Manager
Joined: 02 Nov 2009
Posts: 86
Given Kudos: 7
Location: VA
Schools:Columbia Business School '13
Q28 V36 GMAT 2: 650 Q40 V39 GMAT 3: 720 Q44 V45
GPA: 3.6
WE 1: Investment Banking
WE 2: Higher Education
Re: Using a single generic recommendation letter
[#permalink]
03 Aug 2010, 07:41
mba2013: I share the same dilemma with you in trying to do several applications in R1. I figure that by starting the process very early, I should be able to handle my business. However, I know it's tough to ask the same supervisor to do six unique recommendations for you, but I would strongly advise that you broach the subject with him/her. As an undergraduate admissions officer, I can tell you there are few things more off-putting than receiving a standardized recommendation letter that is clearly being used for several different applications (or even for different individuals - just changing "Billy" is really smart to "Joey" is really smart.)
In order to help alleviate the extra burden on your boss of writing multiple recommendations for you, print out all the recommendation sheets and study them. Think through everything you have ever done for your boss and make notes on those recommendation sheets. Then, present to your boss your finalized essays and an outline of possible topics for him to discuss on the recommendation sheet. Certainly DO NOT answer the questions for him, but give him a framework to use. Give him some topics to cover or stories to tell that you think are important to strengthening your candidacy, but then let him run with it. You want his own voice and prose to shine through. Make sure that he corroborates some of the things you mention in your essays while also providing some color on additional topics that you did not mention.
Finally, you probably won't be able to spring for the Rolex retirement gift, but get him a bottle of Scotch, some cigars, or something else to thank him - not just for doing your recommendations, but for everything he's taught you in the course of your employment.