LFP
Dear all,
First off, huge thanks to all the ones here that are constantly sharing knowledge towards a common goal!
Let's jump into INSEAD's application. In 2024, recommendation letters DO NOT have an specified word limit.
One recommender asked me how objective or broad should he be. He got me on that one.
1 - What are you thoughts on this?
2 - How many words should all the 6 questions have?
3 - is there any maximum limit per question NOT RECOMMENDED to exceed? (Aka 500 words)
In general, I have seen somewhere around 1500 words in total; around300-400 per big question and 100-200 to the small ones.
INSEAD is my only choice, so I am hugely grateful to anyone willing to help
All the best to all of you
"
HI LFP,
I dont remember INSEAD's recommendation questions ever having a word limit.
They ask a lot of questions in comparison to the Common LOR adopted by most US based business schools. So the recommendation does tend to get long.
So let me break it down per reco question for you. However, note these are only suggested figures, you can go over or lesser than these depending upon what your recommender wants to focus upon. That said, I advise my applicants to have one within 3 pages.
How long have you known the candidate? Define your relationship with the candidate and the circumstances whereby you met.
- a 4-5 lines paragraph should sufficeComment on the candidate’s career progress to date and his/her career focus. about 200-250 words.
What do you consider to be the candidate’s major strengths? Comment on the factors that distinguish the candidate from other individuals at his/her level.
400-500 words. Your recommender can mention 3-4 strengths and give examples to support these.What do you consider to be the candidate’s major weaknesses? 250-300 words- your recommender can mention your weakness and how you may have worked upon it/improved it. 1-2 weaknesses are sufficient to mention, no more.
Comment on the candidate’s potential for senior management. Do you see him/her as a future leader?
200-250 words. Your recommnder can give a few examples to show what leadership capabilities you possess and how you may have demonstrated them in the past.
Describe the candidate as a person. Comment on his/her ability to establish and maintain relationships, sensitivity to others, self-confidence, attitude, etc. Specifically, comment on the candidate’s behavior or skills in a group setting/team environment. 250-300 words. Give relevant examples to demonstrate these abilities.
Namita Garg,Founder, MBA Decoderwww.mbadecoder.com
Email: contact@mbadecoder.com
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