Question about reccomendation essays

[sungirl]

I need some expert advice with recommendation essays. I am planning on applying to 6 top business schools.
Here are my questions

1. Does each recommender have to answer and write a special essay for each school, or is there an easier way to do this? Is there anyway I can have then write one through essay that incorporates most of the questions and examples?

2. I am coming from a different situation then most applicants. I have a nonprofit background where my supervisor did not even go to college and does not believe in education and feels threatened by it. I am thinking about asking someone on the board of directors to write my recommendation, I know he doesn't know me as well, but we has an MBA and understands my reasoning. I don't want to disclose why I did not choose my supervisor because it seems like I made it up, but my supervisor loves me, they just don't believe in education so it might look like had a bad relationship with that person. Any suggestions of how to handle this delicately?

Thank you for your help, I do not know anyone at a b school or have any friend or peers applying so this is my only outlet of information


Thank you thank you!

[Kaneisha Grayson]

Hi Sungirl,

I know just how you feel. When I was applying to business school, people thought I was CRAZY for thinking I could get in (I was a liberal arts major with all non-profit work experience and a low GMAT score), and I only knew two people in the entire world who had ever gone to business school. All of my friends were headed off to law school, to work for non-profits, or to study abroad, and I felt pretty alone. You can actually read my blog from when I was applying to business school here: https://www.mbadiversity.com/mt/kaneisha/

1) There is an easier way for you to get your recommendations completed. First of all, you should be as organized as possible. In my September newsletter, I shared how you can wow your recommenders (and make the process a lot easier) by creating a recommendation packet. You can read the newsletter here: https://www.aweber.com/archive/artofapp/ ... me_For.htm

As for having them write one generic letter, I don't recommend it as each school has its slight nuances. However, it will only take them a few minutes to customize their feedback to each school--especially if you have everything nice and organized for them in one place as you will if you take my advice and make a recommender packet.

2) It does sound outlandish that your supervisor is anti-education, but I believe it! You can (and should) in fact explain diplomatically in your optional essay why you did not choose your direct supervisor to write your recommendation. I wonder if there might be a way to gently convince your supervisor, the person who knows you best, to write you a glowing recommendation? After all, how can you improve "the system" if you don't get an MBA and truly understand how it works?

3) You are not alone! My company, The Art of Applying, specializes in working with non-traditional applicants who are applying to business school. If anything, subscribe to my newsletter to get free tips and strategies for your b-school applications (https://theartofapplying.com/join-my-newsletter/) and to be notified when my next (free!) webinars are being held. Other great ways to meet non-traditional applicants is to do a Google Blog Search using words like MBA, non-traditional, poet, Analytics, and non-profit. (Analytics is the intensive course non-traditional students take at Harvard Business School before school begins and people love to talk about it online!)

You've taken the first step to de-isolate yourself (I made that word up) in your MBA application process by becoming an active member of BTG. Next, find some similar applicants via blogs and this site, and also see if you might want to work with an admissions coach to feel like you have more guidance and companionship in this process.

I highly recommend the book Your MBA Game Plan (https://www.amazon.com/Your-MBA-Game-Pla ... 1564146839). That book helped me feel much more confident in the process.

Go and prosper!
Kaneisha