How To Get A Strong MBA Recommendation Letter

Recommendation letters are an integral component of the MBA admissions process. But how can you be sure you’re getting the strongest letter possible?

Stacy Blackman, of Stacy Blackman Consulting, recently discussed some tips for the MBA recommendation letter and how applicants can best position themselves for a powerful letter.

“It might surprise you that many applicants don’t invest time and attention in their reference letters,” Blackman writes. “Most applicants select their references, direct them to the proper forms, and hope for the best. You can influence the quality of your recommendations.”

CHOOSING THE RIGHT PERSON

Many applicants believe that choosing someone with the ‘loftiest’ title will make for a strong letter.

Yet, Blackman says, this isn’t always the right method.

“The truth is that a person with a fancy title who doesn’t know the applicant won’t be able to offer specific examples and anecdotes to support even the most generous platitudes,” she writes. “As with the client’s essays, without ‘reasons to believe,’ the claims made in the reference letter, even when true, will be discounted or ignored.”

Additionally, it’s also important to find someone who can see value in you getting an MBA.

“A recommender with an MBA, or someone who believes in the value of an MBA, is an ideal choice as a reference,” Tyler Cormney, Co-Founder of MBA Prep School, writes for P&Q. “References who are familiar with the demands of an MBA program and what admissions committees are looking for will be best suited to express how prepared you are to meet those demands as well as to feature ways you compare favorably to the MBA applicant pool.”

TIPS FOR STRONG LETTER

A strong letter, according to Blackman, is one that conveys who you are to the admissions committee.

“Many recommenders—especially those unfamiliar with the MBA application process—think that if they simply sing your praises and repeat how great you are in various different ways, that will be enough,” she writes. “Unfortunately, it’s not. The best way for your recommenders to help you stand out from thousands of other highly qualified applicants is by painting a clear picture of who you are both professionally and personally.”

Additionally, letters specifically catered to your target MBA program can show interest.

“If I see the specific name of our program highlighted in the letter, it leads me to believe that the applicant has had a real conversation with the recommender about our program and this was not just a form letter for multiple applications,” Jim Parrish, director of MBA programs with the Harbert College of Business at Auburn University, tells US News. “That small, yet powerful item, allows me to believe that I will not be wasting my time with taking the next steps with this seriously interested prospective student.”

Sources: Stacy Blackman Consulting, Poets & Quants, US News