prestige mba letters of recommendation -- the l.o.r. writer's guide (to be shared by the...
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PRESTIGE MBA ADMISSIONS:
A HOW-TO GUIDE FOR THE WRITERS OF
LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION (L.O.R.)
SOME GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR THE RECOMMENDER
SUMMER 2014
TO THE RECOMMENDER
• WELCOME, FRIEND. YOU ARE A MENTOR, AND FROM THAT FLOW TWO
INFERENCES
• YOU HAVE AN INTEREST IN YOUR MENTEE’S PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & WELL-
BEING
• OTHERWISE YOU WOULDN’T BE HERE TO READ THIS BRIEF GUIDE
• MBA MORALIST ASSUMES YOU KNOW YOUR BUSINESS/INDUSTRY WELL – DITTO
FOR THE APPLICANT WHOM YOU’RE RECOMMENDING
• YOUR JUDGMENT WITH RESPECT TO THE FIRST AND INTIMACY WITH RESPECT TO THE
APPLICANT CAN COMBINE QUITE POWERFULLY
• THERE ARE, HOWEVER, SOME NON-OBVIOUS PITFALLS TO BE AVOIDED: THE PURPOSE
OF THIS GUIDE
TO THE RECOMMENDER [CONT’D]
• YOU MIGHT NOT BE AS FAMILIAR WITH THE CONTOURS OF PRESTIGE MBA
ADMISSIONS
• SOMETIMES COMMON SENSE (E.G. “SELL HARD”) IS COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE
• (SEE BELOW IN ‘CREDIBILITY’ SECTION)
• TO SEE WHY THIS MIGHT BE SO…
THINK STRATEGICALLY ABOUT THE READER
• SITUATION
• THEY WANT TO LEARN ABOUT THE APPLICANT (ABILITIES, EXPERIENCES, JUDGMENT,
WISDOM – AND POTENTIAL)
• IN A CONTEXT OF GLOBALIZED HYPER-COMPETITION FOR SOMETHING THAT IS
TRULY VALUABLE AND WORTH HAVING, SO….
THINK STRATEGICALLY ABOUT THE READER
• BECAUSE THEY HAVE SEEN IT ALL
• INCLUDING MANY TYPES OF EXAGGERATED DESPERATION
• IN RESPONSE THEY HAVE ADOPTED A STANCE OF BEING
• SKEPTICAL (IN THE EXTREME)
• BUT ALSO (NON-PARADOXICALLY) CURIOUS & PERSUADABLE
• WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR L.O.R. WRITERS?(& ALSO, OF COURSE, FOR
APPLICANTS?)
• YOU HAVE TO REACH THAT STANDARD AND, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY PERSUADE
HOW?BY BRIDGING THE COMMUNICATIONS CHASM
• CREDIBILITY IS KEY
• AND, IN YOUR RUSH TO PAINT A GLOWING PORTRAIT (BOTH LOR WRITER &
APPLICANT), TAKE CARE NOT TO UNDERMINE IT
• EXAGGERATIONS & ENTHUSIASMS DEBASE THE CURRENCY YOU’RE PINNING YOUR
CASE ON
• AIM TO CONVEY AN AURA OF DISCERNING JUDGMENT
• YOUR PERSONA SHOULD DEMONSTRATE IT
• IN PRACTICE THIS IS AS MUCH A MATTER OF TONE AS IT IS OF SPECIFIC CONTENT &
EVIDENCE
BELIEVABILITY:JUST BECAUSE IT’S IN A GRAMMATICALLY CORRECT SENTENCE DOESN’T MEAN THEY HAVE TO BELIEVE
YOU
