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MBA RECOMMENDATIONS |
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MBA RECOMMENDATIONS:
I've already talked about the emphasis (or lack thereof) given to recommendations in the Seven Application Elements section of this site. What I said was that most people end up having to write their own rec's or at the very least help their recommenders write them. The joint-effort approach is fine, but if you end up helping your recommender, be sure to address some of the following key issues and try to avoid some of the common pitfalls. What Should I Do With the Grid Boxes? Most of the applications
will ask your recommender to check grid boxes rating your personality in
areas ranging from potential for leadership to sense of humor.
Believe it or not, your recommender will have to determine
whether your sense of humor is in the "top 50 percent,"
"top 10 percent," or "top 5 percent" of your peer
group. If your recommender
doesn't have the time to jump through that many hoops for each school
(which is usually the case), have him write one very comprehensive
letter of recommendation and address separate copies of it to each of
your schools. (Change the
school name and address at the top of the letter.)
I know this means ignoring the instructions, but the schools
understand that your recommenders are doing you a favor, and they won't
punish you if your boss doesn't follow directions. One well written letter will be a sufficient substitute for the grid boxes, but what should you write about? Most schools ask for the same information. One of my GMAT students figured that out a couple years ago and compiled a list of common questions that he e-mailed to me. (He's now at Kellogg.) I've included that list along with some comments in the attached Universal Letter of Recommendation Form. If you're going to write your own recommendation, or work with your recommender on his letter, be sure to use the Universal Recommendation as a guide. Don't Forge Your
Recommendations The schools send thank
you notes to your recommenders. (Remember,
they have to include an address with their recommendations.)
If your boss suddenly gets a note from Kellogg thanking him for
taking the time to write you a recommendation, you might be leaving your
job earlier than you had planned. I
know a few people who have made this mistake. Don't forge your recommender's signature. Just between you and me, the admissions people know that many of the recommendations are written by the applicants. They expect, however, that the recommender at least had a chance to review the recommendation before signing it. You need to play along with the game. Sure your boss may ask you to do the dirty work, but let him read the final product before you send it in. A Special Note if You
Do Write Your Own Recommendation I'm an experienced
editor, so it's easy for me to spot writing habits.
I can usually tell when a set of essays and an accompanying
letter of recommendation have been written by the same person.
The voice, the diction, and especially the errors of grammar and
style are all unique identifiers. I
have seen people use the exact same phrasing in recommendations that
they used in their essays. That's
why it's a bad idea to write your own rec's. While the
admissions people may not be professional editors, I know from
first-hand experience that they too catch applicants by noting their
unique phraseologies. Most
of you will have to work with your recommenders in crafting your
letters, but don't write them wholesale.
At the very least craft your recommendations as a joint project.
Even if your recommender would prefer that you write them alone,
encourage him to do some of the work so the language will assure the
reader that someone other than the applicant wrote the recommendation. A Few Pointers on the Letters of Recommendation 1. Don't get
one from Lee Iococca. There's
nothing wrong with Lee (not that I know of, anyway), but he doesn't
really know you and it shows in his letter.
The most common mistake applicants make with respect to the
letter of recommendation is getting one from a hotshot at work or from a
brand name like Lee Iococca. The
admissions people are not impressed by your boss's boss's title, and
they are regularly bombarded by generic recommendations from celebrity
business people. So don't
send them another. You need a recommendation from someone who knows you well, preferably someone who works with you daily and can provide personal insight into your character. The job title of that person is meaningless to the admissions committee. (And just to confirm, yes, my students have submitted recommendations from brand names ranging from Lee Iococca to Charles Schwab. In fact, the person who submitted the Lee Iococca letter and the person who submitted the Charles Schwab letter ended up at the same MBA program.) 2. Have your
recommender discuss specific details of the jobs you've done. Detailing
specifics will shed more light on your personality than will mouthing
vague platitudes such as, "Billy will make a good leader"
and "I think he is very conscientious." 3. This one may sound a little obvious, but pick someone who can write! You know Maury, the section manager who thinks you're the greatest thing on earth but who reads at a 3rd grade level? Don't ask him for a recommendation. 4. When the recommendation asks for a flaw or area of personal improvement, don't let your recommender say, "Billy works too hard." No one buys that line. 5. There is no number 5. 6. Give your recommender an outline of the assignments you have handled at work. Include in that outline some suggestions on how he might address specific issues such as leadership potential and motivation for attending business school. In addition to improving the recommendation, providing this information should encourage your recommender to write the letter himself rather than ask you to do the dirty work. 7. Whatever you do, don't let your recommender question your leadership or communication skills! If he completes the grid boxes, make sure he gives you high marks in those categories. The whole point of business school is to develop leaders, and that means you have to communicate well. The Universal Letter of Recommendation The following Universal Recommendation is a compilation of the most common questions the top schools ask your recommenders . Use it as a guide while preparing your letter of rec. Don't try to address every issue on the page; instead, pick those that show you in the best light. Start by writing a brief answer to each question. Only after you have good replies should you worry about fitting them together into a coherent letter. Next
> Universal
Letter of Recommendation
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