Choose the Best MBA Recommenders

As the round one deadlines for your MBA applications approach, have you secured the best possible candidates to write your recommendation letters (LORs)? These letters, a critical component of your application, often raise questions and concerns. Can you use college professors as MBA recommenders? What if you can’t ask your direct manager for a letter? And how should applicants from a family business proceed?

While these situations may seem daunting, remember that the admissions committee members have encountered similar cases before. We covered the topic of MBA recommenders on the B-Schooled podcast and bring you an overview of co-host Erika’s timely advice here. Let’s address these issues and ensure you select the right people for the job.

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What to Look for in MBA Recommenders

Let’s start with the overarching qualities to look for in your MBA recommenders. Obviously, they should be your biggest cheerleaders. They should want to do this for you, feel honored that you asked, and would have been upset if you hadn’t. These are people who, if you get into your dream program, will be beyond thrilled. And if you don’t get in, they’ll feel just as crushed.

The second criterion should be a no-brainer. Choose people who will write the required responses themselves and not push them back on you. Sometimes, we work with clients who wrongly assume that we want to control every possible aspect of the application process. They think we will draft an outline for each recommender’s responses and then let them restate everything in their own voice. But we don’t do that for two simple reasons.

First, it’s important to note that drafting the recommenders’ responses is unethical. Most programs have a check box on the application attesting to your non-involvement in drafting it. Secondly, it’s challenging to write as someone else. If you were to do so, the recommendation letter would likely be weaker, and the admissions committee could easily detect your involvement.

Finally, you want a recommender who can answer each school’s questions. While known colloquially as recommendation letters, most business schools don’t want actual, open-ended letters gushing about your merits. Instead, they ask specific questions and only want answers to them.

Common Questions for MBA Recommenders

Many business schools use a common recommendation form that covers two main questions. They are:

How does the performance of the applicant compare to that of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles?
Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you’ve given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response.

The best person to answer these two questions is someone in a position senior to you. That’s why schools often request at least one of your MBA recommenders to be a direct manager. But the critical feedback question would be impossible for someone to answer if they’ve never given you constructive criticism.

To summarize, a great recommender should be a cheerleader for you, willing to write the letter themselves, and capable of answering the specific questions asked by your target schools.

Does Seniority Matter?

Applicants often wonder whether their recommender’s title, role, or position matters. In a word, no. Avoid picking someone you have barely worked with because they have a better title. Don’t ask your CEO to write the letter, thinking that will sound more impressive.

A vague letter from your CEO about your greatness won’t give the AdCom any insight into your personality, strengths, and potential. Instead, you’ve squandered an enormous opportunity to help fill in the blanks and give them a more holistic picture of your candidacy.

The same thing goes for alum status. If you have two recommenders who meet the criteria we’ve described, one of them is an alum of the school, and the other isn’t, then sure, go with the alum because they’re a strong choice already. But don’t choose someone who’s an alum of your dream program for that reason alone.

Remember, what matters to admissions committees is whether you have something to teach your classmates based on your professional and personal experiences. Your recommender’s title or status carries zero weight in that regard. Pick people who know you well and can share many great stories about you.

B-Schooled Podcast Episode #127: How to Pick the Right Recommenders

Multiple Jobs, Multiple MBA Recommender Options

Most MBA applicants have had more than one employer since graduating from university. “I’m a big fan of having one reference from your current firm and one reference from your old firm,” Erika notes. “Especially if your time there was significant or made up close to half of the time that’s passed since you’ve been out of college.”

Applicants often fret about choosing recommenders with whom they haven’t worked in a while. Perhaps the contender is from a former job or someone from their current workplace with whom they haven’t worked for a few years. Trust us, this scenario is commonplace.

The only consideration here is that you’ll need to guide that recommender more. After all, recommenders don’t only cover stuff that has happened in the past few months. So, give them your resume and a few bullet points to jog their memory of crucial moments to highlight.

That said, our advice on this issue is highly individualized. You may have been out of school for four years and split that time between two firms. However, you have two outstanding recommenders from your current firm. One can cover projects from when you joined the firm; the other is your present boss, who can speak about your recent work. In that case, two recommendation letters from your current company might be acceptable.

