Appropriateness of a Recommender

Question

Outside of my full time job I've started an online mentoring organization with an undergrad classmate of mine. Just wondering everyone's opinion on whether or not that person would make a good recommender for my MBA applications. I can get two people at work but I think that my manager at work and him would give a good balance of opinions on my suitability for business school.

Would schools frown upon this since we were at one point classmates?

Would schools frown upon this since we were at one point classmates?

cheetarah1980 · Answer

I don't think it's an issue. However, your co-founder/classmate not be an appropriate recommender for all of your apps. If you apply to Booth, HBS, or Stanford then he would definitely be appropriate. Other schools specifically request professional recommendations so I suggest getting those from people who have supervised your work in a professional capacity (peers and subordinates are not good choices).

nutsngum · Answer

So unless they state that they want professional recommendations, this would generally not be frowned upon?

woggy987 · Answer

I think he'd be great for the Stanford peer recommender... would be wary about using him for other recs though.

cheetarah1980 · Answer

You got it!

nutsngum · Answer

I'm applying to Kellogg, LBS, Tuck, Fuqua, Ross and Johnson I think.

Are any of these schools more likely than the others to be willing to accept that type of recommender?

myEssayReview · Answer

I am sorry, but a recommender should preferably be your supervisor at work or college professor, not a class mate or a colleague.
I hope it helped.

cheetarah1980 · Answer

Professors should NOT be recommenders. The only time a professor is appropriate is if you are right out of undergrad or graduate school and WORKED for that person. Schools do not want academic references.

And for some schools it is appropriate to have a colleague write the letter of recommendation (i.e. Stanford's peer recommender). In nutsngum's case this isn't someone who sits in the cube next to him. It's the co-founder of a mentoring organization. For some applications this may be appropriate, but it depends on the school.

nutsngum we cannot tell you which schools it will work for. Go to the websites of the schools to which you want to apply and see what type of recommendations they require. If they say professional recommendations, then your classmate/co-founder is not appropriate. If they say at least 1 professional rec and you can choose another person for your second one, then your cofounder becomes a viable option.

Appropriateness of a Recommender

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards