Recommender Selection

[essen_1976]

Do B-schools make it mandatory for students to choose a current supervisor in an organization as a recommender or are past supervisors also ok to get recommendations from ? Is there a disadvantage in that case if someone does not want to involve the immediate supervisor due to job considerations ?

[money9111]

they would like to see at least 1 of your recommenders be one in the workplace and in a best case scenario one would be your manager, but they do understand that not everyone is in a position to do so. so they understand that as well.

[CriticalSquareMBA]

Hey there,

Yes, most programs require it. However, in the event you cannot ask a current supervisor, you're asked to explain why in the optional essay. It isn't that uncommon that people can't reach out to their current bosses and schools understand that you may want to keep your applications under the radar for the time being.

However, it's always preferable to have a current supervisor as at least one of the recommenders so if possible, try for it. If not, a former supervisor is a close second. Keep in mind, their validity erodes the more removed they are in terms of years. So if it's a supervisor from 4 years ago, they may not know the "current" you.

Bhavik