Letter of recommendation

I like to think about what the content is that they are going to be offering towards your application.

You need to have your manager write one letter, so think about what that person is going to say, what anecdotes would he or she share about you? What qualities was that impart? This person will be your main recommender for all the applications. Some schools only require one letter and this should be it. I would highly recommend that you coach them, meaning, tell them what qualities business schools are looking for and what anecdotes you think might best demonstrate those qualities.

Then think about what else you'd like to get across about yourself. I would recommend a mentor or someone who could maybe speak to the more personal side of Who You Are. Again, what anecdotes will put you in the best light, separate you from other people in your profile group? Then think about which recommender who would likely share an anecdote that would convey the qualities that you were trying to convey.

This goes back to your overall application strategy.

With regards to your last question, yes in most cases. Most large admissions consulting firms have the current recommendation questions listed on their websites.

Figure out which ones are the same, and which ones are different, and approach it that way. You'll probably find that most of them are identical, especially now that many schools are adopting the common letter of recommendation. Before presenting these to your recommender it's best to have a sense of where the differences are first so that they know to write a letter that is unique to any schools not using the common form.

Also when choosing recommenders, it's wise for you to discuss your business school plans with them first. If they seem enthusiastic, and have some interesting things to say about that, it's a good way to first screen who you would like to approach for a letter period without getting into an awkward or embarrassing situation.

Farrell Dyan Hehn, MBA
Admissions Consultant & Verbal Strategist MBAPrepCoach.com