A less highly-ranked school is less likely to care. The lower the ranking, generally the less picky they are. Nevertheless...
Nearly 100% of the schools I looked at do NOT want professors. They say that b-school is a career-focused, professional school where recommendations from professors just don't make as much sense. They want to know about you at work, and are less interested in you at school. You'll notice that most of the application essays are really looking for work and life info, and not for school info.
There seem to be two exceptions to this rule: college seniors and those who engaged in substantial work with their profs. I don't know if the research you described would be substantial, but it might be.
So, no, generally you should not use a professor. However, if you feel that is truly your best option, and you've exhausted all other reasonable possibilities, then do what you need to do. Overall, I would guess that a good letter from the wrong person is better than a bad letter from the right person.
That's my take.
justin520 wrote:
In the application of one school, the directions for recommendations say, "...from full time or part time employers, colleagues, or clients..."
If I were to point out a weak point in my application, it would be work experience. When I apply, I will only have had 2 years experience. On top of that, I am working out of the country in a job that doesn't really require me to interact too often with my co-workers. I have already procured a letter from my supervisor, but his English isn't so great. I have an old professor that writes brilliantly and actually knows me better than any of my co-workers. She could attest to not only my academic ability, but my work ethic as well (I was working 40 hours per week during college). We also worked together one on one on a research project because I was chosen to present at the Student Research Seminar. I know that the rules say "employers, colleagues, or clients", but I think a letter from my old professor would put me in a better light than a letter from a co-worker that barely knows me and can hardly write in English.
I thought I would ask here first before I ask the school. Do schools bend on rules like this, or is it set in stone? The school in question isn't SO highly ranked (near-elite frontier I believe). Do any of you have any experience in this? Thanks.