Letter of Recommendation

Question

Hi all,

I have questions regarding the letter of recommendations:
1. What will happen if I submit 2 recommendation letters even the school says only submit 1 (i.e., MIT)? Will my application be considered as violated and disregarded?
2. Will the AdCom review the excluded recommendation letter?
3. One of my recommenders submitted the wrong version, so is it possible that I exclude that recommender’s submission and send them the new invite? Does this workaround cause my application issue?
Thank you.

lisahoang1301 · Answer

I hope to hear your advice/sharing!

vikg007 · Answer

Hey there,

Most schools will tell you whether the second recommendation is optional. If it's mandatorily only one, then you shouldn't share another.

If they explicitly state that the second recommendation is not required, then they will not review it.

Regarding the third point, just inform the school and take their permission.

lisahoang1301 · Answer

Thank you so much Gupta!

LemonEd · Answer

Hi

If a school specifically asks for only one recommendation letter, you should follow that instruction. Submitting more than requested will not usually disqualify your application, but it can be seen as not following directions and may reflect poorly on your attention to detail. Most schools prefer quality over quantity.

In most cases, the admissions committee will only review the letters they requested. If you submit an extra one, it may be ignored, or they may skim it, but it will not carry the same weight.

If a recommender submitted the wrong version, the usual approach is to contact the school’s admissions team. Ask if they can exclude or replace the submitted recommendation. Many schools can reset the recommender’s link or allow you to send a new invite. This does not usually cause a problem for your application as long as you communicate with the AdCom and follow their instructions.

All the best!

Prashant Pinge, ISB ’02  
 Founder & Principal Consultant, LemonEd 
 🌐   http://www.LemonEd.in   | ✉️    info@LemonEd.in    | 🔍   Free profile evaluation 
  LemonEd is a boutique MBA admissions firm helping applicants gain admission to the world’s top B-schools.

lisahoang1301 · Answer

Thank you so much Prashant~

ExpertsGlobal · Answer

Hi  lisahoang1301 ,

Following the guidelines mentioned by the school is very important. Submit a second recommendation only if the schools mentions that you can submit one (optionally).

All the best!

Letter of Recommendation

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