Last visit was: 11 Dec 2024, 21:42 It is currently 11 Dec 2024, 21:42
Home
GMAT
Messages
Tests
Schools
Reviews
Social
Chat
My Profile
Close
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Go to My Error Log Learn more
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
User avatar
gotomba
User avatar
Joined: 04 Apr 2009
Last visit: 29 Aug 2010
Posts: 21
Own Kudos:
1
Posts: 21
Kudos: 1
letter of recommendation from your current supervisor 06 Nov 2009, 03:26
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
How important is it to get a recommendation letter from your current supervisor? I see schools like Stanford requires applicant to obtain at least one recommendation from your current direct supervisor. Does it really harm my application if I couldn't submit one? My role is completely different from what my administrative supervisor and my role is client facing so I pretty much work with another technical team and clients most of the time. Would it harm my application if I ask a team lead from the other team and a client to recommend me?

Thanks!!
User avatar
formerlyknownas
User avatar
Current Student
Joined: 03 Oct 2009
Last visit: 15 Dec 2012
Posts: 160
Own Kudos:
15
Given Kudos: 7
Posts: 160
Kudos: 15
letter of recommendation from your current supervisor 09 Nov 2009, 10:20
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
gotomba
How important is it to get a recommendation letter from your current supervisor? I see schools like Stanford requires applicant to obtain at least one recommendation from your current direct supervisor. Does it really harm my application if I couldn't submit one? My role is completely different from what my administrative supervisor and my role is client facing so I pretty much work with another technical team and clients most of the time. Would it harm my application if I ask a team lead from the other team and a client to recommend me?

Thanks!!

My guess is probably not. Look at the recommendation questions and select the best people to respond to those questions. Schools understand that not everyone can ask their current supervisor.
User avatar
gurpreetsingh
User avatar
Joined: 12 Oct 2009
Last visit: 15 Jun 2019
Posts: 2,278
Own Kudos:
3,758
Given Kudos: 235
Status:<strong>Nothing comes easy: neither do I want.</strong>
Location: Malaysia
Concentration: Technology, Entrepreneurship
Schools: ISB '15 (M)
GMAT 1: 670 Q49 V31
GMAT 2: 710 Q50 V35
Products:
My Reviews
Schools: ISB '15 (M)
GMAT 2: 710 Q50 V35
Posts: 2,278
Kudos: 3,758
letter of recommendation from your current supervisor 09 Nov 2009, 12:12
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
formerlyknownas
gotomba
How important is it to get a recommendation letter from your current supervisor? I see schools like Stanford requires applicant to obtain at least one recommendation from your current direct supervisor. Does it really harm my application if I couldn't submit one? My role is completely different from what my administrative supervisor and my role is client facing so I pretty much work with another technical team and clients most of the time. Would it harm my application if I ask a team lead from the other team and a client to recommend me?

Thanks!!

My guess is probably not. Look at the recommendation questions and select the best people to respond to those questions. Schools understand that not everyone can ask their current supervisor.

I do agree , its good if you can get letter from the people who can explain why you deserve to be in the school,your strengths and weakness and how you tackled your problems in efficient way.

The crux is get the letter from the person who can explain you better.
User avatar
Jerz
User avatar
Joined: 09 Dec 2008
Last visit: 28 Jan 2017
Posts: 1,221
Own Kudos:
254
 [1]
Given Kudos: 17
Concentration: Health Enterprise Management, Marketing, Strategy, Finance, Analytical Consulting, Economics
Schools:Kellogg Class of 2011
GMAT 1: 770 Q49 V47
Posts: 1,221
Kudos: 254
 [1]
letter of recommendation from your current supervisor 09 Nov 2009, 16:58
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Most schools will understand if you don't have a recommendation from your current supervisor. If you don't though you should explain why in the application, focusing on how closely your recommenders do know you and your work.
avatar
JCTplus3
avatar
Joined: 14 Oct 2009
Last visit: 11 Nov 2010
Posts: 59
Own Kudos:
5
Given Kudos: 2
Location: DFW
Concentration: Finance
Schools:Booth (admit after R1 waitlist), Wharton (R2 ding), Harvard (R2 ding), Darden (R2 waitlist), McCombs (ding after waitlist)
Posts: 59
Kudos: 5
letter of recommendation from your current supervisor 09 Nov 2009, 21:06
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
I had a real struggle with this as well, but I eventually decided to apply to Wharton, Chicago, and McCombs without my current boss. Both were former supervisors who I trusted to give me a good reference, and I knew they could write persuasively. That got me an interview at McCombs and Chicago. I'm in round 2 in Wharton, so I don't know about that one yet.

