{"id":13647,"date":"2012-08-15T18:00:59","date_gmt":"2012-08-16T01:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/?p=13647"},"modified":"2012-08-14T13:11:17","modified_gmt":"2012-08-14T20:11:17","slug":"letters-of-recommendation-the-rule-of-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/letters-of-recommendation-the-rule-of-10\/","title":{"rendered":"Letters of Recommendation: The Rule of 10%"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>By the Amerasia Consulting Group<\/p>\n

When it comes to recommendations, the first thing that any applicant needs to understand is how they work and, therefore, how they should handle them as part of the process.\u00a0 We sum up this analysis with something we call \"The Rule of 10%\": they count for about 10% of a decision, they should be about 10% of your focus during application season, and you should contribute about 10% of the work that goes into their outcome.\u00a0 Obviously, these are all gross estimates and generalizations, but it shakes out to about right and its easier to use 10% than \"a percentage that is a LOT less than you think it is.\"\u00a0 The bottom line is that most applicants assume a much higher level of importance, they spend far more time thinking and worrying about them, and they get far too involved in their production (the biggest issue of all).\u00a0 Let's work through all three:<\/p>\n

1. Letters of Rec Make up About 10% of the Decision<\/span>.<\/p>\n

There are basically two ways to analyze how recommendations work within an admissions decision - one is to think of it from a process standpoint and the other is to consider the \"weight\" they carry, more or less, and using the former can help us understand why the answer to the latter is \"more or less about 10%.\"<\/p>\n

Within the process, the typical way in which a letter of recommendation is utilized by an admissions officer is as a verification tool.\u00a0 A reader will sit down to review a file (in much less time than you think, by the way) and typically work through the \"one sheet\" (name, biographical data, test scores, undergrad, major, GPA, age, etc.) so they can get the basics.\u00a0 This frames the expectation going in and is why some of these data points become obsessed over.\u00a0 A low GMAT tells the reader \"long shot\" (and that's the best case scenario).\u00a0 An extreme age makes them extra sensitive to the appropriateness of the degree.\u00a0 There are a lot of ways the perception can be framed at this very initial stage, and while nobody's mind is made up yet, there is definitely an influence on the way the file is read.<\/p>\n

Next, it's the application itself (transcripts are usually skipped or skimmed unless there is something to investigate, like a really low GPA next to a monster GMAT score), which is very quick.\u00a0 The resume brings to life work experience in a snapshot, which is why you must always construct your resume as a sales tool.\u00a0 Now, the reader has a much better sense of how qualified this applicant is, how well this person has done professionally, and so forth - the reader can probably prognosticate admissions chances with about 60% accuracy at this point.\u00a0 The essays are where the variance kicks in.\u00a0 Some who look good on paper will blow it, by either failing to articulate proper reasons for the degree, or writing bland content that they think is what someone wants to read, or for failing to really connect to the school in question.\u00a0 Others will rise far above the initial impression with \"great\" essays (that do accomplish the things above).<\/p>\n

Once the essays are completed, the reader is about 90% of the way there and more or less has decided.\u00a0 The only thing left is to check the recommendation letters to make sure that other people - people who know the applicant better - concur with the assessment.\u00a0 Again, we want to stress that this is about validating an already-formed opinion.\u00a0 If you were an experienced professional who prided yourself on bringing in a great class of students every year and you know what works and what doesn't, are you going to cede the power of making the decision to someone writing a letter?\u00a0 Of course not, so unless it is an extreme case (like Stanford, where far more stated importance is put on letters of recommendation), you can assume that your letters will account for about 10% of the ultimate decision.\u00a0 Good letters will help affirm a reader's decision to \"admit\" (note: this just means you will get an interview invite at this point, but within admissions offices they flag people as admits until they are demoted down to wait list or deny), is basically what it comes down to.<\/p>\n

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2.\u00a0 You Should Spend About 10% of Your Time on Letters of Rec<\/span>.<\/p>\n

The second Rule of 10% is how much time you should be spending on the letter of recommendation - and 10% might be generous.\u00a0 This is a letter written by someone else, after all.\u00a0 How much time should it really take you?\u00a0 Not much!\u00a0 Note though that we did not say 0% of your time.\u00a0 You do need to take some steps to set your recommender up for success rather than failure.<\/p>\n