MBA Insider's Blog

How to source strong letters of recommendation

I recently returned from The MBA Tour India where I had the pleasure of visiting Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Delhi and Pune. The events were all very well attended, and I enjoyed meeting some excellent candidates in the region! I thoroughly enjoyed visiting a number of fascinating sites around the country, as well as sampling the delicious cuisine (and, of course, shopping!)

While in India, I participated on a few admissions panels alongside colleagues from other universities where I was assigned the topic of ‘Letters of Recommendation.’ For those of you who have not had the chance to sit in on an admissions panel this year, I thought I would provide you with a few tips:

-   What is important isn’t necessarily the title of the person writing the letter, but how well they know you in the workplace. At UCLA Anderson, we look to your letters of recommendation to help us assess from a third-party perspective your leadership and management potential, fit with the program, interpersonal skills and teamwork abilities. In most cases, someone you have reported to on a day-to-day basis can provide more insight into these qualities than someone higher up in the organization who may not interact with you regularly.

-   Prepare your recommender as much as possible.  Give them ample time to prepare a strong letter, and perhaps give them a deadline to have the letter prepared by. Provide your recommender with a copy of your resume and remind them of your key accomplishments.

-  Who to ask? At UCLA Anderson, we prefer professional recommendations over academic. Preferably, you should have a letter from your direct supervisor. However, we understand that sometimes candidates are not yet comfortable letting their employer know they are pursuing an MBA. Indirect supervisors (people who have overseen projects you’ve worked on, a manager from another department, etc.) are a good option, as well as former employers, clients (especially for those of you who are self-employed) and supervisors from extracurricular organizations.

Next stop(s)  –  Paris, London, Istanbul and Tel Aviv. I hope to meet more of you “on the road” soon!

UCLA Anderson MBA Applications up 22% in 2011-12

Prospective students keep asking why our application volume grew by 22% last season, while the majority of b-schools saw declines instead.  Clearly we are doing something right and new students want to be a part of it!  Check out what the media has to say about our exciting performance, including The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Businessweek, and Poets and Quants.

Innovation comes naturally to us in California, as for example our flexible learning model prepares students for new careers in a way that is faster and deeper than ever before.  Our partnerships with industry keep growing, as illustrated by the spring TED Conference here, and even our admission evaluations are more powerful now with our iPad app from Matchbox.  Students who want to transform their futures know that this is a prime venue for change -- a business school combining academic rigor with a fun lifestyle too.

The fresh admissions season is picking up speed, and we are seeing strong interest in UCLA Anderson this year too.  Candidates can get to know us better on-line or in-person and the more you discover the more there is to like!