When I finally got in a position to have the talk with my boss, I wish I had asked earlier. It went very well. He is going to be a reference to HBS, which might make or break that one.
User avatar
miccarlo
User avatar
Joined: 17 Mar 2007
Last visit: 26 Apr 2010
Posts: 123
Own Kudos:
24
Given Kudos: 3
Location: San Francisco, CA
Concentration: Entrepreneurship, Strategic Management
Schools:Haas, Booth, Kellogg, Stanford
 Q46  V47
Posts: 123
Kudos: 24
letter of recommendation from your current supervisor 10 Nov 2009, 10:08
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
If a school specifically requires it, I would use the option essay (if available) to explain the reason why you chose a different person to give you a recommendation. I think the schools would be flexible with this if you explain it clearly.
User avatar
hogann
User avatar
Joined: 29 Jun 2009
Last visit: 21 Apr 2015
Posts: 117
Own Kudos:
1,297
Given Kudos: 2
Affiliations: CFA Level 2 Candidate
Concentration: Finance
Schools:RD 2: Darden Class of 2012
 Q49  V35
Posts: 117
Kudos: 1,297
letter of recommendation from your current supervisor 10 Nov 2009, 14:16
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
I would like to continue this thread by asking a different question - How far back do you think you can go with recommendation letters.

I have really only ever worked for 3 supervisors. I am going to need to ask my current Supervisor for a letter. Unfortunately my previous supervisor (2 years ago) was fired from the company under bad terms. This means I would need to go back 4 years to the next previous employer. Is that too far back. Will schools feel that I might have changed drastically as a person over that period?
avatar
go2bizSkool
avatar
Joined: 25 Sep 2009
Last visit: 09 Apr 2010
Posts: 96
Own Kudos:
11
Location: USA
Concentration: Tech Entrepreneurship
Schools:HBS, Sloan, Columbia, Stern, Tuck
 Q50  V44
Posts: 96
Kudos: 11
letter of recommendation from your current supervisor 10 Nov 2009, 14:58
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
i dont know if how your old boss was fired matters. you could prob still ask him/her. usually schools like a focus on the last 3 yrs.
User avatar
h3nG
User avatar
Joined: 08 May 2011
Last visit: 25 Mar 2014
Posts: 3
Posts: 3
Kudos: 0
letter of recommendation from your current supervisor 27 Jul 2011, 18:42
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Does "rank" of the supervisor in the organization matter much?
User avatar
EBM
User avatar
Joined: 16 Dec 2010
Last visit: 19 Apr 2024
Posts: 750
Own Kudos:
163
Given Kudos: 6
Affiliations: HBS Class of 2013
Location: United States (TX)
Schools: HBS '13 (A)
Schools: HBS '13 (A)
Posts: 750
Kudos: 163
letter of recommendation from your current supervisor 29 Jul 2011, 13:15
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
h3nG
Does "rank" of the supervisor in the organization matter much?

No.

Adcoms want to hear from someone who is very familiar with you and your work, not from a boss of a boss of a boss who doesn't really know you well but has a prestigious title.
User avatar
xerox
User avatar
Current Student
Joined: 01 Feb 2007
Last visit: 21 Jun 2021
Posts: 462
Own Kudos:
54
Given Kudos: 8
Location: Silicon Valley via Russia, China, Canada and Wharton/Lauder
Concentration: Finance, International Studies (South East Asia)
Schools:Wharton/Lauder (Mandarin Chinese)
GPA: 5 out of 5
Posts: 462
Kudos: 54
letter of recommendation from your current supervisor 31 Jul 2011, 01:45
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
gotomba
How important is it to get a recommendation letter from your current supervisor?
The ideal situation is when your supervisor knows you very well; the world is not perfect, however, and sometimes you may think your supervisor is a dick, or you are a dick in your supervisor's opinion (or they simply do not know you that well), and you would certainly want to avoid the risk of getting a prefab recommendation letter.

If you decide not to use your supervisor's precious opinion about your valuable self, in spite of the school's requirement to do so, then do find a way to explain your alternate choice of recommender somewhere in the application.
User avatar
MBAbot
User avatar
Non-Human User
Joined: 01 Oct 2013
Last visit: 01 Oct 2013
Posts: 945
Own Kudos:
43
Posts: 945
Kudos: 43
letter of recommendation from your current supervisor 04 Jan 2020, 04:50
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hello from the GMAT Club MBAbot!

Thanks to another GMAT Club member, I have just discovered this valuable topic, yet it had no discussion for over a year. I am now bumping it up - doing my job. I think you may find it valuable (esp those replies with Kudos).

Want to see all other topics I dig out? Follow me (click follow button on profile). You will receive a summary of all topics I bump in your profile area as well as via email.
Moderator:
anshk7
BSchool Forum Moderator
1 posts