When a Current Supervisor Isn’t an Option

Ideally, one of your recommendations would come from your current direct manager. Before giving up entirely, see if there’s anyone at your firm you can be honest with about your concerns. You can preface the conversation by explaining that the admissions odds at top schools are against everyone. There’s no guarantee you’ll get into your dream B-school, but you know you’ll regret it if you don’t take a shot. Let them know that simply writing you a letter and the fact that you’re applying doesn’t mean that you’re going to business school.

“I’ve had so many clients in this situation over the years,” SBC consultant Erika says. “People whose companies were on shaky ground, so they didn’t want to give management a reason to pick them if cuts had to be made. Or people whose bosses think business school is a waste of time. Or people who feared a good chunk of their upcoming bonus might go to somebody else if their manager knew that they were going to end up leaving.” These are all much more common situations than you might think.

So, what happens when you don’t want to (or can’t) ask your boss? Thankfully, almost all schools will waive the current manager requirement if you think your position, possible promotion, or bonus would be adversely affected if your plans to go back to school became common knowledge.

If you have a legitimate reason for not wanting to ask your current boss, note it briefly in the additional information or optional essay space. There’s no need to go overboard in your explanation. Just write one sentence about why you wanted to avoid asking your supervisor.

Other Potential Recommenders

While it’s okay if you don’t have your current boss to write a letter for you, it does become a more significant issue if you can’t get a recommendation from anyone at your company. In that case, you’re going to need to get creative.

“Start thinking of clients you interact with frequently or maybe suppliers or other vendors or partners. If you’re in private equity, perhaps someone on the management team of a portfolio company might work,” Erika suggests. “I’ve had clients successfully use all these types of contacts for strong references.”

Asking extracurricular contacts for a recommendation only makes sense if you’ve committed to the same organization for years. Also, the person you’re thinking of asking knows you well and can answer the two questions we mentioned earlier.

Erika worked with one client who had gone to the same camp throughout his childhood and eventually became a counselor there. “He is still involved in many different ways and trains other counselors and group leaders,” she says.

“Another was involved with a charity in another country for several years,” Erika explains. “He had done work in this other country for the charity twice and was still extraordinarily involved. So, he got somebody from that organization to write one of his referrals.”

Erika notes that though it can happen, most people aren’t in situations like these. If you go this route, proceed with caution. You don’t want the admissions committee to question whether you don’t get along with people at work and can’t find anyone to champion your candidacy.

MBA Recommenders for Family Business Background

This scenario is tricky, as MBA applicants who work for the family business must weigh their options carefully. We’ll say upfront that these candidates should not ask a family member to write their recommendation letter. That comes off as immature and unaware. Instead, ask a non-relative at your company who can answer the schools’ questions. Or ask a client, vendor, partner, or some other business associate you have a close relationship with.

You could also ask a professional mentor who’s watched your career grow and given you advice over time. While at least one MBA reference should be someone you work with professionally, this could be a case where, if you do have deep extracurricular or volunteer experience, you could ask a colleague at that organization to write the second letter on your behalf.

Selecting the right recommenders is a strategic decision that can significantly influence the outcome of your MBA application. Beyond endorsing your skills, recommenders provide an objective perspective on your professional achievements, character, and potential for success in a rigorous business school environment.

Their insights can fill in the gaps left by your essays and test scores, painting a more complete picture of who you are as a candidate. Therefore, it’s crucial to choose individuals who know you well, can enthusiastically advocate for you, and are willing to take the time to write thoughtful, personalized responses.

Remember, admissions committees value authenticity and depth over titles or prestige, so prioritize recommenders who can share meaningful anecdotes and insights about your work and impact. For instance, a recommender might share a specific project you led that significantly impacted the company or a personal quality you exhibited in a challenging situation.

By carefully selecting the right people to support your application, you’ll meet the requirements, strengthen your story, and enhance your chances of admission to your dream business school.

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Choose the Best MBA Recommenders