The Application Process

How will recommenders' recomendation will get affected, if i send them the essay I've written for a particular school?

In what ways this can work in my favor?

Thanks people.
- goddy

I would strongly suggest showing your essays to your recommenders. Infact you should have a conversation with them and explain the reasons for your exploring an MBA, why that school, what you want to do post-MBA etc. I feel this will help align their recommendation letters with the overall application strategy.

Arun

You need to make sure that the content of your letters of recommendation is aligned with your personal qualities and the stories highlighted in the essays and that they enhance your candidacy.

There is, however, more than one way to achieve this goal. While you can ask your recommenders to read your essays, it is also important to provide them with additional information to allow them to write an efficient recommendation. The information in your essays may not be sufficient for strong recommendation letters and reading the essays may be very time consuming. In additional some essays may include personal information which you would not necessary want to share with your coworkers.


As an alternative, you can provide a "cheat sheet" to your recommenders containing information about each school you are applying to, what each of these schools is looking for in their applicants, short descriptions of your key personal qualities and stories you provided in your essays. You also can mention what stories/qualities specifically you would like recommenders to highlight for each school. In addition, you may also include key information about various projects you worked on with a recommender and your role in those projects. Don't assume that recommenders remember all your projects and achievements. You can include the essays in the informational package too.
It is also important to meet with your recommender in person to explain what admission committees in business schools are looking for in their applicants and walk them through the information package you prepared for them. Explain them what is the expected length of the letter and how important it is for your success in the admission process. It could also be useful to follow-up with your recommenders after a couple of weeks and ask if they have any additional questions. The follow-up will also allow you to monitor your recommenders, ensure that they remember about your request and have made some visible progress on your letters of recommendation.

Good luck!

Agree with above -- importantly, I think it shows your recommenders how serious you are about the MBA commitment, in the form of these essays. They can pick up on relevant themes and tailor their commentary to have a better story.

Good luck!
Aveek Guha, President, https://mbadaycamp.com/school_prospects.php