose someone who worked with you in a managerial capacity in a professional or community organization outside of work. For example, our client Victor held a major leadership role in a national religious organization as a volunteer, so it made sense for his supervisor within the organization to write a recommendation.
WEAK: Academic references
When it comes to MBA recommendations, avoid asking professors or teachers. Admissions committees are more interested in learning about your professional abilities and how you perform in a work setting. Since most MBA applicants have been out of school for a while, professors usually can’t provide an accurate picture of an applicant’s current professional strengths and qualities. In fact, most schools explicitly state that they don’t want academic letters, except under special circumstances. Most commonly, this is if you are applying for a deferred enrollment program, like Harvard’s 2+2 program!
WEAK: Anyone who doesn’t know you well
Effective letters of recommendation come from someone who can comment knowledgeably about you in a work setting. Only choose recommenders that have had many positive interactions and experiences with you, preferably in the workplace.
As Chicago Booth puts it, “selecting someone with a high-level, fancy title does not mean very much to us if you’ve not worked closely with that person.”
Asking For the Recommendation
Once you’ve selected your top choices for your recommenders, it’s time to ask them if they would be willing to write a recommendation. We recommend asking early – at least 1-2 months in advance of the application deadline.
Securing strong recommendations is a critical component of a successful MBA application. One key strategy to ensure you get the recommenders you want is to reach out well in advance of your deadlines. If you wait until the last minute, your top choices may have already committed to writing letters for other applicants and could decline your request due to limited bandwidth or a desire to avoid over-recommending.
When deciding how to approach potential recommenders, consider the nature of your relationship. In most cases, because they should be very familiar with your work and capabilities, a simple email, phone call, or quick chat in their office will suffice. However, in more formal situations or with high-level executives, it may be more appropriate to schedule a meeting or take them out for a coffee or lunch to discuss your request.
By being proactive and thoughtful in your approach, you’ll significantly increase your chances of securing powerful recommendations that will strengthen your MBA application and help you stand out in a competitive pool.
How To Structure a Letter of Recommendation
Your recommenders are busy people. Business schools know that, so over 40 of the top programs worldwide have adopted the GMAC Common Letter of Recommendation, which provides recommenders with the same leadership assessment grid and 3-4 questions:
- Please provide a brief description of your interaction with the applicant and, if applicable, the applicant’s role in your organization.
- How does the performance of the applicant compare to that of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? (e.g., what are the applicant’s principal strengths?)
- Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response.
- (Optional) Is there anything else we should know?
The word limit may vary from school to school, but the questions remain the same, making it easy for the same person to recommend you to multiple schools.
Some MBA programs, like INSEAD, Wharton, and London Business School, ask different questions, though overall themes like strengths, weaknesses, and leadership potential often remain the same.
Looking for the exact Letter of Recommendation questions for your target schools?
Our MBA Resource Library has LOR guides for dozens of top schools, as well as numerous sample essays, mock sequences, exclusive guides, and CV templates.
No matter what, make sure your recommender follows each school’s guidelines rather than writing a generic, open-ended letter.
What Makes a Strong Letter of Recommendation?
When asking someone to serve as a recommender, it’s important to prepare them by sending them information reminding them of your achievements and explaining your MBA goals. Because your recommenders are busy people, some of them may want you to draft a letter for them to edit and submit. Others will want to write down their ideas and send them to you for review. Make sure to establish each recommender’s writing and editing preference up front.
In our experience, most recommenders want you to draft a letter that you’ll send to them for their review. We work with you to determine your strengths and weaknesses and generate examples for you to send to your recommender that will boost your overall application.
Pro Tip: Many women tend to get caught in the “nice girl” trap when it comes to their LORs. Watch this brief video to understand this phenomenon and discover ways to steer clear of it.
LINK TO YT SHORT
The strengths question (with examples)
When applying to MBA programs, you’ll almost certainly face a question asking your recommender to highlight your key strengths, whether the school uses GMAC’s common LOR questions or their own. This is the second question in GMAC’s set: “How does the performance of the applicant compare to that of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles?”
To tackle this question effectively, recommenders should focus on identifying a couple of your core strengths and supporting them with concrete examples. A recommendation letter that provides two powerful anecdotes illustrating your exceptional performance is far more impactful than one that simply lists several strengths without specific or meaningful examples. Here’s an example of a letter that accomplishes this well (with names changed for privacy):
The key takeaway? Encourage your recommenders to be selective in the strengths they highlight and ensure they back them up with detailed examples of your performance. This approach will result in a compelling letter that truly sets you apart from other qualified candidates.
At Ellin Lolis Consulting, we understand the critical role recommendations play in your MBA application success. Our experienced consultants can guide you in selecting the right recommenders and preparing them to craft powerful letters on your behalf. Reach out today to learn how we can help you secure strong, persuasive recommendations that showcase your unique strengths and potential.
The feedback question (with examples)
This question is usually more difficult to answer. You know what strengths and achievements you want to share with the admissions committee, but how should you address the feedback question?
The question is not asking for your weaknesses. Over 40 business schools ask this question because they want to know how you receive feedback and incorporate it into your work. With that in mind, it’s important to describe 1) how the recommender noticed the opportunity for improvement, 2) the exact feedback the recommender gave you and 3) examples of how you incorporated that feedback moving forward.
Let’s look at an example that does this effectively (name have been changed):
We have dozens more example letters available in our MBA Resource Center.
Submitting Your Letters of Recommendation
Your recommenders play a critical role in your MBA application journey. They are responsible for submitting your letters of recommendation directly to each program, providing valuable insights into your capabilities and potential.
To ensure a smooth process, you’ll need to enter your recommenders’ contact details in each school’s online application system. This will trigger the system to send them the specific questions or assessments they need to complete on your behalf. It’s crucial that you have a discussion with your recommenders well in advance of this step, ensuring they are fully prepared and aware of all relevant deadlines.
Remember, your recommenders are busy professionals who have agreed to support your MBA aspirations as a favor to you. By keeping them informed and providing them with ample time to craft thoughtful responses, you demonstrate your respect for their time and efforts.
Navigating Your Letter of Recommendation Strategy
Asking for and receiving letters of recommendation is often one of the most daunting pieces of your MBA application. Recommendations play an influential role in admissions committee decisions, so we work with you to identify the right people, brainstorm compelling content, and collaborate with busy recommenders to make sure everything is submitted accurately and on time.
If you’re interested in working with us, apply here to add more value than you ever thought possible during your MBA application journey. Spots are limited!
Real MBA Essays That Got People In
School-specific sample essays that got our clients accepted
