Rightly he asked: would that help him secure a place at a top business school?

Surprisingly perhaps, their advice was ‘no’. They still got their candidate into one of the top US business schools, even obtaining a significant scholarship in the process, but their advice for a recommendation was the following:

“The preferred letter of recommendation is typically from your immediate boss, but he or she may be the last person you want to share your business school plans with. And as Dee Leopold, the Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School explains in her blog, you should not jeopardize your employment in order to secure such a recommendation. Even so, by asking your immediate supervisor you are making a clear statement about how committed you are to your MBA dream.”

According to Fortuna Admissions these are six smart tips to follow:

Tip #1: Recommendations matter. Schools put a great deal of weight on third party input that gives them a real insight into your performance. Take the time over lunch or a pre-scheduled phone call to provide a context for your b-school decision, your post-MBA plans, and the focus of your application.

Tip #2: Be strategic about your recommenders and the timing of your application. If you are still in the process of developing a great working relationship with your boss and have exciting projects coming up that will add weight to your application, think about deferring your application to round 2.

Tip #3: The recommendation should support your application without being duplicative. What your recommenders say about your strengths and achievements should give greater credibility to what you say about yourself. Make sure you share information about your essays with your recommendation writers so that they can understand your point of view.

Tip #4: Think about using two recommenders who can comment on different aspects of your experience. Perhaps your current and your previous boss; your boss and a client; your boss and an investor in your entrepreneurial side venture. Different perspectives can be both complementary and enlightening.

Tip #5: Remember to remind your recommenders of earlier achievements as well as more recent interactions. It’s a good idea to jot down a list of relevant details and examples to help your recommender recall things more easily.

Tip #6: Make sure you keep your recommenders up to date on how your application is progressing. Securing a place at a leading business school is hugely competitive, and you may need to approach them again if round 1 is unsuccessful. If you have kept your recommenders informed they are more likely to support you throughout.

And, regardless of the outcome, make sure your recommenders know that their efforts were truly appreciated. A handwritten note to express your thanks is a nice touch in this digital age according to the consultants.

http://fortunaadmissions.com/recommendations-does-prestige-matter/