• ESTABLISH YOUR CREDIBILITY/RELIABILITY AS A NARRATOR THROUGH
• JUDICIOUS AND MEASURED ASSESSMENTS
• OF COURSE YOUR SUBJECT SHOULD COME OFF STRONG – YOU TWO HAVE A BOND OF
EXPERIENCE AND RESPECT
• BUT REMEMBER
• NO ONE IS EQUALLY GOOD AT EVERYTHING, SO LEAVE PERFECTION TO THE LIVES OF
THE SAINTS
• SOMEONE WHO IS PERFECT HAS NO NEED OF FURTHER EDUCATION – AND WE DON’T
WANT TO OPEN GAPS BETWEEN WHAT WE PROFESS AND THE ACTIONS WE ELECT TO
UNDERTAKE
CREDIBILITY:JUST BECAUSE IT’S IN A GRAMMATICALLY CORRECT SENTENCE DOESN’T MEAN THEY HAVE TO BELIEVE
YOU• PRAISE THE APPLICANT’S ANALYTICAL INTELLIGENCE, BUT OFFSET IT WITH
LEADERSHIP COMMENTS THAT SUGGEST BOTH STRONG PROMISE BUT EQUALLY
IMPORTANTLY
• ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT – ESPECIALLY AS LEADERSHIP (EXCLUDING SWAGGER) BENEFITS
FROM WISDOM & SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE WHICH ACCRUE WITH AGE & EXPERIENCE
• EXAMPLE
• “HIS ANALYTICAL SKILLS ARE EVERYTHING ONE COULD HOPE FOR AND SOMETHING THAT
WE RELY UPON GREATLY. THAT SAID, EARLIER IN HIS TENURE, THERE WERE A FEW TIMES
WHEN IN HIS “YOUNG TURK” EAGERNESS, CERTAIN OTHER PARTIES FELT A BIT
MARGINALIZED, OVER-POWERED. WHEN WE POINTED OUT THE DYNAMICS TO HIM, HE
SAW THE POINT AND THOSE TYPES OF INCIDENTS DROPPED OFF DRAMATICALLY.”
PROCESS TIPS: #1
• THE APPLICANT AND THE LOR WRITER
• SHOULD CONFER FOR 15-30 MINUTES
• IDEALLY “SOCIALLY,” AS IN OVER COFFEE
• REALISTICALLY CONCEDING TO THE L.O.R. WRITER’S SCHEDULE CONSTRAINTS – IN THE
LOR’S OFFICE
• DEVELOP A ROUGH TIMELINE
• INCLUDING EXPLICIT TOUCH-BASE DATES ABOUT THE LOR WRITER’S PROGRESS
• ALL PARTIES CONCERNED RECOGNIZE THAT YOU’RE DOING US A FAVOR, BUT AS WE HAVE
AN EXTERNALLY IMPOSED DEADLINE TO MEET, KINDLY EXTEND THE APPLICANT THE FAVOR
OF YOUR INDULGENCE WITH RESPECT TO MONITORING YOUR PROGRESS
PROCESS TIPS: #2
• DURING THE INITIAL CONFERENCE THE APPLICANT SHOULD USE THAT TIME TO
EXPLAIN HIS/HER
• CAREER VISION – AND HOW IT RELATES TO THE PROFESSIONAL HISTORY TO DATE THAT
BOTH KNOW
• EXPECTATIONS OF THE PROGRAM IN TERMS OF SKILLS & COURSEWORK
• I.E. HOW THE DEGREE WILL HELP WITH THE PIVOT/LAUNCH, ESPECIALLY IF THE APPLICANT IS
INTENT ON DEEPER EXPERTISE WITHIN YOUR INDUSTRY IN COMMON
• ASK THE LOR WRITER FOR AN HONEST ASSESSMENT OF WHERE S/HE STANDS IN THE LOR
WRITER’S HUMAN CAPITAL ESTIMATES
• BE HONEST. DEFINE CONTOURS OF RELATIVE STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES. NO ONE IS PERFECT.
