Should recommendations be shared with candidates?

Many applicants ask their recommenders to see their letters of recommendation after the fact. As long as you're not meddling with (or writing) the recommendations, this is a reasonable request.

Scott

Veritas Prep | Elite GMAT Preparation and Admissions Consulting | Co-Author, Your MBA Game Plan

If the recommender voluntarily sends me a copy, that's great. But, if they don't, then I would feel a bit uncomfortable asking him or her for it. I suppose it depends on the nature of your relationship with the recommender but I don't want to come across as not trusting them. I think it's perfectly reasonable to talk about what he/she thinks is your weakness (and ideally this is something you would've heard from the recommender a long time ago so you had a chance to improve on it) because then your intention is to learn and grow but if you're just curious...I personally would not ask for the letter.

I didnt see my recommendations...really didnt care to. However, here at Kellogg as part of your evaluation before you start they do a peer/leader assesment (you dont know who said what but you see what was said). Its only as helpful as people are honest...I know people who found theirs useless since people were super polite with answers all the way to people were hurt that people thought they sucked at so many things.

Honestly, I think many of us know our strengths and weaknesses. What I heard from my evaluations was pretty much what I knew and why I was going for an MBA.

I think more colleges should do that. Good for a reality check before you start in that dream program

But talking with recommenders face to face need not bring out all the weaknesses because good managers tend to be nicer in person.

In theory, recommendations shouldn't be shared with the candidates... but as always, there's the theory and the reality.

I asked a peer for to write a letter for me. I gave her some documents on how to do that, but she did not really know how to proceed. She said that she would prefer if we write it together. . That was really good, because she is not familiar MBA admissions, so I could avoid bad mistakes.

And then, there's my other recommender: my boss. I have a good relationship with her, so I did not see it as a problem... until she sent me the letter at work a few hours before the deadline. I had meetings and customers calls so I just told her to send it to the Adcom. Only after that, I read it and I wished I hadn't. There's always a question on the candidate's weaknesses, and I think that letter is seriously going to hurt my chances of admission. I know it's good to receive feedback and even be critised. But to an adcom, there's the truth you recommender can tell and the truth she shouldn't tell. I am afraid that she wrote the truth she shouldn't tell.

Anyways, I think that a recommendation should be shared only if you have the possibility to have your say in the recommendation letter. If not, what's the point?