subject: How A Great Mba Recommendation Letter Can Get You Into Hbs [print this page] Although the MBA recommendation may seem like a superfluous addition to your business school application, its inclusion in your applicant package is likely to be your strongest asset. Choose your recommendation writer carefully, though! A weak letter advertises a weak application and will hurt your chances of acceptance.
Management of the recommendations you collect for your MBA is as important as the recommendation themselves. The application process for business school should be viewed as a big, challenging, but achievable marketing exercise. Consistency is key: a message that varies or changes will destroy your credibility. For example, suppose an application emphasizes a love for mentoring as a particular personal strength. Attached to that application is a recommendation where the recommender is asked to identify an area for improvement. The recommender responds by describing a lack of patience with your subordinates when working in high pressure situations, thus directly contradicting one of the main theses of the application. The application"(TM)s credibility is shot, and so are its chances before any admissions committee.
The MBA recommendation is a sales tool not unlike the tools used by effective high-level salespeople and managers: the use of a third party, such as a former client, to provide a reference or testimonial. In attempting to close a sale, the value of having someone else praising your virtues can be a powerful force in your favor. A third-party reference gives applicants the appearance of modesty while driving home their strengths and credentials. A glowing reference can illuminate a sense of self-assurance by allowing the third-party, and not the applicant, to enumerate his or her qualities. To brag about one"(TM)s self in explicit terms is unseemly. When the same claim comes from a third-party, the claim is less likely to taint the application with narcissism. It is also more credible. An endorsement by a third-party is much more powerful than a self-stated claim. Consider the recommendation letter as a vehicle to convey your strengths and superior qualities without risk of appearing arrogant or conceited. It"(TM)s also insurance against unvalidated claims being taken as delusional.
The MBA recommendation is what I call the "super glue" that can give a business school application a whole lot of flair and punch. Your business school application is comprised of several different components, often a bit disconnected. Because recommendation letters are less tied to specific questions (unlike essays), a well-written reference letter can tie together your personal qualities, work experience, extra-curricular activities, personal and family background, career goals, academic background, etc. in a highly consistent way, and therefore be highly impactful. More importantly, a well-written recommendation that unifies your application will significantly raise the credibility of your application as a whole.
An MBA recommendation is the mechanism by which the admission committee can validate the claims made in the application. Many candidates exaggerate their application, but this does not render the application process unfair. Recommendations serve to maintain the integrity of the process by positive validation of the claims that are made. Obvious egregious exaggerations will not be validated by recommenders, who must maintain their own credibility. Exaggerations can be embarrassing, but far worse is the effect they have on the application"(TM)s credibility. Applications with claims that are unvalidated--or worse yet, contradict what a recommender has stated--will be weakened relative to applications without exaggeration or contradiction. Those who manage the recommendation process carefully and confirm a positive validation for their claims will be more credible and attractive to admissions committees.
