Why an MBA Recommendation Letter Can Make or Break Your Application

An MBA letter of recommendation (LOR) is a crucial component of any application to a business school. Admissions committees value them as authentic insights into evidence of your leadership, teamwork, and professional impact. 

Most schools use a standard format, including a rating section where recommenders assess your leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. A well-crafted LOR can distinguish you from other candidates and showcase your potential beyond test scores and essays.

Additionally, many schools focus on peer comparison in LORs. Schools want to know how you perform against equally qualified peers. Strong examples of your achievements and responses to constructive feedback help showcase your ability to learn and grow.

A strong LOR can significantly boost your MBA acceptance chances, particularly for competitive programs. Ensure your recommender includes compelling stories demonstrating leadership, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.

Choosing the Right Recommenders for Your MBA Application: Key Strategies

Selecting the right recommenders is critical to ensuring a strong MBA application. 

1. Select a Supervisor Who Knows You Well 

Most top MBA programs prefer at least one recommendation from a current supervisor. They can provide detailed insights into your strengths and growth over time. Select a supervisor who has closely observed your growth to ensure credibility and ask them to provide specific, insightful examples of your contributions.

If choosing a direct manager is impossible, opt for someone who has evaluated your work, such as a past supervisor or senior colleague.

2. Diversify Your Recommenders 

Having multiple recommenders provide different perspectives strengthens your application. Ensure you select at least one recommender who is a current colleague or manager with whom you have worked for at least six months. The second recommender should be someone you worked with in the past two years, with at least six months of collaboration. 

Each recommender should highlight different aspects of your professional abilities and behaviors, ensuring a well-rounded portrayal of your strengths. Subsequently, they should provide distinct perspectives on your leadership, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills to give admissions committees a holistic view of your potential.

Avoid selecting two recommenders from the same project or department. Instead, choose professionals who can highlight different aspects of your skills, such as leadership, innovation, and teamwork. This ensures a well-rounded perspective on your capabilities.

3. Confirm Their Willingness and Availability 

Ensuring recommenders are available and invested instantly improves the quality of your LOR.

A strong recommendation requires time and effort. Before finalizing your recommenders, discuss deadlines and expectations with them. Please provide details about your application goals to help them write a compelling letter.

Schools like NYU Stern School of Business, Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, and Columbia Business School also emphasize displaying unique qualities such as IQ and EQ balance, inclusivity, and leadership potential. Ensure your recommenders highlight aspects that align with the specific values of your target schools.

Make an Impact in MBA Admissions with a Distinctive Recommendation

While there isn’t a cookie-cutter formula, below are some key factors to remember while working on your letters of recommendation. 

Essential Skills Your MBA Recommendation Letter Must Highlight

Each recommender should provide two examples: one highlighting technical or people skills and one demonstrating leadership potential. A strong MBA recommendation letter should highlight three key skill areas that align with post-MBA goals:

  • Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills: include critical thinking, logical reasoning, and data-driven decision-making. Schools value candidates who can break down complex issues and develop innovative solutions.
  • Interpersonal and Leadership Skills: Demonstrating the ability to align teams to a larger goal, encourage diverse perspectives, drive collaboration, and influence stakeholders is crucial.
  • Strategic and Business Acumen: Identifying untapped opportunities, challenging the status quo, driving a larger impact, and leading cross-functional teams effectively shows high leadership potential.

These skills should be illustrated through real-world examples that reflect measurable outcomes and professional growth. Strong LORs emphasize how a candidate’s past achievements indicate future success in an MBA program and beyond.

STAR and SCAR: Essential Approaches to Strengthen Your MBA LOR

The most effective LORs follow a structured approach like STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) or SCAR (Situation, Challenge, Action, Result). 

A strong result should include direct impact (metrics), larger impact (recognition), and personal learning (professional growth). This ensures clarity and impact while demonstrating your skills in a real-world context.

