MBA Recommendation Letter – With Writing Guide 2024
Planning to write an MBA Reference Letter?
Confused about the perfect style and structure?
Bewildered about how to write MBA recommendation letter?
Don’t worry.
This blog on MBA Letter of Recommendation guide is an answer to all your daunting questions that are holding you back from writing a Letter of Recommendation for your student or colleague.
What is an MBA Recommendation Letter? Why is it Important?
Does the term “Letter of Recommendation” sound strange to you?
Don’t worry. We will explain.
When a student applies for an international education, they must submit an LOR, both academic and professional, so that the university can receive professional assurance about the student’s abilities and talents.
It is important as it is a deciding factor for the student’s admission to the MBA program he or she has chosen.
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Questions You should answer while Writing
As a recommender, you are tasked with recommending your student’s or colleague’s candidature for the MBA program he or she has chosen.
So below are some questions you have to answer while writing an MBA recommendation letter.
- For how long have you known the candidate, and in what capacity?
As a recommender, you can introduce yourself briefly and state for how long and in what
capacity and position you have known the candidate.
- What do you recommend as the core strength of the candidate?
Mention briefly the core strengths of the candidate, like versatility, hard work, persistence, leadership capabilities, etc.
- Why would you recommend the candidate for the MBA program he or she has chosen?
Here you can write what distinguishes the candidate from his or her fellow mates (including colleagues or classmates).
- How would you rate the candidate’s caliber to become a successful business leader in the future?
Give instances where the candidate has proven his/her leadership capabilities.
You can here explain how the candidate exhibited the skills of leadership, interpersonal skills, communication skills, and how he/she handled each obstacle with finesse.
- What are the best characteristics of the candidate that you have observed?
Here, you can discuss the best characteristics of the candidate.
Rather than making plain statements, you can give instances where the candidate has proved the aforementioned characteristics.
What Do Admissions Officers Look for in LORs?
LOR stands second in importance after SOP when it comes to foreign university admissions.
Want to know what an Admission Officer looks for in a Letter of Recommendation?
In a Letter of Recommendation for MBA program, Admission Officers see how a Recommender recommends a person and vouch for their intellectual capabilities and analytical skills. Below are a few pointers on how an Admission Committee evaluates your LOR.
- Is the recommendation given by the Recommender genuine or an unworthy praise?
- Statement of instances where a candidate has proven the said abilities and skills.
- More than academic grades and professional skill sets, where the candidate stands as a person.
- The personality of the candidate and how the candidate has been as a student or professional.
- Candidate’s contribution to the school or office.
- What makes the candidate unique and different from others (colleagues or classmates).
- How the Recommender establishes a relationship between the skills of the candidate and the MBA program he or she desires to choose.
How Long Your LOR Should be?
Planning to write a LOR for an MBA?
Confused about how long MBA recommendation letters should be?
Read the entire blog to get a comprehensive idea of how to write a recommendation letter for MBA program and how long your LOR should be.
Word Count:
400 words
Character Limit:
2000 – 2500 characters
Page Limit:
one inch margin in all side
Margin:
One page
Font Style:
Times New Roman
Font Size:
11 or 12
MBA Recommendation Letter Samples
Name of the Referee
Position of the Referee
Contact Details of the Referee
Name of recipient
Mailing address of desired recipient
Position of desired recipient
Date
Dear (Admissions Committee/ Dean of Admissions),
It is a matter of pride for me to recommend the candidature of my mentee, ____________, who is applying for MBA in HR at _____________ (name of the college). He brims with potential and wants to excel in all the activities that he engages himself in. As an Assistant Professor of Economics, I had the opportunity to mentor and teach _______ throughout his academic journey at our college and it is his dedication, passion and perseverance that makes him unique and stand out from his peers.
Rahul always believes in taking the lead. In every initiative that he undertakes, he applies himself fully and keeps persevering until the aspired goal is achieved. As the Academic Coordinator of the College Arts Club, I have had the opportunity to closely analyse the leadership capabilities of Rahul. Being the secretary of Arts Club of the College, he has exhibited impressive leadership skills and qualities. His ability to co-ordinate and work in a team was well reflected during the college arts festival. It is his diligence, tireless attitude, and sincerity that put him on a high pedestal among his mates. His leadership prowess was showcased when he and his fellow mates represented the department for the interdepartmental_____________ competition. The efficacy with which he led the team and achieved the desired goal must receive special mention. His accomplishments highlight his managerial and coordination skills. I must say he is a jovial fellow with commendable team spirit.