LOGISTICAL CONSIDERATIONS: #1
• WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT YOU’RE DOING THE APPLICANT A FAVOR
• PRUDENT APPLICANTS BUILD PLENTY OF LEAD TIME INTO THEIR REQUEST
• FURTHERMORE, THE DEADLINES ARE A TINY BIT FLEXIBLE FOR THIS, YOUR THIRD-PARTY CONTRIBUTION
TO AN APPLICATION
• PLEASE ALLOW THE APPLICANT TO MANAGE UP (TO YOU - YOU’RE LIKELY USED TO IT IN
ANY CASE!)
• TOGETHER, LOOK AT YOUR CALENDAR FOR BIG BANDWIDTH-SUCKS
• PLEASE BE HONEST & FORTHRIGHT IN CONVEYING YOUR PROGRESS OR LACK THEREOF
LOGISTICAL CONSIDERATIONS: #2
• THE OUTCOME TO BE AVOIDED IS
• A MICRO-PROJECT THAT STARTS WITH BONHOMIE
• BUT THEN LANGUISHES ONLY TO RESULT IN THE LOR AUTHOR ASKING THE
APPLICANT TO GHOST WRITE SOMETHING LAST MINUTE, WHICH WILL BE DUTIFULLY
SIGNED
• TAKE-AWAYS FOR THE TWO OF YOU
• MENTOR/LOR WRITER: PLEASE, IF YOUR MENTEE HAS GIVEN YOU MORE THAN A
MONTH’S NOTICE (IDEALLY CLOSER TO TWO), DON’T PUT THEM IN THAT
UNENVIABLE SITUATION
• APPLICANT: SPEAK UP FOR YOURSELF AND ASK ABOUT THE STATUS OF THIS
CRUCIAL FAVOR
FORMAL CONSIDERATIONS:IT’S A FORM
• IT’S NOT REALLY A LETTER
• IT’S A SERIES OF SCHOOL-SPECIFIC QUESTIONS (WITH OVERLAP AMONG
SCHOOLS, TO BE SURE) WITH SOME NUMERICAL RATING SCALES & FREE-FORM
TEXT INPUTS
• THE SCHOOL IS TRYING TO HAVE IT BOTH WAYS
• TO STANDARDIZE
• & YET NOT SACRIFICE THE INSIGHT FROM A VIVID ANECDOTE
INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE EMBLEMATIC EXAMPLE
HBS
• PREVIOUS SLIDE
• Q.E.D. (POINT PROVEN)
COACHING & COORDINATING VERSUS DICTATING
• IT’S A GIVEN THAT ETHICALLY MINDED PEOPLE DO NOT GHOST-WRITE
• THE FACT THAT WE ALL KNOW THIS OCCURS DOES NOT MAKE IT ANY BETTER
• YOU WOULDN’T BE LISTENING TO MBA MORALIST IF YOU DIDN’T AGREE
• RECOGNIZABLE RESEMBLANCE OF PORTRAITS (ONE IN LOR ONE IN PERSONAL
STATEMENTS):
• GOOD
• MESSAGING COORDINATION & TALKING POINTS
• BAD
THE APPLICANT IS THE UNIFYING PRINCIPLE
• THAT RELATES RESEMBLANCE BETWEEN
• THE PERSONAL STATEMENTS GENERATED IN RESPONSE TO THE SCHOOL’S PROMPTS &
• THE SUBJECT OF THE LOR THAT YOU’RE WRITING
• IT’S NOT OUR FAULT THAT ENGLISH HAS A RELATIVELY LIMITED NUMBER OF WAYS TO EXPRESS
CERTAIN NOTIONS & STRONG IDEAS
• BUT BECAUSE GHOST-WRITING IS A NO-NO, VERBOTEN IN THE STRONGEST TERMS AND
UNETHICAL…
• THE LANGUAGE SHOULD NOT BE OVERLY COORDINATED OR PROGRAMMED
• TIGHTLY ON-MESSAGE TALKING POINTS TEND TO SUGGEST A GREATER AMOUNT OF
COORDINATION THAN IS ETHICALLY PERMISSIBLE
DON’T UNDERCUT ALL THAT YOU’RE DOING