An example using the STAR framework:

  • Situation: A struggling product line required urgent intervention.
  • Task: Improve profitability and market reach.
  • Action: Implemented a data-driven market repositioning strategy and optimized cost structures.
  • Result: Achieved a 30% revenue increase within six months and expanded market presence.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in MBA Recommendations

Understanding common mistakes in MBA recommendation letters can help you avoid pitfalls that may weaken your application.

1. Generic and Vague Praise 

Avoid letters filled with generic phrases like “a hardworking professional” or “a great team player.” Instead, recommenders should use specific anecdotes and data to illustrate their points.

2. Rehashing the Resume 

An MBA LOR should complement, not repeat, your resume. It should provide unique insights into your work ethic, decision-making, and leadership skills.

3. Failing to Address Weaknesses Constructively 

Business schools expect candidates to acknowledge and improve upon their weaknesses. Therefore a good LOR should discuss a challenge you faced, how you addressed it, and how you grew from the experience.

4. Submitting a Poorly Written Letter 

Spelling errors, lack of structure, and weak storytelling can reduce the impact of a recommendation. Ensure that your recommender reviews and refines the letter before submission.

Final Checklist to Perfect Your MBA Recommendation Letter

Taking the final steps to refine and optimize your recommendation letter will ensure it makes a lasting impression on admissions committees.

1. Provide Your Recommenders with Supporting Materials

Give them:

  • Your resume.
  • A summary of key achievements.
  • Your MBA goals and how they align with the school.
  • Submission deadlines.

2. Offer a Draft (If Needed) 

Some recommenders may appreciate a draft to refine. However, ensure they personalize it with their unique insights. Use the template below to give them a framework to start with.

    Use a Letter of Recommendation Template

    In the US, many schools use the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC)’s Common LOR  template for a Letter of Recommendation. If you are unsure, contact your school to ask if they use the Common LOR. In any case, it can serve as a good template for creating your LORs. 

    Guidelines for Using the GMAC Common LOR

    How to Approach Section One and Two

    The template is divided into three sections. The first section records the recommender’s personal details and the professional context of their relationship with you, the candidate. Then in Section Two, the template performs a Leadership Assessment by asking multiple-choice questions about the candidate. The questions fall into these categories; Achievement, Influence, People, Personal Qualities, and Cognitive Abilities.

    Tips for Writing Section Three

    In Section Three, the recommender is asked a series of questions. Here we break it down to help guide your writing.

    1. Interaction with the Applicant (Up to 50 words)

    Provide a concise overview of your professional relationship with the applicant. Specify your role, the applicant’s role, and the nature of your interactions (e.g., mentorship, direct supervision, cross-functional collaboration). Mention the frequency and depth of engagement and highlight how their contributions impacted the team or organization.

    2. Comparing Performance to Peers (Up to 500 words)

    Begin by defining the comparison group (e.g., “Among the 40+ professionals I’ve worked with in similar roles”). Use 2-4 specific examples to illustrate the applicant’s unique strengths, focusing on measurable impact. Show, don’t just tell, describe their problem-solving, leadership, or innovation in action, quantifying results whenever possible.

    3. Constructive Feedback & Applicant’s Response (Up to 500 words)

    Select feedback on a skill or behavior rather than personality traits. Outline the situation that prompted the feedback, explain why it was necessary, and detail how the applicant responded, both immediately and in the long term. Ideally, provide an example demonstrating how they implemented the feedback and improved their performance.

    4. Optional: Additional Information

    Use this space only if you have meaningful insights to add. Keep it brief—comment on the applicant’s fit for the program, unique qualities, or potential for post-MBA success. Avoid redundancy; ensure your input adds distinct value beyond what has already been covered in the recommendation.

    Your MBA Future Starts Here: Crafting a Powerful Recommendation Letter

    A strong MBA recommendation letter increases the impact of your application. Choose the right recommenders, craft compelling stories, and avoid mistakes to improve your chances.

    Are you applying for an MBA? Find all the support you need on our Admissions pages.