The Application Process

So I am planning on applying for B-school next fall and am trying to figure out the best people for my second and optional letters of recommendation. I have been fortunate to have had some amazing experiences and work with some amazing people in recent years and have a bounty of riches when it comes to people to write on my behalf. That said, I am unsure who would be best to turn to. All would be able and willing to write extremely positive letters. My options are as follows:

AE: The CEO of a company worth $500+ million (should be public by the time I apply). I was a first round investor in the company, and was responsible for conducting due diligence and monitoring on behalf of myself and several other investors. I have known him for 5 years and after our work together, I consider him a friend. (Also note, that while I made a very good chunk of change on it, much of the company's value is due to capital raised, so I am not crazy rich or anything)

DK: An independent tech consultant who has been working almost exclusively for one of the world's largest electronics companies at a very high level. I have been working with him on and off doing research for various entrepreneurial ideas for the past 8 years, and have known him even longer. I spent one year working directly for him as a researcher for a biotech business venture that ended up not getting off the ground.

PJ: A small media consultant specializing in Jewish non profits. PJ helped me through a very difficult time when I was near the center of a national media storm (outside of the US) involving an interview I conducted with a major politician that ended up going all the way to the PM. I also worked with him quite a bit while I was a grad student doing Jewish/Israel advocacy on campus.

RG: (only for a character reference) Director of finance at a major (top 60) global business school. I have known him since I was 12. He started off as my coach, but became my mentor over the past 15 years. I have spent countless hours discussing various issues of finance with him.

CM: A professor of physics at a world class research institute: He was my thesis adviser from my M.Sc. in physics. Due to my involvement in various ventures with AE and DK, my 3 year m.sc. ended up taking 4.5. He worked with me for years and knows me very well.

FK: A professor of material science & nano engineering and director of a research institute. He was my secondary adviser for my M.Sc.. In some ways he knows me better than my adviser as most of my material fabrication took place in his lab. I also took a course with him where my technical writing really impressed him.

katzd314 wrote:So I am planning on applying for B-school next fall and am trying to figure out the best people for my second and optional letters of recommendation. I have been fortunate to have had some amazing experiences and work with some amazing people in recent years and have a bounty of riches when it comes to people to write on my behalf. That said, I am unsure who would be best to turn to. All would be able and willing to write extremely positive letters. My options are as follows:

AE: The CEO of a company worth $500+ million (should be public by the time I apply). I was a first round investor in the company, and was responsible for conducting due diligence and monitoring on behalf of myself and several other investors. I have known him for 5 years and after our work together, I consider him a friend. (Also note, that while I made a very good chunk of change on it, much of the company's value is due to capital raised, so I am not crazy rich or anything)

DK: An independent tech consultant who has been working almost exclusively for one of the world's largest electronics companies at a very high level. I have been working with him on and off doing research for various entrepreneurial ideas for the past 8 years, and have known him even longer. I spent one year working directly for him as a researcher for a biotech business venture that ended up not getting off the ground.

PJ: A small media consultant specializing in Jewish non profits. PJ helped me through a very difficult time when I was near the center of a national media storm (outside of the US) involving an interview I conducted with a major politician that ended up going all the way to the PM. I also worked with him quite a bit while I was a grad student doing Jewish/Israel advocacy on campus.

RG: (only for a character reference) Director of finance at a major (top 60) global business school. I have known him since I was 12. He started off as my coach, but became my mentor over the past 15 years. I have spent countless hours discussing various issues of finance with him.

CM: A professor of physics at a world class research institute: He was my thesis adviser from my M.Sc. in physics. Due to my involvement in various ventures with AE and DK, my 3 year m.sc. ended up taking 4.5. He worked with me for years and knows me very well.

FK: A professor of material science & nano engineering and director of a research institute. He was my secondary adviser for my M.Sc.. In some ways he knows me better than my adviser as most of my material fabrication took place in his lab. I also took a course with him where my technical writing really impressed him.

Regarding extra reference, take a look here, this article may help:
https://www.aringo.com/emails/emailExtraRecs.htm

Hello Katzd314 -

How fortunate you are to have a great group of recommenders at your disposal! That speaks well of your application!

I agree with Jon@Admissionado. Faculty recommendations are not of great value to the business school admissions process. I was the Director of MBA Admissions for 15 years at Texas A&M. When we received a recommendation from a faculty member, it was typically weak, addressed classroom behaviors, and never spoke to the professional potential of a candidate.

You mention RG as a character reference. That is not necessary. The Admissions Committees want to hear about your professional accomplishments and professional potential.

Of all the individuals you listed, AE and DK are the clear choices.

Will you be discussing the "media storm" in your applications? If so, some insight from PJ may be of interest. However, because he is an advisor with a small firm, that's less impactful. Also, and more importantly, inclusion of PJ draws attention to something that may make an Admissions Committee wary. You were the center of a PR crisis.

I hope this information is helpful to you. If I can help further, please contact me.

Wendy Flynn
MBA Admissions Coach
[email protected]