His command over various concepts of Economics is impeccable. Having taught him for 3 years, I have seen his thirst to gain knowledge and become proficient in all the concepts. His academic project on _____________ is a testimony of his proficiency over ___________, _________ and ____________ concepts. In Macroeconomics he always scored brilliantly and I hope that his love for the subject will always persist and will help him to perform well in the complex subjects of MBA as well. I am sure this MBA degree will help him to achieve his goals and become an entrepreneur. I endorse his application without any reservation. My best wishes are always with him.
Regards,
Name
Designation
Name of the Institution
Mobile Number
Guidelines for Using Samples
Referring to a good sample will make your job much easier when writing a recommendation letter for MBA program.
Here we provide you with an MBA recommendation letter sample for your reference. Have a look at LOR samples for MBA and understand how:
- A good LOR for an MBA is defined by an eye catchy introduction that well explains the relationship between the Recommender and the Candidate.
- Learn how to structure each paragraph in an exceptional manner.
- Glance at how the correct usage of grammar elevates the overall impression of the LOR.
- Understand how to conclude the LOR by endorsing the candidature of the candidate.
Write Your LORs in 6 Steps
Before you start to write an LOR, it is imperative to understand how to write a letter of
recommendation.
In this section, we will walk you through the process of writing your LOR for an MBA in six steps.
- Understand what the candidate expects you to write.
- Begin the letter following formal letter-writing conventions.
- Start with a bit of praise.
- Establish the relationship between the candidate and the recommender.
- Describe how the candidate stood out from his/her peers.
- Finish with an affirmative statement and include your contact information.
Who Is Eligible to Write LORs?
Confused about who should write MBA recommendation letter for you?
Before you decide on whom to approach for an LOR, it is very important to have a clear
understanding of the types of LOR for an MBA admission.
There are two types of LOR.
Professional and Academic.
Depending on the type of LOR you require, you can approach the respective person to write an LOR.
An academic LOR is expected to be written by someone who has been in close contact with you since your academic days and can vouch for your academic abilities.
For an academic LOR, you can contact any of your professors from your college or teachers from the educational institutions you were part of.
But always be careful to choose someone who knows you well and has seen your progress as a student.
As the MBA requires a few years of professional experience, you are asked to submit a professional LOR as well.
A professional LOR has to be written by someone who knows you well as a professional.
For a professional LOR you can contact your employer, Supervisor, Manager, etc. who can assert your professional capabilities and ability to work as part of a team.
Type of LOR
Who is eligible to write
Professors or teachers who can vouch for your academic capabilities
Professional LOR
Employer or Supervisor who can assert your professional capabilities and ability to work as part of a team
Final Checklist
- Did I include all the relevant details?
- Did the LOR adhere to the specified word limit?
- Did I describe the relationship between the candidate and me?
- Have I included the professional details of mine?
- Is my professional seal stamped?
Do's and Don't in Your LOR
LOR plays an important role in the admission of a candidate to an MBA program.
Always ensure that the LOR is free from all types of errors.
Below we list a few DO’s and DON’Ts while writing a LOR.
Do’s
Don’ts
Do include examples to illustrate the points better
False information
Be specific with your information
Exceed the word limit
Do include the recommender’s professional details.
Forget to proofread the LOR
Be genuine.
Ignore the guidelines for a successful LOR submission.
Tips for Writing
Confused about how to make your LOR interesting and impressive.
Have a glance at our tips to make your LOR look attractive.
- Quantify the strength of the candidate
- Vouch for the potential of the candidate
- Always use active voice
- Recommender can ask to contact him/her for more information
- Never forget to include Recommender’s contact information
- Always be careful to use the right format.
Conclusion
So we’ve reached the end of the blog.
Hope we have answered all your queries on how to write a Letter of Recommendation for an MBA program.
Still confused about how to write a LOR?
You can reach out directly by posting your comments or queries in the comment section below.
Mrs. Sreeja Sudha
With a specialization in academic content writing, Sreeja Sudha is a skilled Content Writer and Editor who has got years of experience in crafting Statement of Purposes (SOPs) for students who are aspiring to pursue a masters degree . Her passion for delivering impactful and captivating pieces made her a top choice for students to craft their academic documents. Her expertise in various subjects, writing styles, and a tailored and persuasive writing approach helped her successfully cater to students' academic goals.