• BY USING LANGUAGE WHOSE TELL-TALE SIGNS REVEAL THE FINGERPRINTS OF
INAPPROPRIATE LEVELS OF APPLICANT-INVOLVEMENT
• WE READERS ARE SORT OF LOOKING FOR THAT AND TAKE AN ALMOST
UNSEEMLY GLEE WHEN WE FIND IT, FOR IT’S SO OBVIOUS, HEAVY-HANDED, AND
HAS MADE OUR DAY EASIER
LOR-WRITER:ANCHOR YOUR JUDGMENT &
DEMONSTRATE YOUR OWN INSIGHTS
• SHARE THE DEPTH OF YOUR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN YOUR INDUSTRY
• AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS OF CAREER PATHS WITHIN – AND ALSO, IF APPROPRIATE,
PIVOTS TO ELSEWHERE
• COMPARE THE APPLICANT’S PROFILE OF STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES TO THE
INDUSTRY’S DRIVERS – AND BETTER STILL: CONTEXTUALIZE IT WITH RESPECT TO
THEIR PLANS FOR THE MBA
• THAT WAY YOU’RE SITUATING THE APPLICANT IN A JUDGMENT/CONSIDERATION
THAT THE READER SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO
LOR-WRITER:ANCHOR YOUR JUDGMENT &
DEMONSTRATE YOUR OWN INSIGHTS
• AVOID EXAGGERATIONS:
• TO CALL SOMEONE 99%ILE IS MERELY AN EXAGGERATED ENTHUSIASM COMING FROM
A
NON-PSCYHOMETRICIAN (WHICH YOU ARE NOT)
• THERE ARE MORE QUALITATIVE WAYS TO CONVEY YOUR ENTHUSIASM
• “SOMEONE WHO TOOK TO THIS FIELD LIKE SHE DID – COMES AROUND ONCE EVERY FEW
YEARS. YOUR MBA IS POLISHING OFF AN IMPRESSIVE FOUNDATIONAL BASE.”
PLAINSPOKEN & DIRECT.NO NEED TO BE FORMAL & DEFERENTIAL
• IF ANYONE SHOULD BE, IT’S THE APPLICANT, NOT YOU
• AND APPLICANTS NEED NOT CRINGINGLY BOW & SCRAPE
• RATHER, THEY SHOULD TALK ABOUT THEMSELVES WITH THE QUIET CONFIDENCE
BORNE OF
• INTROSPECTION
• SELF-UNDERSTANDING
• AND JUDICIOUS PLANNING
• AN ALMOST-INTOXICATING MIX FOR THE ADCOMM, STRONGLY SUGGESTING THAT
THE APPLICANT FIGURED OUT THE PROGRAM’S VALUE AND THE WHY NOW? /WHY
HERE? FOR THEMSELVES
WRITING THESE THINGS GETS EASIER WITH TIME
(FOR WHAT THAT’S WORTH)
• REMEMBER, THIS ISN’T ROCKET SCIENCE.
• RATHER, IT’S A FOCUSED VERSION OF WHAT WE ALL DO EACH AND EVERY DAY:
• FORM JUDGMENTS ABOUT PEOPLE WE ENCOUNTER IN VARIOUS SITUATIONS
• IF IT SOUNDS LIKE B.S., IT LIKELY IS.
WRITING THESE THINGS GET EASIER WITH TIME
(FOR WHAT THAT’S WORTH)
• GOOD LUCK!
• PLAN WELL!
• PARTNER WITH EACH OTHER
• ALWAYS BEARING IN MIND THAT
• EACH OF YOU (LOR WRITER, APPLICANT) INDIVIDUALLY HAS SOMETHING TO DO TO
SUPPORT THE OTHER THAT NO ON ELSE REALLY CAN DO FOR YOU -- NOR SHOULD
YOU WANT THEM TO
MORE INSIGHTS INTO PRESTIGE MBA ADMISSIONS AVAILABLE AT
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