Who should write a letter of recommendation?

You should choose someone who knows you well enough to be able to talk in considerable detail about your strengths and weaknesses. Opt for choosing someone who has interacted with you rather than someone who has a fancy title. However, it should also be someone who is high enough in your organization so as not to look like a peer.

Pick someone who understands the importance of the recommendation letter and will give it the time and attention it deserves. In short, someone who cares about you and your success.

Letters of recommendation confirm other parts of your application, especially your essays. Be sure to choose someone who will not give a story contradictory to your essays.

In general, schools want to hear from your direct supervisor.

How should you approach someone to write a recommendation letter?

Explain to the recommender your goals, how business school fits into your goals, why you feel they would be a good recommender, and the time commitment involved in writing a recommendation. Then, ask them if they would write a letter of recommendation for you. Now, be quiet and listen carefully to their response!

If the person does not sound enthusiastic about writing the recommendation, consider asking someone else to write the letter of recommendation. It will reflect very poorly on you and your judgment if someone does not write a favorable letter of recommendation.

If the person is enthusiastic about writing recommendation, tell them more about the time requirements of writing the letter, how you are positioning yourself to the school, and when you will follow up with a recommendation packet.

Prepare a recommendation packet for your recommender. This packet should include copies of your essays, pre-addressed envelopes and stamps, a copy of your resume, a list of deadlines, and a list of accomplishments that are related to your reviewer (for instance, a list of the projects you worked on with the reviewer).

What should the recommenders say?

You don’t just want a positive letter from a recommender. You want a letter that is going to set you apart from a sea of other candidates.

They should provide more detail on your essays. If you mention a strength in your essay, the recommender should be able to write a story that backs that strength up. Conversely, the recommender should also be able to address any weaknesses mentioned in your essays. For instance, if you do not have any direct management experience, the recommender could speak about how you managed a project.

Finally, have the courtesy to follow up with a thank you note.