reference letter tips

[boringengineer]

I have been given the opportunity to craft a letter of reference from my current internship employer. What are some key points that a future admissions advisor specifcally looks for in past experience which might be good to add to my letter?

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear boringengineer,

You need to tread carefully here as writing your own recommendation letter, even with the signee telling the admissions office he/she did, is a risk. Writing styles show through and will be noticed. Nevertheless, this is an unfortunate reality faced by many as most people do not want to take the time to write a recommendation letter for someone else.

The most important thing to convey in a recommendation letter is how the person contributed and added value, making the letter stronger by providing examples. So if you were on a successful project or endeavor, that would be good to highlight. Similarly, business schools look for leadership potential and evidence of a managerial skill set in candidates. Thus any anecdotes or examples demonstrating these skills is beneficial.

Good luck,
Lisa

[boringengineer]

Thank you for such great advice Lisa. Although MBA school is still about 4 years away from now, would it be advisable to write this letter in support of my admission this early on?

[Lisa Anderson]

Schools only want fresh letters, that is written around the time you apply. So getting a letter now when you plan on applying more than a year from now is not advisable. However, maintaining a good relationship with your current supervisor between now and business school is a great idea so he/she can write a letter for you in the future.

Regards,
Lisa

[jas1984]

Hi Lisa,

I have a question related to reference letters as well ... Can my supervisor just write one letter which can be used for all schools? He is really busy and write one detailed letter would be easier for him than to fill out separate forms. Or is this something that depends on the school that I'm applying to?

Thanks,
Jas

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear Jas,

Yes, it is possible one letter can be used for multiple programs. However, all schools generally have an evaluation form the recommenders will complete in addition to a letter. These take about 15-30 minutes depending on how many short answer questions they ask and how fast your recommender completes the form. The only thing you should warn your recommenders of who choose to recycle a letter is to be sure to change any specific school references (i.e., program name) in the actual letter. So it would be good for you to speak with each recommender about the process and how many schools they feel comfortable working on.

Good luck,
Lisa