smileyface wrote:
wschaeff wrote:
Hi,
Can some one please explain to me why letters of recommendation are so important? I have had the absolute worst luck lining up my recommenders and having them submit on time.
First: I applied to 2 schools in Rd 1. My boss left my company in July and promised he would write my recs. I spoke with him frequently throughout the summer, and 2 weeks before my apps are due he goes AWOL. I couldn't reach him by phone, text, email... and he never wrote the letters! The schools were cool and let me change who the rec writer was even 2 weeks after the deadline.
Now: Second Round, 4 schools. One of my authors wrote 1 of 4. The other at the last minute decides she too busy and can't help. So, I'm now looking at 3 schools without any letters of rec!
And I'm running out of people to ask for help. Schools want supervisors, I get that. But my company would rather have me get an MBA from Phoenix, Strayer, or Capella than leave the company and get a real MBA worth anything. I'm not banker or consultant whose bosses are expected to write them letters of rec.
I spent 4 months studying to earn a 750 on the GMAT. I've poured countless hours into writing very good essays. B-School is my goal and I've done everything I could on my end to see achieve it. Am I really going to be punished because I have flaky ex-supervisors who don't seem as concerned with my goals? Or that I come from an industry that doesn't value an MBA so I'm not comfortable asking the folks I work for to help me leave the company?
I am very sorry to hear. If I were you, I would even think about holding off a year to get recommenders sorted. It is a very dicey situation because recommendations are more important than even personal essays in my opinion and yet, most recommenders don't take writing recommendations seriously(my supervisor threw something together and submitted my recommendation 15 minutes before it was due) or even know how to write a good one. But, it sounds like your chosen recommenders don't like you or don't know you well enough to write one. You also have to try to make it easy for them e.g. point out overlaps in questions, send them the questions in word document in an email etc. I had a recommender that was like this last year but I ended up not applying last year and I am reapplying this year.
I don't agree about waiting another year to obtain the right recommendations. You worked too hard to get there. Look you can use past teachers, people you work in your community activities, and other co-workers (not preferable). At the end it will not be the deal breaker. I think 3 days is enough to sort it out:
1- Talk to 3 people you might think may be interested. Tell them you help them in finding templates etc. (Don't write it though, but give them aplenty of information)
2- Tell them the deadline is Monday noon for example.
3- Send them the link for the schools right after they agreed, and again Monday morning
4- Thank them a lot for doing this for you and explain that your situation honestly.
5- If you can, use you last essay in your application to explain why you don't have a supervisor from your company (but if you can use coworker, use it as the 3rd-optional- recommendation)
Hope it helps
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07 Jan 2011, 08:43
